Email signature - WiseStamp Tue, 13 Feb 2024 10:28:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.wisestamp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/cropped-Wisestamp-email-signature-manager-and-email-signature-generator-favicon-32x32.png Email signature - WiseStamp 32 32 Email closings: The definitive guide https://www.wisestamp.com/blog/email-closings/ Mon, 12 Feb 2024 12:39:58 +0000 https://www.wisestamp.com/?p=64167 New to the professional world? Nervous you may have been ending emails wrong? Looking to corroborate your writing style? Uncertainty with email closings is...

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New to the professional world? Nervous you may have been ending emails wrong? Looking to corroborate your writing style? Uncertainty with email closings is a common concern for countless professionals. How you end an email can sever the whole line of communication. Fear not, we are here to assuage those concerns and steer you right.

The role of Email closings

One of the fundamental aspects of interpersonal communication lies in our nonverbal cues. We express much with our hands and our eyes. We smile and frown. A significant portion of our intention is conveyed by the inflection of our words and modification of  the pitch and tone of our voices. All of this is lost in email, text, and tweet alike, where our words stand alone on the screen to do all the work of communicating clearly.

This makes the precision of our online verbiage of tantamount importance, lest we run the risk of failing our mission. Where that precision is less obviously essential is in the humble closing of our emails. Like the bow and wrapping on a gift, the shine on a shoe, and the firm handshake, the closing is not an afterthought; it is the final touch, the last action that speaks to your intent, attention to detail, and character.

Short answer

What are email closings?

Email closings are the phrases or sign-offs used at the end of an email before the sender’s name to convey a sense of professionalism, courtesy, or regards. Examples include “Best regards,” “Sincerely,” “Thank you,” “Warm regards,” and “Kind regards.”

 

Why you should invest in choosing the right ending in your emails?

Emails closings speak to the composer’s professionalism. Is this someone the reader wants to trust with their business? Will they be respectful of my time and intelligence? They are indicators of epistolary etiquette. They are signals of completion and conveyors of clarity.

And when dealing with the same audience repeatedly, they can be marks of consistency, establishing recognizable patterns for your brand or personal credibility. Email closings are relationship builders in toto. Lastly, they may be integral for legal and compliance purposes, with important disclaimers or confidentiality notices.

Now that we’ve established that email closings can make or break the whole  epistle, you may be asking “how do I write a good email closing?” Let’s go over some email closing dos and don’ts to make sure the lasting impression you leave best boasts your intent.

How to close an email

The components of a good email closing are essentially to summarize the body of your email, convey to your recipient the appropriate sentiment on the professionalism/warmth spectrum, provide reliable contact information, establish reliability through consistency, and encourage the object of your communiqué to react appropriately. Let’s dive in.

1- Email closings in the form of a summary:

Reduce the contents of the main body of your email to a single, manageable concept or single string of concepts. What is the essence of the email? Let’s say you just shared a quarterly earnings report with your team. This can be a lot of information to process.

An example for email closing in summary form:

“Our revenue has grown by 15% compared to the last quarter, marking a significant milestone for our company. This success is largely due to our new product line, which has been well-received in the market. Our net profit margin has also improved by 8%, thanks to our cost-saving initiatives and operational efficiencies. This positive financial performance puts us in a strong position for the upcoming fiscal year”

Let’s keep up the great work!

2- Complimentary email closings

This is where you will establish the tone of your email closing, and in turn, the entirety of the preceding email. What tone to establish is entirely dependent on the specific recipients. Colleagues, superiors, underlings, and clients all require different approaches in order to maximize the effectiveness of your letter.

Not all professional relationships are created equal. Some are friendly and some are strictly business. You are going to have to rely on your own powers of intuition to navigate these waters. While erring on the side of professional appears to be the safest option, even this seemingly innocuous act of good intentions can come across as rude, impersonal, or arrogant if applied incorrectly to a professional equal or an otherwise casual person. Let’s take a look at the main complimentary email closing examples.

  • Formal Business: Opt for classic closings like “Sincerely,” “Best regards,” or “Respectfully.”
  • Informal Business: “Best,” “Thanks,” or “Regards” are suitable.
  • Friendly/Casual: “Cheers,” “Talk soon,” or “Take care” can work well.
  • Client Communication: Maintain professionalism with “Best regards” or “Thank you for your time.”
  • Call to action: What do you want the recipient to do with this information?

3. Email endings that will encourage a reply:

  • Formal: “Looking forward to hearing from you soon.”
  • Informal: “Reply when you have a chance!”
  • Friendly: “Can’t wait to chat more. Let me know!”

4. Prompt specific action

  • Formal: “Please RSVP to the event by Friday.”
  • Informal: “Don’t forget to check out our new offer!”
  • Friendly: “Would love your feedback on this draft. Shoot me a reply when you get a chance.”

5. Schedule further communication in your closings

  • Formal: “I will follow up with you next week to discuss this further.”
  • Informal: “Let’s hop on a call next Tuesday. Does that work for you?”
  • Friendly: “Talk soon! Catch you in the meeting on Wednesday.”

6. Request confirmation along with your email farewell

  • Formal: “Please confirm your attendance at the event by replying to this email.”
  • Informal: “Just double-checking – you’re good for the meeting tomorrow, right?”
  • Friendly: “Quick question – did you see my last message?”

7. Create a sense of urgency

  • Formal: “Limited spots available! Register for the webinar today.”
  • Informal: “Offer ends soon! Claim your discount before it’s gone.”
  • Friendly: “P.S. Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity!”

Additional Email farewell tips:

  • Keep your call to action clear, concise, and actionable.
  • Use strong verbs that encourage the recipient to take the desired step.
  • Consider adding a deadline or sense of urgency for time-sensitive requests.
  • Match the tone of your call to action to the overall tone of your email.

The Email sign off

The Sign-off: This is your actual Email signature, indicating who you are. It generally includes your name and may also include your title, company, contact information, or links to social media profiles. Even here, tone is created with font, graphic design, color, and photo. Establish the timbre of your brand with a repeatable, curated sign-off. 

Get inspired with this great guide on Email sign offs, and apply them with our free Email signature generator below:

email signature generator

Now that we’ve laid down the basic framework of what makes a good email closing, here’s a simple checklist of 12 to dos and 12 don’ts to make sure you are headed in the right direction.

12 Do’s for closing an email like a pro:

1. Know your audience

Consider the recipient and your relationship with them. Ultimately, you need to do the calculus on balancing warmth, which can come across as casual, and professionalism, which can be stiff and chilly. 

2. Be courteous

When in doubt, be overly courteous, but be careful not to do this with recipients who could be offended by a lack of friendliness. 

3. Match the formality of the closing to the tone of your email

Don’t write an entire letter in buttoned-up prose only to undermine it with an overly casual email closing. See formal email writing examples.

4. Keep it brief and to the point

You’ve already written the email. Make it digestible, but don’t beat a dead horse. 

5 . Add a personal touch

This goes a long way in conveying to your reader that they are important to you and not just a faceless statistic. By mentioning the recipient’s name or referencing previous interactions, you are creating a lasting connection.

6. Proofread your email carefully, including the closing

A sloppily written email sends up warning signals about your professionalism and competence, and a sloppy email closing can erase all the hard work you put into the body of the work. 

7. Express gratitude or appreciation

Words such as “Thank you for your support” or “With sincere thanks”. After all, time is money, and they just took the time to read your writing, for better or worse.

8. Include a call to action or express expectations

Again, what do you want them to do with this information? For example, “Looking forward to your response”. 

Maybe your target hates emails. They aren’t very good at keeping their inbox clear of spam and your efforts will get lost in the shuffle. Maybe they just prefer a particular social media platform, or the old fashioned phone call. Give them options. This way there are no excuses.

10. Proofread for spelling and grammatical correctness

Remember, a misspelled word can be a jarring sign of carelessness. All the details matter. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot. This includes the email address itself! Don’t send it to the wrong person, or an email address that doesn’t exist. How embarrassing to wait around for a response to an email that never made it to its intended destination. 

11. Use a business email signature to appear trustworthy

A professionally designed email signature is a relatively small expense that speaks further to your willingness to invest  resources into doing things right. If you cheap out here, where else might you? 

12. Reflect

Have you succeeded in achieving the previous 11 points? Put yourself in their shoes. How would you feel if you received this email? Remember you aren’t just representing yourself, you are representing your team, your boss, your company. 

12 don’ts to avoid closing your email like an amateur

1. Avoid overly casual language or slang

Even if you went to college with your client’s daughter, you went to the bar afterwork with some coworkers, or the boss invited you to go golfing at his club, you are still a professional. Act like one. You are being trusted with important business.

2. Don’t use cliches or generic phrases that lack personalization

This requires a little effort, as it’s easy to fall back on canned email closings, but applying specific details to your finish can make the recipient feel “seen”.

3 Avoid using buzzwords or acronyms that may confuse the recipient

TTYL! What? I’m a boomer and this is a business.

4. Never put down or bad-mouth anyone in the email

What you put down in your email is forever archived. FOREVER. You may have noticed in the wave of cancel-culture how social media missteps can destroy careers. Well, this can happen in more private spheres, too. If the walls have ears, the wires have recordings of what those ears hear.

5. Refrain from using excessive punctuation, like multiple exclamation marks

“Can’t wait for your reply!!!” This isn’t a birthday card. Even if it were, excessive punctuation can come across as cloying and ridiculous. Don’t evoke the eye roll. 

6. Do not forget the conversation closer, e.g., omitting “Best regards” or “Sincerely”

Skipping over the complimentary close will sound robotic, and you aren’t a bot. Are you? Wait, are you??

7. Avoid being too formal or impersonal in situations that call for a friendly tone

“Thank you for your consideration”. What? I thought we made a real connection at last week’s business luncheon. Maybe our relationship isn’t what I thought it was.

8. Don’t use unprofessional closings that undermine the email’s seriousness

This is a million dollar deal. Casual Fridays are not welcome here.

9. Refrain from using emoticons or emojis in professional emails

If three exclamation marks were bad, emoticons and emojis are exponentially worse. Even casual emails shouldn’t be silly.

 10. Avoid missing out on a call to action where necessary

Somewhere in the back of everyone’s mind is one question. “What do they want from me?” Make sure you provide the answer to that question.

11. Do not use inappropriate language or expressions that might offend the recipient

Find the goldilocks zone of your language. Again, too casual with a strictly serious relationship, or too serious with a friendly relationship, can each have undesirable consequences.

 12. Avoid making the closing too lengthy or irrelevant to the email content

You are summarizing, encouraging a desirable reaction, capping off a tone, and providing reliable contact information. Don’t rewrite the email, and don’t start writing another one entirely. If you have more to say, be patient and save it for the next missive.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease, and the more opportunity you have to authentically reach out, the more you are in their thoughts. Don’t waste the opportunity to reach out again by coming off as disjointed.

In closing on closings

This comprehensive guide dives into the crucial world of email closings, emphasizing their role in professionalism, clarity, and relationship building. Match tone, express gratitude, call to action, proofread meticulously (twice!), address and sign-off accurately, avoid informal jargon, ditch overly generic closings, and don’t overdramatize.

