We send emails every day – from keeping our colleagues in the loop about a project’s status to introducing yourself to a possible client – email is still the king of clear communication. It only makes sense that if your best examples of your professionalism are in your email conversations, then having a solid email signature is important. By not crafting a great email signature, you’re leaving a lot of marketing potential on the table.
What is an email signature?
Your email signature is the space below your email message where you can add your name, phone number, social media links, and more. For a lot of us, our email signatures are boring, most likely generic, and probably irrelevant. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We can create an email signature that communicates your brand to recipients and provides all the info they need to stay connected to you.
By following the tips below, you can design an email signature that is beautiful, informative, and actionable.
Keep it simple.
Don’t overwhelm the recipient with too much info. Your email signature should be no more than 3-4 lines at most. Don’t treat this as an itemized bio – your latest accreditation or a link to a new blog post do not belong here. This space is reserved for information and links that lead to more conversations, so throw out your physical address and keep things on the digital.
Keep it clickable.
Where can you and the recipient connect, learn, and start bigger conversations? A good place to begin would be your LinkedIn profile page and Facebook business page (if you have access to it). Don’t link to your personal accounts – keep all links within your professional sphere. Another good tip is to add your scheduling link (like Calendly) in case the recipient needs a tête a tête. Remember, no need to add your email here – they already have it.
Keep it visual.
Here is where your company branding comes in. Use colors on fonts and/or dividers that are in keeping with your organization’s brand. Keep your text down to no more than two complimentary fonts. Big tip? Add your professional headshot – people love to see who they’re talking with.
Stick to this simple advice and you will win the email signature game by creating something informative, actionable, and on brand. When all conversations can move from one touchpoint to another, having an email signature that helps keep your contacts connected to you is more important than ever.