Emojis aren't just a fun form of digital communication--they're also an important sales tool.

Forty-two percent of emoji users are more likely to purchase products that are advertised using emojis, according to a new survey. Conducted by Adobe for World Emoji Day on July 17, the survey analyzed the behavior of 7,000 emoji users in the U.S, U.K, Germany, France, Japan, Australia and South Korea. Half of emoji users find brands more relatable when they use emoji in online marketing, especially for brands within the food, clothing and streaming services industries.

"Emojis can make it or break it when it comes to email open rates, especially when engaging younger generations," says Paul D. Hunt, Adobe typeface and font developer and creator of the gender-inclusive emoji. "While they can sometimes seem like a light-hearted and fun way to communicate, they also help us connect more deeply to the feeling often lost with words alone."

Indeed, people who communicate with emojis often develop an affinity for them. Sixty percent of all emoji users--and 70 percent of Gen Z users--say they are likely to open email or push notifications that contain emojis, especially if the emoji is their favorite one. The top three favorite emojis among all of those surveyed are the crying laughing face, a thumbs-up, and a red heart.