Remember, a good email closing leaves a lasting impression. Choose wisely! Balance warmth and professionalism based on the recipient and context. Utilize a consistent, professional email signature. Consider the recipient’s perspective: how would you feel receiving your email?

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Best social apps for your Email Signature https://www.wisestamp.com/blog/best-social-media-apps-for-email-signature/ Tue, 10 Oct 2023 12:02:55 +0000 https://wisestampprd.wpenginepowered.com/?p=60205 The post Best social apps for your Email Signature appeared first on WiseStamp.

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Your email signature is a subtle yet powerful tool that can project professionalism, foster relationships, and even drive business or influence. Including the right social media apps in your signature can amplify these benefits. Here’s how to decide which social apps are best.

How to pick the best social apps for your Email Signature

Professionals across all industries recognize the increasing importance of establishing and nurturing an online presence via Social media marketing (SMM). Whether you’re a marketing maestro, a dedicated contractor, or anything in between, the platforms you choose to represent you can amplify your expertise and foster genuine connections. Integrating these social apps into your email signature acts as a digital handshake, offering recipients a deeper insight into your professional world.

So how do you pick the best social apps for your signature? Let’s break it down:

Define your purpose

  • Showcasing Work: For creatives, sites like Behance, Dribble, or Instagram allow you to visually display your portfolio.
  • Sharing Knowledge: Twitter X or Medium can be great if you often share news, articles, or industry insights.

Know Your Audience

  • Business Professionals: They’re likely on LinkedIn, Twitter X, or specialized platforms related to your field.
  • Younger Demographics: Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat cater to this group.
  • General Public: Facebook or Twitter can be ideal due to their vast and diverse user base.

Keep it professional

Ensure that the social media profiles you link maintain a degree of professionalism. If your Instagram is full of personal images (e.g., family, vacations), it might be best left out of a business-oriented email signature unless it aligns with your brand’s identity. It is also important to limit the number of social apps on your signature. Too many links can make your signature look cluttered and unprofessional. Stick to 2-3 key platforms that are most relevant to your profession and purpose.

Consistent branding:

Ensure that the social media apps on your email signature have consistent messaging and branding. When someone clicks through, they should get a feel that aligns with what they know of you or your company.

Top Social media apps for your Email signature

Best social apps for your Email signature based on profession

The small details count. Something as seemingly minor as the social media links in your email signature whether it’s for Outlook social links, Gmail signature social apps, or any other platform, can have a significant impact on your professional persona. By selecting and showcasing the right platforms tailored to your profession, you can strengthen your connections and boost your reach. Let’s delve deeper, with examples:

1. Best email signature social apps for Realtors

As a real estate agent, your online presence can make or break deals. Social apps on your email signature can reflect credibility and trust. Learn more about email signatures for realtors.

  • LinkedIn: An excellent platform for professional networking. Example: Jane Doe, an agent, shares articles about housing market trends to engage potential buyers and sellers.
  • Facebook Business Page: Perfect for showcasing listings. Example: Jane posts virtual tours and highlights testimonials from satisfied clients.
  • Instagram: Ideal for visual-heavy professions. Jane could display the aesthetically pleasing interiors of the homes she’s selling, providing a visual feast for potential buyers.
  • Pinterest: Create boards with interior design trends, landscaping ideas, and neighborhood highlights.
  • YouTube: Host virtual house tours, client testimonials, and home maintenance tips.

2. Top email signature social apps for writers and bloggers

Storytellers & writers in the digital age need platforms that amplify their voices, engage with audiences, and establish their thought leadership. Adding social app links to every email you send is a great way to connect with writers, bloggers, and journalists.

  • Twitter X: As a real-time news platform, it’s great for sharing articles and quick updates. Example: John Smith, a journalist, tweets breaking news or his latest published pieces.
  • Medium: For in-depth pieces or personal blogs. Example: John shares opinion pieces or essays on contemporary issues, engaging readers in longer discussions.
  • LinkedIn Pulse: Useful for industry-specific articles and networking. John might post articles related to journalism trends or ethics, engaging with a professional audience.
  • Facebook Author Page: Engage with readers, share updates on new pieces, and host live Q&A sessions.
  • Goodreads (for book authors): Connect with readers, share book reviews, and announce new releases.
  • LinkedIn Pulse: Share professional articles and network with other writers.

3. For artists and designers

Visual creators require platforms that not only display their craft but also provide avenues for collaboration and feedback these social apps can go well with their Email signatures.

  • Instagram: A visual portfolio showcasing your latest works.
  • Behance: Ideal for graphic designers to display their portfolio.
  • Dribbble: Another platform for designers focusing on digital and UI/UX designs.
  • DeviantArt: Popular for illustrators and visual artists.
  • Vimeo: For those artists involved in video or animation projects.

4. Best social apps for IT professionals email signature

Staying updated and connected in the rapidly evolving tech landscape is crucial for IT professionals, necessitating platforms for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and problem-solving. Adding a few social links to your signature is a must.

  • GitHub: Display coding projects and collaborations.
  • Stack Overflow: Engage in community discussions, ask questions, and offer solutions.
  • Twitter: Follow tech updates, share insights, and network with industry experts.
  • LinkedIn Groups: Join groups focused on specific IT domains and trends.
  • Reddit (specific IT subreddits): Engage in detailed tech discussions and troubleshooting.

5. For academics and researchers

For those in academia, the priority lies in disseminating research, collaborating on studies, and engaging in scholarly discussions. Add a few of the following social app links to your Email signature.

  • Google Scholar: Showcase your research papers.
  • ResearchGate: Connect with other researchers, share papers, and collaborate.
  • Academia.edu: Another platform to share and discover academic research.
  • Twitter X: Engage with fellow academics, join discussions, and share findings.
  • LinkedIn: Network with professionals in and out of your research field.

6. Consultants and coaches

Professionals guiding others towards better business or personal outcomes need social platforms that reflect their expertise, share success stories, and offer valuable insights. See which ones fit your email signature.

  • LinkedIn: For B2B relationships, article sharing, and professional networking.
  • YouTube: Share workshops, webinars, and video content.
  • Instagram: Share bite-sized tips, client testimonials, and behind-the-scenes insights.
  • Facebook Business Page: Engage with clients, share success stories, and advertise services.
  • Podcast Platforms (like Spotify or Apple Podcasts): If you host a podcast, sharing it can help reach a broader audience.

7. Healthcare professionals

Doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals guiding others toward better business or personal outcomes need platforms that reflect their expertise, share success stories, and offer valuable insights. Adding social links to your Doctor’s email signature or Nurse’s signature adds warmth and trust.

  • Doximity: For doctors to connect and collaborate.
  • Healthgrades: Patients can review and gain insight into your expertise.
  • LinkedIn: Networking with other professionals and showcasing certifications.
  • Facebook Medical Groups: Discuss the latest medical trends and research.
  • YouTube: If comfortable, share general health tips or discuss medical topics for patient education.

8. Musicians and entertainers

For those in the limelight, platforms that engage fans, showcase talent, and provide updates on new releases or events are paramount. Make sure you include social app links to your Email signatures with at least 2 of these guys.

  • SoundCloud: Share your music and engage with fans.
  • Spotify Artist Profile: Connect with listeners and share playlists.
  • YouTube: Post music videos, live performances, and behind-the-scenes content.
  • Instagram: Engage with fans, share snippets of new releases, and promote events.
  • TikTok: Tap into a younger audience, and post clips or challenges related to your music.

9. Best email signature social apps for marketing pros

In the bustling worlds of advertising and brand promotion, marketing professionals require platforms that not only amplify their voice but also demonstrate their proficiency in capturing audience attention. A marketing person must utilize email signatures as they can serve as a teaser trailer for their portfolio.

  • LinkedIn: This platform is paramount for marketers. Example: Sarah, a digital marketing specialist, shares case studies and campaign results to highlight her expertise and outcomes.
  • Twitter X: Ideal for staying updated with rapid industry changes. Tweets about the latest marketing trends, tools, and strategies that are shaping the business landscape.
  • Instagram: As visual marketing gains traction, this platform becomes crucial. Sarah showcases infographics, campaign visuals, or even behind-the-scenes marketing events.
  • Facebook Business Page: Great for sharing broader content, from articles to webinars. Sarah might host live sessions discussing marketing strategies, or share user-generated content from her campaigns.

10. Contractors

In an industry where tangible results are the strongest testimonial, and testimonials matter. Contractors need a way to visually and credibly represent their craftsmanship. Their Contractor’s email signature can become a digital storefront, exhibiting their commitment to precision and design. See the best social apps for your contractor’s email signature.

  • LinkedIn: A platform for professional networking and showcasing large projects. Example: Tom, a building contractor, shares time-lapse videos of his recent construction projects and client testimonials.
  • Facebook Business Page: Ideal for local contractors. Tom posts images of completed projects, reviews from clients, and promotional offers for services.
  • Instagram: Perfect for a visual representation of work. Tom can share before-and-after shots of renovations, or detailed images of design elements in his constructions.
  • Pinterest: As home and building inspiration thrive here, it’s great for contractors. Tom might create boards showcasing innovative design solutions or trending building materials.

Additionally see our Google business profile guide and learn how to boost your service business online.

Steps to generate a free Email Signature with social apps using WiseStamp

  1. Visit WiseStamp’s Website: Go ahead and navigate to the official WiseStamp website.
  2. Choose ‘Create Your Free Signature for personal use: Once on their homepage, you’ll typically find a prominent call-to-action to create a free email signature. Click on it.
  3. Fill Out Basic Details: You’ll be prompted to enter your name, job title, company name, and other essential details.
  4. Add Social Icons: As you proceed, you’ll find an option to add social links. Here, you can enter the URLs of your social media profiles like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc.
  5. Customize Your Signature: WiseStamp offers various design templates and customization options. Choose a design that resonates with your professional brand. Adjust fonts, colors, and sizes to your liking.
  6. Preview Your Signature: Before finalizing, ensure you preview your signature to see how it looks.

Remember, while the basic version is free, WiseStamp also offers a pro version with advanced features and email signature templates. Use WiseStamp email signature designer and add your social apps today!

Generate a free Email Signature with social app links

email signature generator

To conclude

Your email signature is more than just an email sign-off; it’s an additional snapshot of your professional brand and a micro-portfolio at your recipient’s fingertips. Choosing the right platforms to showcase in this space can set the tone for your interactions, positioning you as a credible and forward-thinking professional. As the digital landscape evolves and AI + new trends pop out every day, it’s crucial to keep your signature updated.

Always ensuring it remains relevant and continues to serve as a bridge to meaningful connections.

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Branded signature for business – what it is & how it’s done https://www.wisestamp.com/blog/email-signature-branding/ https://www.wisestamp.com/blog/email-signature-branding/#respond Wed, 17 Nov 2021 11:21:00 +0000 https://wisestampprd.wpenginepowered.com/blog/?p=9063 What is branded signature? Learn how to create a branded signature, see guidelines for email signature branding, and get inspiration from real brand signature examples

The post Branded signature for business – what it is & how it’s done appeared first on WiseStamp.

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Short answer

How to do email signature branding?

