Emoticons, in which users create facial expressions using punctuation, have been used for centuries, and possibly as early as Abraham Lincoln’s presidency1. In the online realm, people use emoticons as a form of non-verbal communication. Posts that contain emoticons receive 52% higher interaction rates. These posts have a 57% higher like rate, 33% higher comment rate and 33% higher share rate. Depending on the tone you take on Facebook, emoticons can be a great way to humanize your brand while increasing interaction (just use in moderation).

But remember that the effectiveness of emoticons in increasing interaction varies by industry. Clothing and Fashion for some reason score low. Could it be that they are really such a serious group?

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