Email signatures are often overlooked for their marketing potential and not seen for what they are—wonderful little blurbs of free advertising. An email signature is not just a place to put your name. Instead, think of an email signature as a business card. It follows your messages wherever they go and should share a few important details. Here’s why.
It’s common for people to look at a website for information, and then to email instead of calling. Email allows the person on the other end to respond at their convenience, and it’s quiet. If you’re at work in an open office setting, you’re likely to email an inquiry instead of walking around the corner or outside to make a phone call without disturbing those around you. With many inquiries being handled by email, that’s a good reason to make sure that pertinent information in your email signature.
Second, having an abundance of space available for saving emails on most platforms means that many people also archive or file their emails, even if they’re not particularly important. By having your business name, phone number, address, and possibly something short like your tagline or a summary of your business hours, you’re effortlessly leaving a small promotional piece for your business. Now, that person might never look at the email again, but it took no time for you to include that in your message (you set it up once and it pastes in every time), and it might save the person a lot of time later when they search their email for your info.
Really, just having a nice, clean signature with your important contact information makes you look professional and might save you or your contact time in the future because they won’t have to ask you follow-up questions like, “What’s your fax number?” or “When do you close on Friday?”
The only thing to keep in mind is to make sure all staff have consistent signatures, and you should follow some basic best practices like not including images. It may be tempting, but your email is more likely to get blocked by another server if you embed too much stuff in your email signature. Keep it simple, do it once, and you shouldn’t have to think about it again unless your business info changes.
Brand Development, Email Marketing