  1. Include the essential branded signature information: Employee name, title, and email address, and company name, logo, website, social media links, and CTA
  2. Make your signature visually pleasing: I) Use your brand colors II) Structure your signature hierarchically III) Use a high-quality image IV) Use white space V) Remove clutter
  3. Ensure email signature consistency throughout the entire organization
  4. Technically validate your signature: I) Mobile-friendliness II) Email-safe fonts III) Broken links IV) Valid images

This article covers email signature branding guidelines, paired with real-life branded email signature examples. Read on to get the hang of email signature branding, and start doing it for your company right away.

We wrote this guide with branding managers, marketing managers, and business owners in mind, but it can benefit personal branding as well.

Click to create the perfect branded email signature

email signature generator

What is a branded signature?

A branded email signature is an email signature that’s consistent with your company’s branding guidelines. A branded signature should include your brand logo, use your brand colors, and strive to tell your brand story. To have a positive impact on your business, a brand signature should be added to all employee emails.

What is email signature branding?

Email signature branding is the art of using branded email signatures to build brand awareness. Signature branding campaigns can be pointed inside your organization to reinforce brand identification or pointed outside to make your brand more recognizable. Signature branding is done by using Email Signature Management software to centrally control all company email signatures and give them a consistent unified design.

Why is a branded email signature important?

Email signature branding is important because it makes your brand, and by extension, your company more memorable. It makes people perceive you as more professional, and it keeps your company top of mind. Repeated email signature impressions help people remember you, and understand what you stand for. This will ultimately make them trust you more.

Email signature branding guidelines & examples

Email signature branding guidelines are a subset of email signature design principles. We cover the principles for email signature design elsewhere, so this section will focus on those aspects specifically relevant for signature branding.

To
Subject
Make it yours
branded email signature - sales manager - animated gif - wisestamp

Branded signature example (our very own)

1. Include the essential elements of a professional company email signature

What a branded signature includes:

  1. Employee name
  2. Employee title
  3. Company name
  4. Company logo
  5. Company website address
  6. Employee email address
  7. Social media icons (linking to company social media pages)
  8. CTA
Note:

Other elements can be added, such as a personal photo, brick and mortar address, work hours, a disclaimer, a green footer, etc. But these additional elements are non-essential for most online businesses.

2. Make your signature visually pleasing

A professional brand email signature is first and foremost visually pleasing. That “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is broadly accepted. But despite that, designers have known for quite a while that beauty can be achieved universally by following basic design rules.

To
Subject
Make it yours
Outlook 365 email signature with image, logo, and social icons

I) Use your brand colors

Using your brand colors is the natural choice for your brand signature. Brand colors are those that appear in your brand logo. Over time these colors are associated with the brand. Think of Coca-Cola, what colors come up?

Use 1 or 2 colors (or shades) from your logo and no more

Too many colors in one email signature will make it look like a circus (which makes you a clown). If you don’t know the exact Hex or RGB color codes for your brand colors, you can use this color picker tool to upload your logo and fish them out.

Most companies only have 1 or 2 colors in their logo, so having to select 1 or 2 may not even be a problem for you. But If you have more than that, like Google, for example, limit yourself accordingly.

Use colors sparingly

Use them for separator lines, backgrounds, or social icons.

Limit the use of color in text

Only use colors for your name and job title. Some colors may be too light and have low contrast against the white email background. Stick to dark and high contrast color shades, or better yet, use black letters, which usually look most professional.

II) Use information hierarchy

Information hierarchy is a fancy word for describing the way information is organized and presented. There are clear rules for email signature information architecture.

Information organization:

The most important information should be at the top of your signature. The less important stuff should be at the bottom.

Information presentation:

The most important text should be in large letters. You can give text added visual prominence by using bolding, text color, or background color.
Most brand signatures follow a similar information structure and presentation.

Most brand signatures follow a similar information structure and presentation:

The employee’s name is in large bolded letters. The job title and company name are slightly smaller (same size but not in bold). The rest of the signature text is smaller still, with the information labels, like Phone, Email, etc set in bold.

We end up with 4 levels of hierarchy, achieved by 2 distinct text sizes and 2 and by using bolding.

See the example for good use of font size and bolding:

Employee Name
Job title at Company name


Website: www.example.com
Email: name@example.com
Mobile: 585-815-7074
Address: 840 Hill Drive, Buffalo, NY 14224
Note:

It’s highly advised to use just 2 font sizes and use color or bolding to create your size hierarchy.

III) Use a high-quality image

Low-quality images take away from your perceived professionalism as a company and as an individual. A low-quality image implies that you have limited access to resources. It also implies that you invested little time and effort in your brand signature.

The way you carry yourself reflects your ability and credibility. So a low-quality signature reflects a low-quality brand. This opinion is formed in most people’s minds in under a second. Yet it’s so so sticky. Do what you can to avoid leaving this impression.

You should be able to discern that your signature image is high quality just by eye-balling it. If you’re not sure – ask your graphic designer or other co-workers. As a rule of thumb, if your image looks pixelated or fuzzy around the edges then it’s low quality.

Take a look and the example below and see if you can spot the difference:

high-quality vs low-quality brand logo for email signature branding - good example

Good example

high-quality vs low-quality brand logo for email signature branding - bad example

Bad example

IV) Use white space

White space is a basic principle of design. Visual elements rely on the white space between them to be clearly discerned, understood, and appreciated. White space is also called negative space, and it’s not necessarily white.

Take a look at the 2 examples below, which do you find more visually appealing?

Most people will prefer the one with white space. If you use WiseStamp to create your brand signature, the tool will take care of this issue for you. You’ll also have a few options to increase or decrease the signature white space, to make your signature more spacious or more compact.

Correct use of white space in branded email signatures

Branded signature the uses white space

incorrect use of white space in branded email signatures

Branded signature without white space

V) Remove clutter

Clutter can be defined as any and all elements within your brand signature that are not strictly required.

That old truism, “less is more”, is especially true for small but complex creatures like an email signature. Any additional element included in your signature must contribute to your business goals. Otherwise, it will compete over the reader’s attention with those elements that do contribute.

  • You may not need to add an email address if you are already communicating by email.
  • You may not need a brick-and-mortar address or office hours if you’re strictly an online business.
  • You may not need 3 different CTAs for HR, Sales, and Marketing. Instead, you can assign a signature to each department with its own email signature campaign.
  • You may not need the employee’s image. Your brand logo can have all the attention for itself.

Click to create the perfect branded email signature

email signature generator

2. Tell a story

Every brand should have its own uniquely valuable story. If your brand does not have one then this is a deeper problem than making a great branded signature. Your brand’s story tells people the qualities you represent and the values you stand for. Your story is what sets you apart. It’s what makes you stand out.

For example, Apple’s story is one of going with your truth against the current, and persevering through creativity, impeccable performance, and beautiful design. The brand’s story is bound to the story of its co-founder Steve Jobs.

Apple’s slogan “Think different” embodies the brand’s story and invites Apple’s customers to be part of it – to see themselves as creative, and bold.

Whatever your story is, you can hint at it with as little as 2 words. In the context of your branded signature, you have different means at your disposal to tell your story and stand out.

I) Add subtle animation

A little motion can go a long way in telling your brand story. You can create an email signature animation that encompasses the essence of your story. If you put the time to think it through, you can say a lot with very little – like Apple’s 2-word slogan “Think different”.

Animation is also a good way to bring attention to your brand signature. But, in the context of “textual information blocks” like an email signature, the use of animation is something that should not be overdone.

The motion should be enough to get people’s attention but not too much so it holds it indefinitely. An animation that’s too fast, or has too many moving parts, will make it hard to focus on the signature text (which is your ultimate goal). It will also drive people nuts.

This is a good example of using animation:

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vcita cool GIF email signature example

In this branded signature example, vcita animated its logo to express inclusivity, friendliness, and an invitation to join. The company’s brand story is about guiding you through the digital path so you can get back to being human.

vcita is a company that provides small businesses with all the digital tools they need to run their business efficiently. During Covid, vcita helped many thousands of US businesses go through their digital transformation.

vcita helps business owners automate and streamline the technical aspects of running a business. With that out of the way, business owners are free to spend more time doing what they love. With their newfound time and tools, they can connect with their customers on a deeper human level.

II) Add a video

Adding a video thumbnail to your brand email signature will let you tell your story in full. A video is highly engaging and if you get people to click the thumbnail, they are likely to view your video to the end. 

A video can tell your brand story from many different angles:

  • A demo of your product
  • A talk about your website redesign
  • A video about your awesome (real) company culture
  • A popular webinar you’ve made
  • A new product launch
  • And many more

You don’t have to commit to one video forever. You can change the video to fit your seasonal campaign. Like your Christmas campaign, Halloween, Black Friday, or any other sale.

Whatever you do, only use video materials that your target audience will connect with. Too many brand videos I’ve seen do a horrible job at telling a compelling story. Many videos just chew and spit out generic messaging by “enthusiastic” employees, or worse still fake faces with fake smiles. An ingenuine story is no story at all.

Fiverr even made fun of this trend to position themselves as a counter corporate, young and nonconformist company (which I assume to be their brand story).

Video: Fiverr satirical recruitment video

III) Add an image gallery

An image gallery can be used in many different ways to paint a picture of what you do, the values you represent, or the experience you offer. We’ve seen a lot of our users use our image gallery app to tell a story. 

  • We see companies use credentials or certification badges to tell a story that readers can trust in the company’s expertise.
  • We see companies use images of happy clients with a quote about a positive experience
  • We see eCommerce companies showcasing their best selling products with links to discounts
  • We see and we see companies listing their partnerships with known brands

Video: How companies use an image gallery in their email signature to tell their brand story:

(for the examples jump to 3:12)

IV) Add a quote – personal brand

Adding a quote to your brand signature is only a good idea if you’re using it for your personal brand. Companies have slogans, they don’t use quotes by others.

But if you, as a professional, identify deeply with a certain famous quote, adding such a quote can help you tell your personal brand story. Just keep in mind that quotes are charged with cultural meaning, so make sure your quote is understood the way you intend it to.

3) Ensure email signature consistency throughout the entire organization

People give email content high attention. Email signature branding makes use of this high attention in order to build brand awareness. By showing consistent branding in all company email signatures, you build brand recognition over time.

But why is this important?

In a survey done by Lucidpress, 68% of businesses reported that brand consistency has contributed 10-20% to their growth in revenue or more. We know from our own user surveys that branded company email signatures can increase email link clicks by up to 22%, and email leads by up to 15%. With these statistics in mind, unifying your email signature across your entire company should be a priority for you.

Brand awareness email signature campaigns

In the previous section, we’ve covered email signature branding best practices. Once you apply those guidelines you are practically running a brand awareness campaign with every email your company sends.

If you already have an email signature brand awareness campaign in mind, you may like to try out the WiseStamp Signature Manager, to quickly and easily set it up.

email signature branding - brand awareness campaigns for brand visibility

WiseStamp Signature Manager – Branded signature views

If this is the first time you’ve heard of brand awareness email signature campaigns, then read on to find more about it.

