[FAQ]

Hi everyone,

Our marketing team in Bristol is having a bit of a debate about using emojis in our email subject lines. Some of us feel it can look a bit unprofessional or spammy, but others are convinced it helps grab attention in a crowded inbox and can increase our open rates.

I’m wondering what the general consensus is from other marketers. Is there any solid data on this? Do emojis genuinely improve performance, or is it just a gimmick? And are there any risks to deliverability we should be aware of?

Keen to hear everyone’s experience on this. Cheers.

[Jeff Bullas]

A very common and often debated topic in email marketing.

Short Answer: Yes, emojis in subject lines can increase open rates, but their effectiveness is highly dependent on your brand, audience, and industry. When used correctly, they can make your text-based subject line stand out, but when overused or used inappropriately, they can look like spam and hurt your brand.

The goal is to use them as a strategic, attention-grabbing tool, not as a decorative gimmick.

The primary reason emojis can work is that they are visual. In an inbox filled with plain text, a colourful emoji is an image that breaks the pattern and draws the human eye, causing the reader to pause on your subject line. They can also convey emotion and ideas more concisely than words, which is a major advantage when you have limited characters to make an impression.

However, there are significant risks to consider. First, they must match your brand’s voice. If you are a serious, formal brand, using a winking emoji might feel out of place and damage your credibility. Second, overusing them is a classic spam trigger. A subject line with a long string of emojis looks unprofessional and can increase your chances of being filtered into the junk folder. Third, not all emojis render correctly on every email client and device. What looks perfect on an iPhone might appear as a generic square box on an older version of Outlook.

The best practice is to be thoughtful and strategic. Use one, relevant emoji to supplement your text, not replace it. The subject line should be perfectly clear and compelling even without the emoji. Most importantly, the only way to know for sure if emojis work for your audience is to A/B test them. Send an identical email to two segments of your list, with the only difference being an emoji in one of the subject lines. The data from that test will give you a definitive answer.

Cheers,
Jeff

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