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Using emojis in your email signature can be a fun and effective way of making your communications more engaging and easier to digest. However, it’s important to know exactly how you should be using these little images in your emails.
While it’s common to see an emoji in an email subject line, you can also create email signatures with emojis. This is a good idea because emojis render well in all email clients, and everyone understands them and what they mean.
In this guide, we’ll cover the essentials of using emojis in email signatures – including some best practices and things to avoid.
The growing trend of emojis in email signatures
While some people might think it unprofessional to add emojis to your emails, this is not always the case.
Emoji usage has become incredibly popular and is now a standard element of digital communications. This means it’s not improper to add an emoji icon to your email signature. However, there’s a right and wrong way to do it.
Adding an emoji in email signature banners or text can be a great way to make your signature more interactive and engaging. No matter what language you speak, everyone understands the sentiment behind an emoji. These are globally recognized symbols that can assist your communications.
Example
Beyond that, every device these days has an emoji keyboard, so choosing and inserting emojis into your signature is incredibly easy to do. If you incorporate emojis into your signature the right way, you can significantly improve the way your signature comes across. This is something that many people do these days.
However, it’s essential to understand where the line of looking unprofessional is when you add emoji options to your emails. Some emojis work well in all scenarios, and some might not be suitable for your email communications. In some cases, emojis are restricted to internal emails and not communications for clients.
Two more examples of internal email signatures with emojis:
Ultimately, it’s all about understanding your audience and knowing when to include emojis in your email communication and when to leave them out. You’ll want to maintain a fine balance between professionalism and fun personal expression.
Why use emojis in email signatures?
It’s easy to insert emoji options into your email signatures, and this can work really well when done right.
Here are some of the main benefits of adding these small images to your signatures.
They add a personal touch
Using emojis is a great way to personalize your email signatures.
Emojis are fun, and they can make your communications appear more friendly, human, and personal. This is important for many professional email signatures, as using something as simple as a smiley face can warm up your communications and make you easier to engage with.
Clearly depict references
In most cases, the chosen emoji options for email signatures are symbols like the telephone, or the email symbol, or a picture depicting a profession. You can also use common emojis for depicting social media icons.
Examples
In these cases, the emoji is used to symbolize a common reference – like a phone number or email address.
This is entirely professional, and it’s a great way to clearly convey something without using any words. Everybody understands what the emojis mean, so using them can help you free up a bit of space in your email signature.
Make our emails more eye-catching
An emoji in an email message can grab attention and improve the visual appeal of the message. This is especially true if your email content is just a sea of plain text.
In this case, using a fun and colorful emoji at the bottom of your email certainly makes things more appealing and easier to read.
Example:
By using emojis in your email signature, you can draw the attention of the recipient to your signature more easily. This can help you convey important information or promote an action in your signature – something that might have been overlooked without the use of an eye-catching emoji.
Represents your brand’s personality
Using emojis in email signatures can be a great way to reinforce your brand’s personality and identity.
You can incorporate emojis into your email signatures that align with your brand values and help to inject some personality into your communications. This makes your emails more memorable and can help people get a better understanding of what your organization is all about.
Emojis say a lot (and everyone understands them)
Emojis are an easy way to convey an emotion, sentiment, or idea without using any words. Something as simple as a thumbs up or smiley face can convey a lot of feeling and information – without needing to explain it.
This works really well in email signatures, as you have limited space to get a message across. Using too much text in your email signature can also negatively impact the way your signature looks.
Plus, emojis transcend languages. Everyone understands them, which means your message will be clear to any recipients.
Best practices for emoji usage
As mentioned above, there’s a right and a wrong way to use emojis in your email signatures. Here are a few tips and best practices to keep in mind.
Considering your target audience
Before using emojis in your email signature, think about who will be receiving your emails.
Consider their age, cultural background, and professional context. Emojis might be well-received in casual or creative environments, but they could seem unprofessional in more formal settings.
Understanding your audience will help you choose the most suitable emojis for your signature – if you decide to include them at all.
Extra: Optionally, you can use multiple email signatures in Gmail or Outlook.
Choosing the right emojis
Choose emojis that align with the tone and purpose of your email signature and organization. Always keep the emoji simple and relevant to your message.
Opt for universally understood emojis that convey positive emotions or messages. Avoid using too many emojis or ones that could be misinterpreted.
After all, the whole point of these little images is that they’re clear to understand. If you just randomly throw in an emoji without any clear content or action related to it, it could easily confuse your recipients.
Avoiding controversial emojis
Steer clear of any emojis that could be interpreted in a negative or controversial way. When in doubt, err on the side of caution and stick to more neutral options.
Examples of controversial emojis:
😒 😡 🤬
The best emojis are the most common and universal ones – it’s often best to avoid lesser-known emojis. If you’re unsure, it’s also best to stick to images of things, like telephones or alarm clocks, instead of faces.
Placement
Place emojis strategically within your email signature. They should complement your text rather than overwhelm it.
Consider placing emojis at the beginning or end of your signature, or alongside specific pieces of information to emphasize key points.
Make sure they don’t disrupt the flow of your signature or distract from important contact details.
Balancing text and emojis
Maintain a balance between text and emojis in your email signature. Too many emojis can clutter your signature and make it look unprofessional.
Use a blend of text and emojis that enhances your signature’s visual appeal without overshadowing its information. Remember, simplicity frequently speaks volumes, and using more symbols than you need can detract from your message.
Where to get an emoji gallery?
On these three sites below, you can find the most used emojis in email communication. These sites are a great source for finding emojis that fit perfectly your communication style and can help make your signature more interesting.
Conclusion
Emojis are an excellent way to express emotions in your emails while making them more engaging and digestible. Just make sure you include the right emojis and use them in a way that adds value to your email signature content.
The best way to do this is to access pre-created email signature templates that include spaces for emojis. This way, you know that your emojis won’t detract from your message or sound unprofessional.
Create your first email signature with Bybrand
Bybrand offers the ability to generate, administer, and distribute essential email signatures for your employees.
