#But those two categories aren’t worth snagging from me

[housederiva]

My brother in bioware it is a zoomed in picture of Assan’s face, it belongs to the people. Besides it’s an absolute delight to have something I put up here being used to decorate someone else’s space

[eeriestatic]

Meanwhile he was being indulged with the affections provided, he himself had paused after a good while - let alone catching winds of such sounds. That wasn’t really why he decided to stop for not truly minding it, the nature of the attention he was getting provided was truly a way to put someone to sleep with ease - he wasn’t safe from the way it made a lazy hum murmur from his lips. The lazing serpentine very much listened to what Shiro had to say as his fingers decided to take a grip and snag into his coat for the time being, harbouring a clutch. There was some understanding though as his eyes opened to their soft lidded nature, barely having the clarity to see perfectly at the second. With the only thing that had focused was his hearing, drinking in all his words to the very last one in his silence. “Mm, I see. Do you have some form of attachments? I’ve never had that kind of embrace before, there’s more underlining fear I sense before my hands- not that I remotely bother to let people get near me like this, but it’s nice... For once. So thank you.”

Well of course people would be fearful of Knox, even that in the facility - there’s already enough complaints of having him wandering around that he is near restraint levels like thatcher. There awaits a time when bloodlust kicks in - but by all means he can smell friend over foe at least. What worries we’re easily gone for that, not that Knox was scared. He still didn’t take Shiros words lightly, they were taken with most seriousness even while there was an unknown danger, that was understood too. The one thing he held wasn’t fear for it. Knox tilted his head to one side to let all it’s weight brace now, but still keeping an open sight before him. A soft knead presented itself while he was quiet for the moment and his smile faded, of course given the time he heard further more made him pause with raised brows. The flushed nature made him snort, ever more when his head dropped had it elicited a cackle from him, leaving a squeeze on his shoulder blade once more.

He let him speak however instead of instantly remarking on it and his eyes had opened a little bit more with a soft hum. “I don’t put my extrovert abilities in trying to make deep bonds, that’s investment and devotion- I’m very aware of that. I just use those skills as something evasive, although the other two categories are different when you mix them- can be something much more intimate. Good friendship bonds, invested time, devoted time to said person, and so on what you share with them. Extrovert capabilities don’t bring you any further, being able to banter on is just an easy pass. I’ve never really felt the need to put out such time though, never have I had it, never was it worth.” He paused, lifting his head away from Shiros hands briefly after the stride, even as it got snug. Sitting more upright now as his arms loosened but not enough to release him. “However... I’ve found one yet peculiar soul to.” Of course he meant Shiro, it’s been too long for Knox to really have ever done so for someone he actually took a liking to. “Though I see. Sounds about right in this place, a vicious cycle but at least we aren’t left out of it in the long run for our benefit.” His arms lowered now so that he could cradle Shiro better, following his other that found its spot again after helping himself - but not expecting the peck which made him jump briefly.

“Maybe it is... I’m trying to avoid accidentally squishing you, so privilege it is-?” He sounded a bit confused but it was easily brushed off with a shallow snicker. Although true, the gentle nature was given willingly by Knox for his consideration. Giving a squeeze again, he held him now as Shiro seemed to turn to the lazy preference, meanwhile Knox watched down at the time just to stare at a head of white hair now alone. Of course his head tilted while Shiro explained, raising a brow with a grunt.

“I was the unintentional bully. To some degrees, but terms mean different- are you implying they mistreated you here? Considering the bonds though you’ve had some help from these bonds as well then I hope?”

eeriestatic

The serpentine rolled his eyes given the nature of words that slipped Shiro’s lips, of course by no means was his own gesture a means of offence, it was entertaining in all his honesty. Although he listened to the reactions and sounds he had gotten out of his affectionate movements against his back, pausing though after the settling space of where his head was urged had moved. It didn’t take Him long to immerse in the warmth for what it was, regardless if it bumped his glasses a bit crooked. Kneading squeezes worked against the one shoulder blade, giving a muffled hum before his head would lift just a little bit so he may speak as well. His other arm remained idle though at the time against his other unattended shoulder blade. “Squeeze tighter? I don’t think that would be a very good idea, may just end up with a dislocated rib-“ he snickered before resting his head down again, fitting snug back against his neck and closing his eyes.

