Monday, June 24, 2013

Have you ever thought about how your e-mail signature represents you?

I know I haven't! I do have a signature...using a cursive font but I never actually thought about how it represents myself.

According to Social Media Today, here are some clues into making a great e-mail signature:

1. LINK TO SOCIAL MEDIA PROFILES… IF APPROPRIATE

If your organization has a thriving presence on Twitter or Facebook, why not have a button or link under your signature? We sometimes take for granted the fact that employees are a brand’s best ambassadors and that not everybody knows about your Facebook page, or Pinterest boards. If individuals use social media platforms with a professionnal scope, in most cases Linkedin at least, this makes for a great link to add with your signature. Be careful not to link with a social media profile where personal content gets shared, unless you and your organization are comfortable with this perspective.

2. SEPARATE SIGNATURE FROM COPY

It’s a simple tip, but there needs to be a visual separation to mark where the body of your message ends, and where the signature begins. The rule of thumb is to use the “–” at the end of your message, just like PR specialist use -30- to mark where the press release ends. There are many plug-ins available so that the signature is an automated one, for example Right Inbox if you use Gmail as I do. (NOT an affiliate link)

3. DON’T USE IMAGES

A common mistake is to include a corporate logo or, even worse, to have the whole signature as an image. Many, if not most, internet service providers (ISP) and email providers, such as Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo will block off images considered “attached” to an email message, thus your signature will not make it into the recipient’s inbox. If you are trying to establish contact or wish to follow up, it defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?

4. COMPLETE CONTACT DETAILS

This is a personal pet peeve: I hate it when I receive an email from someone, then wish to follow up with them by phone… but there are no contact details in the signature!! As mentioned above, most email services offer automated signatures, if not directly within Outlook or Lotus Notes, then through a plug-in or web-mail service. Complete contact details should include:
  • Name and surname, add title if relevant, i.e. MBA, CFA, etc.
  • Phone number, with area code and country index, specially if you deal with international clientele.
  • Email address, in particular if you have a separate one you wish to be contacted on.
  • Website, whether it’s yours, your companies, or your blog’s.
WE CAN OFFICIALLY DO THIS!!!

5. ADD AWARDS OR BRAND USP

Last but not least, why not take advantage of this communication opportunity to highlight a recent award won by yourself, or your company? Is your hotel highly ranked on TripAdvisor or did your destination recently win an award or mention by a prestigious magazine? This is the place to mention it, under the email signature. Another option is to simply reiterate your brand’s vision or mission, in particular if it is distinctively unique and appealing to your audience.
Below is a fun info-graphic describing the dynamics of an e-mail signature.

This is a great resource for all individuals who communicate via e-mail, especially young professionals moving into their first career. We always need to be cautious as to how we represent ourselves professionally, socially and over the web.



To learn more, visit:
http://socialmediatoday.com/gonzogonzo/1554136/5-tips-better-email-signature-infographic

Priya R. Amin (my work signature)

1 comment:

  1. Interestingly enough, I was recently in a meeting about email signatures...the thing's that fall to marketing... Anyway, My biggest pet peeve with this is the picture in the signature. I always think there's some attachment, then I find out it's a picture of your company logo or–-shudder–-your dog.

    Thanks for finding and posting this article. It's funny the little things that could really make people notice and cause you to stand out, for better or worse.

    Oh, and what about the people whose signature is longer than their emails...

    -AJ

    ===
    Mister Aaron J Passman MBA (candidate)
    123 Main Street
    Mytown, GA USA 30120

    "Be the change you wish to see in the world."
    -Ghandi

    "Life is like a box of chocolates."
    -Forrest Gump's mom

    "Give me liberty or give me death."
    -America

    [error: picture not shown]
    ======

    ReplyDelete