2015 Is Officially the Year of the Emoji for Content Marketing
Twitter recently announced that it would be expanding its selection of emojis available online, most notably including the newer collection of emojis with diverse skin tones.
According to The Verge and PC Magazine, Twitter announced on Dec. 9 that the website had just begun supporting all new Unicode 8 emoji, which is the set of emojis that Apple released in its iOS 9.1 update this past June.
The Unicode 8 symbols include tacos, unicorns, zodiac signs, and a diverse selection of different skin tones. Unfortunately, Android users will still have to wait to use these emojis on Twitter; Google updated some of its Nexus devices with Unicode 8 emojis, but the majority of Android smartphones and tablets are still waiting for the update.
Nevertheless, as PC Mag stated, “This was a big year for emojis.”
The Oxford English Dictionary actually named a specific emoji, “Face With Tears of Joy,” as its 2015 Word of the Year. This particular emoji is reportedly one of the most common emoji symbols used in the U.S. and U.K., respectively representing 17% and 20% of all emoji use in the two countries.
According to GeekWire, emojis haven’t just taken over the English language in 2015; they’ve also become the cornerstone of social media marketing among social media-savvy brands.
The Seattle-based firm Simply Measured found that 35% of brands used emojis online in 2015. With Instagram and Twitter in the lead, companies regularly use social media accounts for everything from official company statements to informal conversations with customers.
While 2015 seems to be the biggest year yet for social media marketing, many digital marketing experts believe that it’s only going to become a more prominent part of content marketing in the years to come.
“Social media has become extremely important,” says Jeff Lizik, Director of Digital Marketing, C-leveled. “Not only are your customers out there looking at social profiles but the retargeting opportunity is something that has to be taken advantage of. Social media is a way to break through the noise and standout from some competitors. As for emojis, they let people express emotion in a visual sense without relying on words.”