“Don’t use cute so loosely, so far you’re the one being this - cute with your affectionate endeavours.” Cackling to himself, his fingers had dug into his shoulder blade but not too firmly to hurt him but nimble fingers worked against what possible strain on the muscle. His arm though had squeezed around his lower back after absentmindedly moving. Once more listening to Shiro speak as his eyes drifted to the side, hardly catching a glimpse of white due to his blind spot. It was more than understood, Knox didn’t have too much worries on social interactions - he was made for it and given the duty back at his home that required it. Although to handle something so lightly as he is Shiro was something entirely foreign and new to him. By this point, if it were possibly anyone else, his fingers probably would’ve been dug into his rib cage. And not too much in a good way. Shiro would be what he would call - special. In a way, for him to try and restrain himself. Doesn’t mean he was immune to other manhandling. Other than that, Knox wasn’t worried about his prodding.

Although the dragging - new affections haven’t gone unnoticed even if it deemed to interrupt some of his own affections. He relished in it, for now, head tilting into his touch as best as he could while sharing a gaze with Shiro. Too bad he lost the touch in his hair, but at least this was just as appealing to him as well. Just barely, a smile twitched his lips and remained just as gentle. “You speak as if I have anything to worry about, whether you’re prodding or not, it’s better to be curious than not. I most certainly would be. Just as your worry on social interactions. You’re doing a lot more than that-“ He snorted, given that their position and current situation - there was a lot more closure and it wasn’t a bad thing either. “I grew up being a social butterfly and talkative, but I wasn’t much to own friends with those capabilities either. It’s useless and wasted on a lot of scum- but, keywords from before. You are not.” Knox cackled - which was only cut for a moment while the strange look he admired made his brows raise. “Although I was never good at being a gentle handler— M-mm… Using tumours as examples, so strange. But it had.” He didn’t anticipate the next strides of affection though, the soothing trailing of them had made his eyes flutter closed with a bit of a grunt - the weight of his head being evident to relax against the scritches. “Seem to be very good at this…” Mumbling with a hum, he gave a squeeze.

      ❝I wouldn’t mind.❞, he reiterated towards his taunting expressing of concern. ❝Being held tightly enough to leave a bruise would only serve as proof that somebody was so eager to be close to me that they tried to squeeze their way into my rib cage.❞

      In spite of his silly phrasing, he meant those words. Fully aware was he that Knox could crush him with ease if he so desired, yet he chose his movements with care as to avoid it. To earn the trust and graces of such being was held in high regard by him and not taken lightly at all - likewise, Shiro was the unpredictable kind of dangerous, the serpent hadn’t witnessed the rising of the tide just yet. Even when he would come to, the nurturing caress he was leaning against held the promise that it wouldn’t be directed towards him.

      The hands working the knots in his back elicited sounds Shiro was unaware that he was capable of making outside of certain situations - and he did hope Knox would come to forget them as quickly as a summer breeze. At least, that’s what he was betting on when eye contact was made and maintained, otherwise he would have faltered on the spot. The overwhelming heat on his cherry red complexion made his eyes water, but he was holding it together. At least, until Knox brought up their current position- his head dropped with a wheeze.

      ❝I-I see, so you’re what they call an extrovert-❞, he quickly changed the topic after clearing his throat. ❝Those traits are useful to possess in highly populated environments when it comes to getting by. Other than that, no deeper bonds will come of them.❞, his palm tucked snugly under his chin as it dragged strides against his jaw. ❝Ergo, you will have an easy time getting adjusted to this place. The upper management uses the staff, the staff uses us for benefits. And in return, we exploit them as well.❞

      After speaking his insight, Shiro smiled and returned the soft peck on Knox’s nose as he fixed his crooked glasses. ❝You’re gentle with me, it’s my privilege.❞, he whispered playfully through a grin. His body eased into the tighter grip around his waist and slowly slipped down to slump and relax in his lap, his arms draped lazily across his shoulders, clinging with a meek tug. With a snuggle, he buried his face into his chest and let out a comfortable sigh, as if he was coddled up by a carebear. The carnivorous type.

      ❝As for me…I’m what they call ‘bullied in school’. Ironically enough, my only significant bonds were forged within this prison’s walls. You included.❞

[thecoroutfitters]

Written by R. Ann Parris on The Prepper Journal.

Are vices really and truly a must-have item? No. History is full of periods and survival situations, particularly during the exploration of the colder climates, when even people accustomed to “modern” conveniences went months and years without goodies.

//

Our vices aren’t necessary to our survival in many cases, but when you cut us off from them, hard times and adjustments just get harder.

