Think all yellow smiley faces and LOLs are created equal? Think again! You might not feel the pressure on your personal emoji game, but putting thought into how your brand laughs online is actually super important. Especially when the goal is to come across like a relatable human while still retaining the professionalism expected of a business.
Read: A bunch of smart, graph-inclined people did some serious research on the world of emojis (and how people use them), and what they found can only be described as a marketer’s dream! The points made in this post refer directly to their findings.
How Old is Your Audience?
One of the biggest factors to consider when figuring out how your brand should use emojis is the age of your audience. If the voice of your brand is one that sends messages to a young male user base, then throwing in a “wink face” or an “LOL” or even a “haha” isn’t just potentially appropriate, but can end up being quite effective dialogue.
On the other hand, a business working in the financial sector that speaks primarily to older, portfolio-holding men and women probably shouldn’t rely on emojis to relay emotional messages. An older audience is more likely to view a “hahahaha” as both unprofessional and just straight up crazy.
Remember, a brand’s voice should always be consistent no matter what the messaging is – so if it feels like it doesn’t fit, don’t use it!
Do You LOL or HAHA?
Okay, let’s assume that you ARE indeed talking to a millennial audience. Now the big looming question is which kind of laughter response is best for your brand? Well, the graph below proves that any use of “LOL” or “Haha” is probably going to go over well, and laughing emojis aren’t a bad idea either.
But get further into the research and you’ll find that the “LOL-ing” doesn’t hold up as well as a simple laughing face when it comes to older users. You can use a good old fashioned LOL if need be, but if you really want to nail a giggle then “haha” is best.
Your Location Is Everything
Forget real estate, location means everything when you’re laughing online! Facebook’s geo heatmap shows that there are significant differences in the way regions of the U.S. display emotions on the web.
Stay with us here, because this could actually do wonders for your next national campaign!
California doesn’t care for emojis at all, while the South is LOL-ing like it’s their job – and the Northeast? Well, they’re not partial to any one kind of laugh. It seems the folks of Jersey, NYC and Boston tend to respond with a whole mixture of online symbols and words.
Ultimately, showing that your brand has personality and humanity is important (see: people like buying from people), but it’s the way you choose to show that part of your business that can be just as crucial.
Even if the research explaining how and when to laugh is downright funny.
Main image found at designboom.com
About the Author:
Taylor Marsden is a copywriter, blogger, and digital content manager based out of Toronto, Canada. She's worked with a variety of clients including Perez Hilton, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Toronto Fashion Week and The Home Depot! When not writing, you'll find her scouring the web for travel deals and/or pinning delicious looking recipes (that she has no intention of actually cooking).
