{"id":165456,"date":"2017-05-30T13:00:14","date_gmt":"2017-05-30T13:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/premium.wpmudev.org\/blog\/?p=165456"},"modified":"2017-05-30T01:07:31","modified_gmt":"2017-05-30T01:07:31","slug":"gifs-emojis-memes-wordpress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/gifs-emojis-memes-wordpress\/","title":{"rendered":"Are GIFs, Emojis or Memes a Good Idea for WordPress Sites?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Personally, I\u2019m a fan of using humor and pop culture references in content marketing. I don\u2019t necessarily think it fits for every occasion nor do I think every audience will understand it, but that\u2019s why we do research before creating websites and launching our brand\u2019s web presence into the social-sphere. Right?<\/p>\n

That being said, including a pun or reference from your favorite movie in your site\u2019s messaging is fine when it aligns with your brand\u2019s style and voice. Adding visuals like GIFs, emojis, or memes into your content\u2026<\/p>\n

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\"Emojis
Everyone recognizes the Willy Wonka meme.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Well, that\u2019s just not something I\u2019m sure about. Then again<\/em>, if your site directly targets a younger age group<\/a> that naturally incorporates these types of elements into their dialogue, it might make sense to go that route.<\/p>\n

Obviously, there\u2019s been a lot of research done on what sort of effect these modern-day hieroglyphics have on social media and email marketing, but there just isn\u2019t much out there that says whether these are good or bad for websites. Since I think people\u2019s preference for visual content and shorter engagements over large amounts of text lends itself really well to this kind of content, this is what I\u2019d like to try and figure out today.<\/p>\n

GIFs and Emojis and Memes, Oh My!<\/h2>\n

I don’t think that’s really what they were singing about…<\/small><\/p>\n

There is something very appealing about brands that can remain on the cutting edge in terms of both design and marketing\u2014and I think these kinds of visual elements create an interesting juxtaposition between the two. But there\u2019s nothing that guarantees that a punny meme or a well-placed smiley emoji will be well-received by your audience. So, how do you make effective use of these in web design, if at all?<\/p>\n

As I scoured the web, trying to figure out whether or not emojis, GIFs, or memes could ever be appropriate for web design, I stumbled upon this article called Laugh It Up<\/a>. I actually found a lot of stuff like this around the web that talks about the healing power of laughter, typically in the context of relationships or workplaces. But if humor works in other areas of our lives, why wouldn\u2019t it work in our digital communications with consumers?<\/p>\n

Based on the article, laughter can:<\/p>\n