Are You Using Your Email Signature Line Effectively?

One of the most neglected marketing opportunities in a web strategy that an organization has is the email signature line of its employees. Email signatures are a powerful, no-cost, high-return marketing tool, essentially an electronic business card and web consulting billboard for your company. As part of your overall web strategy, think of all the emails your company sends. Now, consider that each of these emails can act as a marketing message if you are effectively using your signature line to communicate your contact information, what your company does, ways to connect via social media, web consulting, a mission statement and current programs your company would like to promote.



An email signature is data that is automatically added as the last few lines of every email message you initiate. It can be used as an electronic business card, and as such, at the very least, it should consist of:



Name Title

Email

address Company Address

Phone number(s)

Web address



If you have an upcoming company internet consulting event or webinar to promote, put it in your signature line. Some other ideas include a call to action, a special discount or a limited-time offer. Put it in boldface font and in a different color than the rest of your signature line data:



Lisa Valentine Director, Account Services lisa@alterseekers.com AlterSeekers, Inc. | 939 Port Washington Blvd. | Suite 3 | Port Washington, NY 11050 www.alterseekers.com mobile: 516.818.7855 | general office line: 516.472.0624

Facebook: lisa.valentine2 | Twitter: LisaValentineNY | AIM: LVOBeirne | Skype: lisa.valentine2

http://www.linkedin.com/in/nylisavalentine



Follow AlterSeekers on Twitter and Facebook



You'll also note that I've included in my signature line all of my social media contact information (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) as well as alternative online media contact addresses (AOL Instant Messenger and Skype). This way, there is no limit to how others can contact me to find out more about our web consulting services.



As you would in all of your company advertising, try to pique the readers' curiosity with your signature line, so they'll want to click on your URL and find out more about you. The particular Call to Action in my current web consulting signature line is to follow my company on Twitter and Facebook. However, in the past, because AlterSeekers is an internet consulting and promotional marketing agency, I've also promoted:



Join our free Webinar on August 3rd: How To Monetize Facebook and Twitter" http://www.gottowebinar.com/AlterSeekers/Monetize.htm

-and-

Enter the Trend Micro Fearless Web Sweepstakes at http://www.fearlesswebsweeps.com/. You can also become a fan of Fearless Web on Facebook and get another sweepstakes entry! Win an Asus Netbook, PlayStation 3, Cisco Router, or Amazon Gift Card!



This type of footer can assist your online promotion and extend your web strategy. In fact, as part of your promotions planning, you should make it a point to have use these footers company-wide for all email signatures. If you're promoting an event, be sure to include the "Four W's: Who, What,When, Where. Be sure to update your signature line when the event is over. You can also add email signature lines from your mobile device, as well. For example, the Verizon Blackberry set-up site is: www.blackberry.com/go/vzw



AlterSeekers is a brand promotions agency in New York focusing on promotions consulting and planning, web strategy New York, social media marketing (including Facebook strategy), web consulting New York, go to market strategy, internet consulting New York, and overall strategic planning.