If you try to be on all the leading platforms, you’ll wear yourself out in a day, so be selective. The most important rule is to follow your audience (another reason why you need to know who they are).

5. Complete your social media profiles (or you’ll scare people off)

Fill in all the information for each of your social media accounts. People check your bio/profile to verify your identity, and if you’ve only partially completed it, you’ll harm your authenticity and discourage people from trusting you. 

Include your real full name and good quality photo that shows your face clearly, not an arty shot of you standing in a misty field of sunflowers. If you have a personal brand logo, use that too. 

Take a tip from Vanessa Lau, whose LinkedIn profile includes a full statement about herself, the reasons why you should trust her, and links to all her channels. 

7. Be consistent

Deliver a consistent look and experience across all your profiles. Authenticity is most important when it comes to choosing who to trust on social media, and if your profiles, language, or style aren’t consistent, it undermines your authenticity.

Use the same profile and cover photos

That means using the same profile and cover photos, personal brand logo, and theme colors for each account. On Instagram, you might use the same filter for all your images, or post the same style of an image on Pinterest.

Maintain a consistent voice

You also need to hit on a single consistent “voice.” Of course, you should be yourself, but you might want to keep your wacky sense of humor for your private accounts and be a bit more serious about your personal brand. 

For example, inspirational speaker and consultant Lolly Daskal has a consistent life coach branding voice on every channel. 

Be consistent with your post types

You should also try to stick to the same kind of posts, like text posts, videos, inspirational quotes, candid photos, long thought leadership pieces, etc. People will learn what to expect from you, and they’ll be disappointed if you don’t deliver. Marie Forleo’s life coach branding is very visual on social media, even on Twitter, with lots of inspirational quotes and videos. 

You can set up email or SMS notifications for most channels, to let you know when someone tags you, or use social media listening tools like Mention so that you can respond promptly. Ideally, you should reply to every message or tag within 24 hours. 

The post Kick-ass personal branding on social media (creative guide) appeared first on WiseStamp.

Powerful personal branding strategies for women

If you’re a branding coach for female entrepreneurs or simply seeking strategies to define and brand yourself, below are 8 tactics to help you build your personal branding strategy followed by inspiring examples of uber-successful branding for women, so you can DO rather than READ.

1. Story and differentiation 

Sharing personal anecdotes or your origin story is a form of differentiation that establishes your brand and distinguishes you from the competition. You have a unique life story. Your background and quirks provide context, drama, and a channel for audience engagement and connection.

Branding is storytelling

In 2009, Rob Walker and Joshua Glenn conducted an as Significant Objects. They hired well-known fiction writers to create stories about thrift store objects. Then paired the fictional stories with the objects and sold them on eBay. Potential buyers understood that these stories were fictional, but it didn’t matter. The stories sold.

The financial value of these objects increased significantly when attached to a story, demonstrating how narrative undeniably affects an object’s value (both emotionally and financially) — even when the story is not factual.

How much more do we value people when we know and connect to their true stories?

Where did you come from? What’s important to you? What are your values, your belief systems, and your style? Reveal who you are.

2. What is your “core value?”

Your story must transcend its plot.

For example, Simon Sinek speaks at length about inspired leadership and knowing your “why.”  Why are you driven to get out of bed every morning? It’s not for the paycheck; you can do that by working hourly at the grocery store. For your potential audience to connect, you have to dig deeper.  Your why must answer an emotional human need.  

3. What’s your one singular message?

Distill your core value into a message. When your name comes up in conversation, what do people think? Your personal branding message should be simple and easy to recall. 

Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx, conjured a message that resonated with her and all of her potential customers — stand out and be brave. 

“I pledge to invest in women because I believe it offers one of the greatest returns on investment.” Her entire brand is driven by this statement, and we feel it. Even when we’re wearing Spanx and can’t breathe.

4. Find your audience 

Before you can share your brand message, you need to deeply understand the audience you’re talking to. Where do they hang out (Instagram? LinkedIn? The local Gymboree?) What are their pain points? (Do they feel inadequate? Uninspired? Unhealthy?) And the critical question: how can you solve their problem?

When you have a clearly defined buyer persona, you will know what to say, how to dress, and how to reach your prospects in their language. 

5. Build trust and authority through thought leadership 

You should be your prospect’s number one resource. Write articles, create videos, provide valuable information. And do it better than your competition. Just be consistent about the channels you communicate in and always respond to your customers and anyone else interacting with you. 

Most importantly, your thought leadership should be based on research and facts when applicable. Fluff will not win you long-term followers.

6. Radiate passion and confidence 

Don’t be afraid to express with passion what you believe in and what you have to offer. It’s okay if your approach and your belief system do not appeal to every crowd. As marketing guru,  Seth Godin says, based on Kevin Kelly’s 2008 essay — start with 1000 true fans. These are people with whom your message resonates.

7. Use design to represent your brand 

Repeated exposure to colors, images, and different online design elements like a personal brand logo, email signature as well as your personal visual style, will build a sensory connection for your audience. Memory recall is strengthened by consistent and ongoing exposure to visual elements. But remember, symbols and fashion are meaningless without a personal brand story (for context and meaning).

8. Networking 

Digital marketer Neil Patel encourages entrepreneurs to build strategic partnerships with influencers. Network with other female founders and business associations. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how eager successful women are to help others join the ranks.