The ramifications on families and partnerships in stressful but not life-threatening situations are out there to be viewed in rates of dissolution’s, divorce, separation, domestic violence, addiction-abuse, and suits and counter-suits. If you think a crisis will smooth those away, I have a bridge to sell ya.

We can add one more stress to those difficult times, or we can find alternatives (some of them long-term sustainable) and plan supplies and caches to make things as easy as possible.

Top Vices

Some of the top vices are going to be sugar and caffeine, with tobacco and alcohol right there with them. I can’t do anything to prepare a family to lose internet and TV besides make sure we have puzzles and games, but I can slow our transition away from some of our other vices.

Bad times are already stressful, and we’re already looking at making some hard adjustments. Things that we consume daily before we even feel human are worth stocking – in bulk and out of proportion to the rest of my supplies, really.

If I like coffee, I might also consider stockpiling tea. I can get gallons to the cup per dollar for tea, without taking up much if any more space than pre-ground or instant coffee.

If I’m in a warm enough climate, I might even go so far as to plan greenhouse or protected space for a yaupon holly for caffeine and tea camellia species. Herbal teas will lack the zing, but many tea herbs have the benefit of being perennials and hardy.

There are a wide range of trees that can be tapped for syrup, all of which (and honey) will boil down into candy or can be dried to crystals. Sugar beets and stevia are just two options for producing sweet syrups and flavor at home even outside sugarcane territory.

Everyday Cravings = Higher Priorities

While we tend to look at sugar, caffeine, alcohol and tobacco as the common vices and see them high on bartering lists, they’re not the only things we’re doing without. Pure sugar is a fantastic preparedness item with both vice and food-preservation value, but we don’t all have a sweet tooth.

Our vices are our feel-goods.

They’re our comfort foods – be they salty or sweet or savory – activities, and even exercise or hobbies. All of those may be crimped in an emergency, whether it’s widespread or personal.

Know your actions, and those of family.

Just because my priority leads me to crunchy-salty goodies and chicken broth, and I am willing to scoff off sweets, without sweets my lover is pretty miserable. He is also annoying, gets antsy, and breaks down and goes to the store.

When determining priorities (and budgets), snag and stash the store receipts for a couple of weeks or months. Snag them ahead of holidays and in-family events as well. Do it in all four seasons.

They will rock-solid determine what you’re getting, and even when.

Just going by the shopping list and menu plan isn’t enough. I recently realized that a full third of our Walmart-supermarket spending is not on the lists. They’re not even impulse. They’re actually the things my lover ends up going to the store for because they aren’t on my radar as much.

Those are the kinds of everyday priority to watch for.

My vices, my parents, the kids’ – they’re taken into account with small, compact puzzles to bring out, stashed books, a portable hard drive of movies, little games, baking mixes, inexpensive instant pudding, Hershey’s syrup, and the ability to add crunch to our lives on a regular basis through familiar cold cereals, chips, crackers and dry cookies.

It didn’t actually add all that much to the preparedness budgets to do it, and it allows “treats” and normalcy in unrest, even if I never harvest anything else.

Anticipated Cravings

We can look at history and the way modern North Americans and Western Europeans eat to anticipate some of the food cravings we’re likely to see and can account for with our storage.

Meat – For most of us, meat is going to become a treat, just as it has been for most of human history. It will go back to being more of a flavoring, especially if a crisis drags on.

Anticipating that, I stock it.

I have no lost love for t-rats and MREs. I dislike canned meats pretty much across the board. But they’re in my pantries and caches, because the men in my life will dive after them, and I might wind up desperate enough to eat my share.

Things like pouches of bacon bits, canned hash, the less-expensive freeze-dried meats like crumbled sausage, and the TVP-soy products we can buy for long storage can at least give me and my guys some flavor and the hint of our usual meats.

Things like Slim Jim’s and small beef sticks can be used as a snack, presented as a whole to bite into, or sliced into cold pasta and wheat salads.

Non-Spoon Foods – Maybe somebody eats oatmeal and farina, soup for lunch, and Hamburger Helper or shepherd’s pie pretty much daily. Most of us are probably accustomed to picking up, cutting or stabbing something somewhere through there.

For parts of the growing season, we can adapt how we prepare fresh foods to create a fork-and-knife meal. Some fruit trees will also allow us to present a crunchy for weeks or sometimes a couple of months after harvest.

One advantage to MRE entrees like the feta chicken is that it’s not as gag-worthy, but also, it’s a nice, whole breast portion. You can flake it with a spoon, but you can also stick it on a bun or a bed of couscous.

