All About Email Signatures
When you’re working within the realm of marketing and communications, you have to think of every tiny detail. And there’s one thing that can easily be overlooked, or fall out of line. The email signature.
Why it’s important for companies to have standardised email signaturesThe email signature is easy to understand for customers and colleagues - if numbers are out of place, or there’s random information in some signatures but not others, this can be confusing.
It is part of your brand - having a consistent email signature with the correct branding unifys a company and makes it very clear who everyone works for.
Having a uniform email signature is a sign of a respectable, professional company.
To avoid any trouble - if colleagues write whatever they want on an email signature and it’s being sent from a company email address, this could potentially lend a company in trouble, especially if the colleague writes any personal opinions which others could take offense to.
A standardised email signature can also help recipients recognise that an email from a company is legitimate and not spam.
A well-crafted email signature featuring the right information and links can also save time for both you and your recipients, because you can provide information that recipients might need upfront without them having to ask for it.
What you should capture in an email signatureThere is no rulebook mandating what must be on a company email signature, but things that you should include should be:
Name of sender
Sender’s job title
Contact telephone number and email
Company address (for certain purposes some companies might not want to include this)
Links to your company website and social channels
Company logo
What is also useful to have on an email signatureYour working days and hours - especially if you work part time. This is useful so that anyone who sends you an email knows when they can reasonably expect a reply, and it may save them from chasing (which also means fewer emails in your inbox).
A disclaimer if you usually reply to emails outside normal working hours. It’s become common on email signatures to see a statement along the lines of:
“I may reply to emails when it suits me outside of normal working hours, there is no expectation for you to do the same.”
This statement takes pressure off anyone who may feel compelled to reply to emails straight away.
A request to connect on a social platform such as LinkedIn - why not! It’s friendly and can help your social presence. Speaking of which, let’s connect.
A message about something the company needs actioned, or something the company is supporting, such as “Did you get your P60 this month? Check your tax code is correct” or a logo for Pride Month. If you are going to put such a message in email signatures, ensure that all of them across the company are updated at the same time.
Customer advert - you might want to raise the profile of a product or service you are offering and placing it in an email signature can increase exposure for this.
Legal text - many company email signatures might have some legal text referring to the contents of the email, confidentiality, who can see the email etc. For anything legal consult your solicitor or legal team.
A graphic - email signatures don’t have to be boring. Just ensure that the graphic contains ALT-text describing what it is so that everyone can understand it.
Pronouns - it has become popular in recent years to add your pronouns to your email signature. This can help signal to others that you and your business are open-minded and accepting, it can also help others who might not be familiar with your name know how to address you.
Calendar link booking - if your business has a site or a system where people can book appointments with you, this can also be very useful for recipients who might be able to secure some of your time without a lot of back and forth.
I hope after reading this week’s blog you’ll take some time to review your own email signature and hopefully have some inspiriation to make it even better. What do you include in your email signature? Did I miss anything? Comment below.
Louisa Guise is a Digital Marketing and Communications Professional and the author of How to Leave a Group Chat, a book about communication and smartphones. Subscribe to All About Digital Marketing for more gems like this.
