heartharmony.com.au

Following on from our post about business cards, the next most common piece of business writing is your email signature. When you write an email, you want to save a signature file into your email program that automatically completes certain information on the bottom of each of your emails (included forwarded and reply emails). So how should you go about creating email signatures?

1. Your close. You can go traditional with “regards” or “yours sincerely”. If you want a more chatty close, then “cheers” is popular (but in my mind it always sounds as if you are about to clink a glass of cheap red against the computer monitor). You can also go creative in your close, for example my close is “exuberantly yours”. The reason I chose those words were that clients often commented on my exuberance. Have fun choosing  a creative close that matches your personality or your business.
2. Your name. You decide whether you want your full name, or just your first name – but make sure it is included in your signature.
3. A point about graphics. Many people put all of their signature information into a graphic. This looks great but has problems with being displayed on some computers – so you may end up with a lovely box with a red cross through it instead of your image. It also means people can’t copy and paste your details into their contact log.  One way around it is to have a combination of graphics and regular text, to cover all computer eventualities.
4. Your company. If you are a business, then having your name in close alignment with your company name or logo helps to build brand awareness.
5. Contact details. The same rules as for business cards apply here – only keep the contact essentials in your signature file.
6. Key link. This is where you include a link to your blog and/or website … and a reason for people to follow that link. Make it worth their while to click on the link and your mailing list will grow.
7. Social media links. Some people go overboard here, and end up with 10+ social media links. I go with the minimalist approach and recommend including the one or two sites you are most active on if you want people to connect with you via that medium.

A few more things to think about before you create email signatures:

• You may need to check the rules in your particular country in relation to signatures, for example some countries require businesses to include their company registration details in their emails.
• Adding your details as a contact card is great the first time you correspond – but after that it becomes annoying and adds to the size of your emails. To be blunt, most people don’t know how to use or save .vcf contact cards so you may want to rethink using them.
• Legal stuff – if you have to add in clauses in relation to confidentiality, intended recipients only to read etc etc etc, remember that long legal clauses are generally met with glazed eyes and the sudden desire to get a cup of coffee to wake you up. Keep the legal stuff to the bare minimum your lawyer can be talked into.
• Cute quotes & soapbox rants. Many people end with a motivational quote or a “think of the trees before printing this email”.  These may work depending on your audience (and the quote you use).  I am not convinced that an email environmental notice for the bottom of email signatures actually stops people printing your email if they need to – even if it makes you feel good to include it.
• Assorted “stuff” – if you use free virus software, spam check software or any other form of free software, often you get to included a free plug for them at the end of each of your emails. These make you look cheap and as if your business can’t afford the $50 for the paid version. Do you really want to say you are that broke? You want professional email signatures that show the success of your business and build confidence in your offering.

One last thing – make sure you proofread (and have someone else  double check) your cool email signatures as well as your email name (the one you put in when you first set up your email address). You would be surprised at the number of people who make typos of their names, phone numbers or link to incorrect places in their signature file.

So, what are your email horror stories or gold stars?

Ingrid Cliff

We put your business into words

Heart Harmony – Freelance Copywriter