Emoji have become a secondary language. I’m lazy texter, and I’m guilty of saying things like “Do u want ?????” rather than taking on the onerous task of spelling out the word “pizza”… or “you”. Yeah, as I said, lazy. We’re used to using emoji on our phones or on social, but it’s easy to forget that they are super-easy to use almost anywhere, and can be effective attention getters in email newsletters – and everyday emails, too.
How to use emoji? Sites like GetEmoji, Emojipedia or EmojiCopy make it easy to search for the emoji you want, and simply copy and paste it into the application or mail service you’re using. I use MailChimp to send client newsletters. All I had to do to add the emoji to the subject line and body of the message is copy from Emojipedia, and paste it in. That’s it. Just about all browsers, devices and operating systems display them correctly, although the display can vary based on what emoji set you choose from and the device. Some of the latest icon sets may not display everywhere, so it’s a good idea to test, when in doubt. ????
If you’re curious to know more, check out the following… there’s a story behind many of the decisions about what ideas and objects are immortalized in icon form:
- The Emojipedia Blog: News from the emoji world, covering changes, additions and even politics (the current gun debate has had an impact on emoji design!)
- The difference between emoticons and emoji? They are not the same thing. Encyclopedia Brittanica (of all places!) breaks it down.
- Ettiquette expert Diane Gottsman explains emoji do’s and don’ts, such as “don’t break up with someone with a text…” Solid advice there.
- Emojitracker: a running total list of the most frequently used emoji on Twitter. It’s really real-time – and even has a popup warning before viewing for those prone to seizures (seriously).
- Mark your calendar! World Emoji Day is coming soon… Tuesday, July 17th. Why July 17? It’s the day displayed on the ???? calendar emoji.
How will you celebrate #WorldEmojiDay? ????