You Are Sleeping on the Value of Email Signatures, Here is Why

Are you that proactive about your email signatures? The answer, in most cases, is a resounding “No”. You are not alone, it’s one of the biggest mistakes many startup CEOs make.

Most entrepreneurs and marketers treat email signatures as an afterthought. Since it comes at the end of the email the common misconception is that it is unimportant. Many assume the reader won’t bother to read down to the last point. What is being lost here is that a properly designed email signature creates a lasting impression with the reader and represents a branding opportunity.

One has to be extremely careful about the email subject line and body, but your email signature is no less valuable to the success of your email. An email signature is the text block through which you close the email.

It generally contains the name of the sender and other major details about his personal brand (company name, designation, logo, social media links, website URL, etc). When closing it is important to make it as impressive as the initial line. It ensures you and your message will stick in the mind of the recipient.

Below are a few facts about email signatures that prove they deserve their due priority:

• Works as a fantastic marketing element for your brand before the recipient
• Gives a professional look to your email
• Highlights the brand, as well as branding elements like logo and website URL
• Offers various channels of contact for the recipient to communicate with you
• Drives recipients to social media channels that facilitate passive marketing for the content posted to social media pages
• Creates a strong impression in the memory of the recipient after the mail has been read

A beautifully crafted email signature brings your brand into the limelight and enables you to attract further attention to your business. The piece below outlines tips for creating an actionable professional email signature. If you use G Suite Email, this Right Inbox extention will help you effectively upgrade your Gmail with these superpowers.  

Brevity is the key

Your email recipient will likely be overwhelmed by a large block of text at the end of an email, so make sure your email signature doesn’t turn into 8-10 lines of text. Mention only those details that are relevant to the message, the recipient and for your branding efforts.

For example, if you are sending an email to an investor, a link of your Facebook profile will not be relevant. A link to your LinkedIn profile would be more appropriate here. It is important to adjust your email signature accordingly to the recipient. 

Keep the signature limited to 3-4 lines maximum, with only the most pertinent information. Avoid fluff and maintain a streamlined clean design throughout. Make sure the information can be consumed in just a few seconds.

Power it up with an inspiring quote

This is one of the most significant details you should know about email signature. 

As discussed previously, the mission of a professional email signature is to create a lasting impression in the mind of the email recipient. Memorable quotes prove surprisingly effective at creating a positive impression in this case.

An inspiring quote added to your email signature helps you to strike an emotional chord with the recipient and adds personality to your message. Humans are emotional beings and they tend to remember things that appeal to them on a sentimental level.

Avoid using sales slogans that marketing teams often use to pitch products or services. You may even create a motivating quote yourself, or simply use motivational quotes by industry leaders, philosophers or great change-makers. There are many eccentric entrepreneurs that have made it big that are instantly quotable. 

Find a quote that represents your brand or the message of the email. It can be something really thoughtful, or light-hearted and witty but the quote must make the recipient trust your brand or inspire them to learn more about your business.

Maintain brand consistency

Brand consistency is something companies are increasingly struggling within the 21st century as the trend towards digitalization continues to promote innovation within businesses. Innovations should not affect the consistency of brand message however, as lack of consistency is the main predictor of the failure of companies in the future.

Your email signature should be consistent with the branding of your platforms (website, promotional material, business card, app, etc.). It should also complement the branding on your social media channels. Consistency is key as it fosters a feeling of familiarity in readers.

A discordant tone in an email signature can be confusing.

For example, if the font and color of your email signature aren’t matched to that used on your website or social media profiles the recipient will be unsure whether the sender of the email and the person on the business card is the same person, and this comes across as highly unprofessional.

It’s not uncommon for a company to have competition with a similar name in the same industry. The design and branding elements allow players to better differentiate between these companies, serving as identification marks. If you are inconsistent in your identification marks, your email recipient will be less able to recognize your business. In the worst-case scenario, you may end up losing potential conversions, and no entrepreneur or CEO can afford to risk that.

It is therefore imperative to make sure the font, color, and pattern of your email signature are consistent with your branding elements.

Don’t forget website URL and social media icons

There is a common misconception that email signature should merely contain the sender’s name, business, and phone number. However, according to experts, best practices are to include a link to your website and social network profiles as well.

Their inclusion will develop your credibility, especially if the email recipient is unfamiliar with your brand. Linking to your website and social media enables the recipient to research your brand in just one click.

When linking social media profiles, stick to icons instead of URLs. Visual icons are easier to understand and more appealing to the eye when compared to textual counterparts. Icons also create a cleaner, more professional look within a small space than long text links. 

Include Call to Action

One of the best aspects of a smart, professional email signature, a Call to Action (CTA) link will help you to passively promote actionable content in your email signature. For example, your team has created an informative blog. You can include a CTA link for the blog in your email signature to leverage your brand further.

Be careful about the design of the CTA in the email signature. It should not be pushy, outdated and sales-oriented. It should be simple, subtle and appear like a post-script. The CTA must also be relevant for your present business goals as well as to the recipient. Do not put more than one CTA in one email signature as this will overcrowd the signature and appear unprofessional. 

For the most effective results, include a CTA that links to video content. When including a CTA video link, the video thumbnail will be displayed below the signature and visual content has a greater appeal than text. A CTA for video content will, therefore, generate improved promotion for your brand than the CTA of textual content.

Ensure that the links are trackable by using UTM codes. These are text snippets added to a part of a URL and they enable you to collect data on click-through rates (CTR) for every link or CTA that you post with your email signature.

Using the CallPage link is an excellent way to enhance your email signature and making it stand out. It also makes it easier for everyone you email to reach out to you. It’s no surprise that more calls from potential customers, collaborators, associates, and partners will positively influence your business.

Each CallPage widget has its own, dedicated link:https://cpnow.me/d/1aGG. After clicking, the user is redirected to a dedicated CallPage landing page where they can order a call or schedule one for later.

It can be hyperlinked in the email footer, inserted in the text of an email or placed in a blog post. Here’s an example of using a CallPage link in the email signature:

ALSO READ: 9 Ways To Generate More Calls From Your Website Using CallPage. Tips For Customers

Final thoughts

The purpose of this article has been to highlight some of the ways in which the humble email signature can be leveraged to promote your business, and whilst these are some of the most common, there are many more ways to differentiate yourself using your email signature.

Get creative with it, but remember that the purpose is ultimately to drive traffic to your content, and as such it must be relevant to the recipient. In a world where up to 90% of startups fail, don’t let your email signature be the reason yours does.