Planning for pancakes and omelets, to turn Bisquick into pseudo-tortillas, stashing dry cookies in canning jars with oxygen absorbers, and stashing bigger pastas and spaghetti for fork meals will help alleviate the boredom with spoon meals.

Dairy/Cheese – Without dairy animals and specific skills, a long-term crisis will affect us hard and fast in the cheese category. We love fresh cheese. I’m lucky enough that we also really like Bega, and I buy it on sale cycles.

Local stores sell tins of mild cheddar chip sauce at a fairly reasonable price, and it can readily top potatoes or be used as a cracker spread or pretzel dip, even if chips are painful to store due to the bulk they require. Velveeta and Cheez Whiz live on shelves as-is, too. Cheese soup can season rice, potatoes and macaroni.

Powdered parm from the pasta aisle can at least impart some flavors and toast up on top of zucchini, or be used in pasta salad.

There are shelf-stable cheese sticks and slices from companies like Northwoods and those awful combo packets put out by Jack Links and others, but they’re almost as expensive as freeze-dried cheese (and soooo much worse tasting).

I also keep most of the cheese packets that come in our processed foods. I dislike them, but as mentioned in the article about canning jars, being able to whip them up to top or season something makes them well worth a few oxygen absorbers.

Portion Control

The canning jar article also talked about portion control, and how I accomplish it on a regular basis. That goes for both the annual “events” and the weekly-monthly allowances we put back.

If we’re accustomed to free-grazing coffee and tea (I am), we may very well start our path to ratcheting back by only pulling out enough for a day at a time instead of buying things in a giant tub. Maybe we only buy instant packets for a week or a month, and keep it somewhere *else* in the house or kitchen to keep us and our families from snagging out of habit. As we adjust to our new levels, we might bring it out more often.

Cool drinks are another place where we might portion things out.

Instead of mixing up a pitcher and trusting all the kids (and adults) to pour the same amounts, which is bound to lead to arguments (adults, too), maybe we stash a rotating couple of short juice bottles with the wider mouths. We mix up the pitcher, everybody gets their (labeled) bottles. Once that’s gone, that’s it. No discussion of “I only poured half a glass earlier” or “everybody’s pouring extra and I only got half a cup” or “I’ve only had one cup of coffee, but the whole tub is empty, and now I want my second cup with my cookie”.

And I’m serious – anticipate that stress and aggravation or just personalities will pull that crap out of adults as well.

Once things settle into a new normal, no big deal. But I can drink an entire pot of coffee without realizing it until it’s empty, and I’ve seen people mow through a bag of chips or pack of cookies one or two at a time without realizing just how many they’re having.

Portioning things out can also help us truly plan for daily, weekly and monthly uses.

Not everything needs to be strictly regimented, but some things are really easy, and would be easy to lean on early, until they’re all gone. That big stack of canned meats looks like a lot, but can drop fast.

A case of canning jars (or three) and a couple of boxes or kitty litter buckets labelled 1-12, cold or warm, lets us really and truly portion things out.

Pudding fits 3, 5 or 6-8 in a jar, and might be a monthly or quarterly allowance. We might stick our Lorna Doone’s and Cheez-Its in baggies before we put them in a Mylar bag, and take out only this week’s or month’s to jazz up a plate or have as a snack. Instead of just calling it “good” with a few dollar-store boxes of Slim Jims and pepperoni, a test run and then busting in and separating will help them last, in an appropriate amount.

Vices in a Crisis

Not all disasters are equal. Some are very personal, and some are widespread – localized, regional, national, international. Some are short term, while some leave a question mark and some we can anticipate being truly devastating and taking years to recover from.

Or stored supplies and our resupply-production plans should reflect those varying possibilities.

Regardless of the crisis, it’s likely to be stressful. Change itself is stressful. Combining the two is already a recipe for hard times.

Adding the dynamic of spouses and family, any partners, and the potential of neighbors and coworkers to still be contending with creates additional stresses and variables.

Regularly our vices are not all that good for us. It’s still not a great idea to go cold turkey on all of them immediately or shortly after a life-altering job loss, spouse/partner death that affects funds, natural disaster, long-term outage or rolling brown-outs, or big-time disaster.

At no other time in our lives are we likely to be so grateful for whatever our vice is – a couple little cookies and a cup of tea, strawberry syrup for topping pancakes, campfire tin-can cakes topped with applesauce, something nice and salty and crunchy, popcorn with Molly McButter, a cracker-cheese-meat snack or meal after a week of beans and various grains, a new puzzle or game, the ability to put our feet up and watch a show, or delighting Grandpa and the kids with some little Lego vehicle kits to then race across the dining room table.