2 main types of branding campaigns:

  • External – strengthens your brand presence in your niche
  • Internal – strengthens the degree to which your employees self-identify with your brand

I) External branding campaigns

Most email signature branding efforts are pointed outwards. Becoming a recognized brand is the holy grail for most marketers. Recognized brands are more likely to be recommended even by people that have no experience with that brand. Recognized industry brands are carried far and wide on the wings of fame. This effect is called the Recognition heuristic, but getting there is very hard.

Email signature branding is one of the most effective ways to build brand recognition. It capitulates on the personal relationship prospects have with your employees. Their personal relationship with a person is extended to their relationship with your brand.

II) Internal branding campaigns

The goal of internal branding campaigns is to create an emotional connection to your brand. Strong emotional identification with your brand is highly valuable. It strengthens employees’ commitment to advancing business goals and helps the business retain valuable team members.

Most modern jobs involve intensive daily use of email. Having your brand logo in your workers’ email signature will make sure they constantly see it. This makes it an important touch-point to include in your internal branding campaign.

This is especially powerful for businesses with a large number of employees working out of the office. These employees typically have weak brand identification, having spent most of their work hours on their own.

4) Technically validate your signature

It may not seem that way but an email signature is complicated to get right. Its complicatedness comes from the versatility a signature is required to have for it to show perfectly on every email client. The signature code may be simple, but it has to be tested and validated against all email clients, browsers, and screen sizes.

I) Mobile-friendliness

For your email signature to be mobile friendly it needs to be built in responsive HTML. This just means that the signature layout knows to automatically adapt to the screen size in which it is presented. A signature that is not built this way will break, or distort.

But creating responsive code is not enough. Not all branded signature designs will look good on mobile, even if they don’t break. To create a truly mobile-friendly signature you should design your brand signature for mobile presentation, to begin with.

In more practical terms this means creating a signature that is less than 350px in width (the low end of mobile device screen size). A good mobile-friendly signature uses a stacked design – with each item of information occupying a separate row.

mobile friendly branded email signature vs non mobile friendly branded signature

Left – mobile-friendly branded signature | Right – broken, partially hidden non-mobile-friendly brand signature

II) Email-safe fonts

You’d be surprised how restricted fonts are in emails. Most email providers, including the major ones, like Outlook, Gmail, Apple Mail, and Yahoo, will only show a limited number of fonts.

To make things worse, even the limited few fonts each email provider offers are different for each provider. In the end, you are left with those few fonts that work on all emails. These are email-safe fonts.

This means that your special brand font or the fancy font you bought for your website will not be supported. An unsupported font will not be seen by your recipients.

An unsupported font may also break your signature. The reason it may break is that different fonts have different letter sizes and different spaces between letters.

When a font is not supported the email client will swap it for their default font. This font may well be different in letter size and space. If this happens the signature text will expand or contract, causing your signature to break. To make sure your signature always looks the way you designed it, use email-safe fonts.

Email-safe fonts:

  1. Arial
  2. Times New Roman
  3. Tahoma
  4. Georgia
  5. Lucida Sans Unicode
  6. Courier New
  7. Trebuchet MS
  8. Verdana

Read more about the best fonts for email signatures >>

III) Broken links

Broken links are everywhere on the internet and they find their way into emails all the time. I regularly find broken links in our GetWiser newsletter, which is sent out to about 2 million subscribers each month (luckily I find them before it’s sent out). Links get broken because of little typo mistakes or a copy-paste that was done hastily, and sometimes a page’s URL is changed or the page is deleted.

Clicking on a broken link can be very frustrating for your email readers and can create a bad unprofessional impression. The negative impact this can have is huge when deploying a branded company signature for hundreds or thousands of employees. So, it’s important to do what you can to avoid this.

What to do:

  • Verify each link before deploying your email signature.
  • Verify your links periodically once a week or once every 2 weeks, to make sure no URL was changed and no page was deleted.

IV) Valid images

This is usually not a problem. But just in case you can make sure your images are showing in your signature 100% of the time by following the guidelines below.

Avoid using very large images

Avoid using PDFs as image format

Avoid image size HTML styling that exceeds mobile device screen sizes (350px to be on the safe side)

V) Signature character limit

Email providers have a set character limit for an email signature of around 9000 characters. This limit is large enough to accommodate any text signature you’d fancy making (most emails don’t come close to that many characters).

But this limit becomes more troublesome when you want to use customized HTML email signatures. See, the character count also applies to the HTML. And this means that the styling, links, and advanced features you add to your signatures, like a video thumbnail or a button, all add up.

When this happens the email client will not present your email signature, and instead, give an error notice (“Email signature too long”). WiseStamp validates your signatures against these character limits to save you the inconvenience.

Character limit for Outlook and Gmail signatures:

  • Gmail – 10,000 (10kb)
  • Outlook – 8096 (8kb)

How do I create a branded email signature?

In case you still don’t have a company signature, let’s see a few ways you can create one for your company.

If you’ve read this article to this point then you already have a pretty good idea of the benefits you can extract from a branded signature. If you take this thought one step further you’ll see why failing to create a branded signature will set you back compared to those of your competitors that do brand their signatures.

There are a few ways to go about creating your branded email signature:

  1. Create it manually
  2. Use an email signature manager
  3. Use free email signature generator

I) Create your signature manually

The process of creating a signature manually requires employing a graphic designer to make your signature design and having a developer code the signature in HTML.

Pros:

  • This approach is that you can make any customization as you’d like

Cons:

  • Costly to do by outsourcing
  • Requires going through the entire process each time you want to update your signature
  • Requires employees to manually set up and update the signature in their own email.
  • Does not solve the problem of having to deploy the signature (and updates) in every single employee email. This will have to be done

II) Use an email signature manager

Email signature management software is the most cost-effective way for creating your branded signature. Signature managers always come with a signature generator that makes designing your signature quick and easy.

But signature managers’ main contribution is their ability to integrate with business email platforms like G Suite and Office 365. This allows centralized deployment of your branded signature to all employee emails with a few clicks.

WiseStamp is consistently voted easiest email signature manager to use in G2 and Capterra. It’s also considered to be the most secure signature manager since it does not route your email traffic through a 3rd party server, like all other managers. Rather it only makes changes to your signature block. WiseStamp is also the most customizable in terms of signature design and features. You can learn more about WiseStamp here.

Pros:

  • Fairly easy to create a signature using the tools signature generator
  • Centralized control of all company email signatures
  • Quick deployment of any little update made to the signature
  • Email segmentation by department
  • Cheaper than manually creating your signature
  • Dedicated customer support

Cons:

  • Some limitations in the signature design
  • Some signature managers inject the signature into your company emails by routing your email traffic through their own servers. This makes them the defacto owner of your data and makes you reliant on their cyber security measures

III) Use a free email signature generator

There are quite a few free email signature generators available. These tools make it very easy to create an email signature. 99% of them provide more or less the same result. Some are more limited than others. Our own free email signature generator has the most extensive capabilities in the market, feel free to give it a try.

Note:

The main reason we don’t advise using a free signature genrator to create your branded signature is that they do not solve the problem of deploying your signature on all your emails.

In the end, your biggest obstacle is having to get every last one of your employees to install their signature on their own. This can be a nightmare for companies. The more employees, the bigger the nightmare problem.

Pros:

  • Fairly easy to create your email signature
  • Free to use any time you need it

Cons:

  • Limited in features and design
  • Little to no customer support
  • Does not provide centralized email signature management

branded signature examples (gallery)

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Email footers legal requirements in the UK (2024) https://www.wisestamp.com/blog/email-footers-legal-requirements-uk/ https://www.wisestamp.com/blog/email-footers-legal-requirements-uk/#respond Mon, 08 Nov 2021 04:47:00 +0000 https://wisestampprd.wpenginepowered.com/blog/?p=11722 The Companies Regulations 2008 in the United Kingdom has changed. Law enforcement is making companies include specific contact details in each and every one...

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The Companies Regulations 2008 in the United Kingdom has changed. Law enforcement is making companies include specific contact details in each and every one of their emails. It’s not just one email, it’s all emails that are sent out.

Imagine the number of e-mails that are sent out daily! That’s a whole lot of email bureaucracy. This article is going to tell you exactly what information you need to include. So, if this is all new to you, as a business owner it’s important for you to read this article.

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criminal lawyer email signature example with call to action banner

As mentioned above not all organizations or businesses is aware of this law enforcement. If your company doesn’t obey the government’s bill the chances of receiving a fine are high. A very serious fine of up to £1,000 for companies who don’t include the required information.

Email footers must comply company-wide

First, the bill is for everyone in the company, not only the sales and marketing team. The company as a whole must comply with the regulations. Every member of your team who sends an external email must include the relevant information in their email signature. See here how you can create a standardized company-wide email signature.

  • The company’s full name
  • The company’s telephone number
  • Country of registration within the UK, (England, Scotland, or Wales).
  • Registered Company Address

“According to the Communications Act. This information is relevant for all companies that are registered as Private Limited Companies (LTD) Public Limited Companies (PLC) or Limited Liability Partnerships (LLP)”

How to guarantee compliance with UK law concerning email signatures

First, businesses should Enforce a policy that standardizes the company’s face with an email signature. Email signatures that contain all legally mandated information.

Second, having an email signature will help your business comply with the law. There are different types of platforms you can use to create your email signature.

Third, if you are familiar with HTML and have design skills you are ready to go! Make sure your email signature is set on automatic. In order, not to break the Regulations 2008 law. If you need help with your company email signature that complies with UK law, use this article to help you out.

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confidenciality disclaimer for email signature sample-min

Use the WiseStamp to easily set up company-wide compliant signatures

Using an email signature management tool like WiseStamp Signature Manager can help. Managers in the organization have the option to review daily emails. If you’re thinking this must be complex, it’s not. Not at all. Managers can control all company footers from a central dashboard. WiseStamp will help you comply with the current UK laws.

By setting a company-wide signature means that you can set up and control a standard company-wide signature.

In order to be safe, you should avoid future embarrassment by restricting employees who want to get creative with their email signatures.

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Standard lawyer email signature with disclaimer

Final thoughts

Don’t play around. Make sure that your company’s email signature complies with UK law. Turn your corporate e-mail signature into a marketing tool and prevent fines. Use it to promote your company’s social channels, a recent achievement, or shout about an exciting press release.

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Email signature marketing 101: build your brand & get leads https://www.wisestamp.com/blog/email-signature-marketing/ https://www.wisestamp.com/blog/email-signature-marketing/#respond Mon, 01 Nov 2021 06:44:00 +0000 https://wisestampprd.wpenginepowered.com/?p=18201 Your email signature is more than just signing off your name at the end of an email. If done right your email signature can...

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What’s on this page

Your email signature is more than just signing off your name at the end of an email. If done right your email signature can be made into a low-cost high-return marketing channel. Email signature marketing and email signature advertising can help you level up each email that you send and turn an otherwise regular interaction into a quality lead.

Let’s break down all you need to know about email signature marketing, including why it’s valuable, how to set it up, best practices, and more.

Click to Create the perfect email signature for your brand

email signature generator

What is email signature marketing?

Email signature marketing (ESM), or email signature advertising, is the practice of using your email signature for marketing purposes instead of just as a place to sign your name. You can use your email signature block to make a business offer by adding a CTA, like a button, a banner, or a text link. Some CTA examples can be, promoting a sale, job offer, scheduling a demo, initiating a video call, signing up for a newsletter, following you on social media, and running email signature marketing ads.

