Businesses have a variety of options when it comes to writing emails customers will want to read and act on. You may have noticed the trend in your inbox with some emails containing non-alphanumeric characters, like stars (★) and umbrellas (☂), in their subject line. Also known as Unicode symbols, these characters are intended to increase email open rates by attracting consumers’ attention.
The Fear, the Results:
Some fear that emails using Unicode will be marked as spam, but this belief seems to be false. In its article “Delivered and Opened: Simple but effective tactics help retailers get their emails read by consumers,” Internet Retailer addresses this theory. The article’s writer, Bill Siwicki, cites a study in which the direct digital marketing company Knotice sent emails with nearly identical subject lines -- half with Unicode symbols, half without. The results? Spam rankings were similar, and open rates for emails containing special characters were higher (6.34% v. 5.66%, Internet Retailer). But not everyone is experiencing positive results.
The Varied Feedback:
An article by Website Magazine’s managing editor, Amberly Dressler, discusses the mixed feedback on Unicode (“Picture This”). Whereas a little over half the companies studied by Experian CheetahMail saw increased email open rates, some experienced a decline. British Airways and Expedia UK both had negative results using the airplane symbol in their subject lines. Interestingly enough, the same study found that the airplane symbol generally sees “the greatest unique open rate lifts” behind only the umbrella (Website Magazine).
The Takeaway Message:
There are two takeaway points. First, although generally helpful, Unicode is not a magic tool. A non-alphanumeric character in the subject line can make an email stand out as long as Unicode isn’t used too often by too many. Second, these symbols don’t work for every company. As Dressler writes, “Like in all things digital, it really comes down to testing.” You have to try using them to determine whether they will benefit your business.