Start with the first seven steps. Then, add #8. 

4 inspiring examples of personal branding for female entrepreneurs

The following women represent just a small sampling of the many female entrepreneurs who have used the techniques above to brand themselves and build a substantial (and profitable) following.

1. Oprah Winfrey

How she became famous 

Oprah is a self-made billionaire. With her rags to riches story and her outstanding extemporaneous language skills, she was able to connect to many different types of people during her 25-years as a talk show host. Now as a businesswoman and media giant, she continues to share her message and grow her empire. 

Tactics and strategies that helped her brand become effective

Her emotion-centered approach to communicating with her guests and her audience made her relatable. She repeatedly shared personal stories not only to connect to her audience but to help them as well. She expressed vulnerability and covered sensitive topics like weight loss, spousal abuse, divorce, and death.

What makes Oprah so beloved is her authenticity (read about it in her own words):

“ I actively work to make sure everything I do, say, promote or involve myself from a place of resonance and appreciation. All my personal and business endeavors have to be in alignment with what’s authentically me.”

Her investment in Weight Watchers is one example of how her work is an authentic extension of herself. 

“Using food to improve your life through Weight Watchers … feel[s] like an extension of me. As is everything I do.”

Oprah’s personal branding message

Oprah’s message has always been clear: “To be authentically you and to help others through the power of stories, inspiration, and giving.

How to Oprah-icize your own personal branding 

Remain true to your brand message in all walks of life: Being authentic means that your “on stage” presentation is no different from your “backstage” behavior.  By being consistent in both areas of your life, you enable your audience to trust you and your value system and you become a beloved role model.

Being authentic just means being truthful, and sometimes even being vulnerable in the public eye. Real people experience pain and moments of fragility. When your prospects see you as real, they are more willing to engage with you and your brand.

2. Michelle Obama

How she became famous

While Michelle Obama only became famous as the wife of the 44th American President, her education and accomplishments were already exceptional.

Her intelligence, advocacy on behalf of others,  and powerful speeches made her stand out as a woman of substance. She quickly became an international role model for women of all ages.

Michelle Obama is not new to the limelight and has been publicly active since Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign in 2007.  Around that time she began building her personal brand around womanhood, motherhood, and family. 

Her successful self-branding made her a highly influential personality with an immense following around the world. It put her in a position to initiate social change initiatives, help charities and spur political issues.  

Her outrageous popularity is exemplified by her autobiographical book Becoming, which had instant success. It sold 2 million copies within 2 weeks of publication, and has, by now, sold over 14 million copies worldwide.

Tactics and strategies that helped her brand become effective

During Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign Michelle Obama was labeled by fox news as being an “angry black woman” and unpatriotic. Surprisingly, what seemed to be her strong suits were used against her.  

Her impressive resume as a highly educated woman of color, as well as her assertive and opinionated nature (having written her senior year thesis at Princeton University on racial divide) was used to make her look unrelatable. An Obama family friend advised that she “must stop sounding like a lawyer trying to win an argument” and focus on relating to people instead. 

After the criticism, Michelle Obama started focusing more on media outlets for women. She gave interviews to Oprah Winfrey, Barbara Walters, and Ellen DeGeneres; all of them talk shows that cater to a female audience. 

She also changed her dressing style from formal “Lawyer like” attire to more casual and stylish clothes. This gradually built her brand as a family woman with a great fashion sense, earning her the nickname “Mom in Chief” and positioning her as a fashion trendsetter.

Let’s break down what she did to brand herself.

Michelle Obama used 3 personal branding tactics that you can learn from:

1. Find your audience

Michelle Obama may have naturally based her initial personal brand on her academic achievements and strong personality. This set her target audience as strong-minded, ambitious, and individualistic women. 

But it turns out that this audience was unresponsive. She then changed her target audience to “working family-women”, and used other aspects of her personality to connect with the concerns and values of her new audience. This change worked and turned her into one of the most popular women in America. She had found her audience.

You can do the same if you recognize that your audience is not what you initially think it is. We are all complicated, and multi-layered personalities. The biggest thing you have to offer to others may be an aspect of your personality you yourself may not think is exceptional, but others do.

2. Express your core values

What allowed Michelle Obama to become popular with her new found audience was her change in message. Her new message centered on the values of family life and livelihood. Instead of talking about race or ideology she began talking about family life, personal hardships, and her humble beginnings. 

You may think that she changed big values for small ones, but in actuality, this earned her a following and the ability to make a much greater positive impact on people’s lives.

For example, in 2012, to advocate for healthier eating, she published a book. The book, American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America,  shared her experience creating a vegetable garden as well as the work of community gardens around the country. To educate young children about health, she made a guest appearance on Sesame Street. To promote exercise, she shared a video of herself exercise on YouTube. She reached her audiences where they already were.

You can do the same if you find your values that are also the most important to your target audience and build your message around them.

3. Pivot

The adjustment in personal branding Michelle Obama made from the “Brutally honest Harvard lawyer” to “Mom in Chief” is called a “Pivot” in business terms. 

This Pivot worked out gloriously for Michelle Obama’s brand and earned her a place in lucrative lists like Gallup’s “most admired woman” in America, and Time magazine’s “Person of the Year”. All this allowed her to voice her message and values to millions of women thirsty to hear her opinion.

