Email Signature

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, Greg, 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:

1. Contact Name
   Include a contact name. People appreciate a name to address emails to or ask for when calling your business.
2. Department
   If the business has a number of departments, include the department you are associated with.
3. Company Name
   The full name of the business.
4. Company Mailing Address
   The address to send mail to via traditional mail.
5. Company Phone and Fax
   The phone and fax numbers people can use to contact you via telephone and fax.
6. Company Website
   The company website address.
7. Contact Email Address
   The email address the recipient can contact you at.
8. Marketing Slogan and/or Current Specials
   Include the business marketing slogan or current specials offered by the business.

Here’s an example:

1. Your Name, Owner
2. Your company name
3. Your street address, Your city, Your province/state Your country Your postal/zip code
4. Phone: Your phone number c/w area code Fax: Your fax number c/w area code
5. Website: Your website address Email: myname@yourdomainname.com
6. 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:

1. All business correspondence
2. In the footer of articles you write
3. Website and traditional newsletters
4. Advertisements
5. 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.