• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Weekly Sales Tip
  • |
  • 303-741-6636
kla-logo

KLA Group

IT Sales and Marketing Agency

Menu
  • SERVICES
      • Digital Marketing
      • Custom Website Design
      • SEO Services
      • Email Marketing
      • Content Development
      • Marketing Coaching
      • Software Development
      • Our Process
      • What is a Revenue Generation System?”
      • Digital Marketing Services
      • Sales Training & Coaching Programs
      • Sales Training Programs
      • How to Cold Call
      • Consultative Selling
      • Email Prospecting
      • How to Ask for Referrals
      • Lead Generation Training
      • Sales Coaching
      • Sales Process
      • Sales Hiring Coaching
      • Outsourced Sales Management
      • Sales Assessment
      • Contact Us
  • WHO WE SERVE
    • ConnectWise Evolve
    • IT Managed Service Providers
    • IT Solution Providers
    • Sales Consultants
    • B2B Companies
    • Professional Services Firm
    • Phone System Providers
  • ABOUT KLA
    • Who We Are
    • What is a Revenue Generation System?”
    • About Kendra Lee
    • Hire Kendra Lee to Speak
    • Meet the Team
  • BLOG
  • RESOURCES
    • Books by Kendra Lee
      • The Sales Magnet
      • Selling Against the Goal
    • Ebooks & Guides
    • Events
    • Weekly Sales Tip
    • Thoughts About Generating Revenue
    • Coffee with Kendra
  • Contact us

Do Gimmicky Emoticons Really Work in Email Subject Lines?

Last updated July 5, 2022 Categories: Sales Prospecting

By Kendra Lee

Gimmicky EmoticonsBy now, most salespeople understand the importance of short, sweet, and effective email subject lines.

In essence, they are the gateway to better email engagement and higher response rates. If you write compelling subject lines, you stand a better chance of surviving the three-second process that we call the “glimpse factor” — the time frame in which your prospects decide whether or not to open an email. If you write gimmicky subject lines that make your emails look like spam to the reader, then your messages will likely land in prospects’ spam or trash folders before one word of actual content is read (welcome to the delete barrier; population: you).

Which brings me to a new trend in email subject lines: Emoticons. Here are just a few examples of companies that are using them:

  • ✈ It’s Monday: Book now at a great price for weekend travel (United Airlines)
  • ★ HIPAA Compliance Survival Strategies – Join Us Thursday, 10/3 ★ (MSPMentor)
  • ① Open  ② Register  ③ Achieve 60%-plus Margins (TheVARGuy)

To be sure, those emoticons are eye-catching and they can help messages stand out among the sludge of emails that prospects receive.

But do they really work?

When and Why Emoticons Work

Going back to the three subject line examples I shared above, the emoticons certainly grab your attention. And if you’re interested in any of the offers or calls-to-action in the subject line, that brief moment of attention may be just enough to reel you in.

Here are three additional arguments for using emoticons in subject lines:

  • They catch your eye and impact the “glimpse factor”: Because emoticons aren’t yet widely used, email subject lines with them do cause you to pause for a little bit longer than you might have otherwise.
  • They quickly disqualify contacts who won’t be interested in the email content: These subject lines make it easy for a prospect to determine if the email is relevant to them.
  • They don’t require contacts to read the full email to take action: If someone is interested in a spontaneous trip, they’ll likely open United Airlines’ email and click on the prompt without reading the full message.

The purpose with marketing emails like these is to get click-throughs. And in that context, emoticons can be very effective at increasing response rates amongst qualified leads. Still, it’s important to remember that the actual words in the subject line must still be relevant and interesting to your list.

When to Avoid Using Emoticons

That being said, using emoticons in subject lines isn’t always a good idea.

If you’re sending prospecting emails that are designed to connect with a list of people from a defined micro-segment, start a conversation with them, and ultimately set a first appointment, then emoticons won’t just be ineffective, they might hurt your reputation.

After all, prospecting subject lines should always adhere to three simple guidelines:

  • Be relevant to the email content and the prospect
  • Feel personal to the contact
  • Deliver a sense of professionalism

That last one is particularly important.

While prospects might be receptive to marketing emails that are snazzy, funny, and unusual, they expect emails from real salespeople to be professional, direct, valuable, and informative — not gimmicky.

So, before you include emoticons in your subject lines, be sure to consider the purpose of your message. If emoticons align with what you’re trying to accomplish, give them a shot. If they don’t, be wary of the consequences of using them.

Read More Related Articles

Jockey racing horse
blog, Sales Prospecting New Year’s Resolution #3: Spend Less Time Chasing Opportunities That Aren’t Real
Lead-Generation
B2B Lead Generation & Marketing, Sales Prospecting, Sales Strategy What Does Your Linkedin Profile Say About You?
KLA Weekly Tip Cold Calling
Sales Prospecting, Sales Strategy Aim Higher

Primary Sidebar

Join Us

Improve Sales Proposals Using ChatGPT Kendra Animated

See how to use ChatGPT to expend fewer resources and enhance your sales proposals to increase your win rate.

RSVP

Sales Prospecting Plan

Download Your Copy

Find Us On Youtube

Get Connected


Get Connected

Categories

  • B2B Lead Generation & Marketing
  • Christmas Parodies & Holiday Blogs
  • Sales Hiring
  • Sales Prospecting
  • Sales Strategy
  • Sales Training Development
  • Sales Tips & Tricks
  • Selling in Pandemic
  • SEO
  • Revenue Generating Success Strategies 
  • Videos
  • Website Design
  • Email Marketing
  • blog

Footer

Services

  • Digital Marketing Services
  • Sales Training
  • Sales Process
  • Hire Kendra to Speak
footer-logo

Resources

  • Blog
  • Coffee with Kendra
  • Events
  • Ebooks & Guides
  • Newsletter
  • Weekly Sales Tip
  • Books by KLA

About KLA

  • About Us
  • Who We Serve
  • Revenue Generating System

Contact Us

Call +1 888-305-0471Contact Us

Join Us

Subscribe OptionsCoffee With Kendra
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap

© 2023 KLA Group. All Right Reserved.

Subscribe to Our Blog

Get the latest sales and marketing articles from KLA Group delivered directly to your inbox. 

Name(Required)
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Be the first to know about our sales and marketing webinars

You could be generating more revenue.

Get proven sales and marketing strategies that help you generate more revenue, hit goals, and grow your businesses during our Coffee with Kendra webinars.

Get On the List

Let us know which invites you want to receive and we’ll add you to the list.

Name(Required)
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Talk with an Expert

Name

Lead Generation Syllabus

Name

Sales Coaching

Name

How to Ask for Referrals Syllabus

Name

Email Prospecting Syllabus

Name

Consultative Selling Syllabus

Name

How to Cold Call Syllabus

Name
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR BLOG