Around the globe, more than 300 emails are sent and received each day, on average. That's 300 opportunities to market yourself and your business in those individual emails you send.
A lot of people treat their email signatures like an afterthought, which is a big missed opportunity. Those signatures are a chance for you to make it clear who you are, make it easy for people to reach you, and give people a place to go to find out more — either about you, about your business, or about something you're working on.
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So, if you're just putting your name and a point Cork Ladies Bicycles Zone or two of contact information in your signature, you're not taking full advantage of the opportunity to connect and engage with the people you're emailing. So what exactly should go in your signature?
What to Include in an Email Signature
First and Last Name
Affiliation Info (Such as Job Title and Department)
Secondary Contact Information
Social Profile Icons
Call to Action
Booking Links
Industry Disclaimer or Legal Requirements
Photo or Logo
Pronouns
1. First and Last Name
Just like with snail mail correspondence, your name should always be included so that the recipient of your message knows who it was from. This manifests in the email signature, often as the first line of text.
2. Affiliation Info (Such as Job Title and Department)
Closely following your name should be your affiliation information. Your affiliations could include your job title, your company or organization, and/or even your department. Your name should eventually be its own draw, of course, as you build a relationship with the recipient, but providing this information provides more context about the conversation and your role in it.
In addition, affiliating yourself with a larger organization lends you more credibility, especially if it's a recognizable organization. This helps you get the attention of your readers so they take your message seriously.
3. Secondary Contact Information
Secondary contact information is important, too, so that the recipient knows how else to contact you. Secondary information might include phone, fax, or any other method of communication you want to emphasize. In situations where you don't want to cough up your direct line, you could take this opportunity to promote your personal website — a passive way to open the lines of communication without flooding yourself with outreach if you don't want it.