You can do the same if you stay open-minded, keep your ear to the ground, and take the opportunity to pivot your brand to the direction it’s most appreciated and least vulnerable to criticism. You don’t need to commit all at once. Instead, test your new message on your target audience, listen to criticism, and correct.

Michelle’s personal branding message

Michelle Obama stated: “Never view your challenges as obstacles.” 

As a Black woman raised on the south side of Chicago, she proved just how her own personal story exemplifies her message. She uses this message as a foundation for all the different campaigns she advocates for like health, education, and women’s issues.

How to Michelle-icize your own personal branding 

Like Michelle Obama, don’t be afraid to relate to people wherever they’re at (their channels, their emotional state) in order to connect with them on important topics. She knows where her audience is and meets them there, including social media, television, YouTube, in schools, at forums, in books, and at conferences. 

3. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

How she became famous 

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shot to fame by becoming the youngest woman ever to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. While beloved by some on the left, she is often villainized by the right. Given her potentially extreme views, she has engaged a whole new generation of those seeking to make changes.

Tactics and strategies that helped her brand become effective

Ocasio-Cortez’s origin story is very much a part of her branding narrative. She is often described as a former bartender who lived paycheck to paycheck before launching her career as a politician. Her mother was a house cleaner and her father ran a small architectural firm. 

When they moved to a more prosperous neighborhood, Ocasio-Cortez learned about opportunity. But her earlier narrative serves her well as she fights for more progressive policies. 

Ocasio-Cortez has also used visual branding techniques to stand out from other politicians. Her original campaign graphics made a break from the typical political brand approaches. She used purple and yellow rather than the usual red and blue, employed all-caps, and featured a profile shot of herself.  So distinct was her style that others quickly copied her.

Her personal branding message

Technically, Ms. Ocasio-Ortez is a Democratic socialist. With her stronger, more progressive views, she does not have mass appeal, but has built a strong, loyal tribe, nevertheless, and has risen to fame as a result.

How to Alexandria-icize your own personal branding 

Tell your story: Speaking passionately about what you stand for, and how it connects to your personal life experience is what will make you stand apart from the rest. Using visual branding, especially for entrepreneurs on social media, can also help you differentiate yourself from others (as long as you have a strong message behind the visuals). 

4. Greta Thunberg

How she became famous

Greta is an environmental activist. As a Swedish teenager, she rose to fame with her slogans, “School Strike for Climate” and “#Fridaysforfuture.” She encouraged her followers to go on strike every Friday outside their local town hall to protest on behalf of the environment.

Tactics and strategies that helped her brand become effective

Greta’s single-minded passion for the environment and her one focused message about the dangers of climate change make her memorable. 

She was very clear about her audience (teenagers) and targeted them through her campaigns. Ultimately, her audience has grown beyond teenagers and she has spoken before the United States Congress and other international forums.

Her personal branding message

Greta is all about the WHY. She taps into the human survival instinct. Save the planet from the ill effects of climate change to preserve future generations. 

Her lifestyle is consistent with her message. She doesn’t fly on airplanes, due to their carbon footprint, and follows a vegan diet. Her youthful idealism appeals to teenagers and proves that age does not have to determine your ability to impact the world.

How to Greta-icize your own personal branding 

Be confident, passionate, and consistent in communicating your core value. Act in accordance with that belief system, and your audience will trust you as a result. Her unwavering ability to stick to her core message makes her a memorable and influential activist even at such a young age.

Branding for women: takeaways

Use personal branding verticals like social media, blog posts, podcasts, video content, and online education to share your core message and value system with your audience. By focusing on authentic storytelling both “on and offstage,” you’ll increase your personal brand value and win the hearts of your 1000 true fans (and maybe even more).

The post Branding for women: 4 inspiring examples by successful female entrepreneurs appeared first on WiseStamp.

This article will show you how.

Signature vs autographs

Many people seem to get mixed up between autographs and signatures. An autograph is generally used by a celebrity or famous person in a public setting, such as on an image or in a book. Usually, a celebrity’s autograph is not the same. The reason is that if their signature was in the public sphere, it could become subject to fraud.

Unlike celebrities, the average person does not need more than one style of signature. When you choose how to sign your name and what your signature will look like, it should look the same regardless of the type of contract or document you’re signing. 

Of course, there’s no legal requirement for keeping your signature identical. Technically, you can sign your rental contract, car lease, and employment contract with entirely different signatures. Each one would be legal. However, you risk running into issues down the line if your signature ever gets called into question and needs to be compared with signatures on other legal documents.

How to create a hand signature?

Signatures have been used to prove the identity of someone, and have been used to certify important documents. Who can forget John Hancock’s infamously theatrical signature on the Declaration of Independence?

But besides the style, everyone will have their own preferences for how to write their name.

Examples of the name variations you can use as your signature:

• First and last name: Albus Dumbledore
• Full name, including middle names: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
• Initial of your first name and full last name: A. Dumbledore
• Initials of your first and middle names and full last name: A. P. W. B. Dumbledore
• Initials only: A.D.

There is some debate on whether initials should be a signature. It’s more acceptable to use any of the other variations. However, as it was mentioned earlier, as long as your signature is uniform across any document you sign. A signature consisting of just initials is completely fine.

