Email signature marketing best practices

It might not surprise you to know that email is the most frequently-used medium in B2B communication.

In fact:

Every single day, around 125 billion business emails are exchanged globally.

And each one contains a golden marketing opportunity.

By maximising the marketing potential of your email signature, you can tell every one of your recipients exactly what you and your brand are all about.

There’s really no doubt about it:

Email signature marketing is a must.

But how to do it well?

Fret not!

The 12 tips below will guarantee email signature marketing success:

1 - Be consistent

As Xink puts it so succinctly, consistency is the first rule of branding.

Use a company-wide email signature template or policy to ensure everyone is singing from the same song sheet.

A consistent approach to email signature marketing reinforces brand identification and awareness.

And that can only be a good thing.

2 - But keep it varied

This might sound like a contradiction of terms after #1.

But what we mean by this is:

Consistency doesn’t have to mean carbon copy.

As long as you stick within the theme, you can vary your email signature depending on:

• The sender and their role
• Who your recipient is

Tailoring an email signature template for your colleagues and their role within the company will ensure everyone’s email signature is relevant to their recipients.

Your sales team could have one email signature template and the marketing department another, for example.

You could also employ a different email signature for internal comms rather than for emails sent out to clients or prospects.

This again ensures that the tone and message are always appropriate.

• Whether your email is a reply, forward or initial correspondence

Using a scaled-down signature for replies and forwards will save your recipients having to wade through a whole thread jam-packed with email signatures and lengthy disclaimers.

3 - Target your audience

Email signature marketing is just as valuable as any other B2B marketing campaign.

And therefore should be treated as such.

That being said:

You wouldn’t launch any other campaign without considering your audience.

So why do it with email signature marketing?

You need to consider their needs and pain points and tailor your email signature accordingly.

Don’t include any content which isn’t relevant to your recipients.

4 - Test

As with all things marketing:

Testing is of supreme importance.

Your email signature must be versatile, so you have to test its compatibility on a range of platforms and screen sizes.

This is due to the fact that different email clients might not display your email signature in the same way.

And not only that:

Your email signature will render differently depending on the device it’s being viewed on.

It’s also advisable to measure the results of your email signature marketing strategies.

That way you know what’s working and what’s not, and can adjust your campaign accordingly.

5 - Keep it neat and simple

An effective email signature is uncomplicated, well-ordered and legible.

This means:

• Sticking to only 1 or 2 fonts and font sizes
• And a max of 2 colours (preferably within your corporate colour palette)

Need help with designing a slick signature?

Tables and/or dividers are a helpful way to keep it looking tidy and well-aligned.

Remember:

Simplicity never goes out of style.

6 - Include a clear CTA

A clear and concise call-to-action can make all the difference to your email signature marketing.

Some examples of strong CTAs to include are:

• An invitation to join your social network
• An option to join your newsletter
• A link to your blog

The addition of one of these will transform your email signature.

Rather than simply a source of contact info, your email signature will become a lead generation tool to encourage your recipients to engage in an ongoing interaction with you and your brand.

This is a game-changer!

7 - Keep it updated

This may seem obvious.

But you’d be surprised how many times this gets forgotten.

Every piece of information in your email signature needs to be accurate and up-to-date.

Check your email signature regularly to ensure everything is still relevant and all of your links still work.

It goes without saying:

Any errors in this department will not make your business look very professional!

8 - Include links to your socials

It’s definitely best practice to include linked icons to your social media profiles in your email signature.

This is a great way to drive traffic to your social networks and to keep recipients engaged in your brand.

But it is worth noting:

You don’t need to include every single social platform under the sun.

Just the ones that are relevant, regularly used and professional.

(Sorry, Bebo).

9 - Add in relevant promotional content

This is where you can really add value to your email signature.

Why not include a banner ad detailing an upcoming event, recent podcast or blog post?

It’s a great way to deliver promotional content directly into your recipient’s inbox.

But be selective.

Don’t overwhelm your email signature with too much content.

Whatever you choose to include, make sure it’s always fresh and always relevant.

Mailtastic can help you maximise the marketing potential of your email signature by transforming it into free ad space. Find out how here.

10 - Use an image

Adding a graphic element to your email signature is a shrewd move.

It makes your signature visually striking and memorable, whilst reinforcing brand awareness.  

You could think about including:

• A professional headshot of yourself
• Your company logo

But whatever image you decide to go for:

Make sure you maintain a nice balance between text and image.

Too much of either will make your email signature seem skewed.

11 - Use colours wisely

Adding a pop of colour is a brilliant way to make your email signature stand out and get noticed.

Just make sure it complies with your corporate branding.

Don’t use colours that clash or are jarring to the eye.

And, as we mentioned earlier (see #5), stick to 1 or 2 complementary colours to keep it looking classy.

Another pro tip:

It’s best to keep your key contact information in the same colour as the body of the email.

12 - Format it correctly

Formatting is your friend.

If your email signature is formatted incorrectly, all of the hard work you’ve put into its content and design will have been wasted.

If in doubt:

Get an expert in to code it properly.

You don’t want to get this wrong!

Et voilá!

We hope these 12 tips are a handy guide as you navigate the world of email signature marketing.

And if you want more:

The Mailtastic blog is crammed full of content about email signature marketing and lots more.

Check it out!