With a little forethought and planning, we can readily and affordably still have and give our loved ones those feel-goods, to enjoy with a candlelit game of Tsuro or clustered around a screen watching old cartoons. They’ll offer breaks from reality, just as they do now, and help destress our lives a little.

The post Prepper Must-Haves: Vices appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

from The Prepper Journal Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

[siliconwebx]

An Emoji Guide for Marketers: Using Emoji Professionally

Pop quiz. What is this:

A) An emoji crying tears of joy. B) A picture that’s worth 1,000 words. C) An Oxford Dictionary word of the year.

Answer: All of the above.

Emojis have been around since the late 90s when they first showed up on Japanese phones. Fast forward to the 21st century. The White House uses them in their reports. Tim Hortons expresses their proud Canadian-ness with them. Domino’s lets you place an order via pizza slice.

There are multiple emoji guides and even the Unicode Emoji Subcommittee, which has a very professional-looking web page.

Here’s why people, including businesses and their audiences, love emojis:

Emojis are available on our smartphones and favorite social media platforms now. They’re always at our fingertips.

People can quickly express their emotions even if they don’t have the time to write out the sentiment. It’s also a nice alternative for those who feel they can’t express themselves accurately through words.

Customers dictate how they want to be communicated with. For some brands, opting to use emojis is the same as offering live chat or Twitter support – it’s about discovering what your audience wants and giving it to them.

Brands that use emojis can increase engagement rate.

A Brief History of Emoji Marketing Wins and Fails

These guys got it right:

Deadpool: Audiences loved this. Celebrities loved this. The press loved this. Thumb’s up emoji, guys.

Source: Social Seeder

(The marketing for Deadpool was genius across-the-board, so check out the other stuff they did to woo audiences.)

Word Wildlife Fund: The WWF made 17 emojis of endangered animals and donated money every time one of them was re-Tweeted. It did the trick.

Taco Bell: Taco Bell went hard for the taco emoji. The Unicode Consortium says it wasn’t the taco emoji petition that sealed the deal, but I don’t totally believe them. Regardless, Taco Bell got a ton of attention with this campaign, and I’m guessing they sold a few more tacos than normal.

Source: Change.org

These guys are doing the face palm emoji right now:

Juicy Fruit: Nobody knows what you’re trying to say, Juicy Fruit. Why is there a guitar? Why is there a guitar???

Source: Washington Post

OMG Shakespeare: Maybe it’s the English major in me that makes me cringe, but these seem ridiculous and critics agreed. They snagged some decent feedback on Amazon, but YOLO Juliet was the most-reviewed one and only had 63 reviews, so…not great. Also, I think that saying “YOLO” to Juliet is kind of missing the point.

Source: The Guardian

Source: The Guardian

Chevrolet: Just…why?!?!

Source: Chevrolet

Are Emojis Right for Your Brand?

Are you only interested in emojis because other brands are using them? Being influenced or inspired by other brands is one thing; betraying your personal brand voice just to follow the lead is another. No brand has ever been successful by doing what all the other ones are doing – you have to stand out from the crowd and give customers something different.

Does it feel on-brand and/or natural? If you don’t even feel natural using emojis in your marketing, your audience is going to notice. Emojis aren’t a good fit for every brand – don’t force it.

Is your audience fluent in emoji? Consider demographics so you don’t alienate your audience. Millennials between 18 and 34 use visual expressions, including emojis, more than 2x as much as people over 65. About 25% of people in the age groups between those categories feel that images can communicate better than words.

Is your audience already using emojis? Hopefully you’re using tools to track what your audience is saying about you online. As you scroll through the commentary, do you notice that people are using emojis? That’s a good sign that you should follow suit.

Bottom Line: You always have to resonate with your audience. If emojis do that, excellent. If they don’t, leave them out.

How to Use Emojis for Business

Decide When and Where You’ll Use Emojis

Create your own emoji guide – you can add emojis to your marketing without adding them everywhere. Maybe you want to use them just in live chat or on Instagram. Maybe you want to use them just once in a while instead of making them a regular part of your marketing, like how Bud Light created an emoji flag to celebrate the Fourth of July. The only exception here is with email, which I’ll get to in a sec.

Know What That Emoji Means

Remember all those people who posted “Netflix and chill” without realizing they were referring to…you know. Don’t be like those people. Before you emoji, educate yourself.

