Is Your Signature Line a Call to Action?

An e-mail signature that creates a call to action is one of the best free marketing tools around. Have you ever clicked on a link in a signature line? Think about why you did that. For me, it is usually because the person had a catchy tagline or a thought provoking post in a forum which made me want to learn more about him or her. This has sometimes resulted in business relationships that helped me go forward in my endeavors or in purchasing one of their products. If you don’t have an e-mail signature line with a call to action you could be missing many opportunities to connect with potential clients or alliances.

I recently updated the e-mail signature line for my business and thought I would share some things that work for me.

Make it easy for people to find information and they will use it.

I try to include my signature line in every e-mail, even with my longtime clients. If they want to go to my website quickly to check something or forward it on to a referral they always know where to find it. Also, if people want to add me to their contact management software, they can do so quickly by simply copying and pasting it in. Keep in mind that your e-mail could be forwarded to others so you never know who may end up reading it. One of the recipients may be very interested in your service or product.

What should your e-mail signature include?

Of course, you should include the basics like your name and the name of your company, but here are some other items to consider. Choose only what is most important for the message you want to convey. Don’t attempt to insert all or even most!

• Web site address (be sure to include the “http://” prefix to ensure it will translate as a hyperlink)
• Phone number if that is your preferred method of contact
• Fax number or address if they are used often by your clients
• Tagline or short phrase that describes what your company or organization does
• An invitation for people to sign up for your FREE e-newsletter
• Link to a FREE report
• Information about an upcoming workshop
• Link to your latest press release
• Company logo – keep in mind that some e-mail client software will block graphics and html from appearing. Also, you will need to have the image uploaded to your server.

Make your signature line “works” for you.

I have seen some signatures that leave me confused as to the purpose of the business. Be clear and inspire the reader to click on the links you provide or pick up the phone to make further contact

Your message should be kept to between 6 and 8 lines. Don’t make the mistake of including every affiliate program you are involved in or creating a mile long signature. This could be considered spamming not to mention if it is too long it might not be read.

If you have several messages you would like to share, consider creating a different signature file for each product or promotion. This way you can choose which signature applies to the different recipients or change your message on a daily or weekly basis. This could also benefit those who maintain more than one business.

What’s everyone’s favorite word? FREE!! Use it whenever possible. If you have something free to give be sure to tell everyone about it!

Promote an upcoming event, invite people to book an appointment, or whatever action you currently want people to take.