Should You Be Using Emojis in Your Email Subject Lines

We all use emojis when texting our friends and family. It’s a way of expression that goes beyond words. A small detail may help convey a message on a stronger level. Texting with emojis is quite common nowadays, but have you considered using emojis in your email subject lines?

The Internet is a busy place nowadays. People receive over 100 emails per day, it’s getting difficult to fight for their attention. But, what if you could capture their attention with something as simple as an emoji and increase your email open rates effortlessly?

We all want higher conversion rates when it comes to our email campaigns but to even have a chance of converting a lead into a client, we need to get people to open our emails. The question is, are emojis a good way to capture attention? Let’s take a look at pros and cons of using emojis in your email subject lines and whether they can increase the email open rates!

😊 Pros:

  • If you want your email subject line to stand out among hundreds of other subject lines, using emojis is the way to go! While the subject lines are black and white, emojis are colorful and add a bit of life to recipient’s inbox. This makes the email immediately noticeable and drives people’s attention to it, which results in an increased email open rates.
  • Emojis also make your subject lines more unique. They add strength to a message and, if you use them properly, they can make you seem friendlier and more open-minded.
  • Last but not least, let’s not forget emojis are little images and, if you’re familiar with the world of digital marketing, you know that everything works better with images. Visuals are an important aspect of marketing and, as little as they are, emojis are still little visuals that work better than words. This gives you an opportunity to boost your message and make people more interested in what you have to say!

☹️ Cons:

  • The first thing to be aware of when using emojis in email subject lines is the fact that not all browsers will display emojis the way you see them. Some may display them as little black icons, while others may show them as higher quality images. Thus, not everyone will see the same email subject line as you do.
  • In some cases, emojis can trigger certain spam filters and cause your email to be lost in the spam folder. However, this only happens if the recipient has specific security systems that prevent receiving emails with emojis. While this is not always the case, it’s a possibility that some of your emails will remain unseen.
  • Lastly, in certain situations using emojis in email subject lines may seem unprofessional. To avoid this unprofessionalism, remember the nature of your message. Also, think if it is appropriate to use emojis along with it. If you’re sending a more formal email, don’t include emojis in the subject line.

Using emojis in subject lines comes with its positive and negative sides. However, if you use them properly chances are you will see a significant increase in your email open rates. Without a doubt, is the ultimate goal of every email campaign. Emojis are safe to use in email subject lines as long as the emails are not formal. However, always test your emails and analyze the results, as each audience reacts to emojis differently.

David James

President, Bethesda List Center, Inc + Bethesda Emedia Marketing.