Generating emotions for your newsletters with emojis, smileys and co.
WhatsApp has become the most used messenger service and what would WhatsApp be without Emojis? … True, hard to even think about it. Not only does it look nice when a small picture is added to the text from time to time, but Emojis also serve another purpose: As the name suggests, these small images should also convey emotions.
Especially in non-verbal communication it is difficult to transport emotions. Thus a sentence can quickly be misunderstood. An ironic allusion is then erroneously perceived as an insult or accusation. The use of emojis allows the actual intention behind the written to be recognized more clearly. Because when there is a winky smiley behind a text, it quickly becomes clear that it is not meant to be taken all that seriously.
In our article you will therefore find some examples of how to use the colourful and funny smileys and emoticons in newsletters and subject lines. We’ll also give you some valuable tips on how to use emojis in email marketing.
Development - from analog to digitalThe origin of emojis
Emojis are not an invention of WhatsApp. Most people will remember that even at SMS times they tried to convey emotions. At that time, however, it was only possible with a combination of text characters, which were later automatically converted into emojis. So we went from :-) or ;-) to 🙂 and 😉.
The actual origin of the emotional images goes back to the analogue world of the 19th century. At that it time newspapers used typographic gimmicks to provide a more complex description than was possible with adjectives.
The digital emoticons or smileys did not appear as ASCII characters until 1982. Most of the emojis we know today have been around since 2010, when they were included in Unicode 6 and have been preserved in subsequent versions.
Presentation – Emoji does not equal EmojiDifferent versions based on browers, operatingsystem and co.
The same emoji isn’t necessarily displayed the same way for everybody. Since it depends on which system you work with, the representation can vary. The smileys and other characters today are usually encoded with the Unicode standard UTF-8. This type of character encoding is supported by most operating systems, browsers and e-mail clients.
Just as there is a different representation of one and the same smiley depending on the system, it can also happen that there is an emoji on WhatsApp, for example, but not on Twitter. If an emoji is not available on a system, a rectangle or question mark will appear instead. So, depending on what you are using emojis for, you should first test whether the icon you want is available in the system.
As you can see, an emoji doesn’t equal an emoji. The basic emotions that’s supposed to be transmitted remains the same, no matter what system you are using.
Emojis in newslettersIncrease the effect by using emotions
In principle, emojis are used to evoke or amplify certain feelings. This needs to be highly taken into consideration. Especially emojis that evoke a positive association should be preferred.
In addition to that, you need to think about what emotion you want to transmit in order to use an appropriate emoji. An emoji for the sole purpose of having something colorful in your text, won’t achieve much.
When dealing with negative topics, eomjis can be perceived as inappropriate or with more serious topics also appear dubious. You should therefore continue to send your invoices without smileys. Also the own industry, can give information about whether Smileys are a good addition or should be omitted rather. So it is to be recommended, to be rather careful and more economical with all the little flashy images when working with or for banks, insurances and authorities. With Onlineshops or travel agencys it is a whole different situation. If you are not sure whether emoticons will reach your customers, just do A/B tests. Send half of your newsletter with and the other half without smileys. This way, you get to know very quickly what your customers prefer.
For the use of emojis in newsletters, the subject in particular is very suitable. While the actual newsletter already offers enough scope to make it vivid with pictures, typography and colors – the subject does not. In addition, most newsletters and e-mails are still sent without emojis in the subject line, which makes your own newsletter stand out from the crowd.
As with everything, the use of emojis should always be in moderation and not in masses. Of course there can be three smileys in the subject line, but the subject line should not be mostly filled with emoticons. Just for the reason that if these are not recognized by the e-mail client, nothing but a cryptic subject remains. Of course you can use Emojis every now and then, but it doesn’t have to happen in every newsletter.
Another tip, if you use emojis in international campaigns, be on the safe side. Check if the meaning is the same. Sure, there won’t be any difference between a laughing smiley and other emojis, but other emojis can have a different meaning as in your culture.
The easiest way to use emojis in newsletters is to select the appropriate picture from an overview page. For this you can use emojipedia, emojicopy or getemoji in addition to our article. Then simply copy the desired symbol. Then paste it into the appropriate place in your newsletter. If it is not displayed correctly, the emoji will probably not be recognized. If this happens, another icon should be used, as the display problems will also occur when sending. If the icons are displayed the way you want them to be, the only thing missing is the test in the preview and for the different clients in the inbox preview.