The basic style properties of handwritten signatures

First, let’s look at what your signature says about your personality before looking at famous signatures. These will indicate how someone conducts themselves, along with showing how they want to be identified.

We’ll cover these properties and what they signify:

1. Angle
2. Size
3. Legibility
4. Completeness
5. Embellishments

Take a moment to write down your signature so we can break it down

Before getting started, grab a black piece of paper and sign it with your original signature. Put the paper aside and come back later to analyze it. You can do it on paper or use our free signature generator.

1. Angle

There are three different angles that a signature will be: ascending, descending, and straight. Each one will inform others a little bit about your personality.

• Ascending – Ambition, optimism, and creativity
• Descending – Pessimistic
• Straight – Balance, organized, and self-sufficient

2. Size

The size of your signature will provide further insights into how you carry yourself. A CFO study by Dr. Charles Ham looked at hundreds of signatures of CFOs and came to the following conclusions.

• Large Signature – Confident, while also more likely to be narcissistic and bend the truth.
• Small Signature – Need to claim more space and not place yourself in a small box.

3. Legibility

The legibility of your signature will say a little something about how your mind works.

• Illegible Signature – Reflects a quick mind that doesn’t get bogged down by details.
• Legible Signature – Displays openness and straightforwardness.

4. Completeness

Differences in completeness, when it comes to either signing your full name or using initials, will also make a difference.

• Initials or First Name – Independent, efficient, and private.
• Full Name – More open.

5. Embellishments

Embellishments are special touches added to your signature. These say something about your personality. The more embellishments, the more complicated the person, while a more simple signature suggests a more straightforward person.

• Long Lines – Determination, drive, and perseverance
• Hard Stop – Strong sense of self and seriousness

How to choose the best signature

There are many different types of signatures out there, but ultimately, the one you choose should reflect your own identity. A hand signature is by nature something personal and is used for this reason to indicate your personal authentication. While it can evolve slightly over a person’s lifetime, it generally stays the same. This allows a significant degree of confidence when authenticating your documents over time.

Top 15 famous handwritten signatures you can take inspiration from

It can certainly be a good idea to take inspiration from famous CEOs and founders of large businesses when recreating your hand signature. Signatures of famous personalities can manifest their social standing over time. You may be able to mimic those and their properties, so some of what it says about them will be attributed to you. So, let’s explore some famous signatures so you can become familiar with the little details.

Here are the top 15 famous handwritten signatures of entrepreneurs you are probably familiar with. You will see Some of the nuances we covered in the “basic properties of handwritten signatures” within these examples, so pay attention and think about how you can incorporate any of these in your own signature.

Steve Jobs

Co-founder of Apple, the late Steve Jobs went unconventional in his signature and wrote it in all lowercase script. He would write his name in an ascending angle, telling us that he had ambition and was forward-thinking.

Steve Wozniak

Another co-founder of Apple, Steve Wozniak, signs his name by using his nickname, Woz. What this shows is his independent-mindedness, as well as high self-confidence. By making the ‘W’ in his name quite large and slanted, it demonstrates his high self-esteem.

Meg Whitman

Meg Whitman was the CEO of Hewlett-Packard for a long time. She demonstrates her drive and determination in the long line going straight out after the last letter in her signature. The fact that she signs her first name very legibly, while scribbling her last name, indicates she is proud of her accomplishments.

David Packard

One of the co-founders of Hewlett-Packard, David Packard, used to sign his signature upwards, which shows that he was an ambitious and optimistic person. He pronounces and emphasizes the first letter of both his first and last name, which shows his confidence. He also doesn’t leave a space between his first and last name, showing off his rich character. 

Satya Nadella

As the CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella doesn’t spell out his last name besides his first initial. This shows off his easygoing nature. However, the period after that initial tells people that he is also a strong business leader.

Jeff Bezos

Jeff Bezos is the founder of the massive Amazon. He signs his first name legibly but makes it difficult to read his last name. This shows he is proud of his personal accomplishments. His last name ends with an ascending streak, showing us that he has an energetic character.

Michael Dell

The founder and CEO of Dell, Michael Dell, signs his name perfectly straight. He stays meticulous by precisely lining up the dot for the ‘i’ in his first name where it needs to go. This shows he pays great attention to detail and stays precise in all he does.

Brian Krzanich

As the former CEO of Intel, Brian Krzanich is someone who would scribble his signature. This showcases his sharp intelligence. It also shows that he is a busy person who has little time for things like signing his name. The only letters in his signature that are legible are the first letters of his first and last name. They are also much more substantial than all the other letters. Both of these features display the immense confidence this businessman has.

Larry Page

Larry Page is one of the co-founders of Google, who interestingly keeps the first ‘a’ in his name open at the top. This tells people he likes to share his thoughts with others. Again, as with others, the significantly larger first letters of his first and last names indicate he has high self-worth. Keeping his name straight throughout demonstrates he has a balanced approach when it comes to working.

Sergey Brin

Being the other co-founder of Google, Sergey Brin is a “big picture” guy. He lets others deal with the specifics and details of things. Also, he signs his first name more legibly than his last, suggesting he can be easily approachable. It also shows he speaks in a straightforward and direct way.