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Free company owner email signature template with designed banner

What are email signature marketing ads?

Email signature marketing ads are a CTA that is added to your business email signature block. ESM ads mostly come in the form of email signature banners. Running these ads lets you advertise your offers without adding an extra dime to your CPA. ESM ads provide more exposure to your marketing promotions. You can use the, to generate leads and prime prospects for conversion when next presented with the same offer through your other marketing channels.

Email signature marketing - WiseStamp ESM campaign manager - banner gallery

WiseStamp ESM campaign manager – designed banner gallery

Why should I use email signature marketing?

The quick answer is that it’s profitable. It costs you nearly nothing to set up this marketing channel and it serves as a constant running campaign that makes use of the activity you are doing anyhow. This makes it a low-cost high potential marketing channel, that helps you sell with every email you send, whether you attempt to or not.

You might be thinking that you have already focused your marketing campaign on so many different platforms, like social media, videos, your website, or through your email newsletter. Is adding marketing features to your email signature really worth the extra effort? Absolutely.

According to a survey, 62% of businesses are already using email signature marketing (ESM). So, if you don’t want to fall behind your competition, it’s a good time to get started. 

As I said before, setting up your ESM doesn’t take too many resources to create an email signature with marketing features, so it can be a potentially high-reward, low-risk, and low-cost effort on your part.

So, just how can you use ESM to bolster your campaigns and start generating more leads? Let’s take a look at a few ways you can implement it in your own emails.

A survey we gave our B2B clients showed that ESM campaigns yielded positive business implications. On average our clients had 22% more clicks, 32% more e mail replies, 10% growth in their social media reach, and 15% more leads.

benefits of email signature marketing - stats

Email signature marketing metrics KPIs

Email signature marketing makes use of your signature block as an ad placement for your company. And naturally, you would want to measure your ad or campaign performance. To do that you should apply the proper tracking and send the information to your respective analytics platform for measurement and analysis.

Main Email signature marketing metrics:

  1. Email signature impressions
  2. Email signature clicks
  3. Email signature click-through rate

You can create your own metrics based on your business needs, to measure your email signature campaign contribution. You can measure things such as Purchases, Demo signups, or Pageviews that were generated from your email signature.

1. Email signature impressions

This metric is usually provided by your email signature management platform. It is the representation of the number of people that viewed your email signatures across all company emails. I say “representation” because in practice your signature manager will simply count the number of times where the signature appeared in an email viewport (inside of the screen where it can be seen).

If you are using your email signature for branding and brand awareness, then the email signature impressions will be your most important metric. For a big company that sends out a lot of emails, signature impressions can be in the thousands per month.

Email signature impressions can also be used for internal company purposes. Many companies with a large chunk of their employees working remotely use this metric to assess the degree to which employees view their brand logo on a regular basis. This is very important since it’s a major contributor to employees’ brand identification, in an age where some people never see the inside of the company office.

2. Email signature clicks

The email signature clicks metric is fairly straightforward. We all know what clicks are. But an email signature block can pack a lot of links for its tiny space. It’s, therefore, crucial to measure each link or link type separately. If a single email signature block has links, emails, or clickable phone numbers for different business sections or departments, you should apply separate tracking for each.

For example, your signature can have a phone number to Sales, an email address to Support, and a Marketing banner leading to a landing page. Each of these should be measured separately for the sake of clarity and for the future use of the corresponding business department.

Email signature clicks are tracked and measured using a UTM string with the relevant Source and Medium.

3. Email signature click-through rate

Email signature CTR is calculated by dividing the number of clicks divided by the number of impressions recorded by your email signatures. This metric is usually provided by the email signature manager tool, but you can calculate it manually if needed, granted that you have the reliable impression and click data available.

Click to Create the perfect email signature for your brand

email signature generator

Email signature marketing campaign types

Email signature marketing campaigns are a subcategory of email marketing campaigns. In ESM campaigns add a CTA in the email signature block, thereby expanding the function of the email signature beyond simply providing contact information. ESM campaigns are most often used for brand awareness campaigns but are used for other diverse needs, from Support, Sales, HR, or running email signature marketing ads.

There are as many ESM campaign types as there are business goals. It would be wise to segment your company email signatures according to departments or groups that have unique goals. If you take anything away from this article it should be this: segment your email signatures and the campaigns they run.

For your convenience, we took the liberty of collecting the most common use cases for email signature marketing campaigns. These are the most common campaigns we see our clients use, on a regular basis. We split the campaign types into the respective departments that use them so that you can skip to what’s relevant to you.

Go through the campaign types below to find the best way your business could start applying email signature marketing. You may also like to see how these campaign CTAs work in WiseStamp.

Business departments that commonly use ESM campaigns:

Marketing campaigns

Offer sales and special deals

email signature marketing campaign for marketers - sales banner

Promote your social media

Email signature marketing campaign for social media growth - social buttons

Build your newsletter email list

signature marketing campaign example- newsletter signup

Grow your YouTube channel

email signature marketing campaign - youtube

Offer Black Friday discounts

Email signature marketing campaign - sale event CTA

Encourage product onboarding

sign up to product or service ESM campaign

Promote your webinars

signature marketing campaign example - webinar link

Grow your Instagram

ESM campaign - instagram

Sales campaigns

Sell directly from your signature

Sales ESM example - schedule a meeting button

Initiate Sales video calls

Email signature marketing campaign - sale event CTA

Schedule meetings (button)

signature marketing campaign example - schedule a meeting

Schedule meetings (banner)

Sale email signature marketing campaign - schedule a meeting banners

Brand awareness campaigns

Keep brand consistency in all emails

wisestamp consistency in every email

Show off your brand spirit

vcita cool GIF email signature example

Customer Support & Customer Success campaings

Ask for feedback or reviews

Support ESM campaign - give us feedback

Offer support

support campaign ESM

HR & legal department campaigns

Let people apply when you’re hiring

ESM HR campaign - job offer CTA

Add an email disclaimer

email signature marketing - legal campaign with email disclaimer

10 examples of email signature marketing campaigns

Email signature marketing can seem limited to many people starting off with this new marketing channel. But really it’s a diamond in the rough. With a bit of polish, you can turn this small but effective digital real estate into a lead-generation gem. You can get creative with links, icons, images, and other signature features and addons.

ESM campaigns are proven time after time to be a high-ROI marketing channel. And ESM campaign automation can make this even more valuable and less time-consuming.

WIseStamp Email signature marketing campaign manager - automated campaigns calendar app

WiseStamp Signature Manager – ESM campaign automation

If you’re just getting started with email signature marketing, these are some tried-and-true methods to increase engagement and capture new leads.

At the end of your “marketing signature“, add a link to a specific page that contributes most to your bottom line or another business goal. It can be your company’s home page, a landing page for a new product you want to promote, your most recent blog post, or even a link to your newest sale.

When you link to a page, be sure to use a convincing CTA to entice recipients to click on your link. To make sure you peak attention and create incentives, use a descriptive link text – something like “click to see our sales.” or “click here for 50% off all our online courses”.

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Beautiful email signature block for sales consultant with sales CTA

Adding social media icons or buttons is a non-intrusive way to get people to visit your social media channels where they can better engage with you and build a relationship.

Social icons are a way to load your marketing signature with more depth. It’s your opportunity to show more of what you do and what you offer. Adding social media icons will bring more people to your social channels where you have the possibility to create familiarity and trust through prolonged engagement. In time, this will help you increase brand awareness and bring you more clients.

Even if your goal is not sales but only to grow your social presence, then adding social links to your email signature will help you do that. Solely by being visible they could pull in your most loyal customers that are already on your mailing list. Think of it as another point of contact, like your phone number or email address.

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Minimalist consultant email signature template

3. Offer your e-commerce wares directly from your email signature

Adding some pretty images of your e-commerce store products in your email signature is an opportunity you shouldn’t pass up. This little email signature marketing trick makes every email you send a mini-product page with a selection of your online store inventory.

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ecommerce email signature with discount CTA links

It doesn’t matter whether you are a small local store or a huge multinational corporation, the people you most often email to are usually the most sales qualified.

This means a significant percentage of your email recipients are primed for making an impulse purchase of your wares. The links you add to the products in your email signature offer a very short route to completing an online purchase. Set this up right away to give yourself a high ROI marketing channel.

4. Get more people to download your Ebook

There’s no reason not to use your email signature marketing to push specific products. If you or your company have recently come out with an ebook, or any other digital and downloadable product, add it to your email signature.

This will help create more awareness around your digital product, help you reach more people, and also help cement your expertise in the topic your book is about. Add a direct link to download, and your signature is ready to go.

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author email signature with Order my book button-min

5. Softly and non-intrusively promote your new offers

Adding new promotions, offers, or sales to your email signature is a great way to promote a campaign without actually outwardly saying it.

Sometimes, mentioning it in the body of an email can come off too “salesy” and might actually turn some customers off. However, when placed in your signature, it seems like more of a supplement to your email.

The point of your email might have been to build a better relationship with your client, but by adding a link or banner to a promotion in your email signature, you’ve now accomplished more than just that. 

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criminal lawyer email signature example with call to action banner

6. Add a case study to show off your success

Case studies are a great way to demonstrate previous successes to potential clients. By adding a banner, link, or image that goes to a page of case studies, you’re showing each email recipient that you and your company can be trusted.

You can also do this with customer reviews and testimonials. If it’s short enough. You can add the testimonial, or part of it, to the signature itself. Otherwise, add a link and CTA that directs your recipient to a page containing your best case studies and testimonials. 

7. Add event details to spread the word

Hosting an event or conference? Spread the word by adding the details such as time, date, location, or a link to the invite to your email signature.

This is a great way to network and to allow your recipients the chance to attend an event and get to know you better. If you’re not hosting but you’re going to a highly-attended conference, make it known in your signature.

Add a line of text saying that you’ll be at a specific conference including the dates, and then encourage people to set a meeting with you if they’ll be there as well.

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DJ and sound engineer email signature with event banner-min

8. Let your users quickly book a demo

If you’re sending cold emails, meaning to recipients who haven’t necessarily agreed to be on your mailing list, then it can be tricky to know what to include in your message.

There’s a lot you want to say, like introducing yourself, your product or service, learning about them, and then schedule a call.

Make your message more digestible by focusing first on establishing a connection with your recipient, and add a link to schedule a demo or consultation in your signature.

You’ll still have all the information you need in your message, but it will come off less pushy.

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email signature marketing manager template with schedule a demo button

9. Add a video for stronger impact than just text

Email signatures don’t have to be entirely text-based. Sure, your basic details or links might be in text form, but you can also add images or videos to your signature.

An image of yourself is a great way to appear more professional, approachable, and trustworthy, especially when emailing a new client who may not know who you are.

Marketing videos make for great email signature marketing add-ons as well. You can add a small-sized video that introduces your company, a new launch, or provides a tutorial on how to use a specific product. 

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beautiful Contractor email signature sample with company logo and youtube thumbnail

10. Add a banner with seasonal a promo

Get into the festive mood by creating seasonal promotional banners that can be added to your signature. You can add a banner that promotes things like Black Friday or holiday gift specials.

