Twitter Announces Emoji Advertising Feature

by Laura Donovan June 16, 2016 Follow @thewordpro

June 16, 2016

Twitter is elevating the emoji to a new level. They are in the process of launching a new way for businesses advertising on the site to target users who have used certain emojis in their tweets or who have engaged with tweets containing certain emojis.

Twitter explained the new targeting feature in their June 15, 2016 blog update.

“We’re always looking for ways to improve our precise targeting capabilities to help drive deep engagement and better performance for brands. Just in time for World Emoji Day on July 17, we’re excited to announce the availability of emoji keyword targeting for Twitter Ads!”

Since the Oxford Dictionary made an emoji it’s 2015 Word of the Year, this new feature will capitalize on the importance and mass usage of emojis.

Over 110 billion emojis have been Tweeted since 2014.

Emojis are a universal way for people, publishers and brands to communicate and express their emotions and feelings. As emojis are a way to express a mood or a mindset this unlocks a great opportunity for marketers and brands to, according to the Twitter blog:

Connect with people based on their expressed sentiment
Target people who Tweet food emojis
Reach people based on their passions

How it Works

There are countless emojis, with more being created. There are emojis to express most interests, feelings, hobbies, countries, and more.

If you own an ice cream shop you can target people who use the ice cream cone emoji. If want to advertise your swimmer’s products you can target users Tweeting the swimming emoji. Pizza places can target users Tweeting the pizza emoji. If you are a medical group or drugstore you can target people Tweeting the emojis that express being ill.

Twitter has partnered with a select group to assist brands in using emoji targeting. These Twitter Official Partners: AdParlor, Amobee, HYFN, Perion,SocialCode, and 4C.