Once upon a time in the distant past, when people used to correspond by writing these things called “letters”, achieved by means of a “pen” and “paper”, they’d end the letter with a parting phrase, usually something like “Sincerely”, “Yours Truly”, or “Never Contact Me Again”, followed by their signature.

But in the shiny new age of Internet correspondence, or as we call it, “email”, a signature is more than just a name. Thanks to the very nature of email writing, correspondents can embed all sorts of things in their signature, more often than not a pithy quote like “There are two kinds of people; those who can extrapolate data, and..”

Unfortunately, there are two huge mistakes in the above allegedly clever approach. First of all, everyone who does the cute quote thing always believe they’re being far wittier than they really are, resulting in the reader getting annoyed at reading it. Secondly, the writer is missing out on a beautiful chance to promote their business or themselves, each time they send an email.

Don’t be one of those “those people”. Check out below for ways of using that signature as a productive promotional tool, instead of as a pain in the neck.

Your email signature can be a fast road to better business promoton

LinkedIn Profiles

LinkedIn is the ultimate in platform for fostering networking and connections among professionals and businesses alike. If you have an online presence that even hints at some sort of professional/work-related capacity, you need to have a LinkedIn profile.

Building from that, WiseStamp has apps that help bridge the gap between social media and email, so you can place a mini version of your LinkedIn profile in your signature. If there was ever a way to help you market yourself to a prospective client or employer, this is it. Consider it to be an interactive business card that you offer to everyone you communicate with.

Other Social Media

LinkedIn is good, but it’s not the end-all be-all of social media. That’s probably a dead heat race between Facebook and Twitter. In any case, you can increase exposure and boost promotion by embedding a link to your business’ Facebook page, or use the Twitter email app, just so all of your bases are covered.

Introducing Your Blog

Keeping with the idea of putting useful (and not obnoxious) goodies in your signature, consider a link to your blog, be it your business blog if you’re part of a company, or your own personal one if you’re a freelancer. This helps remove the guesswork about who you are, and helps build trust. Who knows? Such a link may drive enough traffic to your page that you can sell ad space, which is a nice chunk of change. And speaking of building trust …

Put A Face To The Email Name

If there’s one thing that suffers in the wake of increased communication over the Internet, it’s the loss of that face to face, personal touch. And though scams and rip-off artists are alive and well and thriving on the Internet, there is enough anecdotal evidence out there that people are less trusting of individuals and companies that lack an identifying face. Or to turn it around into something positive, people tend to react more favorably when they are convinced that they are dealing with an actual human being and not an automated spambot or somesuch. Inserting a photograph builds empathy, which leads to trust.

Brick And Mortar Basics

Not all of your email recipients are located halfway around the world. There’s a fair likelihood that a good portion of them can actually find their way to your physical location, if motivated … not to mention if they have an idea where you’re located. When you put in your business address, you’re extending an invitation to visit, which can only end well in terms of business visibility.

This Is A Lot Of Stuff, Isn’t It?

Your email signature is the common thread that can be found in all of the emails you send. That’s why it cannot be overlooked as a means of getting your message out there. There’s a lot of information above, though, which is why having an app like WiseStamp, where you can create a standardized signature with the above-mentioned elements and not have to keep entering the same information over and over again, is key.

However much information you choose to include in a personalized email signature, it’s very clear that this is a medium which must not be overlooked. It’s too rich in potential to go unused. Consider adding a custom email signature to any email marketing tips that you end up implementing.

Photo Credit: Biscarotte