Examples for subjectsInspire and copy 😉
💥 Banging prices – you should not miss out!
Sale ends today! Secure your top deals! 👕👙👗👠
It’s time for some spring offerings… ⏰
🔥👖 Brandnew jeans! Grab some before they are soldout!
Shop today 👉 pay in 14 days!
🏝️ Treat yourself to some vacation
We ❤ final SALE!
🛫 The canaries – THE travel destination of the week 🏝️ 🌋
Lady in Red: What about some new dresses❓👗
😁 We want to make you happy.
The Top 7: the winner is… 🥇
⭐⭐⭐ Those are our favorites ⭐⭐⭐
Last-minute panic? ⚽ We got the right offers for you!
🍁 Not just the leafs but also the prices are dropping 🍂
⏳ Countdown is running: only 24 hours remain for 20 % on everything❗
We’ve got a gift for you! 🎁
➥ Healthy and tasty trough the day🍏
🐟 Friday is fishday: Frehsly caught of course 🎣
🚗 Pit stop: Make an appointment today!
➓ % on all furniture and lamps 🏠💡
Things to look out for when using emojisAlways check if the icons are interpreted correctly
The biggest potential risk of making mistake with Emojis, as already mentioned, is that they are not detected. Then, for example, a rectangle appears instead of a flower. This will irritate the one or other receiver, because he doesn’t know what to do with it and it looks unprofessional. Therefore it should always be tested before, if the smileys actually work properly. In email marketing, most professional email marketing systems offer a preview function. In AGNITAS EMM, for example, you can use the inbox preview to check whether all e-mail clients recognize and display the symbols used.
