Professional Tips on How to Craft Effective Email Signatures
Every day, around 3.8 billion email users send out 228 billion emails. That's a lot of messaging so if your emails don't stand out, they'll end up in someone's trash bin unread.
One way of standing out is by putting an email signature at the end of your business emails is one of them. Something so small can work wonders in staying top-of-mind with your clients.
We'll be covering some essential information in this article relating to email signatures. Like what they are, best practices, and tools to help you out.
What Is an Email Signature?
An email signature is that bit at the end of an email that has your name, titles, social links, company name, and other essential details. It is also called an email footer – an essential part of any business email.
An email signature validates a message – it lends a professional touch and proof of authenticity to your email. It can also be a part of your branding strategy because it adds to the customer perception of your business.
Your email signature should be unique and contain useful information. It will be the building block of a productive client-business relationship.
Basic Features of an Email Signature
Like a tasty meal, a good email signature needs various ingredients in just the right quantities to make it effective.
The following are the basic features of any email signature. Note that some of them, such as social media icons or legal requirements, are optional and should be used when your marketing goals require them.
Sender name and job title
Your name is a primary component of an email signature. It provides a personal touch and reassures the client that they are communicating with a person. The job title shows them where you stand in your company.
Contacts
What’s the point of an email signature if your readers don’t know where to go when they want to reach you? Your contact information should have your business address and at least one phone number. Reiterating your email address isn’t necessary as it’s in the email details anyway.
Social media handles
In today’s hyper-connected world, social media is often the first point of contact between businesses and customers. So, your email signature can link to your social media accounts. But only if these social media accounts appear professional, and are relevant to the subject matter.
Company logo or branding
Customer perception is heavily influenced by branding. Your email signature should have that effect too. Your logo should appear prominently such that it stands out at a glance.
Photo
Just like the sender’s name, a photo in the email signature lends a personal touch to the email and helps the customer put a face to the name. In addition, it relieves the sense that you’re talking to a stranger or the “unknown”. However, it’s an optional element.
Legal requirements
The legal requirements that govern business communication differ by country. Therefore, make sure to check relevant laws and regulations that concern emailing.
Email Signature Best Practices
Having covered the basics of an email signature, let’s go over some best practices that you can use to make an impression.
Pick a minimalist design
The cliche that less is more is very applicable in writing an email signature. Get rid of the clutter and go straight to the point. No unnecessary quotes or clever sayings. If it doesn’t provide information about your company, chop-chop.
Your colors and fonts are important elements of your signature. Keep your colors simple and attractive; you don’t have to be too artsy with it. Also, your font should be easy to read, and above all, it must be uniform.
Visually highlight important information
All the details in your email signature are not equally important. Organize your content so that it draws attention to the most important parts. You can do these using font size and bold text.
- Font size: Use font size to draw readers’ attention. It makes a message stand out and gives it prominence.
- Bold text: Bold text can draw attention as it tells a reader something is important.
Use high-quality images
If you add a photo of yourself or a brand logo, make sure it’s very clear, with no blurs or smudges. Your photo should have the qualities of a standard passport photo, but pick one where you are smiling. The background should be neutral, and a headshot is better than a full-body photo.
Add relevant social media linked icons
If you choose to have your social media accounts appear in your email signature, these should be icons that link to accounts that appear professional and have content that is useful to the reader.
Anticipate the needs of your target audience when creating content for your social media accounts. Stick to your message and avoid unnecessary fluff.
Sign off with a call to action
Your email signature should end with a call to action that subtly prompts the reader to take action. The reader should not be made to feel like they are being pushed or herded. Your signature should be clear, concise, and elicit specific actions from your readers.
Your call to action can take the form of any of the following.
- Ask for a review: Make your readers feel like partners in the process, and that their voice counts. They’ll usually be eager to tell you what they think of your service or product. Give them the opportunity to share that information.
- Tell them to subscribe: Invite your readers to subscribe to your newsletters or follow your social media channels. Make the process easy by adding a link.
- Add links to your product(s): An email signature is a great marketing opportunity. Let your readers know your product is just a click away. If you’ve got products on Amazon, eBay, other e-commerce sites, or directly to your website, add the links there if relevant.
Increase conversion via email signature banner campaigns
You can generate website traffic by linking your email signature to banner ads. Conversion is just a click away when your readers can access your website at the touch of a button. While you still have their attention, tell them where to go.
Make your email signature mobile-friendly
Smartphones are ubiquitous. More than half of web users access the internet via their smartphones. This makes it a powerful medium to reach audiences. So, send a test email with your signature and check how it looks and performs on mobile devices. Remember, you want it to be as responsive as possible for a better reader experience.
Note that a smartphone has a smaller screen than a PC. That means you have less space so your text and graphics have to be bold, and your message must be straight to the point.
Email Signature Generators
Some email template builders come with an email signature generator built-in.
They offer templates where you just fill in your info and get an HTML code or image that you can then add via the general settings of your email client.
Here are a few popular tools:
Newoldstamp
Newoldstamp is an email signature generator that allows for highly customizable signatures. It lets you add promotional banners, social media icons, your call to action, and a link to your organization’s landing page.
With Newoldstamp, you can centrally manage and update email signatures across your organization. This means you have control over all the digitally produced names of your company’s employees.
You can pick between the free and premium versions with an annual subscription.
MySignature
MySignature is another popular email signature generator thanks to its many user-friendly templates.
One great feature of this tool is that you can use it on your mobile device, allowing you to create and edit signatures while you are on the go. It also gives you the ability to test mobile responsiveness.
This tool only offers a paid customizable subscription.
WiseStamp
WiseStamp lets you stamp your brand identity on your email signature using any of the 50+ templates it provides. With this tool, you can share your work with your clients, add social media icons and personalize your messaging using Instagram photos.
It is available for free, but there’s a version with a monthly subscription if you want more functionality.
HubSpot
HubSpot offers a plug-and-play template that allows you to add personal information, add links to your social media accounts, and experiment with themes, fonts, and colors. You can also add your call-to-action image, text, and link.
After completing the form, just embed your signature into your email account, and it is ready to use.
Conclusion
Your email signature is a significant part of your brand identity, and you want to get it right. A good signature has the features and best practices outlined in this article, such as taking on a minimalist approach and adding just the essential info, such as your name, contact details, and job title. You can even use a template from an email signature generator to add the details.
Another good practice is using your email signature as a marketing tool. Add a call to action, social media links, or a link for your blog subscription, and you’re likely to get new leads.