Today, in honour of #WorldEmojiDay, we’ll examine the impact of the emoji and how it’s helped social media create its own language.

For now though, let’s get back to the basics and figure out the source of our capacity and desire to participate. An article in the latest issue of Social Media Today discusses what is meant by “social intelligence,” or the capacity for effective interaction with others through the development of meaningful relationships. Also, as technology has progressed, so have our fundamental human requirements.

Social media users today want a more personable and approachable B2C experience online, thus marketing has shifted to incorporate social intelligence. According to the article, “some 90% of social media users connect with businesses via this medium, and 63% increasingly expect firms to deliver customer care via it.” For this reason, it’s crucial that you zero down on your specific demographic. Find out when your audience is most active on the platform and what kind of information they find most interesting so you can post at the optimal times.

Internet slang

Knowing why we seek a more interactive social media experience, we might inquire as to what constitutes “social media language” and whether or not we are already “speaking” it.

Knowing the slang terminology specific to various social media platforms is becoming increasingly important. Slang terms like “slip in the DMs” are unique to Twitter and Instagram and allude to private conversation, while “Facebook official” denotes that a couple has made their relationship public knowledge on the social media platform. Each one means something different, yet they all have something to do with some sort of social networking.

Examine this list of Internet jargon; perhaps you’ll recognise a few of the terms.

Emojis

Do you ever substitute emoji for words? Perhaps you’ve substituted a crying-with-joy face for the LOL emoticon. Once you do that, you can express yourself entirely in Emoji! In fact, emojis have been around since the late ’90s, but they’ve just recently become a standard on messaging apps and social media sites. The Oxford English Dictionary even recognised the term’s cultural impact by designating “face with tears of joy” as its 2015 Word of the Year. You can see how significant emoji have grown by the fact that we now have a day dedicated to them: #WorldEmojiDay, celebrated annually on July 17.

Media with images, like gifs and memes

Due to the visual nature of Instagram, it is essential that the content you share adheres to your brand’s aesthetic and is directly related to your business’s goal of promotion. Yet, it’s also a great location to allow your brand’s personality shine through in the form of GIFs and memes. An online meme is a hilarious image that becomes viral on the internet and becomes widely shared in a short amount of time. When combined with the right hashtags, memes are a great way to jump into a debate online. Making use of popular memes is a great way to build brand awareness and establish a sense of familiarity with your target audience.

Hashtags

Marketing campaigns on social media can benefit greatly from the use of hashtags. Hashtags are a great way to get your post seen by individuals who are actively searching for the topics you’ve written about. In addition to spreading the word about your business, this could also spark some interest from the public. Find out what hashtags your rivals are using, or investigate trending hashtags that receive lots of interaction throughout the week. The hashtag #MondayMotivation, for instance, sees frequent use and attracts interaction from people all around the world every Monday.

Overall, if you want to establish a social media marketing strategy that promotes interaction with your target audience, you should investigate the type of social media language that will attract and retain that audience. Follow our lead and publish some amusing content packed with emojis, memes, and hashtags!

Have you hit a wall and need a little push, or would you rather have someone else take care of everything for you? Our team of specialists is available to help you with all of your social media marketing needs. Your digital marketing, including your social media presence, could use some help. Give us a call now and let’s talk about it.