Especially affected by display problems are older systems where there are no more updates. There may be difficulties, for example, with older Outlook versions (Office 2003 and older) or Android 5 and older. Depending on the target group, you can also consider ignoring older e-mail systems.
Categorizing emojisHow to quickly find the suiting icon
Smileys and facial expressions
Happiness, good mood
😀😃😄😁😆😅😂🤣☺😊😇🙂🙃😉😌😍😘😗😙😚😋😛😝😜🤪🤨🧐🤓😎🤩😏🤤🤗🤭
Anger, Sorrow, Disappointment, Fear, Astonishment
😒😞😔😟😕🙁☹😣😖😫😩😢😭😤😠😡🤬🤯😳😱😨😰😥😓😪🤔🤫🤥😶😐😑😬🙄😯😦😧😮😲😵🤐🤢🤮
Health, Others
😴😷🤒🤕🤧🤑🤠😈👿👹👺🤡💩👻💀☠👽👾🤖🎃😺😸😹😻😼😽🙀😿😾
Holidays and special events
🍾🥂🍻🎂🎇🎆🎁🎈🎏🎀🎊🎉🎃👻👹👺🤶🎅🎄💐🌹💍🕯
Traveling
✈🛫🛬🛳⛴🛥🚢🗿🗽🗼🏰🏯⛱🏖🏝🏜🌋⛰🏔🗻🕋⛩🛣🗾🎑🏞🌅🌄🌇🌆🏙🌃🌌🌉🌁🛏🗺🏕⛺⚓🎎🏮🎐
Food and drinks
Fruits and vegetables
🍏🍎🍐🍊🍋🍌🍉🍇🍓🍈🍒🍑🍍🥥🥝🍅🍆🥑🥦🥒🌶🌽🥕🥔🍠🥜🌰
Food and sweets
🥫🥘🥗🌯🌮🥙🥪🍕🍟🍔🌭🍖🍗🥩🥓🥞🍳🥚🧀🥨🥖🍞🥐🍝🍜🍲🍛🍣🍱🥟🍤🍙🥡🥣🍚🍘🍥🥠🍢🍡🍧🍨🍦🥧🍰🎂🍮🍭🍬🍯🍪🍩🍿🍫
Cutlery and drinks
🍽🍴🥄🥢🍾🍹🍸🥃🍷🥂🍻🍺🍶🥤🍵☕🍼🥛
Individual people
👶👧🧒👦👩🧑👨👱♀️👱👩 👨 👩👨 👨👩🧔👵🧓👴👲👳👳♀️🧕🤰🗣👤🚶🚶♀️🏃🏃
Job, Disguises and special figures
👮👮♀️👷👷♀️💂💂♀️🕵🕵️♀️👩⚕️👨⚕️👩🌾👨🌾👩🍳👩🎓👨🎓👩🎤👨🎤👩🏫👨🏫👩🏭👨🏭👩💻👨💻👩💼👨💼👩🔧👨🔧👩🔬👨🔬👩🎨👨🎨👩🚒👨🚒👩✈️👨✈️👩🚀👨🚀👩⚖️👨⚖️👸🤴🤶🎅🧙♀️🧙♂️🧝♀️🧝♂️🧛♀️🧛♂️🧟♀️🧟♂️🧞♀️🧞♂️🧜♀️🧜♂️🧚♀️🧚♂️👼🧖♀️🧖
Family und partnership
👶👰🤵🤰👫👭👬💑👩❤️👩👨❤️👨💏👩❤️💋👩 👨❤️💋👨👪 👨👩👧👦 👨👩👦👦 👨👩👧👧 👩👩👦 👩👩👧 👩👩👧👦 👩👩 👩👩👧👧 👨👨👦 👨👨👧 👨👨👧👦 👨👨👦👦 👨👨👧👧 👩👦 👩👧 👩👦👦 👩👧👧 👨👦 👨👧 👨👦👦 👨👧👧 👥
Gestures
🤱🙇🙇♀️💁💁♂️🙅🙅♂️🙆🙆♂️🙋🙋♂️🤦♀️🤦♂️🤷♀️🤷♂️🙎🙎♂️🙍🙍♂️💇💇♂️💆💆♂️
Bodyparts
💅🤳🤲👐🙌👏🤝👍👎👊✊🤛🤜🤞✌🤟🤘👌👈👉👆👇☝✋🤚🖐🖖👋🤙💪🖕✍🙏👅👂👃👣👁👀🧠👄💋
Animals
Pets and local animals
🐶🐱🐭🐹🐰🦊🐮🐷🐽🐔🐤🐣🐥🕸🕷🦗🐜🐞🐚🐌🦋🐛🐝🐴🐗🦇🦉🦅🐃🐂🐄🐾🦔🐿🐀🐁🐇🕊🦃🐓🐈🐩🐕🦌🐐🐑🐏🐖🐎😺😸😹😻😼😽🙀😿😾
Ocean and water
🐸🦆🦑🦐🦀🐡🐠🐟🐬🐳🐋🦈🐊
