When corresponding with people via traditional mail you always include a signature, don’t you? With the internet you do not have a letterhead to present contact information to the recipient so this information needs to be included in an email signature. Each business email you send should include a proper email signature to add credibility to the business. Would you do business with someone that you are not familiar with if they signed their correspondence as say, Mike, without any further contact information?
What is an Email Signature?
An email signature is a series of text inserted at the end of email correspondence. It can be inserted automatically or manually with a few clicks.
Business Email Signatures
Adding an email signature to every email you send is an opportunity to promote your business. Email signatures also provide customers with contact information should they wish to contact you via mail, visit your business, contact you via telephone or send a fax.
Business email signatures need to provide the recipient with various ways to contact you. A business email signature should include:
- Contact Name
Include a contact name. People appreciate a name to address emails to or ask for when calling your business.
- Department
If the business has a number of departments, include the department you are associated with.
- Company Name
The full name of the business.
- Company Mailing Address
The address to send mail to via traditional mail.
- Company Phone and Fax
The phone and fax numbers people can use to contact you via telephone and fax.
- Company Website
The company website address.
- Contact Email Address
The email address the recipient can contact you at.
- Marketing Slogan and/or Current Specials
Include the business marketing slogan or current specials offered by the business.
Here’s an example:
Your Name, Owner
Your company name
Your street address, Your city, Your province/state Your country Your postal/zip code
Phone: Your phone number c/w area code Fax: Your fax number c/w area code
Website: Your website address Email: myname@yourdomainname.com
Slogan
Business Email Signature Notes
- Try and keep your email signature to 6 lines maximum. This is hard now with all the social networking spots you might be on. Maybe provide a link to a page on your website where you have all your “Connect with us” information.
- Don’t rely on a graphic signature file. As email and antivirus programs become more cautious graphics are not always shown in the recipient’s email program, depending on the security settings of their system. If they don’t see your signature, how will they know how to contact you?
- If your email contains confidential information you may want to also include a “For the Intended Recipient” statement to the email signature if the business’ mail server has not been configured already to do so.
The point of a business email signature is to make it as easy as possible for people to reach you and your business. If the business has different target audiences a different signature can be created for each target audience.
Where to Use Email Signatures
To effectively market your business you need to include an email signature in every piece of correspondence you write. This would include:
- All business correspondence
- In the footer of articles you write
- Website and traditional newsletters
- Advertisements
- Testimonials you give for other businesses
This isn’t an exhaustive list. Have any other ideas where your email signature can be inserted?
Personal Email Signatures
Personal email signatures can be less formal than business email signatures. These type of signatures you would use for your friends and mailing lists you belong to.
Personal email signatures can also be used to promote your business in a less formal way.
Including a link to your website in personal emails is a way of spreading the word. If a website link is included the person reading the email will remember next time someone asks if they know someone that ….. A lot of businesses are built on and become very successful through word of mouth.
Email Signature Related Articles
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You are most likely already using your own email signature to provide information about who you are and where you work. But you can take this practice to the next level by updating your signature to reflect the marketing campaigns you are running today.
10 Clever Ways Your Email Signature Can Support Your Marketing
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[...] with if they signed their correspondence as say, Mike, without any further contact information? Email Signature You can also read this blog: Business Email Etiquette [...]
In my company I use automatically inserted email signature for years now. It’s very usefull and always makes my correspondence more professional.
– Gaz
WE ARE ADDING ABOUT 20 AFFILIATE TEXT LINKS BELOW OUR BUSINESS SIGNATURE AND GMAIL STATES A MESSAGE, WHEN SAVING CHANGES, THAT OUR SIGNATURE IS TOO LONG. WE HAVE SPENT OVER AN HOUR FINDING THE ANSWER AS TO HAVE MANY TEXT LINKS WE MAY ADD TO THE BOTTOM OF OUR SIGNATURE.
ANY ASSISTANCE WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
But don’t you think 20 links in your signature is going to look a bit spammy? The idea of including an email signature is to look professional and provide contact information.
Yahoo will not allow me to change my signature. I don’t see an edit option and need to edit my signature. When I highlight a telephone number, for example, and press delete, nothing happens. How do I edit the signature successfully?
Not sure why you are having problems. I just went into my Yahoo mail account and edited my signature no problem.
I wouldn’t overdo it with a signature, especially if you are promoting something. I would send several test emails out to make sure your signature doesn’t cause your email to get filtered into the spam folder.