Email signatures (a.k.a. sig lines) are powerful, low-cost,
high-return marketing
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(a virtual business card or ad) for your foundation or organization. What's
interesting is how seldom sig lines are used.
Consider
this: If your organization has 30 employees, each of whom sends 15 emails daily
outside the organization, then (assuming 250 business days) that's 112,500
business cards or ads distributed annually, at no cost. If you have 100
employees, that's 375,000 cards or ads annually.
What Is an
Email Signature?
In general,
your email signature is information automatically added as the last few lines of
your outgoing email to let people know who/where/what you are. Consider your sig
line as your online business card with "callback" abilities.
Here are a
few examples:
Carmen
Crinion Project Director Association of Small Foundations h: 301-907-3337 Fax:
301-907-0980
Susan
Michelson Brown
Director of Business Development
UCEDC
1085 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ 07083
Phone: 908.527.1166
Fax: 908.527.1207
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
NANCY
SCHWARTZ & COMPANY
973-762-0079
http://www.nancyschwartz.com
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Results-Driven Marketing & Communications
for Nonprofits & Foundations
Marian Sroge
Senior Associate, League Services
Association of Junior Leagues Intl. Inc
132 West 31 Street, 11th floor
New York, NY 10001
212.951.8380
800.955.3248
msroge@ajli.org
What a
Strong Email Signature Does for Your Organization
Making the
most of your sig lines, for yourself and every colleague in your organization,
is analogous to leaving your business cards -- but even more powerful.
Most
importantly, in this age when we're all inundated with too many emails, your
email signature is a clear signal to your recipient that the message is from you
and provides the context (e.g., job title, organization name, and web site) that
reminds that person who you are and enriches their understanding of your
message. That's a lot more than can quickly be deciphered from your email
address in the "from" field.
Beyond this
most basic benefit, your email signature is a business card or ad that alerts
the recipient to special news and enables them to have direct access to your web
site or send email back to you with the swift click of a mouse.
How a
Consistent Email Signature Style Benefits Your Organization
What's critical is that everyone in your organization uses the same sig line
format. Specifics such as name, title, email, and direct phone line obviously
will change. However, certain elements (organization name, web site address,
tagline) and the order of elements should be standard for all staff sig lines.
Sig line
consistency benefits your organization in the following ways:
Case Study
Here is an
example of a good email sig and a recommendation to make it even stronger. To
protect the innocent, I'll use a generic version of the sample I was analyzing
for this example.
Example (9
lines):
Name
Title Organization Name Street Address City, State, Zip Code Phone Fax Email
I recommend
cutting the street address (2 lines), line space, fax number, and email address
and adding the organization's web address.
Recommendation (5 lines):
Name Title
Organization Name Phone Organization Web Address (URL)
How to
Create an Effective Email Sig Line
First of
all, keep it brief. A general rule of thumb is that a good sig line is four-six
lines in length. Eight lines is the maximum length, but that is pushing it.
Remember, those to whom you email frequently see your email signature line again
and again.
Musts
include:
Optional
elements include:
Inclusion
of your email address is not recommended, since it's in the "from" field of the
email and gets forwarded with an email that's passed on. Best to drive audiences
to your web site for more contact information details such as your mailing
address and fax number. More Creative
Uses for Your Sig Line
A signature
line can be used much like a classified ad if you're trying to motivate clients
to use your services or register for your workshop. Add one line and/or a link.
Examples include:
Just make
sure to keep sig lines up to date.
Adding Your Sig Line to Your Emails
Once you've
decided on sig line content and format, you'll need to add it to your email
program. Remember to train all staff members in creating their sig line as per
organizational style and in adding it to the email program.
Check your
email program's HELP menu and search for signatures. You should be able to find
some information there about how to set one up on your program.
Nancy E.
Schwartz helps nonprofits succeed through effective marketing and
communications.
Subscribe to her free e-newsletter "Getting Attention," at
http://www.nancyschwartz.com/getting_attention.html and read her blog at
http://www.gettingattention.org for more insights, ideas and great tips on
attracting the attention your organization deserves.