We know that LinkedIn is a professional network.
So, the question is can you use emojis on it?
Well, it’s a little complicated.
In this guide, we take a look at the use of LinkedIn emojis and the best ways to use them.
I’ll take you on the best use case scenarios, when not to use them, and why you need to start incorporating them into your growth strategy.
So, shall we? ?
Should You Be Using Emojis Professionally?
Yes.
And also, no.
Let me explain.
LinkedIn is a professional network where users can join to network, collaborate, and prospect. So, to a degree, it helps to keep things professional because that’s the theme of the platform.
We use emojis for two main reasons:
- To add flair to the content you’re putting out.
- To capture the attention of our prospects.
Now, the general consensus amongst growth hackers is that if you use emojis sparingly while sticking to both of the aforementioned principles, you should be good to go.
LinkedIn is not a text message. So, don’t overload an entire post with emojis.
LinkedIn emojis exist to add a little spice to long-form text that’s on your profile.
Where Should You Use Them?
LinkedIn Posts
Most standard posts are text-heavy, and sometimes, it makes sense to put in a couple of emojis to make the text pop.
This is especially true for text that’s a little on the longer side.
Don’t use emojis to replace actual words or phrases that you want to use, but rather use them to give emphasis to those words.
For example, I put in the word “toolbox” and then drew emphasis on the word by putting an emoji next to it,
Don’t put emojis all over the place though.
You want to spread them out, maybe put one at the beginning of the post to draw your readers in and towards the end for emphasis.
Another note: I try to avoid emojis in serious plain text founder stories.
You don’t want to distract your readers there, instead, you want to really capture their attention and keep them focused on what you have said.
Want to use plain text founder stories and other templates to go viral? Check out our guide here!
About Summary
About summaries are another text-heavy area in LinkedIn.
The technique with LinkedIn emojis in about summaries is to use them as anchor points.
Say you want to put in a phone number, highlight a link, or any kind of CTA, by placing an emoji next to the CTA, you get to anchor their attention to that link.
This makes it easier for a prospect who’s casually going through your LinkedIn to find your contact information.
I’d usually advise against using emojis in the main body of the LinkedIn about summary unless you want to highlight a word or two.
Headline
The second piece of text that your prospects see when they look you up on LinkedIn or end up on your profile is your headline.
And, on LinkedIn, crafting a headline that converts is a tall order.
You’re going to be faced with tough competition since this is one area where everyone is trying to one up each other, and it makes a lot of sense if yours stands out.
One way of doing this is by using LinkedIn emojis.
There are different ways of doing this.
I’ve seen LinkedIn emojis used as separators or as word replacements (not a big fan), but you can take the simpler route and just use one or two to help with conversions.
In my LinkedIn headline, I put in a pointing finger emoji to highlight our website link and another towards the end.
It sets my headline apart from other people without overloading on emojis.
Bullet points
LinkedIn emojis as bullet points are another subtle place to use them.
You see, LinkedIn posts don’t have a lot of rich text formatting options, so using emojis in place of bullet points or numbers helps you bring a little more “pop” to your text.
In this example, I used emojis with numbered text, but I made sure that I didn’t go to double-digits.
That would have messed up the alignment of my list and become counterproductive to adding a little design flair to my LinkedIn post.
Emoji Rules and Where to Avoid Using Them
LinkedIn emojis are fun to use, but there are some rules to follow so that you don’t get carried away.
The first, as we mentioned a while ago, is don’t turn your content into a text message.
You should use enough emojis to set your content apart, but if you’re starting to use emojis instead of words, then you’ve got a problem.
Emojis should be used to accentuate the stuff that you’re putting out not distract your prospects or be replacements to actual words and phrases.
If you use enough, your text will start to pop.
If you use too many, you can come off as unprofessional and someone that prospects can’t take seriously.
You still want to be as articulate as you can with the content that you put out. This will help reinforce your brand image as someone that knows their stuff.
Also, I don’t use LinkedIn emojis a lot in LinkedIn articles.
Why?
LinkedIn articles are usually used to showcase your professional work. Putting too many emojis in your articles might be counterproductive to your strategy.
Find out how you can use LinkedIn articles to bring up engagements and grow your presence!
Another major rule we follow is if it’s a serious announcement, don’t use LinkedIn emojis.
Let’s recap.
No emojis:
- As replacements of actual word and phrases
- For serious announcements
- When showcasing rofessional displays of your work
- That overwhelm a piece of text
If you follow these rules you should be good to go.
Using LinkedIn Emojis on Windows
On Windows 10 devices, press the “Windows” key and “.” period at the same time to bring up the emoji window.
Choose the emoji that you want to use and you’re good to go.
Using LinkedIn Emojis on Mac
Getting emojis to run on a Mac, requires you to bring up the emoji keyboard.
You do this by hitting:
Command + Control + Space
Press the keys simultaneously and then let go.
This will bring up a menu called “Character Viewer”, click on the text field that you want to insert an emoji in, pick the emoji – or emojis – that you want to use, and double-click them.
If you’re using multiple emojis, as bullet points, for instance, you can just bring up the menu once and copy and paste the ones you’ve picked.
Other Methods of Getting Emojis
Alternatively, you can Google individual emojis and copy them to your post.
This takes time and requires special websites.
Or, you can just get a post going on your smartphone where emojis are easier to access and use.
Takeaways
Emojis became popular because they were a way to add a little flair to text.
And, on platforms like LinkedIn, they’re great because they help break the monotony.
You see, your prospects don’t want to see the same things over and over again, this is why we always advocate for a varied content strategy.
And, this also applies to text posts.
Emojis are there to add emphasis, but you can’t use them as a replacement for being articulate.
So, stop being plain, stick in an emoji or two! ?
