You're selling a product or service. Or perhaps you're applying for a job or internship with your dream company. You've spent time, money, and effort applying strategies to boost your email open rate. Don't blow it with a dismal email signature. The competition is fierce, and you need every possible advantage. Design a strong, effective email signature -- one that's engaging and eye-catching, yet professional and tailored for you. The following tips combined with our Boomerang Respondable tool deliver excellent results.
A great email signature includes some standard features that most professionals need to use. Start there, and then personalize yours with some optional ideas and elements. These guidelines will get you started.
Your Full Name
Job Title/Profession, Hyperlinked Website
Contact Number
Optional info - social media links, slogan, CTA
Company branding is an essential part of business. Most businesses make a substantial investment in their branding. Be sure to include elements of this branding in your email signature. That may be your logo, company motto, a banner, branded company name image, or distinctive colors. As long as you don't go overboard, this will help your email's effectiveness, especially if your company brand is easily recognizable.
If color is part of your branding, add it to your signature. If not, choose one or two solid colors for your text to give it some pop and visual appeal. Again you should be judicious with your use of color and keep in mind that some people are color-blind.
Humans are visual creatures. Images are the easiest thing for the brain to remember. Connect with your email recipient with a photo. A clear, professional headshot can help build trust and make you more appealing.
Your LinkedIn profile or other social media pages can include much more information than someone will be able to absorb from an email. Links to these pages in an email signature give the reader an easy way to access everything they need to know about you or your business.
Always be mindful of the fact that most people now open emails on their phone rather than on a full desktop screen. Make sure your signature and email client display properly on most mobile phones to avoid emails being ignored simply because they do not work on the recipient's phone.
If you have impressive credentials or recent awards that are relevant to your business needs or job seeking, include a few words about them. This lets the reader know that you are serious and accomplished before they look at any other documents or web pages related to you.
A call to action is an effective way to close any document. It compels the reader to perform in some way that will help you achieve better results. A CTA should clearly indicate what you expect the reader to do next and provide a link to the appropriate destination.
If you're a little design challenged like me, a number of apps will make the process of creating an email signature easier. Here are a few options to consider:
Don't ruin an engaging email signature with any of the following no-no's.
You've probably seen those long, unwieldy email signatures. These can run 10 or more lines and add unnecessary information. They can come off as annoying or desperate cries for attention.
More is not better here. And a little branding goes a long way. For example, don't use both a photo and your logo. Moreover, while color is good, don't add more than two.
The person receiving your email may have a block image default setting. That means they'll never see your signature if you replace it with an image. However, if you feel you must -- include image alt text.
This is redundant and a waste of space. If they're reading your email, they have your address. Adding it to your signature will extend your lines of text and create other problems.
Are you trying to impress a potential new employer? Your email signature may need a few tweaks from the standard Do's and Don'ts for professionals and company signatures.
Certainly, incorporate the basics:
Be sure to include relevant links and information to demonstrate your skills:
