Effective communication is critical, more so when you are out there on the daily, sending emails and growing businesses. What is also just as important when reaching out to your connections and new contacts is the first impression. One often overlooked detail in email communication is your email signature, which concludes your messages and serves as a reflection of your brand. A well-designed email signature can make a lasting impression on your recipients, bolster your marketing efforts, and help you stand out.
That said, it’s in your best interest to polish that element, as it will be part of every email touchpoint you have with your audience.
Sold? Perfect. Because now we’ll go over 15 email signature tips you can start applying to boost your comms and make sure those emails you send are memorable and impactful. So, let’s get started and give your email communication this extra push it deserves!
Firstly, let’s cover one thing in detail:
Importance of Email Signatures
Email signatures are an essential component of professional email communication. They provide a variety of benefits to individuals and businesses alike, including:
- Branding: Email signatures can be used to showcase your personal or professional brand, providing recipients with a clear understanding of your identity, values, and mission.
- Professionalism: Including a well-designed and informative email signature demonstrates professionalism and attention to detail, leaving a positive impression on recipients.
- Marketing: Email signatures can be used as a marketing tool to promote products, services, or events or to encourage engagement with your social media profiles or website.
- Contact information: Email signatures provide an easy and convenient way to share your profile with recipients, including your name, title, company, phone number, and email address.
- Legal compliance: Including necessary disclaimers or notices in your email signature can help ensure legal compliance and protect your business from liability.
- Time-saving: Including essential information and links in your email signature can save time and streamline communication with recipients.
Now that we’ve go that covered, let’s get into some of our suggested tips and examples of how you can elevate your emails with some cool and useful email signatures.
Put a Face to the Name
Incorporating a nice picture of yourself in your email signature personalizes your emails and makes them more engaging. People like to visualize who they are talking to. Remember to smile in the photo!
Attract Attention: Make it Move
Including an animated GIF can make your email signature more dynamic and capture your recipient’s attention. Ensure the animation isn’t overly distracting and doesn’t overload your email. However, some email clients don’t support animations, and you risk making your signature redundant or simply look broken.
Display Your Portfolio
Professionals in the creative field like designers, photographers, artists, etc. can use their email signatures to exhibit their most recent or popular work, announce a new project, or link images to their portfolio, gallery, or online exhibition.
Promote Your YouTube Content
Feature a YouTube video in your email signature to showcase your channel, drive views to an important video, and potentially gain new subscribers that discover more about what you do.
Connect Your Social Profiles
Boost your social media following by integrating links to your social profiles in your email signature. You can link your personal or corporate accounts, depending on the nature of your business.
Request Reviews
Encourage recipients to leave a review by including a request in your email signature and linking to the appropriate review platform. Frequent communication with a CTA that leads to a review can be a great way to secure more feedback and grow your community.
Make Yourself Easier to Find with Maps
If appropriate, you can include a link to your location on Google Maps in your email signature, allowing recipients to easily access directions from your email. This works exceptionally well for brick & mortar stores, retail, and physical outlets.
Address Data Privacy and Legal Disclaimers
If you are required to display specific legal disclaimers in your email, include them in your email signature. Standard disclaimers cover confidentiality, virus transmission, non-binding agreements, personal opinions, and GDPR compliance.
Use Colors Effectively
Colours can attract attention, but use them judiciously. When building your signature, adhere to your brand’s color or incorporate some of the industry standards. You can also add some colors depending on trends, causes, and time-relevant events.
Optimize for Mobile Devices
Design your email signature with mobile users in mind, as many recipients will read your emails on their smartphones. Use logos that display well on smaller screens and ensure text formatting and link spacing are optimized for tapping.
Personalize with a Hand-Written Sign-Off
A hand-written sign-off adds a unique, personal touch to your email signature, creating the impression of a customized message. It just makes it a tad more classy!
Highlight Updates or News
Attending an event? Released a new whitepaper? Received an award? Your email signature can be a great real estate for you to announce it and drive awareness and attention to your updates!
Incorporate 1 Clear CTA
Prompt your recipient to take a specific action by including a polite, assertive call to action that feels more like a postscript than a sales pitch. Ensure your CTA conveys a single, easily understandable message.
Organize with Space Dividers
Space dividers help maintain a clean and organized email signature by separating different pieces of information. You can also use glyph dividers like the vertical bar to create a visually appealing separation between elements.
Emphasize Simplicity
Refrain from overloading your email signature with numerous calls-to-action and links, which may confuse your recipients. A direct link and a few social media icons are more likely to encourage conversions. Don’t incorporate all of this blog’s ideas.
Inspired to redesign your signature? Awesome. But you’ll probably have some questions at this point. So let’s cover some of the essentials:
Email Signatures FAQ
What should be included in a professional email signature?
A professional email signature should include your name, title, company, contact information (e.g., company website and phone number), and links to social media profiles. Optionally, you can add a headshot, company logo, call-to-action, and legal disclaimers.
How can I make my email signature more visually appealing?
To make your email signature more visually appealing, use complementary colors, incorporate a headshot or company logo, and organize information with space dividers. Also, consider including visual elements like animated GIFs or images of your work, but ensure they don’t distract from the content.
How do I create an email signature that works well on mobile devices?
Design your email signature with mobile users in mind by using logos that display well on smaller screens, ensuring text formatting is clear and legible, and spacing links and icons appropriately for easy tapping.
Should I include links to my social media profiles in my email signature?
Yes, including links to your social media profiles can help grow your online presence and encourage recipients to connect with you on various platforms. Use attractive icons that link directly to your profiles.
How can I use my email signature to drive conversions or achieve marketing goals?
Incorporate a clear and concise call-to-action in your email signature to prompt recipients to take a specific action related to your marketing goals, such as signing up for a newsletter or exploring your latest product offerings.
Is it essential to include a headshot in my email signature?
While not essential, including a headshot in your email signature can add a personal touch and help recipients associate a face with your name. It can also make your emails feel more engaging and approachable.
How can I ensure my email signature complies with legal requirements?
To ensure your email signature meets legal requirements, consult with a lawyer to determine any necessary disclaimers or legal notices that must be displayed. Standard disclaimers include confidentiality, virus transmission, non-binding agreements, personal opinions, and GDPR compliance.
What are some creative ways to make my email signature stand out?
Some creative ways to make your email signature stand out include incorporating a hand-written sign-off, using an animated GIF, showcasing your portfolio or products, and linking to a YouTube video. Just make sure that any creative elements align with your brand and don’t distract from the central message of your email.
