Digital stickers are small illustrations that people send in messengers to express an emotion, reply faster, or show their personality, and for brands they are a non-intrusive marketing tool that spreads virally. Stickers came from Asia, popularized by the messaging app Line in 2011, and Line makes over $270 million a year from selling them.
Today it’s possible to communicate entirely with stickers: they are like emojis on steroids, able to get across a whole sentence or phrase. Free branded stickers are in demand in all kinds of industries, since they convey an affinity with a label at a fraction of the cost of its goods. If your pictures match your branding and deliver the message without words, clients will gladly use them to spread the word about your small business.
Below, we cover what digital stickers are, why they are a serious business, why people use stickers, stickers as a marketing tool, and sticker design trends.
What are digital stickers?
Stickers in messages are small illustrations that are either free or available in packages for a small single fee. In Telegram, for instance, there are no stickers to buy – they are all available for free. In fact, there are tons of them for all occasions with characters ranging from Totoro and Deadpool to Unicorn Zombies and Angela Merkel.
Stickers came from Asia, popularized by the Korean-developed mobile messaging app Line in 2011. That’s no wonder: quickly choosing an emotional picture is easier than typing messages on a small screen with hieroglyphs. Other messaging apps like Facebook Messenger and Path followed Line’s steps by introducing stickers of their own, with WhatsApp stickers made available only last year. Various companies devoted to stickers emerged as well, with design studios starting to offer their services.
Pet stickers have become a trending category, inspired by the recent addition of around 14 million pets to US households.
Stickers are a serious business
The Economist claims that today’s teenagers give would rather spend their free time socializing on messengers than surfing social networks. WhatsApp users, for instance, devote nearly 200 minutes of their lives each week to using the service. It’s not surprising then that other large companies like Facebook are putting their faith in messaging.
A study conducted by Harris Poll reported that about a third of millennials (that is, people ranging in age from 18 to 34) who use graphic items like stickers and emojis admit that images are way ahead of words in their ability to communicate what they think and feel. I’m a millennial and I love stickers! My favorite sticker packs include Pusheen, Piske & Usagi, and Opi. Oh, and I love Space Cats and use them quite often. How many people are there like me? A lot. Enough to make a profit for Line and Snapchat, WeChat and Viber, Telegram and Facebook Messenger. Just on Facebook Messenger, the number of stickers exchanged daily exceed 380 million.
Stickers are not just cute, but they also generate income. For instance, Line makes over $270 million a year from selling stickers. Apart from messenger platforms, numerous brands and celebrities have also been recognizing the importance of stickers. Disney uses them as part of their marketing campaigns, promoting every one of their movies with a fresh pack of stickers.
Thor Ragnarok (Facebook Stickers) by Dennis Salvatier
Why do people use stickers?
To convey an emotion
Texts can be boring and they sometimes fail to carry the exact meaning of what we’re feeling at the moment. A sticker adds flavor to the conversation. IRL, for example, you can communicate sass and confidence with a gesture or intonation. On messengers, a bossy cat with sunglasses will do it for you. Stickers make communication more personal. Images help get the vibe and feel your emotional state more deeply. When there are not enough words to describe a complex feeling or an ambiguous emotion, send an image.
Stickers Collection by Darya Semenova
To get quicker
Sometimes we want to share our thoughts or emotions immediately, but there is neither the time nor patience to type a lengthy message. And if you are in a hurry commuting or doing groceries, this task becomes impossible. It is easier to share emotions with a picture than to describe your emotional state by typing words. For example, when my friends are waiting for me and I’m still not ready to go out, I can send them a “Nearly ready” cute pic without distracting them.
Passion Planner Sticker Pack by Lilla Bardenova
To self-express
Stickers are an excellent way of expressing yourself. By wrapping your mood into a sticker, you create your own unique communication style. Pictures enhance the effect of exciting stories about your vacation or a funny incident that happened on the way home and make them personal. We all have our tastes in music, fashion, so why should we have to use the same standard emoji to communicate.
By the way, some messengers let users make their own custom personal stickers. For example, Viber, Telegram, etc. Apple’s memoji was added to most iPhones with the introduction of iOS 13. You can also use them in WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. Sticker packs for iMessage, by the way, ship as small apps of their own, so they fall under regular iPhone app development.
Aladdin iOS Digital Stickers by Dennis Salvatier
Stickers as a marketing tool
Statistics say that the average smartphone owner uses 30 apps each month. Messengers and social media apps are among the ones people use the most on a daily basis. Stickers are an ideal option for native promotion for brands because they work virally. Even last year virility was sometimes considered as a questionable technique, but when done right, it actually works. After downloading the sticker pack, a person can use it as many times as they want, sending dozens, or even hundreds of branded stickers. And stickers as a marketing tool have one big advantage – they are non-intrusive. Not like banner ads or pop-up messages. The ads contained in the messages we receive from our friends or relatives work much better than those received from a random source. For example, every third Viber user sends stickers on a daily basis. The potential reach is incredibly large.