Kevin Systrom

Kevin Systrom is the co-founder of Instagram, who signs his signature by making the first letters in both first and last names huge. In fact, they are slightly outrageous, indicating he may be a bit arrogant. Nixing the dot for the ‘i’ in his first name demonstrates he is also a ‘big picture’ guy.

Reid Hoffman

Reid Hoffman is the co-founder of LinkedIn, who signs his name in a very ascended manner. This shows how ambitious of a person he is. Also, it indicates that he plans for the future. The dot over the ‘i’ in his first name is almost an afterthought, demonstrating that he is always on the move.

Jack Dorsey

As the co-founder of Twitter, Jack Dorsey incorporates this into his signature. Instead of the traditional first and last name, he makes it @jack. This incorporates the method of identifying someone on Twitter, and shows he is open and straightforward with how he communicates. Also, by not adding his last name, he shows people that he is a relaxed and easygoing person.

Kevin J. Kennedy

Once the CEO of Avaya, Kevin J. Kennedy takes quite a journey with the line he draws stemming out of the ‘y’ in his last name. This suggests he sees himself as a very important person and wants to lead a commanding presence. Also, the fact that the line travels all the way to before his first name indicates he is someone who frequently looks to the past.

Mark Zuckerberg

As the CEO of Facebook, you would expect Mark Zuckerberg to be an open person. However, signing barely more than his initials tells us he is actually very private. Every letter is capitalized though, which indicates he has high confidence in himself, as well as high self-esteem.

How to use your hand signature to get ahead in life and in business

When comparing what the studies related to “signature science” have found to the famous people’s signatures we looked at, the science overall checks out.

Of course, these don’t take into account whether someone is ‘faking’ their signature to appear a certain way, or attempting to mask something like narcissism. However, it’s quite accurate overall. When you look at the signature of famous personalities, you can see that the studies done on signatures are relatively accurate.

Now it’s time to get to know how you can properly use your hand signature to get ahead in life and business

Types of signatures and their uses

The personal signature has gone through several transformations in its long history. Before arriving where we are today with electronic and digital versions. However, the signature’s meaning and purpose have largely remained. The same throughout the years: it’s a personal depiction of someone’s name that proves identity and is often affixed to documents to represent certification.

Digital signatures these days have become the norm for a lot of different scenarios, such as signing a contract. It’s become relatively commonplace to add your digital signature to documents, however, it wasn’t always such a simple affair.

Electronic signature vs digital signatures

It’s important to know that there’s a difference between an electronic signature and a digital signature.

An electronic signature or an e-signature is generally accepted as being an acknowledgment of an electronic message. According to the E-Sign Act of 2000, an electronic signature is defined as “an electronic sound, symbol, or process, attached to or logically associated with a contract or other record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record.”

A few examples of an electronic signature are:

• A name typed in a document in electronic form
• Adding a typed name at the end of an email
• In banking, your PIN (Personal Identification Number) is considered an electronic signature
• A digitally captured image of your handwritten signature, such as on a touch-screen device

Digital signatures, on the other hand, involve a lot more security features compared to an electronic signature and are generally considered to be a lot more secure. A digital signature will include a certificate of authenticity that ensures the signature on a document is valid.

When using a digital signature, all parties can see when a document was changed in a way that would render it invalid. The sign-off includes a private decryption key, which makes it a lot more secure and verifiable by anyone involved.

Wet Signatures

If someone asks you for a wet sign-off, don’t be too confused.

A wet signature is simply a handwritten signature that is done in person on an original copy of a contract or document. Today this type of signing can be encountered when opening a bank account or signing any legally binding documents.

The term “wet signature” evokes the idea of a done-in ink that takes time to dry. Of course, these days you won’t be signing any documents with a quill and parchment, so wet signatures mainly refer to a contract signed in person, not digitally or electronically.

Email Signatures

These days, most business and personal correspondence is done using email. This has virtually wiped out the use of the classic signature. However, you can get a media-rich signature added to your emails that can provide a wealth of information for others. Simply typing your name will be something you will never want to go back to again, once you start using Wisestamp’s signature features.

When it comes to picking a signature for your email, there are plenty of options here too. Aside from including your name. You also need to choose an appropriate email sign off. Any relevant links, and other contact information.

To

Subject

Make it yours

Made with WiseStamp

Generals tips and guidelines when making your email signature:

• Keep it simple: you don’t always need an elaborate signature. Make sure to include your name, job title, company, and phone number, and you’ll be good to go. No need to add all your phone numbers, fax numbers, addresses, or multiple emails if it’s not relevant.
  
• Include an image: it’s become more popular to add a small profile image aligned with the text of your signature. This adds a personal touch and can help new clients or partners get to know you better through an email.
  
• Add your logo: if you don’t want to add an image of yourself, you can add your company’s logo.
  
• Use social icons: it’s a good idea to add icons or links to your business’s social platforms. Your clients can easily find you online and so you drive traffic to your different channels.
  
• Share other business information: Aside from adding social icons or links. You can also use your signature to share a link to your business’s latest blog post. Your company’s recent awards, or even a CTA for newsletter sign-ups.
  
• Make sure it’s mobile-friendly: since most people nowadays check their emails on their phone. It’s important to ensure that your signature looks good on multiple devices.

Try using the WiseStamp free email signature maker to create a custom email signature where you can design the look exactly how you want it. It also has tons of different social media icons to choose from. So, you can add all your different channels to your email signature, as well as links to your blog posts, promotional banners, and even legal disclaimers.