This also adds an eye-catching aspect to your signature, so don’t be afraid to add other items here. You can make a banner for a giveaway, a coupon code, a free trial, an event, or so much more. 

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Digital marketing email signature with black friday banner

Is your company currently recruiting? Add it to your email signature! This can be a great way to reach a potential candidate for an open position, and your HR rep will surely appreciate the effort.

Not only that but if you’re emailing clients, it’s a great way to let them know that your company is growing and successful without explicitly spelling it out for them. 

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Email signature marketing HR hiring CTA email footer template

Best practices for email signature marketing

While there are endless additions you can make to your email signature to increase your marketing efforts, there are some key things to keep in mind in order to make the most of it. But before we get into that, let’s cover the basic information you should include at the start, before you optimize your signature for marketing.

What should an email signature for marketing include?

  1. Employee name
  2. Employee title
  3. Company name
  4. Company logo
  5. Company website address
  6. Employee email address
  7. Social media icons (linking to company social media pages)
  8. CTA

1) Optimize your email signature CTA:

Even having a CTA in your email signature puts you ahead of most companies. But beyond directing the recipient to take the action you desire there is still work to be done.

How to optimize email signature CTA?

  • Track your CTR using UTMs
  • Make sure you’re message is clear and concise
  • Segment your CTA message and goal according to the employee job post (Sales – “Book a demo”, HR – “We’re hiring! Apply now”, Support – “Contact us 24/7”, etc.)
  • Use Voice of Customer in your micro-copy
  • Experiment with different types of CTA (button, text link, banner, video, image gallery, video conference button, etc.), to see which generates more clicks
  • Experiment with CTA variations (copy, look, placement, etc.) to see which brings the most clicks

2) Stay true to your brand:

If your brand often uses a minimalist design and a specific color scheme, make sure any additions to your signature reflect this. A huge, flashing colorful banner might look strange in this scenario, so always tailor any additions to your brand.

3) Keep it simple:

There are a lot of different ways you can use marketing in your email signature, but that doesn’t mean you should be using them all! Stay simple in your design not to overwhelm your recipient and focus on what’s most important.

4) Ensure your signature is responsive:

You put a lot of effort into your email signature, so you want it to function well and look good across all screens. Runs some tests just to be sure before sending your message.

5) A/B test your signature:

You A/B test subject lines and messages, so why not the signature as well? See what works better with your audience, and if you need to, tailor certain signatures to a specific segmented list to maximize results. 

6) Update your signature regularly:

Whether for seasonal sales, special events, or announcements, it’s a good idea to keep your signature fresh. Of course, don’t do it too often to maintain a sense of uniformity, but changing it once in a while is a good practice.

7) Use these techniques internally too!

These email signature marketing ideas aren’t only for clients but can work well when emailing coworkers as well. You can add reminders of company events, targets, or updates in your signature to keep everyone on the same page.

8) Segment your email signature marketing campaigns

You can make as many signatures as you have departments. Each department in your company has its own goals and KPIs, which means each would benefit from an ESM campaign that’s tailored to their specific needs. It may require a bit more work but it’s worth it.

If you’re using WIseStamp to manage your company email signatures you can save time and reduce your workload by assigning admin permission to team leaders or department heads so they can edit and manage their department signatures on their own.

Top email signature marketing software

You might be thinking that all the ideas for links, icons, or banners for your email signature seem great. But how do you actually put them into practice?

Well, you can craft images, banners, color schemes, and designs on your own. But unless you’re a graphic designer, this is time-consuming and probably won’t yield the best results.

That’s where we can Wisestamp can help you. WIseStamp is an easy-to-use email signature manager, which you can use to create personalized professional email signatures in just a few minutes, and deploy them in your private email or across the emails of thousands of employees.

Over 1 million professionals and 4000 companies are already using the WiseStmap email signature maker to market their business to generate leads. You may want to try the WiseStamp Signature Manager to see if it could work for you.

How set up your email signature marketing campaigns in minutes

Use WiseStamp to set automated email signature marketing campaigns for every email your business sends out.

Choose from dozens of social media icons, set your own color scheme, select fonts, and easily add images all from one place. You also get tons of add-ons that let you create a complete email signature for marketing with custom buttons, banners, video thumbnail, Instagram gallery, handwritten sign-off, an email disclaimer, and more.

Bonus tip: add a handwritten signature for an extra touch

A little bonus we’ve seen a lot of people use is a personal handwritten signature sign-off. Many WiseStamp users use our hand signature maker to add a cursive sign-off to their email signature block. This brings a more personal feel to their email signatures. Which improves trust and conversion.

If you’re creating an email signature not just for yourself but for your entire company, you can actually assign a cursive hand signature for each employee automatically! (which WiseStamp generates based on the employee name).

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professional gmail signature template for business with recruiting CTA and GIF sign off

How does this help your marketing strategy? Well, it’s a subtle reminder that the person behind the message is real. By evoking the sense of signing off on a document in an email, you can create a more firm connection by coming across as professional, authentic, and trustworthy. That’s always helpful when you’re adding other marketing elements to the rest of your email.

Final thoughts

Implementing new email signature marketing techniques is relatively simple and can be done with minimal effort, especially when you use simple signature tools like Wisestamp.

Update your signature from a basic name and phone number to a personalized, dynamic signature complete with marketing elements to see how it can positively impact your business.

The post Email signature marketing 101: build your brand & get leads appeared first on WiseStamp.

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Best signatures by famous businessmen (breakdown & tips) https://www.wisestamp.com/blog/best-hand-signatures/ https://www.wisestamp.com/blog/best-hand-signatures/#respond Tue, 28 Jul 2020 10:10:32 +0000 https://wisestampprd.wpenginepowered.com/blog/?p=11873 Create a powerful and appealing personal signature based on hand signatures by successful businessmen, famous entrepreneurs, and rich people. See how

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The best hand signatures convey authority, efficiency, and creativity. Many people will associate these properties with the person who made the signature. Anyone can develop a powerful signature based on hand signatures by successful businessmen, famous entrepreneurs, and rich people.

This article will show you how.

Famous Entrepreneur's Handwritten signature

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
measuring the angle for the perfect hand signature dimensions

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.
Legibility for best signature

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
practicing embellishments for a beautiful hand signature

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

Steve jobs hand signature


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

Steve Wozniak signature

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-signature-6d8702b0a29cdefd60b03c5ede32840f725a63892cee04f45fee4cd78b350a9a

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

David Packard signature

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

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 signature

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

Michael-Dell signature

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

Brian Krzanich signature

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 signature

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

Sergey Brin signature

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 signature

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 signature

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

Jack Dorsey signature

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

Kevin J. Kennedy signature

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

Mark Zuckerberg Signature

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.

best digital signature

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.

wet digital signature

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.

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personal email signature for academics with a hand written sign off

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.
best email signature example by maria stanley

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.

the evolution of signatures

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. 

cave and water

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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How to add gender pronouns in email signatures https://www.wisestamp.com/blog/gender-pronouns-email-signature/ https://www.wisestamp.com/blog/gender-pronouns-email-signature/#respond Sun, 28 Jun 2020 08:16:38 +0000 https://wisestampprd.wpenginepowered.com/blog/?p=11629 The post How to add gender pronouns in email signatures appeared first on WiseStamp.

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Adding pronouns in your email can give people the confidence and clarity to address you like you would like to be addressed. Email signature gender pronouns in practice is simply another line in your signature that you can add besides your name, job title, and contact details.

You don’t need to add anything over-complicated or explanatory, just a simple addition of your pronouns will be enough for others to know how to address you in future email communications. 

You can use these common formats:

  • My pronouns are: She/her/hers
  • My pronouns: she, her, hers and they, them, theirs
  • Pronouns: he, him, his
  • (they, them, theirs)

For example:

Sharron O’connor
Biology Teacher at Fuse School
Pronouns: she, her, hers
Phone: 858.534.2230
Email: sharron.oconnor@fuse.edu

Adding pronouns in email signature (examples)

With WiseStamp’s email signature generator, you can easily create a beautiful email signature that includes your email pronouns and all your professional and contact information, like your phone number, address, social links, and your picture.

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gender pronoun email signature example
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gender pronouns email signature example - female
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gender pronoun email signature with LGBT banner
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adding pronouns to email signature

Should I include gender pronouns in my email signature?

The short answer is: yes. If you’re here asking this question, then you care about which pronouns people use to address you. If you care, then you should act. Let people know how they should address you. They may not even know it’s an issue, so it’s your responsibility to inform them, for the benefit of both sides.

Taking action in this way will lay down the road for empathic communication. It will remove your email recipients’ uncertainty about how to address you, and it will contribute to your emotional wellbeing. So the question is really, “why shouldn’t you include gender pronouns in my email signature?”.

The answer to “why not?” is that some people may see pronouns as a nuisance, and others may associate you with certain political views or liberal values. This may antagonize some people. But when all is said and done, you don’t have to take this into account; remember, your responsibility is toward your own wellbeing.

Adding pronouns to email signature

Follow the steps below to create a great looking email signature with pronouns in less than 5 minutes.

  1. Open the WIseStamp email signature generator
  2. Add your personal details and upload your image
  3. Click “Add more” to create a custom title
Create custom title to add gender pronouns to email signature
  1. Add “My pronouns” as your title
  2. Add your pronouns in the text field on the right > Click the green V to add your pronouns to your signature
  3. Click the green button titled “Update signature” (or “OK, I’m done” if this is the first signature you’re making with WiseStamp).
Create your gender pronouns email signature
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gender pronouns email signature example - female

This pronouns email signature took me 2 minutes to set up

Why add pronouns to email signature?

Think of it this way: even if it doesn’t matter to you, it matters to someone. You never know the impact your words and action can have on others, and what business opportunities it can lead to.

Aside from their email signature, Max also added their pronouns to their LinkedIn profile next to their name and encouraged their clients to do the same. One of their clients added “he/him” to his LinkedIn profile, and shortly thereafter, a university reached out to him to inquire about internship placements at his company.

The university was looking for a placement for a transgendered student and though his company would be a good and safe fit. 

A real life examples of using gender pronouns to email signature

Max Masure’s email signature with a link to an article about adding pronouns to email signatures

Something as small as adding a few words to your email signature or LinkedIn profile can have a huge impact on your business. Both your clients and potential candidates will know that your business strives for inclusivity and is open-minded when it comes to learning new things about gender equality.

Again, even is misgendering or stating pronouns is not something you’re concerned about for yourself, it can be important to the recipient of your email. You won’t be seen as a “bad” or non-inclusive company if you don’t add pronouns in your emails.

However, adding them will simply give your business a small edge. Not only does it cost you no money and take almost no effort, but your brand will be seen by others as more inclusive, diverse, and approachable.

What are my gender pronouns?

As for your own gender pronouns, well, that depends on you! If you identify as cisgendered and use the pronouns for your sex assigned at birth, then you’re pretty lucky to not have to feel the burden of explaining your pronouns to others with every encounter. 

It’s important to remember that not everyone feels this way, though, so the small act of asking someone their gender pronouns can go a long way in helping them feel more included.

