The present research analyzed whether or not emoticons could be exploited as proxies for nonverbal behavior when inserted into online discussions. Specifically, prior research has recommended that women who are more communal and concentrated on forming interpersonal bonds may not be able to form such bonds effortlessly when communicating via email because of the lack of nonverbal cues (cf. Guadagno and Cialdini, 2002; 2007). It was anticipated that by inserting emoticons into a persuasive online communication, women would be more exposed to persuasion compared to women who saw no emoticons, whereas it was not expected to matter for men. A total of 100 (47 men, 53 women) completed the study. In contrast to predictions, results specified that exploiting a verbal equivalent of the emoticon in an online discussion essentially produced more favorability towards the message for both men and women. Furthermore, results revealed that individuals' level of femininity foreseen attitude towards the topic. Similarly, the verbal equivalent proxy influenced positive mood, which may also help clarify the results. Implications for persuasion vial online devices will be discussed.