How to Create a Professional Email Signature

Suppose your email signature only consists of your name and basic contact information. In that case, you may not be taking full advantage of the opportunity to engage with the recipients. Keep reading to learn more about creating a professional email signature that leaves a great lasting impression.

What to Include in a Professional Email Signature

When putting your email signature together, it’s good to have a list of the things that should go into it. Some of the main things you should consider including in your email signature are:

1 – Your Full Name

Just like when sending regular mail, your name should always be included in the signature of your email, so the recipient is sure whom they have received it from. Your name should be included in the email signature’s first line of text.

2 – Job Information

Once you’ve got your name in there, the next information to include is affiliation information, which might include your job title, the company or organisation you’re part of, and perhaps the department you work for. Providing this information gives you more context and your role in the conversation. Also, depending on whom you are emailing, being linked to a larger organisation or company in your email signature can give you more credulity and get your recipients’ attention.

3 – Further Contact Information

While the recipient of your email will have your email address, the email signature is an excellent place to include further contact information so that they have a range of options available to them when contacting you. For example, this could include your telephone number or your business address. Depending on your role and the kind of emails you are sending, the signature could also be a good opportunity to promote your personal website or LinkedIn profile.

4 – Call to Action

A smart move when creating your email signature is to include a call to action in it. The best CTAs in email signatures are up to date, in line with your email style, so they look natural and are not pushy. When writing a CTA, choose something that aligns with a current goal, and keep it updated when your goals change.

5 – Social Icons

Your social media presence is a key part of your brand, making it possible to gain a larger following in your industry and show people who you are and what you care about. You can tell a lot about a brand or an individual by looking at what they post on social media. Because of this, it’s a good idea to include links to social media pages in your email signature. This reinforces your brand, provides some social proof and gives your recipients different ways to get in touch with you. It can also help drive further traffic to your online content if you post links to blog posts, product pages, or landing pages on your social media profiles.

6 – Booking Links

If you are often emailing back and forth with clients or other people to book meetings, then adding a booking link to your email signature can be a smart move. This will make it easier for your clients, as they can click on the link and enter their details to make the booking, and free up your time as you’re not sending emails back and forth to get them booked in. There are many calendar tools out there that you can use to make booking appointments easier, with the option to copy and paste a link anywhere you like for people to click on, including in your email signature.

7 – Logo or Photo

If you want to add some interest to your email signature or add a personal touch so that recipients you haven’t met in person can put a face to your name, it might be worth adding a professional photograph. Or, if you want to drive more brand awareness with your emails, consider adding the company logo.

8 – Legal Requirements or Industry Disclaimer

Some industries will have specific guidelines on email etiquette and use to prevent the transmission of private information. Because of this, it might be worth looking into any industry regulations that can be added to your email signature as a disclaimer.

Email Signature Examples of Great Design

When designing your email signature, there are a few best practices to keep in mind. It’s a good idea to design the signature to emphasise your name, job title, and further contact information. Along with this, make sure that the signature design is mobile-friendly, high-quality, and has a good design hierarchy. Use simple, consistent colours so that the design is not too cluttered and is easy to read at a glance. To do this, you may consider using an email signature generator to keep best practices in place to design an ideal signature for you while ensuring high quality.

Why Are Good Email Signatures Important?

Whether you own a business, are an employee who often uses email as the main communication tool or are applying for jobs and want to make a professional impression on people, there are many reasons why a good email signature is essential. Not only does your email signature make an impression on the recipient, but it can also provide further information about who you are and why you are sending the message, which can be helpful if you’re emailing people with whom you have never spoken to.

What Do the Best Email Signatures Have in Common?

When creating the best email signature, there are a few main things that all good ones have in common. The main aim of your email signature should be to make it clear to the recipient whom they are getting a message from. It should include your full name, job title, and anything else relevant to your identity. Suppose you are sending emails from a company. In that case, it is worth providing further contact information for the company in the signature, such as the website address, business address, and contact telephone number. If you are emailing as an individual, consider adding further information about yourself, such as a link to your LinkedIn profile or other social media profiles.