Whether you are a freelancer, entrepreneur, or small business, Wisestamp can provide you with a signature solution that is simply unmatched anywhere else. We enable you to add a rich and professional signature to every email you send.

These unique signatures can promote your business with every correspondence, strengthening your brand, getting more leads, and engaging people with your social media accounts. Help your business grow and enjoy a more dynamic signature by going with Wisestamp.

Signature history & evolution: a brief timeline

The meaning of a signature has stayed the same over the years, but it has taken on many forms. Today, we may primarily think of a signature as a way to close an email. When you look back throughout history. A signature has meant so many different things.

In order to understand and appreciate the signature as we know it, we should learn about its origins. Read on to discover the signature’s history throughout different eras until its modern adaptations today.

Different time periods saw different versions of a signature. Its medium has changed over time, taking on different forms and contexts. 

The only constant is that man has been using a signature. In one form or another, for over a thousand years to denote a personal identification, confirmation, or witness.

Let’s take a brief look at the signature’s history and its evolution over time.

3000 BC: The Earliest Known Signature

Some of the first identifiable signatures date all the way back to 3000 BC. In ancient societies such as the Egyptians and Sumerians. These societies began etching pictographs, such as hieroglyphics, consisting of images that convey an event, story, or historical moment. 

A Sumerian tablet dating back to 3100 BC is thought to be the earliest example of a signature. This clay tablet has markings of a scribe, Gar Ama, and is considered an ancient example. Someone uses a combination of words and symbols to indicate their identity.

1200 BC – 1069 AD: Ancient Greeks and The Alphabet

Many things happened with the way language was conveyed and written over this long period of time. The ancient Greeks and Romans placed a great deal of importance on language. 

Around 1200 BC, the Greeks began using the Phoenician alphabet. Over the next few centuries. It evolved into the more modern Latin alphabet that we use today. 

It wasn’t until 1069 that we got the first documented use of a signature using the Latin alphabet from a well-known historical figure. El Cid, a Medieval military leader from Spain, left a signature of his name in a document demonstrating a donation he made to the Cathedral of Valencia. El Cid’s signature would become closer to what we know today as the modern.

13th Century: The Rise of Wax Seals

Though not a classic signature involving a name scribbled on a document, wax seals served a similar purpose as signatures.

The wax seal became more popularized in the Middle Ages. It was typically used by nobility or clergy members, such as monarchs, royal representatives, and bishops. A wax seal often provided a level of authentication to a document, such as a contract or an official letter.

Like signatures, each seal was completely unique to its owner. Though the Latin alphabet was already invented, a lot of people remained illiterate. The wax seal gained more popularity and became more frequently used. Among common people, it was a good alternative for those who didn’t know how to read or write.

One of the most famous documents signed with a wax seal is the Magna Carta. In 1215, the King of England stamped the document with his seal. The Magna Carta went on to be one of England’s most important documents.

1677 and 1776: The Modern Signature is Born

In 1677, the English Parliament passed The Statute of Frauds Act, which allowed signatures to become what they are today.

The act was instated to curb the rise of fraud. The law stated that contracts need to be signed and that a signature implies a binding contract.

John Hancock’s famous signature on the American Declaration. Independence in 1776 would go on to become one of the most recognizable signatures in history. More importantly, his signature denotes a binding contract.

The 1980s – 2000s: The Signature Gets an Update

Like everything else that got updated with the rise of technology, the signature was no exception.

In the 1980s when fax machines became more commonly used in business and daily life, contracts were often scanned electronically. Therefore, laws had to be changed in many countries in order to adapt to this new technology. In order to ensure the legality and authenticity of these electronically sent documents.

Indeed, they saw a huge shift with more advanced technologies, such as digital and electronic signatures.

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When someone is looking for a product or service they are most likely to search online than to open a phone book. Do those even exist anymore?

That’s why it’s important for you to make it as easy as possible for potential clients to find you. In order to make that happen, you need to actively promote your SMB online.

1. Develop Your Personal Brand

According to a study by LexisNexis and Martindale-Hubbell. 85% of law firms find that the majority of traffic to their website is directed at their lawyers’ bio pages.

That’s because your potential clients are looking to hire a lawyer, not a firm. They want to see who these lawyers are as individuals. Only then they will actually pick up the phone to give you a call.

This means that each lawyer in your firm should take steps to actively promote their personal brand online. This will help them come across as more than just a generic picture on a company website.

Improved bio’s:

Since the bio pages are generally where visitors to your website head to first you want to make sure that they are as informative and engaging as possible. Have each employee fill out their own bio’s that include all of the following information:

• Past work experience, licenses, and other credentials.
• Relevant keywords, for SEO rankings.
• A professional photo.
• Links to publications and social channels.
• A clear call-to-action that lets visitors know what you want them to do.

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Linkedin profiles:

Linkedin is a business-oriented social platform for networking with other industry professionals and each employee at your company should have an account here.

To ensure that your employees get the full benefit from their Linkedin accounts, they should do the following:

• Complete all details of their Linkedin Profile, including work history.
• Write an engaging description of themselves and the services they provide.
• Upload a professional profile picture.
• Join groups related to the industry and participate in discussions with other group members.

2. Generate Content

One way to get prospective clients to visit your website is by offering them valuable content.