3 most common email signature pronouns

There are actually dozens of different sets of gender pronouns someone might use. Still, the three traditional ones remain the most common:

  • He/him/his: used for someone who says they identify as male or masculine.
  • She/her/hers: used for someone who says they identify as female or feminine.
  • They/them/theirs: used for someone who doesn’t particularly identify with neither female nor male pronouns. These pronouns are generally regarded as gender-neutral and are used in the singular form.

Aside from these three common sets of pronouns, there’s a whole slew of other ones that people who fall anywhere on the spectrum of gender might choose to use for themselves.


Email signature gender pronouns chart

___ laughed.Ask ______!That’s ____ pen.That pen’s ____.Did ___ enjoy ___?
hehimhishishimself
sheherherhersherself
theythemtheirtheirsthemself
A non-exhaustive list of gender pronouns from UC Davis.

You don’t need to worry about learning all of these as you’ll likely only need to use them if you identify with any specific pronoun in the list.

How to introduce yourself using gender pronouns?

Family parking

Introducing yourself with your pronouns doesn’t have to be very complicated. In a business setting, when you sit down for a meeting with someone new or if you’re at a conference, then you’d likely already find yourself introducing yourself by name and maybe even your position in your company. Adding your pronouns is just one extra step when you introduce yourself.

If you don’t want to vocalize your pronouns, some businesses have found interactive ways to communicate them using name tags or buttons. Under your name on a “Hello, my name is” sticker, you can add your pronouns and encourage others in your business to do the same.

What if someone doesn’t have their pronouns visible and they don’t mention anything? Most of the time, people won’t mention their pronouns, though it is becoming more common. The best rule of thumb is simply to use the person’s name where possible. 

If you need to use a pronoun, don’t worry too much about misgendering them. It’s ok to make a mistake and the person will probably correct you. If you’re new to this whole concept, then you might make some slip-ups even after being corrected. It’s not the end of the world, but you should apologize and make an effort to use the right pronouns in the future.

Gender pronouns in email signature etiquette in business and at work

When you’re dealing with another person in a business setting, it’s important to take care that you are addressing them properly.

The last thing you’d want to do is unintentionally offend potential clients or business partners. It’s easier to ask someone in person about their pronouns, but it’s also possible to do this respectfully over email calls for email etiquette.

If you’ve never heard someone state “my pronouns are…” then you might find yourself a little confused at the distinction when it’s made online. 

Nowadays, it’s generally accepted that some people may not identify with the pronouns they were given at birth and prefer to be identified in a different way. Let’s look at the different gender pronouns you can use in your email signature.

What does it mean when someone says “my pronouns are?”

There are countless different reasons why someone may not identify with the gender they were born with. At the end of the day, though, the specific reasons or feelings being someone else’s gender aren’t really of your concern as a business owner or representative of a business. 

Of course, if the person you’re speaking to is a friend or a close work colleague and they are open to discussing it, you can ask to learn more about their personal reasons or experience. Still, using someone’s gender pronouns shouldn’t be something that is contingent on having “the full picture.” It’s a sign of respect, understanding, and inclusivity, and can also greatly impact how your business is perceived by others.

When someone tells you “my pronouns are…” then they are signaling that this is the gender they want to be addressed as moving forward in all forms of communication. The gender they tell you might not be the same as their appearance if they look typically female or male, but it’s important that you listen to what each person tells you as opposed to your assumptions based on physical traits like how they dress or style their hair.

Gender pronouns aren’t only for transgendered or non-binary people, but they can be applied to cisgendered people as well. Essentially, stating your gender pronouns in emails or in professional settings simply normalizes the conversations surrounding gender and identity.

Glossary of terms

It’s important to have a well-rounded understanding of the language that surrounds this topic. Here are a few terms and their definitions you might find helpful in understanding this discussion:

  • Cisgender: an individual who identifies with and gender that corresponds to the sex they were born with.
  • Non-binary: an individual who doesn’t identify as male or female to categorize their gender. If you’re still unsure about this term or how to relate to it, try and research and learn more about gender non-binary individuals and their experiences.
  • Transgender: An individual who expresses their gender and identifies themselves as something other than the sex they were born with.
  • Preferred pronouns: the pronouns that an individual would like to be addressed as. However, recently, there some debate about using the term “preferred pronouns” since it implies that these pronouns are a preference instead of something that must be used.

Should I include pronouns in my company email signature?

It’s one thing to add your pronouns to your own signature, but if you’re a part of a company, it could be more difficult to convince all the employees to follow suit. If you’re looking for ways to convince your coworkers to also add their pronouns to their emails, there are a few strategies you can use:

  1. First, speak with your HR representative and explain why you believe it’s important to add pronouns to your business emails. 
  2. If you are in a management position, let your team know that it’s ok if they want to start adding their pronouns to their email signatures.
  3. Try not to make this a forced change, as then you might be more likely to receive pushback. Instead, let your staff know that it’s a suggestion, but it’s not mandatory. As more and more employees begin to add their own pronouns in professional email signatures, it’s possible that others will jump on board as well.
  4. Have conversations with coworkers about why getting someone’s pronouns correct is important to your business, and how misgendering someone can actually negatively impact your business or the perception of your brand.

Bottom Line

Chances are you’ll encounter someone through your business who is gender non-binary. Even if you don’t encounter them through your work, you can still meet them in social settings, and the same pronoun rules would apply. In fact, 1 out of 5 Americans personally know someone who goes by specific gender pronouns.

If you think about it, you probably email dozens of people each day. Some of them may be coworkers you’re familiar with and you know how to address them. Some of them may also be clients you’re already comfortable with. And some of them may be new business associates, clients, or even new employees and you will have to be comfortable learning their gender pronouns.

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How to create the best email footers: tips & examples (Updated) https://www.wisestamp.com/blog/email-footer/ Sun, 15 Mar 2020 04:31:04 +0000 https://wisestampprd.wpenginepowered.com/blog/?p=10690 Email footers: an overlooked boost to your email marketing efforts When it comes to your business emails, you want to make your Email footer...

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What’s on this page

Email footers: an overlooked boost to your email marketing efforts

When it comes to your business emails, you want to make your Email footer and general design look as professional as possible. You are probably used to the basics: addressing the client’s name, personalizing the content, and signing off by thanking them (see our full list of email sign-offs) and our arsenal of email signature examples.

You may even have a classy signature with tons of contact information added to the end. However, if you’re not utilizing email footers, then you’re missing out on maximizing each email opportunity.

Email footers often get overlooked by the recipient. They’re perceived as “the fine print” that nobody reads or considers when reading an email. However, more often than not, email footers are crucial to growing and they can also protect your business.

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Chief Executive Officer email signature sample with email disclaimer

There are many different types of email footers you can implement. Some of them will help you market your company, and promote your brand, and some of them are helpful to have in order to make your emails legally compliant.

In this article, we’ll look at why email footers are important for your small business, and what types of email footers you should consider using along with some examples.

Why are email footers so valuable?

Like any piece of content you add to your emails, a footer only helps cement the professionalism of your brand. There’s certain information that seems obvious to include when you sign off on an email, such as your name, contact details, and company address or website. Email footers generally go beyond that point and add more specific information that is helpful to both the recipient and your business.

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signature GIF banner with CTA

When it comes to email footers, a little goes a long way in terms of value-added for your client. These short signature disclaimers or additional bits of information can protect your business as well as your client, so adding them to each and every email you send is a no-brainer.

What kinds of Email Footers should you include in your emails?

Well, that depends. Your email footers should still make sense with your business and your brand. While there are a few that can (and should) be included for all types of businesses, some of them can be more tailored to different industries.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common types of email footers, why they’re used, and how to craft them.

Legal and confidentiality disclaimers are important pieces of information to add to your emails and are typically used to protect the confidentiality of the details in the email as well as the identity of the intended recipient. Imagine you accidentally send an email including billing information to the wrong client. This can land you in legal trouble, however, by adding a confidentiality disclaimer to your email, you’ve added an extra layer of protection to your business.

It might be in your best interest to consult with a lawyer to discuss the exact legal verbiage and information you should include that makes sense for your business.

According to a law firm, this is a good example of a legal disclaimer that can work for your business:

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confidenciality disclaimer for email signature sample-min

The information transmitted by this email is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed. This email may contain proprietary, business-confidential, and/or privileged material. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, be aware that any use, review, retransmission, distribution, reproduction, or any action taken in reliance upon this message is strictly prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from all computers.

GDPR compliant footers

This is an important one that is relevant to all types of businesses. Just in case you weren’t aware, the General Data Protection Regulation is a regulation established to protect user data and privacy in the European Union and in the European Economic Area. Even if you’re business is based outside of the EU, you can still be affected by GDPR regulations if your emails land in the inboxes of EU clients.

Since the GDPR laws passed, adding a disclaimer to your email is definitely a necessity. These disclaimers have three functions: they protect your business, they create an extra layer of trust between you and your client, and they help you conform to industry standards.

Example of GDPR Compliant Footers
Example of GDPR Compliant Footers

The GDPR disclaimer should be used in the event that you collect any type of customer data that can be interpreted as personal or confidential and that can potentially identify an individual person. Therefore, if your clients ever fill out a web form with details such as their name, address, or email address, this data is considered personal and needs to be protected.

In order to inform your clients that your business is GDPR compliant, the most common way to do so is by adding a disclaimer to each email. You should also be adding the details to your company’s Privacy Policy.

The GDPR email footer might look something like this:

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[Company Name] is compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU) 2016/679. We are committed to guaranteeing the security and protection of the private information that we process. To understand more about how we collect, store, and process your personal information in compliance with GDPR, please take a look at our privacy policy. 

Security or virus disclaimer

If you usually send a lot of links or attachments in your email, this is an important email footer to include. You don’t want to hold your company liable for any unknown viruses or malware that might be lurking in any of your emails. 

Consider adding a brief email footer that warns the recipient of the (small) but potential threat of viruses being transmitted via email. Consider phrasing it like this:


This email may contain viruses that could infect your computer. We strongly recommend using a malware scanner to check the contents of this email and its attachments, if there are any. Since emails can be lost, intercepted, or corrupted, [name of your company] accepts no liability for damages caused by viruses transmitted via this email.

What are green Email footers?

There was a time when people would print out email messages to serve as reminders or to use in meetings. However, nowadays we tend to print a lot less and it’s not as common for people to print out their emails. 

Green Email Footers
Example of a Green Email Footers

That being said, adding an environmentally conscious email disclaimer is still a good move. These email footers show your client that you committed to being a more environmentally friendly business, and also serve as a small reminder to help reduce paper consumption for those few people who might still consider printing out an email.

Short answer

Examples of green email footers?

These types of email disclaimers can be short, sweet, and to the point. Here are some examples of green email footers you might want to consider using:

  • Stop! If you care about the environment like we do, then please reconsider printing out this email.
  • Thank you for not printing this email!
  • Save a tree. Don’t print.

If you don’t want to mention printing emails, there are other ways you can be eco-friendly as well. You can choose to include an environmentally-themed quote in your green email footer or share a short eco-friendly tip.

Add social media buttons to your email signature as part of your footer

Add some buttons that link to your social channels from your email footer in order to encourage your clients to engage with you on social media.