Many companies like Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks, and Sephora have been preferring brand stickers for messengers over emojis. Hasbro teamed with Quidd to create, distribute and sell digital stickers.
Atlassian Team Together Stickers by Scott Biersack
Some of the sticker campaigns aim at interacting with a loyal audience of the brand (for example, Disney stickers). Others are created to draw attention to yet-unknown companies or projects. Event promoting works as well, like elections or the release of an artist’s new album.
And it doesn’t have to be a glamorous business. For example, a real estate company RE/MAX has launched a pack of free-to-use brand digital stickers. They are available on the App Store and Google Play to use in messengers and in social media channels. In RE/MAX, they claim that their stickers are a fun way for the agents to continue to engage with homebuyers. They help to promote strong customer engagement.
Here are a few tips in case you decide to diversify your marketing strategy with the help of messenger stickers. An efficient sticker pack contains the depiction of several primary emotions: joy, love, surprise, and others. Add stickers that describe the actions or states, like being busy, hugging, listening, etc. It’s worth adding typical phrases. How to stand out: many stickers are animated, and some make sounds.
Or you can simply hire a team of experienced designers and make them do all the thinking for you.
Stickers for Atlassian by Leena Kisonen
Sticker design trends
What designs can you use to make your own stickers? Here are the latest tendencies, many of them borrowed from broader UI design trends, that you can take advantage of:
- Expressive typography: various fonts are taking on a more expressive role in the design, allowing text to become a visual element that conveys emotions and meaning beyond its literal content;
- 3D design evolution: the evolution of 3D design continues in the upcoming years, with a focus on creating realistic and immersive visuals. This trend involves incorporating motion and texture in stickers to enhance the visual experience;
- Minimal vintage style: a combination of minimalism and vintage design elements is becoming prominent in digital sticker designs. This style blends modern simplicity with the timeless charm of vintage aesthetics;
- 3D Memphis style: this style incorporates bold geometric shapes and vibrant colors to create visually striking and extraordinary sticker designs for your business;
- Custom type: designers are increasingly using custom typefaces to bring uniqueness and originality to their designs. This trend allows for more personalized branding and design aesthetics.
FAQ
What are digital stickers?
Digital stickers are small illustrations used in messages, either free or available in packages for a small single fee. In Telegram, for instance, all stickers are free, with characters for all occasions. Unlike standard emoji, a sticker can convey a whole phrase or a complex emotion. Some messengers, such as Viber and Telegram, also let users create their own custom stickers.
Why do people use stickers?
People use stickers for three main reasons: to convey an emotion that plain text fails to carry, to reply quicker when there’s no time to type a lengthy message, and to express themselves with a unique communication style. About a third of millennials who use stickers and emojis say images are way ahead of words in communicating what they think and feel.
How can brands use stickers for marketing?
Branded stickers work virally: after downloading a pack, a person can send dozens or even hundreds of branded stickers to friends, and messages from people we know work better than banner ads or pop-ups. Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks, and Sephora use messenger stickers, Disney promotes its movies with fresh packs, and RE/MAX gives agents free stickers to engage homebuyers.
What should a branded sticker pack include?
An efficient sticker pack depicts several primary emotions, such as joy, love, and surprise, and adds stickers for actions or states like being busy, hugging, or listening. Typical phrases are worth adding too. To stand out, many stickers are animated, and some make sounds. The pictures should match the brand’s style and deliver the message without words.
Can stickers make money?
Yes. Line makes over $270 million a year from selling stickers, and the number of stickers exchanged daily on Facebook Messenger exceeds 380 million. Hasbro teamed with Quidd to create, distribute, and sell digital stickers. For most brands, though, the value lies in free sticker packs that keep the brand present in everyday conversations.
To wrap up
Visual communication is becoming more and more popular for mobile users who like to make connections via images. Stickers make it easier, quicker, brighter, and more emotional. Modern communication trends prove that the use of stickers will continue to grow. The global virtual goods market value is estimated to reach $189.76 B by 2025. Digital stickers are part of this market. Brands should pay attention to such a tool. A useful branded sticker pack can become an indispensable attribute of everyday communication and a powerful marketing instrument.
Do you need eye-catching designs for your stickers or application? Get in touch with us and let’s create stunning designs that attract your target audience and boost sales!
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