This will help draw people to your website and keep them engaged. It will establish your business as an expert that will increase brand awareness.

You can use a tool like BuzzSumo to find out topics that are popular online. Then create a post on legal aspects of the subject.

Creating a publishing schedule is a good idea. This will help you plan posts in advance. Select topics to write about that are relevant for particular times of the year.

3. Get Social With It

In addition, to encouraging your workers to become active on social media. It’s a good idea for the company as a whole to have accounts. On the most popular social media platforms: Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Social media is a great way to connect online with potential clients and other industry professionals. It’s a very effective way of sharing articles on your website.

Linkedin:

Create a company page, fill out the profile, and add an attractive banner and logo. Encourage all of your employees to follow the page. Make sure to update your page regularly with articles from your website. It should be interesting news and current company updates.

Twitter:

Create an account and begin following clients, other alliances, and professional influencers. Twitter is a great place for networking in real-time and for learning about your competitors.

Facebook:

Create a Facebook business page for your company. Send a one-time email to your business contacts and friends inviting them to like it. Here you can share links to articles on your website and introduce topics for discussion to engage visitors to your page.

4. Set up Email Signature Marketing

With email signature marketing every email that you send is an opportunity to market your services, which is why it’s crucial to optimize all aspects of your email. One way of doing this is by including a signature that has your contact information, but you should consider going beyond that. Try adding a call to action and social icons linking to your social accounts.

Use email signature management to design a professional and attractive email signature that includes all of the information that you need to promote yourself and your business.

With the WiseStamp Signature Manager, you also get full control over all of your employees’ email signatures so that you can ensure that they are all in line with your brand, and even update them all at the same time with your newest blog post or promotional material.

5. Advertise Online:

• Adword campaigns: Google AdWords are a great way to get your small business prominently listed in Google search results.
  
• Facebook ads: Since many of your prospects are probably spending some part of their day on Facebook. Facebook ads are a great way to reach them. There are several different types of ads, so take a look at the options and decide which you think would be meet your needs.

6. Create Videos

Youtube is the second large search engine and it’s owned by Google, which means videos receive attention from Google searches. That’s why it’s a good idea to invest in creating a few videos that can be posted on your website and shared on Youtube.

Have your content creator create a series of videos addressing different topics within their specialty.
Videos can feature your company discussing various situations in which have assisted clients or they may answer some of the commonly asked questions that you receive. Videos will help potential clients feel more connected to your firm.

7. Optimize Your Website for lead conversion

If visitors to your website are coming by to browse and then leaving, you need to make some changes. to your site that will convert these visitors to leads.

Call to Action

Add a clear call to action to each page of your website, all of your ads, articles, and marketing material. This lets visitors to your site know exactly what it is that you want them to do, which probably involves clicking a Contact Us button that will open up a form where the visitor can fill in their contact information.

Live Chat

Many law firms have found that adding a Live Chat feature to their website encouraged visitors to contact the firm with questions. More so than providing an email address or contact form. This is probably because a live chat feels more casual than sending an email or making a phone call and also offers instant gratification.

Mobile-friendliness

Make sure that your website can be accessed on all mobile devices. Since a large number of your visitors will probably be using their phones or tablets to access your site.

8. Get listed in local directories

Make sure that your SMB is listed in all of the local business and industry directories. It’s important to find the most common directories on the web and list your business.

For example, if you are a law firm, below are some of the most popular industry directories that you should be listed in.

Popular industry directories:

• HG.Org legal directory
• FindLaw
• Lawyers.com
• LawInfo
• Yahoo Directory

9. Participate In Local Events.

Getting involved in local events can be a great way to promote yourself both on and offline. If you host a seminar or sponsor the local softball team, there are sure to be participants taking pictures and posting them to Facebook and Instagram.

When this happens make sure that your company’s page is tagged in the pictures. You can request from the poster to include a link to your website as well.

10. Monitor Your Online Reputation

Sign up for a service that alerts you whenever your company is mentioned online. You can set up alerts for your company name when your name comes up in an online discussion or in a review, you will be notified.

Then decide if you would like to respond to the comment. Offering an appreciative “thank you” to a client who’s praising your services, or defending yourself if you come under criticism. Try Talkwalker, which is a free social media monitoring tool that will let you know when your company name is mentioned online.

11. Track the results of your online marketing activities

Now, you have gone to all of this effort to bring more traffic to your website, it’s time to see if any of your marketing activities have worked. One of the best ways to do this is by using Google Analytics to track your website’s visitors to see where they are coming from, how they found you, and what are they doing on your website.

Once you have this information you can see if your online marketing activities are working and which areas might need some tweaking. Each social network offers its own set of analytic tools that will allow you to measure the results of your activities on those specific platforms.

By following these 11 guidelines you can stay ahead of your competitors and stay on track. By Promoting your law firm online you will soon see a definitive rise in your website’s traffic.

Stayed tuned for next week’s blog post, we will continue to share our latest updates on how to promote your business in the marketing world.

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Check out more email signature templates >

Getting started with a CEO mail signature

Now that we covered the do’s and don’ts, it’s time to get started. Start with a free signature maker, and once you’ve gathered some feedback, you can add advanced features to incorporate marketing offers, so you literally promote your company with every email you send. 

