The single marketing message that any business person sends the most every day is in their email signature. This is why, when creating an email signature, it’s critical to use only the information that reflects the company’s brand and further builds a relationship with the recipient.
When Creating an Email Signature …
Include The Essentials
Name, title, company, email address, web site URL, phone number and social media links where you are active. Include your email address since many times it is not included in the header of the reply.
Forget These Closing Salutations
I am not a fan of legal disclosures since it adds unnecessary length to the email especially since it probably will be opened on a smart phone. I question the legal effectiveness even if these are used. I also do not believe in using motivational sayings unless it is part of your brand.
Stay away from silly closing salutations like “Blue skies” or “Cheers”. Now, I am not an ogre, but these are not always appropriate. Consider that you just told someone in an email they did not get the job and then close with “Cheers”. This does not help your ongoing reputation or brand. I am also not sure what “Regards” means. Is this “Best regards” or “Kind Regards”? I also don’t like “Sincerely” because it always seems patronizing. Also, forget “Reach for the Stars”, “Peace Out”, “Your Boy”, “Your Girl”, or “Your Compatriot”.
Use These Closing Salutations
Think of something that is more closely tied to your brand. I use “here’s to getting unstuck and moving…forward”. If a branded one does not work, use old standbys like:
- “Hope this helps”
- “Thank You”
- “Much Appreciated”
- “Let me know where I can help”
Consider These Email Signatures That Work
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A brand tagline with a link to “more” (like a video).
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A company logo image or a very small photo.
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“Here is recent recognition we received! Thank you!” (include a link).
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“Come see us at _______________ (upcoming event)” (include a link).
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“We are growing! Know someone that would make a good ___________ for our company?”
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“We were recently honored to be featured in _______________” (include a link).
Remember, when creating an email signature, it should be changed no more than every quarter so that it can make multiple impressions on recipients.
Overall, keep your email signature short and in plain text with no animations (except for a photo or logo). Remember, most will be opened on a mobile device. So be sure to test out what looks good not only on various devices, but also on different web browsers (and in Gmail and Yahoo mail).
What is included in your email signature?
Republished by permission. Original here.
Signature Photo via Shutterstock
Great advice about email signatures!
You can also brand your emails by including your company logo and colors in your signature.
Using a signature generator like WiseStamp you can easily add all of these features in a way that will look professional. You also want to make sure that if you include an image it will be added as a part of the signature and not an email attachment.
If you’re interested in seeing what WiseStamp can do, come check us out (it’s free!)
Thanks for the great article!
Aira Bongco
I love using the ‘hope this helps’ closing. It lets them know that my intention is to help them and I have tried my best in searching for a solution to their problem. I also like the other ideas you have presented here and will use them for my e-mail campaigns.
Mark
Using an email signature generator such as ZippySig helps a lot as they have pre-made templates to suit any need. You can also fully customize any of the templates to your liking.