EMOJIS now feature in more than 40% of email subject fields sent by UK businesses as they seek to grab the attention of millennials and Gen Z, new research from e-commerce marketing platform, Omnisend, has revealed.
Meanwhile, with inflation proving stubborn at 3.4% and many households still struggling amid the cost of living crisis, one in five firms continue to use the time-honoured word ‘sale’ to boost their chances of that all-important click.
Marty Bauer, ecommerce expert at Omnisend, said that just over four in 10 firms’ marketing email subject lines now contain an emoji.
He continued: “The use of emojis to provide a hint of colour in a mostly black and white inbox can be effective for capturing subscribers’ attention. Businesses are increasingly prioritising Gen Z and millennials in emails, and emojis provide a familiarity that people might typically expect from friends and family.
“Meanwhile, 20% of the top subject lines used the term ‘sale’, which backs up the trend we’re seeing of the value-seeking, buy-it-now consumer who makes quick purchasing decisions when price and value align.
“Nearly 20% of the top subject lines also use the word ‘new’, which conveys a sense of urgency for recipients. By using the term ‘new’ and similar phrases like ‘back in stock’, companies give shoppers a reason to purchase before they sell out, and it works.
“Some of the most effective emails being used by retailers put a time limit on how fast customers should react, forcing them to take action now rather than delay.”
One business owner, Kate Allen, who runs Kingsbridge-based Finest Stays, a luxury lettings firm in South Devon, backed up the findings: “We’ve seen genuine success using the 🌊 emoji in subject lines to drive bookings for our coastal holiday homes.
“Emojis like this work because they trigger a subconscious feeling instantly. People don’t just read about the coast, they mentally go there.
“We also lean into a bit of FOMO. Subject fields like ‘Last 3 sea-view weekends left or ‘Your coastal escape is nearly gone’ consistently outperform straight descriptive subjects.
“We’ll sometimes add a touch of nautical humour too; nothing too heavy, just enough to feel human rather than corporate. Examples are ‘Pier pressure is real’ or ‘Don’t let this holiday drift away’.
“Used well, emojis aren’t gimmicky; they’re shorthand for emotion. For time-poor, scroll-heavy audiences, that split-second emotional hook really matters.”
Photo by Planet Volumes on Unsplash
