Mobile Marketing Trends One for the Emoji History Last year, we set out to discover how deep the world s obsession with emojis run. Turns out, emojis don t just add a little flair to mobile messages, they significantly impact usage and engagement: From 2015 2016, emoji usage rose 163% Push notifications with emojis saw an 85% increase in open rates Emoji-powered push notifications boosted app retention by 28% 2
Un Engagement & Growth With Emojis Methodology Leanplum analyzed message data from between 2017 and 2018. Leanplum analyzed 300 million mobile message deliveries (email + push notifications), encompassing close to 5 billion data points. The analysis once again focused on the impact of emojis on mobile usage and engagement. 3
Mobile Marketing Trends In This Report, You ll Learn Emoji usage continues to rise. Emojis turbocharge push and email opens. Can emojis lead to lasting retention? The average number of emojis used per message and the percentage of messages including at least one emoji both doubled in the past year. In fact, the impact of emojis on push notification open rates is 3x higher compared to our earlier report. New data shows a correlation between emoji usage and a decrease in app uninstalls. 4
Un Engagement & Growth With Emojis Latest Happenings in the Emojiverse 157 new emojis are scheduled for release in the second half of 2018. A brain, a lobster, and a party face are all part of this new set. This update brings the total number of emojis to 2,823. Emojis staked their claim in mainstream popular culture with a full-length feature film. The Emoji Movie hit theaters in July 2017. Dictionary.com became the first major reference to document emojis. As lexicographer Jane Solomon put it: There s a sophisticated linguistic system around how people are using emoji. 5
Mobile Marketing Trends & Away: Emoji Usage Continues to Rise From 2017 to 2018, the average number of emojis used per message doubled from 1.22 to 2.23. The percentage of messages using at least one emoji also doubled, rising from 15% to nearly 30%. This is not surprising. As marketers become more savvy about the irresistible draw of emojis, we predict that these numbers will keep skyrocketing. 6
Un Engagement & Growth With Emojis Open [Rates] Sesame 20 We analyzed the open rates of push notifications and emails that contained emojis versus open rates of push notifications and emails that did not. Open Rate Percentage 15 10 5 0 Email without emojis Email with emojis Push without emojis Push with emojis 7
Mobile Marketing Trends Open [Rates] Sesame Emails with emojis see a +66% increase in open rates. Push notifications with emojis enjoy a whopping +254% increase in open rates, a whole 3x higher than we found in our last report. S SKYBNB 55m ago +254% push opens 8
Un Engagement & Growth With Emojis Simply put, emojis engage the out of mobile users worldwide (and are a must-have for app engagement that we love to bout). 9
Mobile Marketing Trends Flexin on Retention Rates We know that emojis improve in-the-moment engagement. But do they make a difference when it comes to lasting retention? New data shows that apps who use emojis in their messaging experience 26% fewer uninstalls than apps that don t. Fewer uninstalls mean more opportunities to engage and monetize users. This is key to the long-term success of any app, especially in the crowded app marketplace of today Android users have access to 3.8 million apps, while Apple users choose from 2 million apps. 10
Un Engagement & Growth With Emojis Retention Hacks for the Savvy Marketer Emojis make a clear impact on app marketing, but there s more to the story. These three steps can help lift engagement and retention even further. 1. Onboard Like a Boss 2. Reach Users on Multiple Channels 3. Personalize, Personalize, Personalize Engaging, frictionless onboarding flows are one of the secrets of mobile app retention. Showcasing your valueadd, meeting users on multiple channels, and encouraging push notification opt-ins are all useful onboarding hacks. Brands must be available on all the channels their users are on. The data speaks for itself. Mobile app engagement increases 3x when you coordinate email with push notifications. Personalization in messaging, like including a user s first name in a push notification, can boost open rates by 4x. Personalizing delivery times ensures that users receive messaging when they are most likely to open. 11
Mobile Marketing Trends Emojis Most Used by Marketers When a person sees an emoji, their brain lights up in the same way as when they see a human face. The brain recognizes emojis as nonverbal information, and are therefore processed as emotions. Naturally, more people will want to tap on something that delights them. Sparking the warm-and-fuzzies in your audience is good for business. No wonder positive emojis consistently make an appearance in the emoji repertoire of marketers. 12 All of these emojis convey wealth, excitement, or surprise.
Un Engagement & Growth With Emojis Emojis Least Used by Marketers The same psychology applies to this year s losers. Negative feelings may grab attention, but in the wrong way. Thus, downer emojis are sent infrequently by marketers. All these emojis convey alarm, disapproval, or sadness. 13
Mobile Marketing Trends Most Popular Emojis By Vertical Every app communicates differently. Without further ado, here are the most popular emojis sent by app vertical. Mobile games Retail Fintech... use emojis that evoke feelings of victory. The money bag, diamond, and trophy symbolize users one-upping a level.... makes use of celebratory emojis with a dramatic flair. These are effective in drawing attention to promotional campaigns.... leverages emojis to communicate wealth, practicality, and problem-solving. 14
Un Engagement & Growth With Emojis Most Popular Emojis By Vertical Entertainment... visually showcases activities like football and music along with attention-grabbers like fire and a rocket ship. Travel... sends lodgings, planes, cars, and touristic highlights everything you need for your next vacation. 15
Mobile Marketing Trends The US is passionate about its Brits sure love their beer two pizza. So passionate, in fact, beers, to be exact. Other Interestingly, all countries used food-related emojis distinctive to their cultures that didn t appear anywhere else. that Americans observe National Pizza Day on Feb. 9. countries analyzed exclusively used a single beer mug. 16
Un Engagement & Growth With Emojis Chili peppers are a fundamental flavor-building ingredient in much of Mexican cuisine. Caliente! In Japan, noodles an ancient and beloved dish all across Asia are consistently present. From pasta to pizza, it s hard to imagine Italian cooking without the tomato. 17
Mobile Marketing Trends Emojis in the Wild Miss Selfridge is a well-known UK fashion brand with a mobile retail app for on-the-go shoppers. Using Leanplum, it ran an A/B test to see if push notifications with emojis resulted in higher user engagement during a mobile sales campaign. Half its users received a message with text and an emoji; the other half just text. The results spoke for themselves. Users who received push notifications with emojis were 81% more likely to open. On top of that, they spent a total of +363% more. 18
Un Engagement & Growth With Emojis We used Leanplum to test the effectiveness of emojis in push notification campaigns. In one of our tests, we saw an 81% lift in open rates and a 363% lift in revenue from the message with emojis. Joanna Hill, Head of Digital, Miss Selfridge 19
Mobile Marketing Trends The 2018 Power Emoji Cheat Sheet We get it emojis are the sweethearts of marketing. But with thousands to choose from, where do I start? Power Emojis Good question! We ve compiled a list of emojis that enjoy consistently high open rates across app verticals. Try a few of them in your next marketing campaign and see if they make a difference. 20
Un Engagement & Growth With Emojis A Recap of the Data Emojis are here to stay. Marketers now use an average of 2.23 emojis per message, up from 1.22 emojis per message in 2017. Messages including at least one emoji also doubled, from 15% to 30%. Emojis lead to higher open rates in both emails and push notifications. Emails with emojis are opened 66% more than emails without emoji, and push notifications with emoji are opened an astounding 254% more. In addition to in-the-moment engagement, emojis contribute to long-lasting retention. Apps that use emojis experience 26% fewer uninstalls. Fewer uninstalls mean more opportunities to engage and monetize users. 21
Mobile Marketing Trends Liked This Report? Stay in the loop with industry-leading insights from Leanplum. Get 120 Power Words to lift push notification opens and up your mobile marketing game. Find out how push notifications can retain up to 7x more app users. See how a multi-channel strategy can increase app re-engagement 3x. Learn how push notifications can drive 9.6x more users to purchase. 22
Un Engagement & Growth With Emojis Leanplum is the mobile marketing platform built for engagement. We help brands like Tinder, Grab, Tesco, and Zynga orchestrate multi-channel campaigns from messaging to the in-app experience all from a single, integrated platform. hello@leanplum.com www.leanplum.com San Francisco New York Sofia Amsterdam Singapore 23
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