In email marketing, using emojis in email subject lines can be a good way to capture your recipients’ attention and make your message stand out in overcrowded inboxes. Using them strategically is something you should consider if you rely on email to generate sales.
To help you make the most of emojis in your email marketing campaigns, this post will guide you through the following:
Struggling to write catchy subject lines? Try out our free Subject Line Generator today and enhance audience engagement.
Benefits of using emojis in subject lines
Smileys, emoticons, and pictograms weren’t always used for email marketing. So why use emojis for subject lines now?
Here are some of the most significant benefits of email subject emoji to your email marketing:
They save space: Emojis can replace entire words, which is helpful when you have limited character counts. They can even convey much more meaning and emotion than words can.
They drive higher engagement: Emojis are immediately recognizable and relatable. In fact, this study shows that emojis increase customer engagement when used for emphasis and in positive contexts.
They give your brand personality: Using emojis can be a good way to foster an image of a friendly and approachable brand. This can also help people remember you.
They reinforce the meaning of emails: Emojis are incredibly effective in conveying and triggering emotions. This helps readers internalize messages.
They make emails stand out: Email inboxes are typically a sea of black-and-white text. So, a colorful emoji can break that dullness and quickly attract the attention of recipients. This is a huge plus for competitive email marketing
Watch this video to learn more about using emojis in emails:
How to use emojis in email subject lines [+ examples]
To help you maximize the value of adding emojis in your email subjects, try these strategies individually and see which works best for your audience and the message you want to convey:
1. Fit the context
Add emojis in subject lines based on the content, context, and intent of the email. Also, make sure the emojis you choose suit your brand image and are appropriate for your audience profile.
Examples of emojis in subject lines
Sirens are usually associated with big emergencies or urgent messages, and using this email emoji in the subject line successfully incites the same exhilaration around the idea of a huge sale:
🚨THIS IS THE BIG ONE 🚨 Our Black Friday Sale is ON
On the other hand, the calendar email emoji below might seem boring but it perfectly suits the context of the message and the nature of the sender’s business:
⏰ ONE DAY LEFT ⏰ Grab 50% Off All Nike Sneakers
2. Complement the subject line
Emojis in email subject lines offer a visual representation of what is mentioned. It makes the content of the email more recognizable and relatable.
Examples of emojis in subject lines
In this example, readers immediately feel that opening the email could be the key to a hassle-free flight when traveling with their scooters:
Airline Approved Scooter Bag ✈️+🛴=😁
The example below isn’t really meant to incite any emotion but instead to break the monotony of the plain text with relevant visuals:
🍕 2 for 1 on ALL Pizzas for 48 Hours 🍕
Beyond adding emojis to subject lines, there’s much more you can do to maximize your email campaign results. Want to learn about email list cleanup and other tips? Read the 15 email marketing best practices.
3. Convey a sense of urgency
The right emoji can motivate recipients to act quickly, making them useful for time-limited sales and other ecommerce offers.
Examples of emojis in subject lines
In this example, the screaming face emoji is used to express extreme excitement and possibly fear of missing out. These emojis are made even more effective when combined with the mention of a time limit (e.g., 24-hour availability):
😱 24 Hours: $10.95 TEES 😱
Similarly, the use of a timer emoji can set the scene for a sales or discount campaign:
⌛TIME TICKING ON 24-HOUR SALE ⌛ UP TO 70% OFF 😮
4. Convey an emotion
Facial expressions are among the most useful emojis for email subject lines because people can immediately feel the emotion being conveyed.
Example of emojis in subject lines
The email subject line below contains an astonished expression, which immediately leads readers to a feeling of mild shock and excitement:
Could THIS be you? 😮
Similarly, a shocked face combined with one of relief conveys the feeling of narrowly avoiding a disaster (i.e., missing out on a good deal):
😱 Almost Missed It! Grab 20% OFF 😅
5. Add no more than three emojis
Do emojis in the subject line trigger spam? Not necessarily, but there are a few reasons to be mindful of their usage.
Although emojis for subject lines are useful in capturing the attention of readers, overusing them can lead to confusion. What’s worse, they can make your emails look spammy. Try to limit your emoji use to a maximum of three per subject line. And always keep them as simple as possible.
Example of emojis in subject lines
In the example below, notice the emoji use: the subject line contains five different emojis that aren’t even accompanied by any text. It can take a while for readers to determine what it means, which risks them losing interest:
🤔+📝+🔊+🙏=🚀9,360% better results await!
In contrast, see this brand’s emoji use — the subject line contains only three emojis, making it easier to relate to. The pumpkin is instantly associated with Halloween, and the orange and black hearts are relevant to the holiday theme:
Emojis can be used in place of words not just to save space but also to make subject lines more visually interesting.
Examples of emojis in subject lines
In this subject line example, recipients will immediately recognize the emojis as lipsticks, so it isn’t necessary to spell out the items on offer:
Here’s 2 free 💄💄 just for you
Beyond replacing words with emojis in email subject lines, these visuals can be used to replace letters. In the example below, sun emojis are used in place of the letter O, and it works because the email is about a nail polish color reminiscent of the summer sunset:
Here comes the H☀️L☀️! Get a summer sunset on your nails🔥
Before you activate an email campaign, it’s always a good idea to run your subject line through a subject line tester and determine where you can make improvements for maximum impact. You should also split-test several versions to see which elicits the best responses.
Tip: Before sending your email to your contact list, consider sending a test email to various email clients (such as Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, AOL, etc.) to ensure your emojis display correctly. You can also use Omnisend to review email appearance and design quickly.
How to add emojis to email subject lines
There are several ways you can add emojis to your email subject line:
On Windows, bring up the emoji panel using the Windows key + period (.) or Windows key + semicolon (;)
On Mac, you can launch the emoji selector by using the keyboard combination Ctrl + Cmd + space
Use a website like Emojipedia to simply copy and paste an emoji you like
Don’t forget to preview your email to see how your subject line looks on different devices.
You likely use an email marketing platform to simplify email campaign creation. If you’re wondering how to put emojis in email subject lines with these tools, there’s good news — the process is simpler than you might expect.
For example, in Omnisend, you can do it within the email editor with just a couple of clicks, and the same goes for automation workflows.
Not just the subject line — you can also add emojis to emails to make them more creative and conversational. They’re certainly more engaging than plain text.
Save time and sell more with our ready-made email templates. Design stunning, effective emails effortlessly.
Below are some of the top emojis for email subject lines among businesses engaged in ecommerce and various other industries. You can copy and paste the emojis onto your subject line editor or follow the Emojipedia links to copy them there.
As often happens, you’ll probably find your favorite emoji for email subject lines in one of the top examples below:
You should definitely consider using emojis in subject lines, especially if your business exists in a competitive space. Just remember to do so carefully and strategically.
Follow the tips and best practices discussed in this post so you can maximize the benefits of emojis and avoid using them in ways that trigger negative associations with your brand.
Go beyond boring email marketing with Omnisend! Get started for free, all features included
Bernard is the Sr. Director of Communications & Creative at Omnisend, with a passion for good research, helping ecommerce businesses with their marketing automation needs, and beating absolutely everyone in Mario Kart 64.
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