“Can you teach me how to use those emoji things?” my mother once asked me at the dinner table. Full disclosure: I don’t particularly love teaching my parents about technology. It requires a lot of patience and time, both of which I do not have. My mother sent me rat emojis for a week because she thought they were cats.

My mom’s joy in sending me little rodents exemplifies the social development of the emoji. These playful icons are actually becoming a preferred communication tool across multiple demographics. In a fast-paced world with a short attention span, emojis eliminate the need for words through quaint visual expressions. It’s a small but mighty movement of communication and it’s changing the way people interact. And according to Ad Week, it might help brands better engage with their audiences.

Take for instance Domino’s Twitter emoji takeover. Their account cranked out hundreds of tweets…written only in pizza emojis. Slightly annoying? Definitely. Effective? Surprisingly, yes. It caught the attention of thousands of followers and promoted their new Twitter-based ordering system. Other brands even began firing emojis right back. These tiny symbols are helping brands create quirky and unique messages that effectively reach their audience.

Working in the world of marketing, I think we have to be cautious of brand voice and how it communicates. It’s tempting to fall into fads, but if you’re an insurance agency, you probably want to stay away from ruthlessly tweeting cutesy pizzas. If the budding universe of emojis fits your brand, consider trying them out. If you’re unsure, take the time to reevaluate your brand message. Unsure of how that works? You’ve come to the right place…