Use Your Email Signature to Market Your Business

There are so many ways to spread the word about your home-based business. One common area that’s often overlooked is the signature area at the bottom of the emails you send every day. Let’s turn the tables for just a moment and think about the number of emails that you receive in a day. Ever notice the signatures in some of those messages? Some are so clever or intriguing that you just can’t help but click on the link to learn more.

Think of your email signature as your business calling card. It’s an opportunity to let everyone to contact know about the product or service you offer. Here are some tips to help you take full advantage of this unique and often overlooked marketing tool:

Identify Yourself

The recipients of your emails should be able to tell what you do just by reading the  signature at the end of your messages. Keep it short and sweet.  Your email signature should include the following information:

• Your Name
• Title (e.g. Virtual Assistant, Home Education Consultant, Jewelry Designer, Personal Trainer, etc.)
• Company Name
• Website
• Email
• Instant Messaging Details (optional)
• Phone Number (optional)
• Fax Number (optional)
• Links to Social Media Sites (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.)

Many business experts recommend keeping the signature to a maximum of four lines. You can include all of the information above within four lines by condensing the information onto fewer line using pipes (|), colons (::) or bullets (•) to separate text like this:

Miriam Abdul
Owner/Designer | Top Web Design USA
555-555-5555 | miriam@miriamabdul.com | http://www.websiteurl.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/twittername | LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/linkedinname

Add Hyperlinks

Whenever you are providing information on the Internet the rule of thumb is to make it as easy as possible for your contacts/customers to get what they need. Adding hyperlinks allows email recipients simply to click on a link that will take them straight to your website, blog, sales page or social media site. Some email programs make it easy to create hyperlinks, while others require you to insert html code manually. Be careful if you try to create a hyperlink by inserting html code.

Sometimes there are problems with the end result. Always test your signature by sending it to a couple of different emails so that you can see what your recipients will see. If you have problems with hyperlinks, providing website information in plain text is fine.

Keep It Simple

Simple is always best when it comes to email signatures. I’m sure you’ve received emails with busy, distracting logos and other graphics in the signature. In most cases it’s better to avoid this. In fact it can actually be the cause of emails winding up in your recipient’s spam folders never to be opened.

If you offer a creative product or service and really feel a signature with your logo or some other graphic is the best representation of your business, make sure to send out test emails to make sure your messages don’t wind up being routed to your spam folder, or consider using a professional email signature service like WiseStamp or My Live Signature for a more professional result.

Share Info About a Free Gift or Special Offer

This can really catch your recipient’s eye, after all who doesn’t like getting free gifts and discounts? Add a small blurb at the end of your signature that reads something like: “Grab your FREE ebook “30 Days to Flatter Abs” at xyz.com,” or “Get 15% Off Your Purchase when you visit xyz.com.” Hyperlink to your website if you can.

Muslimahs Working at Home was created to provide women with a financial alternative to earning an income outside of the home. Our objective is to share resources and tools needed to operate a successful, home-based business.

*Image: Google Images