Exotic animals
🐺🐻🐼🐨🐯🦁🐵🙈🙉🙊🐒🐧🐦🦎🐍🐢🦂🐅🐆🦓🦍🐘🦏🐪🐫🦒
Fantasy and dinosaurs
🦕🦖🦄🐲🐉
Nature and weather
Plants
🌵🌲🌳🌴🌱🌿☘🍀🎍🎋🍃🍂🍁🍄🌾🌷🌹🥀🌺🌸🌼🌻
Celestial body
🌞🌝🌛🌜🌚🌕🌖🌗🌘🌑🌒🌓🌔🌙🌎🌍🌏☀💫⭐🌟✨⚡☄💥🌠🎇
Weather
🌞☀🌤⛅🌥☁🌦🌧⛈🌩🌨❄☃⛄🌬💨🔥💧💦☔☂🌊🌫🌪🌈
Love
😍😘😻💑👩❤️👩👨❤️👨💏👩❤️💋👩👨❤️💋👨💄💋👄🌹💌❤🧡💛💚💙💜🖤💔❣💕💞💓💗💖💘💝💟♥💍
Sports and hobbies
Sports and awards
⚽🏀🏈⚾🎾🏐🏉🎱🏓🏸🏒🏑🏏🥅⛳🏹🎣🥊🥋🎽🛷⛸🥌🎿🏆🥇🥈🥉🏅🎖🏵🎗
Athletes
⛷🏂🏋🏋️♀️🤼♀️🤼♂️🤸♀️🤸♂️⛹⛹️♀️🤺🤾♀️🤾♂️🏌🏌️♀️🏇🧘♀️🧘♂️🏄🏄♀️🏊♀️🤽♀️🤽♂️🚣🚣♀️🧗♀️🧗♂️🚵🚵♀️🚴🚴♀️💃🕺👯👯♂️
Games, fun and entertainment
🎫🎟🎪🤹♀️🤹♂️🎭🎨🎬🎤🎧🎼🎹🥁🎷🎺🎸🎻🎲♟️🎯🎳🎮🎰🏟🎡🎢🎠🤡
Traffic und vehicles
On the ground
🚗🚕🚙🚌🚎🏎🚓🚑🚒🚐🚚🚛🚜🛴🚲🛵🏍🚨🚔🚍🚘🚖🚡🚠🚟🚃🚋🚞🚝🚄🚅🚈🚂🚆🚇🚊🚉 🚵🚵♀️🚴🚴♀️🏇🚶🚶♀️🏃🏃♀️⛽🚧🚦🚥🚏🛣
In the air
✈🛫🛬🛩💺🛰🚀🛸🚁
On water
🛶⛵🚤🛥🛳⛴🚢🚣🚣♀️
Buildings and living
🏠🏡🏘🏚🏗🏭🏢🏬🏣🏤🏥🏦🏨🏪🏫🏩💒🏛⛪🕌🕍🚽🚰🚿🛁🛀🔑🗝🚪🛋🛏🛌🖼
Sale
Symbols
⭐🌟✨⚡💥🔥🌠🎇🎆💌❤♥⏱⏰⌛⏳💣🎁💰🔊🔔💲🛒📦🏷
Clothes & accessory
🧥👚👕👖👔👗👙👘👠👡👢👞👟🧦🧤🧣🎩🧢👒👝💍👛👜💼🎒⌚👓🕶🌂
Objects
Time
⌚⏱⏲⏰🕰⌛⏳🗓📆
Job and office
🎓⛑📱📲💻⌨🖥🖨🖱🖲🕹🗜💽💾💿📀📼📞☎📟📠🎙🎛🔧🔨⚒🛠⛏🔩⚙⛓🔫⚗🔭🔬📥📤📜📃📄📑📊📈📉🗒📅🗑📇🗃🗳🗄📋📁📂🗂🗞📰📓📔📒📕📗📘📙📚📖🔖🔗📎🖇📐📏📌📍✂🖊🖋✒🖌🖍📝✏🔍🔎
Money
🛢💸💵💴💶💷💰💳🏧
E-Mail, letters, packages und mail
✉📩📨📧📦🏷📪📫📬📭📮📯
Medicine
💈⚗🔭🔬🕳💊💉🌡
Safety
🔏🔐🔒🔓🛡🔑🗝
Others
👑💍💎💺⛲⛱⚓📷📸📹🎥📽🎞📺📻🎙📡🔋🔌💡🔦🕯⚖💣🔪🗡⚔🚬🎚⚰⚱🏺🔮📿💈🚽🚰🚿🛁🛀🛎🚪🛋🛏🛌🖼🛍🛒🎁🎈🎏🎀🎊🎉💌
Symbols
💫⭐🌟✨⚡☄💥❤🧡💛💚💙💜🖤💔❣💕💞💓💗💖💘💝💟
➰✔〽⚠❗❕❓❔‼⁉💤🎵🎶➕➖➗✖❌⭕♾️💲💱™©®〰
🔘⚪⚫🔴🔵🔺🔻🔸🔹🔶🔷🔳🔲▪▫◾◽◼◻⬛⬜
🔅🔆🔈🔇🔉🔊🔔🔕📣📢🗨👁️🗨️💬💭🗯♠♣♥♦🃏🎴🀄☠️🔱⚜🔰♻🌐💠🌀
💟☮✝☪🕉☸✡🔯🕎☯☦🛐⛎♈♉♊♋♌♍♎♏♐♑♒♓🆔⚛
🉑📴📳🈶🈚🈸🈺🈷✴🆚💮🉐㊙㊗🈴🈵🈹🈲🅰🅱🆎🆑🅾🆘
🛑⛔📛🚫💯💢♨🚷🚯🚳🚱🔞📵🚭⚠🚸☢☣
✅🈯💹❇✳❎Ⓜ🚾♿🅿🈳🈂🛂🛃🛄🛅🚹🚺🚼🚻🚮🎦📶🈁🔣ℹ🔤🔡🔠🆖🆗🆙🆒🆕🆓🔟🔢
⏏▶⏸⏯⏹⏺⏭⏮⏩⏪⏫⏬◀🔼🔽➡⬅⬆⬇↗↘↙↖↕↔↪↩⤴⤵🔀🔁🔂🔄🔃➿🔚🔙🔛🔝🔜☑
🕐🕑🕒🕓🕔🕕🕖🕗🕘🕙🕚🕛🕜🕝🕞🕟🕠🕡🕢🕣🕤🕥🕦🕧🏳🏴🏁🚩🏳️🌈🏴
We wish you lots of fun and would be pleased if the use of Emojis arouses positive feelings in you 😃☀️❗
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