Email Signatures Exploring the Dos and Don’ts

Email marketers spend a lot of their time and efforts in designing the right email layout, including the most relevant content and testing it across multiple devices and platforms to enthral their email subscribers. The email signature is a low-cost and high-return marketing tool that has big selling possibilities but is often an underutilized section of emails.

“Whether you are sending a professional email, a promotional email, or a personal email, the email signature acts as your virtual business card.” 

It lets the recipient know more about you or your brand and has the potential to double the marketing opportunity by leaving a lasting impression on your subscribers. 

Just like normal signatures, your email signatures should be as personalized and unique as possible. When it comes to including them in your emails, there are a few parameters that make them more impactful and desirable and others that must be avoided at all costs. If you’re not sure about what works best in adding marketing value to your email signatures,

Here are a Few Dos and Don’ts to keep in mind.

DO keep it short and clear

The dwindling attention span of users in the digital age has made ease of access to information a necessity. It is, therefore, important to make your email signature concise and clear.

Limit it to a maximum of four lines with only the necessary information such as your name, title, company, and a reliable set of contact details. Avoid overstuffing your signature by listing every possible method of communication, as it can be a major turn off for your recipients. 

DON’T use too many/only images

Avoid using an image as your signature. Most email clients block or fail to load images. Hence, even if you want to include images in the form of logos or company banners, make sure to add an alt-text that clearly describes the image and serves the purpose, in case it fails to load.

DO make it social

A well-crafted email signature can be used as a tool to connect and drive your users to your social media channels. Include links to your active social media accounts and websites to give your users a complete sense of your presence and branding activities.

“Use only relevant and popular channels such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, etc. and make use of icons or images with embedded links to make them stand out” 

DON’T add too much information

As previously mentioned, four lines of clear information are enough to make an impact. Avoid adding too many phone numbers, email addresses, and other contact details or complex links to websites or social media networks.

Adding tons of information will not only ruin the look of the signature but also confuse your users. 

DO create an appealing design

Make your email signature stand out by making the design visually appealing. To design a good email signature that draws attention, add a bit of color to the text and use images to represent certain parts of information.

Use tables and dividers to organize and structure the important pieces of content such as your name, title and contact info to readily capture the attention of the users. You can simply use free HTML email templates and customize them as per your requirements.

DON’T be inconsistent in formatting

If your signature includes tables and images, make sure you format it well using HTML or an email signature template, so that it renders properly across all email clients. Inconsistent formatting can lead to your email looking distorted and different for various recipients. 

DO make it mobile-friendly

According to a study by Litmus, mobile remains the most popular reading environment for email users, and mobile opens an account for over 46% of all email opens.

Hence, your email signatures must be optimized to render well on mobile devices and tablets. Design the signature by keeping in mind the font and design considerations for mobile. Hire email template developers who can help you design and code responsive, mobile-friendly emails and signatures.

DON’T add irrelevant links and information

While it is important to have a call-to-action in your email signature, it is more important to be relevant and useful to the recipient. Adding long links or information that your users do not align with is a big no.

DO promote your content and events

The email signature is the perfect place for you to showcase your recent events, success stories, or promote content such as your latest blogs or upcoming webinars and podcasts. You can also use this space to promote offers and new products or showcase accreditations and achievements.

DON’T use multiple colors and fonts

Don’t go overboard with multiple colors and custom fonts to make your email signature look stylish. If you wish to experiment, limit the number of fonts and colors to not more than 2-3, in a way that looks appealing.

“Getting free HTML email templates that follow the right text to image ratio and best practices for email design can help you to get started.” 

On top of all these, a legal disclaimer is required for all your emails, as per the different laws and acts in different countries. For example, as per the CAN-SPAM Act, it is compulsory to add your physical business address to your email signature. While this is a mandate, make sure you do not make your disclaimer look too lengthy.

The best way to go about it is to consult with a legal representative and design your disclaimer in a way that it looks appealing while covering all the necessary information as per the guidelines.

Also, Read Instagram Based Email Marketing