Do Emojis Work in Facebook Ads? (The Data Says...)
For a long time, 'serious' businesses thought emojis were unprofessional. They thought using a smiley face or a fire icon made them look like teenagers. But data doesn't care about feelings. The data shows that in the world of Facebook and Instagram, speaking the language of the platform is the key to success. And that language includes emojis.
The short answer is: Yes, emojis increase performance. Ads with emojis in the headline or body copy generally have a higher Click-Through Rate (CTR) than ads with plain text. Here is why and how to use them correctly.
Why They Work: The Skim Factor
People don't read on the internet; they skim. A wall of grey text looks like work. Emojis act as visual anchor points. They break up the grey blocks and make the text look fun and easy to read.
Example: A bulleted list using green checkmarks (✅) is infinitely more readable than a plain list.
Emotion Transference
Emojis convey tone instantly. If you write "We are having a sale," it sounds robotic. If you write "We are having a sale! 🥳🔥," it sounds exciting. You are telling the reader how they should feel about the news.
Where to Put Them
The Headline: Put one emoji at the start or end of your headline to draw the eye to the bold text. "🚀 Launch Day Special"
The Bullet Points: Use them as bullet points to list benefits.
The Call to Action: Point to the link. "Click below 👇"
When NOT to Use Them
Don't replace words with emojis (e.g., "Buy our 👟"). It makes the sentence hard to read. Also, if you are selling something very serious like funeral services or high-end legal defense, use them very sparingly. For almost everyone else—e-commerce, coaches, local services—go for it.
Finding the Right Balance
There is a fine line between 'fun' and 'messy.' Stirling helps you generate ad copy that uses emojis strategically to highlight key points without looking like a spam bot.