How to create an effective CEO email signature easily and quickly:

Let’s make your email signature

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Building your personal brand will open up the doors to more business opportunities, connections with peers in your industry, help you increase your influence online, and attract more customers to your business.

This is because once you have established a solid and recognizable personal brand, people will start to see you as an authoritative figure in your space.

What is a personal brand?

A personal brand is a broad set of traits, competencies, and values that are generally attributed to you by your target audience. Personal branding is mostly set in specific contexts, such as a specific industry, field of knowledge, sport, or social circle. A strong personal brand earns you trust, authority, and admiration. It will differentiate you from your peers and competitors and can be leveraged for promoting your personal and business goals.

Some examples of successful personal brands are, Opera Whinfrey in the self-help literature industry, Neil Patel in SEO, and Gordon Ramsey in cooking.

How to begin making a personal brand (day 1)

If you’re just starting out and you haven’t had time to establish your brand identity, it would be wise to start from there.

It’s helpful to think of your “brand identity” as a person. Every person has a name, personality, and physical characteristics that, combined together, make them distinct and recognizable from other people.

For example, there are lots of people named “Ben” with brown hair. But there the more features we’ll add to describe Ben, such as a “Ben” with brown hair who always wears band shirts, smells like menthol cigarettes, has an Australian accent, and snorts every time he laughs. It will be  easier to remember this specific “Ben.”

And so it should be easy to distinguish your brand identity from your competitors, even if you both own ice cream shops in Seattle, Washington. There is something that sets your ice cream shop apart, and you’ll use your brand identity to communicate those unique attributes.

Defining your brand story and values based on your USP

Take a moment to think again about the USP (Unique Selling Proposition) of your business, which we first explored in the Research & Strategy article. Whether you’re a personal trainer, photographer, real estate agent, or lawyer, you bring your own unique experience, expertise, passion, perspective, and values to your work and business. No one can compete with you on that.

This is the reason that people will choose to do business with you and not your competitors. Your customers will relate your business’ story and values, which is something you must communicate as part of your identity

How to build your personal brand’s online presence

By now we’ve established how you can build an appealing personal brand. But a well-worked-out personal brand is just the first step. Now it’s time to push your brand into the world. But how do you breathe life into your brand? You do this by carefully building and managing your personal brand’s online presence.

Creating a solid online presence for your personal brand and business is super essential, especially since we are living in a digital age. Your online presence should consist of web properties you establish, such as your social media profiles, your website, your Youtube channel, and more.

1. Clean Up Your Digital Dirt

Everyone has a life, and for many of us, our lives are documented on social media. Most of it you didn’t even put up, but rather came from your friends and family. To tighten your personal brand you’ll need to clear away any old documentation that does not conform with the brand you are attempting to build.

Set forth, clean what you can on your own, and don’t hesitate to ask your friends and family to remove things on their end that simply got to go.

2. Participate in Professional Groups and Forums

Depending on the niche or field you intend to build your brand in, you may want to get active in relevant groups and forums. Making yourself known as a valuable contributor in online chat rooms and resources that are important to your target audience is a powerful way to build your personal brand from the ground up.

Get active, and invest time in helping your audience get what they need. Do this enough and they will start coming to you for advice. Do this well enough and long enough and you’ll garner a following. And that’s how brands pick up speed.

3. Use Online Graphic Design Tools to Create Professional, Branded Images

Once your website and social media profiles are ready to be seen by your future employer, use a graphics tool like Canva, Photoshop, Visme, or Figma to create professional cover photos, headers, slideshows, and infographics.

4. Create a Website / Blog

Creating a blog for your personal brand is a great idea, but keep in mind that it takes a lot of time to establish. Making a website is easy enough, with drag and drop website builders like Wix, Square, or Elementor (for WordPress), but creating great content that your target audience will like and come back for more, takes time and thought.

My advice is to set out on this endeavor as soon as possible because it can take a long time to create enough content for your website to become known to the right people, let alone a central meeting place. That said, the prize of having a known website among your target audience will shoot your status and authority through the roof.

5. Get active on social media

Social media is not one thing. There are different social media platforms for different audiences and you should establish yourself in the social media arena where YOUR audience is.

You may need to open a YouTube channel if you’re audience is centered around a visual common interest like video games or cosmetics. You may want to be in Reddit or in IMDB if your audience is into movies or Anime. And if your audience is fascinated by sports or photography then Instagram is your arena. If your audience is in constant need of information about a certain topic then Facebook is your go-to.

6. Create a Professional Email Signature

If you communicate a lot by email, then you’ll need an efficient way to bring your personal brand to each message you send. An email is considered an interaction with high attention. This means that most people direct their full attention when reading their emails, which in turn means that whatever you include there will be memorable.

That’s why established brands and professionals always have a great-looking email signature with their brand styles and their brand logo.

Making your own email signature is not a problem since you can use an email signature generator to make it in just about 5 minutes.

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7.  Network with fellow peers in your industry

If you want to really level up your personal branding, one of the activities that you should concentrate on is networking. If I can be honest here for a second, this is one of the areas that I totally shied away from but one that is already making a huge impact on my new brand because I didn’t fully understand the power of online networking.

The thing is…is that you cannot build a brand or business alone.  You will need to start branching out and networking with others in your industry to really start getting your business and brand out there.

Cheers and Happy Branding!

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