Twitter now lets advertisers target ads by emoji

Twitter has created a new way for advertisers to target their ads and tweets: by emoji. Instead of just targeting by demographics or specific interests, brands are able to push ads to people based on their use of sentiment, food, and passion emojis. The social media company has enlisted the help of AdParlor, Amobee, HYFN, Perion, SocialCode, and 4C to facilitate this capability.

Emoji usage certainly has become part of our everyday lexicon, with the Oxford Dictionary naming the “Face with Tears of Joy” emoji as its 2015 Word of the Year. A quick look on Twitter will reveal people using an emoji or two when commenting a topic — from a facial expression to poo, thumbs up, or a middle finger. Now Twitter has used its technology to provide an analysis of what these mean to advertisers.

The company claims that more than 110 billion emojis have been tweeted since 2014, so there’s plenty of opportunity for advertisers to tap into sentiment here. Brands will be able to distribute ads based on use of emotions, foods, activities, and much more.

As Twitter seeks to be the de facto destination for conversations around live events, it’s hoping to attract advertisers to its lively debates about sports, politics, food, and global events. Will advertisers flock to the service over the awesome targeting of emojis? Probably not, but the emoji analysis is something that Facebook doesn’t offer right now.