Make it Obvious

Just like you don’t want to misinterpret an emoji’s meaning, you don’t want your audience to misinterpret your meaning, either. Make sure that your intention is clear and that you communicate what you mean to.

Relate to Customers

Emojis can be helpful in customer support if you use ones that accurately represent emotions, like a surprised face to say “Oh no!” when the customer is facing a frustrating issue. Don’t replace full sentences with emojis, just use them to add context.

Test it Out

Updating your marketing to incorporate emojis is a good exercise in changing with the trends. The more you evolve your techniques with the current culture, the easier it will become to make changes as needed. Not everything is going to stick, so do a trial period. World Emoji Day, July 17th, is a good opportunity to test the emoji waters to see how your audience responds.

Get Your Audience Involved

Ask your audience to use emojis in order to describe something. Taco Bell encouraged their audience to use emojis with this Tweet:

You can also post a question or statement on social media and ask your audience to reply with an emoji, like a smiley face or a sad face, or challenge your audience to decode an emoji message.

Carefully Consider Emojis in Emails

Be extra careful when using emojis in email marketing. If you’re sending a newsletter to your VIP customers who are already familiar with your brand voice and how often you use emojis, go for it. Otherwise, you could hurt open rates by using an emoji in your subject line. Also, don’t ever use emojis in email if you’re not using them elsewhere, too.

Using Existing Emojis vs. Creating New Ones

Using existing emojis couldn’t be easier. They’re already available and you can reference an emoji guide to see exactly what they mean, so you just have to incorporate them into your messaging however you decide to. When choosing which emojis to use, consider these questions:

Which emojis are your audience members already using?

What are the emojis that seem to carry the most interest or meaning for them?

How can you apply that meaning to your brand or extend it to appeal to your customers even more? Sephora does this well on Twitter.

The Case for Creating Your Own Emojis

Yes, using existing emojis can help with communication, immerse your brand in the current culture and help you relate to young audiences. However, they’re not going to be impactful for your overall branding – your audience won’t necessarily think about you when they use an emoji in a different context.

If you want to use emojis as a branding tool, you may have to create your own. Tick one or more of these boxes when designing branded emojis:

Add to the conversation in a more convenient or impactful way than words can express.

Enhance the customer experience.

Delight or surprise your customers, or strike another emotional chord.

Fill a need. For example, Dove created a Love Your Curls emoji keyboard to represent women with curly hair, a group that didn’t yet have their own emoji.

Source: The Shorty Awards

4 Tips for Creating Your Own Emojis

Branded emojis require your audience to download and set up a separate keyboard. This is an extra step (or two or three) that consumers have to take. They need (a) awareness that the keyboard exists, (b) guidance on how to do it and (c) enough of a reason to go through with it. You may want to create a contest for people who use your new emojis.

You want your emojis to become synonymous with your brand, but you don’t want to over-brand, which can keep your customers from actually using them. Customers should be able to use your emojis in their normal conversations.

Create a collection of emojis instead of a one-off emoji. A singular emoji is forgettable and looks like your company didn’t try very hard.

The emojis in your collection should represent different things – if you’re a cafe, you don’t necessarily need 3 different cups of coffee. Think of the products and themes you want to represent, as well as the different audience segments you want to appeal to, then design one emoji for each.

A Note About Stats

The jury’s still out on whether or not emojis increase brand engagement – there are articles that refer to increased brand engagement but don’t include any stats, there are a few articles that do have convincing stats and then there are articles that say that emojis don’t increase brand engagement at all.

Those negative stats are a little misleading, though. One study reports that 5% of responders said they wouldn’t be more likely to buy from a brand that uses emojis in their digital marketing. But brands aren’t necessarily using emojis as a precursor to getting a sale. Sure, sales are always the ultimate goal, but the touchpoint where the emoji comes in separate from the sales conversion.

Emojis are used in the branding stage where the company is creating and showcasing their voice; in messaging with current customers who already have and will again buy; or in marketing campaigns that spread brand awareness. Plus, consumers don’t always realize how much branding will impact their future purchase decisions.

Bottom Line: The stats and studies you have to worry about are your own.

Emojis have their time and place, and powerful brands know when and when not to use them. Whether or not you add emojis to your marketing, keep track of their impact on culture. Staying in-the-know will give you insight into your audience and inform your brand of when to jump in and get involved.

Ready to create a marketing strategy? We got you.

The post An Emoji Guide for Marketers: Using Emoji Professionally appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

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