If a picture says a thousand words, how many characters does an emoji constitute? A lot, considering Twitter is testing a new way for users to interact using a new range of emojis.

Happy face

Twitter user Ben Cunningham (@codeblue87) first tweeted the news. Select users can choose additional emojis to add to tweets

Some examples include variations on the ubiquitous 'Smiley Face', including versions with heart-shaped eyes and winking eyes.

Overkill?

While they're not everyone's cup of tea, emoji's have led to increased engagement on Twitter. The platform saw a 6% boost after introducing the 'heart' emoji earlier this year.

Emojis might also encourage new or sporadic users to dip in and tweet a bit more. 

And for the record: the Oxford Dictionary's word on the year for 2015 is an emoji.

Do you use emojis in your marketing plan? If so let us know how in the comments.