Have you ever thought of how the footer of your email can influence your business? Absolutely, you can end your email messages with something like “Best regards” and your name next to your title. But is that enough in a world where everyone is vying for attention? In this article, Vasyl, a Product Marketing Manager at MySignature, will discover why a well-crafted email signature is necessary in a business environment and learn how to create one effortlessly. The best part? You can do it all while enjoying your favorite cup of coffee.
What is an email signature?
An email signature, similar to the signature on a letter, appears at the end of your email messages and provides more information about who you are and how to reach you. Think of it as a digital business card with your social media handles, phone number, and website. However, it’s not just about contact information; it’s also a powerful marketing tool. You can subtly promote your brand and engage your audience with every email you send by including elements such as company logos, banners, or links to recent articles and social media.
Let’s look closer at the signature functions and benefits for you.
Importance of a professional email signature for communication
So, a well-thought-out email signature is essential for several reasons.
First, it helps establish trust and credibility with the recipient. Including your contact information and company logo demonstrates that you are a legitimate and professional entity.
Second, an email signature makes it easy for the recipient to contact you. Instead of searching for your information, they can simply refer to your signature.
Finally, an email signature promotes your brand. You increase brand recognition and awareness by including your company logo and tagline.
The most interesting thing is that some tools even allow you to see how many times someone clicked the link in your signature. You can use this information to gauge interest, tailor your follow-up communications, and refine your marketing strategies for better engagement.
Interesting facts
- 28.8% of users send from 1 to 25 emails daily, but 11.7% send more than 50! Email signatures are a powerful marketing and branding tool for these high-volume users.
- The survey found that email signatures are widely used for marketing. The top uses are generating leads (18.8%), promoting social media (15.86%), building a newsletter list (10.2%), and upselling new products to existing customers (9%).
- Most users (89.96%) have only one email signature, while a small percentage (8.6%) have up to 10. This suggests that businesses are not fully leveraging the potential of email signatures for marketing purposes. Perhaps you’ll be among the first to tap into this powerful resource.
How to use an email signature for marketing
As mentioned, an email signature is critical for sharing contact information, but its potential goes far beyond that. Let’s explore some powerful ways to use your signature for marketing:
Banners for marketing campaigns
Integrate banners (a strip often placed below the contact information) into your email signature to promote upcoming events, special offers, or new products. These visual elements catch the recipient’s eye and increase engagement.
For example, a banner promoting a seasonal sale with a direct link to your online store. “Christmas Sale: Up to 40% off! Shop now.”
Call to action (CTA) buttons
Add CTA buttons to encourage actions such as signing up for a newsletter, downloading free content, or registering for a webinar. These buttons can drive traffic to your landing pages and increase conversions.
For example, a CTA button that says “Download our free eBook” is linked to a landing page where recipients can get the eBook in exchange for their email address.
Social media and content promotion
Include links to your company’s social media profiles. These may be Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc. Also, you can add links to recent blog posts or articles. This encourages recipients to follow your company and engage with your content on multiple platforms.
For example: “Follow us on social media” with icons linking to your profiles, or “Read our latest blog post: [title]” with a link to the full article.
For sales team and cold email marketing
Equip your sales team with customized email signatures, including links to recent case studies, testimonials, and product demos. This will build credibility and give recipients easy access to valuable information. For cold email marketing, an informative and professional signature can go a long way in building trust and generating interest.
For example: “Check out our success story with [client name]” linked to a case study, or “Watch our product demo” with a link to a video.
Other ideas
Promotions and events: Include information about upcoming promotions, webinars, or events your company hosts. This will keep your audience informed and engaged with your latest offerings.
For example: “Join our webinar on [topic] – Register now” with a registration link.
Testimonials and awards: Include a quote from a satisfied customer or highlight any awards or certifications your company has received. This builds trust and credibility with your recipients.
For example: “Rated #1 by [publication] – Read our reviews” with a link to the testimonial or review page.
Legal disclaimers: If you are in a regulated industry, include a disclaimer in your email signature to comply with legal requirements and build transparency.
For example: “Confidentiality notice: This email and any attachments are intended only for the addressee.”
Support and service hours: Let recipients know when your company is available for support or service. This ensures that they know when they can expect assistance.
For example: “Support available Mon-Fri, 9 AM — 5 PM ET” with a link to your support page.
Referral programs and surveys: Include links in your signature to encourage recipients to refer friends or take surveys. This can help you gather feedback and grow your customer base.
For example: “Refer a friend and get a discount” with a referral link, or “Tell us how we’re doing” with a survey link.
In fact, this is only part of the ideas. The possibilities of using an email signature as a marketing tool are practically limitless.
Unlock the full potential of email signatures with tracking
Email signatures can also include tracking capabilities. This allows you to see when recipients open your emails and click on links in your signature. This data can help you gauge interest, tailor follow-ups, and measure the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns.
For example, suppose you include a link to a product demo in your signature and see that a particular recipient has clicked on it multiple times. In that case, you can prioritize them for a follow-up call or email with more detailed information.
So, when looking for a tool to create an email signature, ensure it has a tracking option. By the way, next, we will discuss the tools that will help you create a professional signature in just a few minutes.
Best services for creating an email signature
As promised, you won’t need to hire someone to create a beautiful signature for you. Also, it’s not about learning coding or design. You choose a tool, grab a coffee, and enter your details. The tool will do the rest for you.
Below are the best options you can try.
MySignature
MySignature is an intuitive email signature management software that helps you create professional and branded signatures using ready-to-use templates. It supports the most popular email clients, including Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, and more, so your signature looks great on any device. The paid version of MySignature offers advanced customization options, including professional templates and custom banners. It also has signature analytics so you can track the effectiveness and engagement of your signatures.
For whom? Best for professionals and businesses looking for advanced customization and analytics.
Newoldstamp
Newoldstamp is a feature-rich tool designed for large teams and organizations. Use this generator to create business signatures that follow your brand book and maintain brand recognition. In Newoldstamp’s library, you will find a wide range of fully customizable professional signature templates for you to choose from. The best part? You can manage many signatures from a single dashboard!
For whom? Best for large teams and organizations that require comprehensive email signature management.
Woodpecker
Woodpecker is a simple, free email signature generator for users of Apple Mail, Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo! It creates plain text signatures designed to minimize the chance of being caught by spam filters, making it a straightforward choice for simple, professional communications. While it lacks advanced customization options, Woodpecker’s simple signatures are helpful for educational environments and small teams looking for consistency without the need for extensive features.
For whom? Best for educational environments and small teams that require simple, no-frills email signatures.
Wrapping up
To sum up, an email signature is an important part of email correspondence. Many businesses already take advantage of this often-overlooked marketing channel. A good email signature helps establish trust and credibility, makes it easier for the recipient to contact you, and promotes your personal or business brand.
Today, you don’t need to learn coding or design to have such a signature. Just pick the right tool and create an effective email footer that enhances your online presence in minutes. So, maybe give it a try?