Emojis are fast becoming an important part of social conversation across all social media platforms. Facebook has been using them for sometime and now Twitter and Instagram are getting in on the action. It was once thought that from a business point of view using them was unprofessional, but these days it has become more acceptable to use emojis to engage with clients. Let's take a look at how physiotherapists could use emojis when interacting with patients and whether or not this is a good idea.
Emoji is a Japanese word which translates as 'picture letter'. Essentially, they are like tiny digital hieroglyphs which can be used to illustrate thoughts, moods and even activities. They have been popping up all over social media lately starting with Facebook, but with both Twitter and Instagram introducing the little icons as well. A recent Business Insider Intelligence Report indicates that about 40% of messages on social networks now contain emojis.
It has been well documented that visual content can help to increase engagement. That is one of the reasons why emojis can help to give your marketing communications a boost. In addition, because emojis are becoming such a popular form of communication with some demographics, when a brand uses emojis it is demonstrating that they are on top of the latest trends making them more relate-able for younger consumers. If you are interested in reaching more patients from a younger demographic then you could very well find emojis to be an excellent resource.
According to a recent study by Experian, approximately 56% of brands report an increase in email open rates when they include an emoji. Of course, like most things, emojis need to be used in moderation. If you overdo it then the novelty is bound to wear off very quickly! You also need to make sure that you understand your target demographic and that they are going to 'get' what you are doing. If you were sending out a serious communication or contacting local doctors to ask for referrals then it probably isn't appropriate to add a couple of emojis to your email. However, if you are hoping to reach out to Millenials and younger patients on your list then some well placed emojis could help them to engage with you.
The most difficult part about incorporating emojis into social media and other marketing is choosing the best ones to use! As a physical therapist you might feel like there are limited options, but that is certainly not the case! The most obvious choices are going to come from the hospital based set of emojis including a hospital building to represent your clinic and maybe the tiny ambulance to indicate emergency consultations. However, there are also plenty of other options for you to get a little creative. Gym and exercise themed emojis are also ideal for use by physical therapy clinics and if you don't want to go down the obvious route then you can try using money icons to highlight a special price, or just incorporating the mood type of icons. There are so many different emojis out there to use that you are sure to find something that is suitable for you!
If you need help with livening up your social media communications to increase engagement then get in touch with PatientSites.com today to discuss some of our innovative social media features.