Listen.

In a recent consultancy for an international organization’s advocacy department, I was surprised to see its social media posts regularly peppered with various emojis and emoticons on Twitter, its main platform. The intent was to appear to be in the know and to be going with the flow - something that many businesses and organizations try to reflect in their comms. Unfortunately, there were sometimes so many emojis used instead of words, within a short text, that it took much longer to decipher the message - especially when viewed on a mobile device.

There is no hard and fast rule about using emojis in professional communications, but whenever I am asked about them, I advise to err on the side of caution and refrain from using unnecessary content - especially when used mid-sentence instead of words. It’s one thing to add a specific benign smiley-type emoji at the end of a sentence or a post, but quite another to insert one where a word would do.

Sometimes, your text might relate to a specific event (sports come to mind) that has a clearly recognizable emoji associated with it; combined with the relevant hashtag, the emoji may make sense and makes you part of the conversation. But even then, if your recipients need to exert a real effort to make out your tiny emojis, they might not want to bother, and that’s a calculation you have to make as you plan your content.

The truth is that there remains an undeniable bias when it comes to emojis: in some professional circles, the presence of one or more emojis may give the impression that this is not a serious enough post, or that the message is meant for a different audience. That’s a recipe for a quick scroll.

In addition, there is of course a generational component to the use of emojis; what appeals to Gen Z or millenials may feel foreign, or even incomprehensible to Gen X and above - just ask parents with young kids about that struggle. As various reports have shown, some popular emojis mean different things to different people. Others are considered passé, and some have been misunderstood as meaning something entirely different. Is it a gamble that is worth taking if you cater to a varied audience?

Considering how much content is viewed on mobile devices, emojis are usually difficult to distinguish from one another, especially when several are used in a short post. Emojis on private text messages are great; in professional settings, they should be used sparingly - if at all - and are never appropriate in emails.

The short of it is that unless you want your message to inadvertently convey something that stands at odds with your image, steer clear of emojis in your professional comms.

Choose your words and any accompanying symbols wisely, and always make sure you get to the point.

July 2022

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