Depending on your business, you can tailor these buttons according to your brand’s needs. Do you want more clients to like your Facebook Page? Or do you want more people to see your Instagram posts? Maybe you want to connect with potential clients on LinkedIn. When it comes to SMM, the possibilities are endless. 


email signature with social media icons
Social Media Buttons

You want to choose wisely, though. Adding too many social links to your signature or email footer can be overwhelming. The result is that the recipient won’t click on anything. Instead, focus on a few social channels, I recommend selecting one to four and adding icons for those.

If your business uses a lot of visual elements, you can also add the latest posts from your Instagram feed to your email footer. This can help clients see new products you’ve posted about and get a better sense of your brand. 

Here are some tips on how to add social media buttons to your email footer

  • Use clickable icons instead of longer links.
  • Don’t link to accounts that aren’t regularly maintained.
  • Use this as an opportunity to connect with your clients outside of an email or strictly professional setting.
  • Add social media icons either to your email signature or to your email footer just below the signature.
example of a signature stamp

Unsubscribe footer links

As a business, it’s always a little bit of a heartbreak to see a customer unsubscribe from your mailing list. However, do you know what’s even more frustrating? Searching high and low for an unsubscribe button.

Though you might not like it, adding an unsubscribe form to your emails is crucial. Not only is it helpful for clients who no longer wish to receive your emails, but it is also considered to be important for GDPR compliance.

If you’re sad to see a client go, look at it this way: the recipient who unsubscribed likely already wasn’t interacting much with your emails. Now, you may have one less client on your mailing list, but your mailing list has become more streamlined in that you know that the clients who are receiving your emails truly want to receive them.

An unsubscribe link in your email footer is especially important if you’re sending out newsletters. They’re not always relevant to personal interactions between you and a client.

Short answer

Examples of unsubscribe footers?

  • We’re sad to see you go! If you no longer wish to receive our emails, please unsubscribe here.
  • You have received this email by subscribing to our newsletter. If you no longer want to receive these types of emails, you can always unsubscribe from our mailing list.
  • Thank you for subscribing to [Your Company’s Name]’s newsletter. We strive to deliver quality information to all of our recipients. If you decide that you no longer want to receive emails from us, please click here to unsubscribe.

Marketing Email Footers

There are so many other types of email footers that you can implement. Footers are also a great place to sneak in some email marketing in personal emails.

You can use your email footers to promote things like sales, new product launches, a new blog post, an event, or simply visit your website. You can do this by adding things like banners with CTAs that pique curiosity and encourage them to get more information about whatever it is you are trying to promote.

email signatures with social icon add

For example, if you’re contacting a potential client to answer a question about your business’s services, it would be a good idea to add a banner with a CTA that promotes signing up for your service. 

Don’t Know Where to Begin? Use WiseStamp

We know it can be overwhelming to create an email footer that encompasses all your needs. That’s why we’ve created a free email signature generator service where you can easily include all the elements you want in your email footer in just a few simple clicks.

Once you’ve created your new personalized signature, you can take the customization options even further by including specific email footers. 

WiseStamp goes a step further by offering you customized email footers based on your industry’s needs. There are plenty of predesigned banners for different businesses, such as real estate, photography, accounting, law offices, and more.  Take a look at all the options that WiseStamp offers for email footers:

disclaimer explanation

Create a branded Email footer using WiseStamp

email signature generator

Email Footers shouldn’t have to be confusing

There’s no reason to be afraid of using email footers and disclaimers. When used correctly, email disclaimers can only enhance every email you send and strengthen the relationship between you and your client. 

While you can research and write all your own disclaimers, figure out how to add social media buttons and design your own graphic banners, why go the complicated route?

WiseStamp makes it easy to add all these customizable elements in just a few minutes, saving you time, and money, and putting your mind at ease. 

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How to create the perfect CEO email signature https://www.wisestamp.com/blog/how-to-create-the-perfect-ceo-email-signature/ https://www.wisestamp.com/blog/how-to-create-the-perfect-ceo-email-signature/#respond Wed, 17 Apr 2019 12:26:19 +0000 http://wisestamp.com/blog/?p=3041 The post How to create the perfect CEO email signature appeared first on WiseStamp.

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Whether you are the head of a growing multinational or running your own small startup from your spare room, you need a proper CEO email signature. That is because as CEO you must position yourself as the head honcho of a business that is going places and there’s very little wiggle room when it comes to your branding – it must be powerful, it must be consistent, and it must be maximized across all channels of communication – including email.

You must position yourself as the head honcho… your email signature must be powerful, consistent and maximize across all channels.

Here at WiseStamp, we see hundreds of thousands of email signatures, so we’ve seen professional email signature examples that really maximize that blank space at the bottom of an email, and we’ve also seen email signatures that are somewhat less effective.

What does your email signature need to do for you as CEO

A good place to start is to think about what your email signature will do for you and how it’s going to look on Gmail or Outlook.

Your email signature is what every one of your recipients will see before closing your email message. Last impressions make for lasting impressions, so take time to put thought into your signature content and design.

Most of us would put thought into the best sign off to use to end an email, because it’s the closest thing we have to an “email goodbye”. In much the same way, your signature is the closest thing to giving your business card just before you turn to leave.

Your email signature can also function as a low cost marketing channel. This is done by adding some form of call to action to your email signature to help people get on track from prospect to customer. Many people and organizations get significant business through email signature marketing, simply by creating email signatures that convert.

The perfect email signature will tick these boxes:

  • Make it easy for people to reach you
  • Make it clear who you are
  • Make it clear what your company does
  • Be memorable
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correct recipient email disclaimer - signature templat

Made with WiseStamp

What should a perfect CEO email signature include?

An effective CEO email signature will always contain the following:

  • All your basic personal information- including your name, your position, and contact details
  • All your company’s basic information- your company website, company blog, physical address if relevant
  • Company’s social media channels. Your email signature is a great place to promote them.
  • Your photo, or company logo – a logo is a great way to show off your company branding, but a photo is an effective way to increase email open rates and build a connection with your email contacts. See which one works for you.
  • The same branding as other employees at your company. Having consistent branding across all employee emails shows your company means business. You can set this up in seconds with the WiseStamp email signature manager.

What should you never include in a CEO email signature?

  • Too many links – too many links can make your signature look over-crowded and unprofessional. Your email signature reflects your company, so keep it streamlined.
  • A wacky quote – Feel free to go creative with your signature, but it might be best to keep anything too out-there for personal emails.
  • An inappropriate photo – Make sure any photo you include lives up to your professional reputation.
Do and don't in email signature

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:

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Why you need multiple email signatures https://www.wisestamp.com/blog/why-you-need-multiple-versions-of-your-email-signature/ https://www.wisestamp.com/blog/why-you-need-multiple-versions-of-your-email-signature/#respond Mon, 05 Nov 2018 14:38:00 +0000 https://wisestampprd.wpenginepowered.com/blog/?p=9340 If you’re considering whether or not you need a professional email signature – let me surprise you and say you probably need more than...

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If you’re considering whether or not you need a professional email signature – let me surprise you and say you probably need more than just one. Here’s why: We all change our language and tone based on who we’re emailing and why – and your signature shouldn’t be any different.

If you are a freelancer, self-employed professional, small business owner, or entrepreneur, there are many different ‘yous’ that take part in your day-to-day. Likewise, you are also emailing with different types of contacts all the time: new leads, existing customers, partners, and many more.

You might be doing it with full intent or subconsciously – but you are using different tones to give yourself the best chance of winning your next task. And your email signature should represent that. Here are a few tips on how you can change your signature based on your specific email agenda.  

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grad student email signature template with CV

1. Marketing email signature

You can drive better email conversions with email signature marketing. This simply means arming your email signature with the marketing arsenal needed to generate conversions.

Practically this means adding a banner, a video, social media links, a CTA button, etc., and customizing the call-to-action. Update it as often as needed! See how the signature example below drives conversions with the “newsletter” call-to-action!

Whether you’re selling a product or providing a service, you are going for the almighty “conversion.” A conversion is when a prospect or customer takes the specific call-to-action that you directed them to. For example, “Join our newsletter,” “Register for our webinar,” “Download our app,” “Download our e-book.”

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sales email signature for head of marketing with Youtube thumbnail
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Digital marketing email signature with black friday banner
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Marketing expert email signature gif

2. Sales email signature

Turn your email signature into a mini-landing page with your sales offering.

Much like obtaining a new client, landing sales is what keeps us all in business. WiseStamp has made it easy to showcase your products while maintaining the feel of a professional email signature. You can use our Showcase my eBay/Etsy Store apps for immediate access to your recent products, with dazzling product pictures.

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ecommerce email signature with discount CTA links

We also recommend adding a banner image of your best-selling product. This will display as a large picture under your signature, and can be hyperlinked directly to your e-store, product page, checkout page, or wherever in the sales funnel you prefer.

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Email signature example with Amazon sales banner-min
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email signature design with enticing sales offer in the signature block

3. Branded signature

Keep yourself or your company top of mind and get reviews.

After the sale has been made, we all need to make sure to maintain our relationship with clients and to make sure they feel they’re getting the level of service they deserve.

During your nurture campaign, Customer Success, and Customer Support communication you can keep your brand top of mind with a beautiful branded email signature.

You can also make sure to leverage the good experience you provide your customers by asking them to rate or give us feedback. This will maintain professionalism not only in your email signature but in your level of support as well.

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ask for reviews from email signature 2

4. Support email signature

The first rule of customer support is making it as easy as possible for your clients to contact you. The second rule is creating trust. A support email signature does both elegantly for you.

It should have your headshot image to let the client feel they are speaking to a person and not an organization, or god forbid an automated system.

It should also have all the necessary information to contact you or your team in their preferred channel (phone, email, contact form, chat, etc.). You’d want to include a clickable phone number, your website link, an icon leading to your chat app, your email address and of course a big and clear “contact us” banner. You can provide all this easily with our email signature manager.

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customer support banner email signature example-min

5. Job hunting email signature

Make a professional impression during your job application process.

We’ve all been there, sending out emails with portfolios and convincing letters as to why we should be the chosen one. No matter the position or line of work, you always want your email to stand out, and your WiseStamp email signature will help you do that.  

If your work is visual, use the Instagram app to showcase your latest content. You can also choose from a variety of LinkedIn badges so that the hiring manager can check out your profile with a click! The signature example below uses both the Instagram app and LinkedIn social icon, which is an ideal way to get hiring managers to explore more about you beyond your CV.

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simple email signature for Job seekers

6. Personal (non-work) email signature

After all, is said and done and your workday is over, there are always emails from friends and family to attend to. And when it comes to your personal network, you don’t want to wear your business “hat” (or your business signature). So, that’s why we recommend creating a “personal” signature.

This is a signature that can display what’s going on in your personal life, so you can connect your personal social media pages with the social icons so that your personal contacts can keep up with your day-to-day life even if they are not a direct part of it.

Final Thoughts

We all wear many different hats throughout our business day, and just like we don the proper apparel for each role, we should also dress our emails to correspond with the different hats. Whether it’s to pitch a sale or set up a meeting with an existing client, there is always a good reason to include a professional email signature that matches the tone of your email.

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