What’s in an email signature? That’s a lot like saying, what’s in a name? – we all know that we would be lost without names and identities. That names are part and parcel of who we are and who we will become.
Email signatures are a lot like names – they reflect brand identity and professional standing for companies. For individuals, they are networking opportunities and channels of communication.
I have always found the link between the way people write their email signatures and the way they work very intriguing.
I remember when I started working at my first job, I used to look at all the email signatures I received, hoping to find structure and some value in the way the organization worked. It was really interesting to see how people customized their own signatures to create an individual presence.
I remember reading many witty quotes in email signatures and shades of yellow and blue in email signatures. In this one media organization, employees tended to use the colours of the logo in the email signature. Of course, sometimes you see the odd graphic in an email signature that may never load in your email client.
Over the years, I have seen many different kinds of email signatures. And many times, the emails signatures are completely missing from business communication.
Email signatures are a great way to integrate communication patterns in any company. They build the precedence for professional business communication.
No matter how innovative, flexible or open a company maybe, creating a distinct style for email signatures works wonders for the company’s business communication.
Plus the email signature works as a cost-effective and far-reaching solution for marketing and spreading the word about a company. Organizations can benefit from creating standard email signature templates that can be used by employees across the board to communicate their messages.
Different styles work for organizations and that is perfectly okay. If your organization has developed a signature that you can use for your emails, then the trouble of designing your own signature is minimized and all is hunky and dory.
But if that is not the case, then use these tips to design a simple, text-based and effective email signature for your business communication.
Tips for email signature templates
Always mention your full name, title and organization.
Always mention at least two ways to get in touch with you (preferably both phone and email). Do not share too many phone numbers and email addresses. A short, concise email signature is the best way to go.
Include the accepted signature delimiter ( — ) as this is recognized by most email clients.
Use pipes (|) to separate text. Try to fit in more information into fewer lines. A well formatted email signature is easier to go through and has better chances of being read.
Format with an email client friendly font and size it for maximum visibility. A list of safe fonts that can be used in emails can be seen here.
Develop multiple versions of the same signature ( a shorter version for replies and forwards)
Always mention links with the complete site address for example instead of writing, visit our official website here, write www.wordsmith.com.pk. This makes it easier for the recipient to copy paste the address into their browser.
Do not include icons of your social media networks. Images in email clients are tricky and don’t always load. If you must mention a social network, mention a professional network and write the entire link.
Avoid quotes, witty sayings and colors in the signature.
For an international client base, include your area code with the phone number.
Avoid using vcards or contact cards as attachments in your emails. It’s more than likely people will not even open to view it.
It’s good to use the same signature style on your mobile applications as well. Make sure you update these on your phone.
Examples of good email signatures:
—
Ahmed Khan
Founder | Voluntary Organization
+92-000-500-0000 | ahmed@voluntaryorganization.com http://www.websiteurl.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/twittername LinkedIn:http://linkedin.com/in/linkedinname
For replies:
—
Ahmed Khan
+92-000-500-0000
http://www.websiteurl.com
If you would like to be more experimental and want to design custom signatures, read this article here that tells you about different kind of apps you can use to design a custom email signature.
For more tips on how you can optimize your email signatures, take a look at this infographic that talks about how email signatures can help you in your business communication.
Infographic by WriteThat.name
Related articles
- Independence Day: 14th August Brings Many Firsts For Pakistan In 2016 - August 13, 2016
- What I Learnt During My Summer Internship At Wordsmith - August 12, 2016
- What You Did Not Know About The Dos and Don’ts Of Writing - August 8, 2016
- Ineffective Rebranding Strategy: Lessons From AJK Elections - August 8, 2016
- United For Healthier Kids Aaj Se: Nestle’s Activation On Hydration, Physical Activity and Better Nutrition - August 4, 2016
