Business Email Signatures that Sell

Is your email signature an effective marketing tool? Maybe, maybe not. It depends on where and when, and how you use it. This marketing tool is something you do not have to invest a dime in and can not only increase your visibility on the web, but also drive traffic to your website. Cheap is good when paying for marketing, but free is even better! Email and internet block signatures are one of the most highly visible forms of passive marketing that cost only your time.

Where do you put your name on the web? Have you tracked all the places where you could put your name out there every time you submitted something online?

· Email

· Online forums

· Articles

· Blogs (yours and those you respond to)

· Auto-responders

· Directories

Track where you sign your name for one week. See how many places you respond to on the internet in that time, and then multiply that by thirty. If you only average 50 emails a day that could add up to more than 1500 opportunities to market what you do in just a month! That is 18,000 opportunities a year! The amount is staggering.

Adding the right signature to your emails, blog posts, newsletter, and e-zine articles is not only a great way to get your name out there, it tells people who you are, what you have done, and what you have to offer them. Your signature block helps the reader and potential client know:

· Your company’s name

· Who you are (entrepreneur, business owner, etc)

· What you do (books/products/services )

· How to subscribe to your newsletter or blog

· Where to find you and your book/product/services on the web (URL’s)

A good signature block is not just “another” marketing tool. It is possibly the most underutilized public relations instrument at your finger tips. Think of it as a virtual business card!

Creating your signature block takes a little time and thought but is well worth the effort. You can make multiple email signatures and store them in text files to add at the end of different types of emails, blogs, forums, or articles. If you wear different professional hats then you will want to custom tailor your signature for each audience.

Sound complicated? Well, it really is not. There is an easy formula to follow:

· Line 1 – Name and Title (include a thumbprint of book and your photo)

· Line 2 – Concept Statement

· Line 3 – ONE book title

· Line 4 – Complete address (now required by law)

· Line 5 – URL (s)

· Line 6 – Free offer that acts as a call to action

· Line 7 – Email address in hyperlink

NOTE: Keep each line of text to 65 characters or less to avoid line wrap.

Some e-zine article sites and blog/forum sites only permit four lines in the signature blocks. When that is the case, you have to be a little more creative in how you structure your information. Here is a workable solution:

· Name and Title (you will have to omit the book cover and photo for most blogs and forums)

· Book Title

· URL’s

· Email

Note: Physical address is not required by law for e-zine and blog posts signature blocks.

Never attempt to sell anything from your signature block in either format. That can get you banned from some forums and blogs as it violates TOS agreements and is perceived as ill-mannered by email recipients. Keeping each line of your signature under 65 characters prevents unsightly word-wrap and saves precious line space to squeeze in more information that is useful and pertinent.

Avoid “cutsie” icons and emoticons in your signature, like meowing cats and barking dogs…unless of course it is tied into your book title or presentation. Avoid using more than two colors in your signature line. It makes them difficult to read and to appear messy or unprofessional. Keep it neat and benefits driven.

Here is my signature block for email before:

Shannon Evans

Senior Editor

My Writing Mentor, LLC

www.mywritingmentor.com

Now it looks like this:

Shannon Evans - Senior Editor, Author, Book Coach

Helping Authors Accomplish Their Writing Dreams

Author of: Sell Sheets and One Sheets, The Marketing Tool For Authors, Speakers, and Entrepreneurs.

206-780-2257

4565 Point White Drive, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110

Email today for a free report: Email Signatures That Sell

www.mywritingmentor.com `~ www.authormarketingtools.com

www.authormarketingtools.wordpress.com ~ www.mywritingmentor.wordpress.com

editor@mywritingmentor.com

Over the next few days as you receive emails look at the signature lines that other authors use. Analyze them with a critical eye to what they inform the reader about the sender. Then try these design principles on your own signature block and then ask a few colleagues for their input.

· Is what you say clear?

· Do the links work?

· Can you add or take away from the lines to make them work better?

· What “feels” right to you and will “feel” right to your target audience?

With a little experimentation, a few revisions, and some feedback from trusted clients and colleagues, you will find the signature block that works for you. Your email signature can be an effective marketing tool. Your email and internet block signature is possibly the most highly visible form of passive marketing that can cost you nothing but your time. Trust your instincts and keep in mind that every word counts!