Quick, Easy and Effective: Make the Most of Your Email Signature

March 30, 2009 by Rita Marshall 

When you end an email, you can either type a smiley face beside your name or you can use an automated email signature to promote yourself and your business. I think we both know which is the best option.
Here are some quick, easy and effective ways to make your email sig work for you.

Give (And Repeat) Contact Info

Your email sig should include your name, your title, your company’s name, your website, and how to get in touch with you. Getting in touch should include your email address. “Good idea,” some cheeky readers may say. “It’s not like you’ve just sent them an email with your address on it.”

But what if your email ends up getting forwarded a few times? Will someone find your services fascinating enough to dig through a forwarded email trying to find your email address? Never make ‘em look too hard for your contact info.

Prioritize and Keep It Short

A reader’s eyeballs are your most precious resource. Don’t abuse them with a 20 line email signature. Sure you’re on Skype, MSN, IM, Twitter and Facebook. You’ve got a land line, cell, and several email addresses.

Which are the quickest ways you’d like to be reached? One email address that you check diligently and one business phone number should be sufficient. Only add your physical address if clients often come there to work with you.  A total email sig should not go over 8 lines.

Get Creative

• Succinctly describe your business services in a snappy tag line under your company name. It never hurts to keep reminding everyone of what you do.

• Offer a free report or promote a free service. Do you have 10 Tips for Great-Looking Websites? Do you offer a free home evaluation for anyone thinking of selling their property?  Devote a line in your email sig and tell everyone about it.

• I’m on the fence about motivational or humorous quotes. Are you using the quote to illustrate your business style – tenacious, creative, energetic? If the line resonates strongly with you and you’ve got the room, go for it. If not, leave that valuable email real estate for contact info and a business description.

An Effective Finished Product

 Now that you’ve got a tight and effective email sig, make sure to set your email settings so that it goes out on all your emails. If you have a line for free reports or new services, make sure to update it with fresh reports, offers, or news every so often. Get really fancy and you can set up different email sigs for different groups of recipients.

You’re effortlessly marketing with each email you send now, and not a smiley face in sight!

Photo by Carl Dwyer