What is the Benefit of Good Email Signatures?

An email signature can make all the difference regarding the impression you leave on others eith,er as an individual or company representative. The correct email signature can ensure that the emails you send appear professional and polished and that there is no confusion regarding who the message has been sent by and the purpose of it. Whether you are applying for jobs, reaching out to potential clients as a business owner, or communicating with co-workers, agencies, and other professionals in your field on behalf of your company, a well-designed, thoughtful email signature that includes all the necessary information will make all the difference when it comes to leaving a good impression and achieving the desired result from your communications.

How to Create Signatures for Emails

Most email service providers make it easy for you to quickly create a signature that can be added to all future emails. Once you have found the window for creating an email signature, you will usually be able to use a user-friendly editor that allows you to add text, change fonts and colours, insert logos and photographs, and add links. Alternatively, you can use an email signature generator tool to create your ideal signature and copy and paste it into the signature option in your email client before saving. Once saved, your signature will appear at the end of all future emails you send.

An email signature is a simple part of any email you send; however, when it contains the correct information and is well-designed, it can greatly impact the impression you make with your email messages.

9 Best Practices for Writing Great Email Signatures

Email signatures are more than just a formality; they’re an opportunity for branding, marketing, and making a lasting impression. A well-crafted email signature can serve as a powerful tool for a variety of business objectives. Below are nine best practices to help you create a professional email signature that stands out.

1. Include Essential Contact Details and Sender’s Contact Information

At the core of any professional email signature are the contact details. Your name, position, company, contact number, and mobile number are the bare minimum. This ensures that email recipients can easily reach you through multiple channels. Including the sender’s contact information is not just a courtesy; it’s a necessity.

2. Add Social Media Links and Icons

In today’s digital age, social media links and social media icons are a must-have in your email signature. This is a subtle form of email signature marketing that can boost your online presence and personal brand.

3. Incorporate a Call to Action (CTA) and Email Signature CTAs

A call to action (CTA) and email signature CTAs can turn your email signature from a simple sign-off into a powerful marketing tool. Whether it’s directing recipients to a sales landing page or asking them to subscribe to a newsletter, a well-placed CTA can drive engagement.

4. Ensure Mobile Responsiveness for Mobile Users

With the increasing number of mobile users, it’s crucial to design an email signature that looks good on mobile devices. A mobile-responsive design ensures that your signature will display as intended across various email clients.

5. Use Professional Email Signatures as Digital Business Cards

Think of your professional email signatures as digital business cards. Including all relevant content—such as your role, company, and contact information—makes it easier for recipients to remember you and your personal brand.

6. Keep it Simple but Eye-Catching with the Best Email Signature Examples

While it’s tempting to go all out, the best email signature examples are often simple and clean. An eye-catching email signature doesn’t have to be flashy; it just needs to contain all the essential elements in a neat and readable email signature format.

7. Add a Personal Image or Corporate Logo

A picture is worth a thousand words. Adding a personal image or corporate logo to your business email signature can make it more memorable. However, make sure the image is appropriately sized and formatted to appear correctly across various email clients.

8. Provide Multiple Ways to Contact You

Your business signature should offer more than one way for recipients to get in touch. Including multiple contact details, such as a mobile number and social media links, along with your Gmail account or professional email, provides convenience and fosters better communication.

9. Test Across Different Email Clients and Use a Signature Template

Before finalizing your company email signatures, it’s a good idea to test how they appear in different email clients. This ensures that your mail signatures, complete with social media icons and CTAs, appear as intended to all email recipients. Using a signature template can also help maintain consistency across all company email signatures.

By following these best practices, you’ll be well on your way to creating your own signature that is professional, effective, and eye-catching. Whether you’re using a free email signature generator, a signature template, or creating your own signature from scratch, these tips will help you make the most of this often-overlooked marketing tool.