Let’s talk about footers and signatures!
Every email has ‘em, right?
In fact, they seem so simple on the surface that many marketers overlook them entirely.
Here’s the deal, though: sign-offs are so underrated when it comes to branding your business.
From signatures and footers that scream “I’m a professional!” to stealthy ways to promote your content, there’s a ton of ways to end your emails with a bit of creativity and branding.
In this quick guide, we’re going to break down five simple but effective ways you can craft better branded footers and signatures to sign off your emails!
1. Get Personal
Many businesses frame certain messages as being sent from team members or personal accounts instead of a generic company account. This creates the vibe of a more personal, one-on-one message versus being treated like just another number on a list.
As such, your sign off is the perfect place to show off team members and the real people behind your business.
And what better way to give your emails a personal touch than by including a smiling face?!
Let's take a look at this email footer from "Wade and the Zapier team" that adds a personal touch without being too much:
Sure, you might be hesitant to include team-members and headshots in your emails, but consider how they do double-duty branding-wise:
- They reinforce the idea that your business is made up of people, not robots
- They help establish an emotional connection with your readers
Both points are huge for avoiding the spam folder, by the way!
Including team members in your sign off not only allows you to show off your creativity, but it also makes your emails seem much more personal.
After all, those personalities are unique to your business and immediately make your message stand out from your faceless competitors.
2. Point Readers to Your Business’ Social Media Channels
Businesses strive to be as efficient as possible, especially if you’re juggling both email and social media.
Including links to your social channels is a fantastic way to turn email subs into social followers without lifting a finger.
You also have total freedom in terms of which channels to promote and how to colorize your buttons based on your brand.
And as noted by Buffer, there are tons out social icon templates out there for the taking through platforms such as Iconmonstr. This example from snapkitchen is simple and clean, but gets the job done:
And if you feel like getting creative, take some inspiration from sports car builder, Ginetta who includes an updated preview of their instagram feed in the footer of their email messages:
If nothing else, including your social icons signals that you represent a legit, trustworthy business versus some spammer.
That’s why giving your readers a way to immediately do their homework on you via social is a smart move!
3. Drop a Link to Your Latest Content
Promoting your freshest content in your email footer is a great growth hack to experiment with.
Food for thought: not everyone on your list may be a regular reader of your blog just yet.
However, if your new content is always updated in your footer, your subscribers will see it each and every time they hear from you.
In other words, your latest post becomes much harder to miss.
Blog post? Webinar? Podcast? Live event? No problem!
If you’re promoting it, you can drop a preview in your signature!
Take some pointers from The New York Times for example. In the footer of their emails they include a link to their latest podcast as well as a link to their mobile app:
The more avenues you have for people to land on your content, the better. Your footer is yet another way to show what’s new with you without having to send a bunch of one-off messages.
4. Inspire Your Subscribers with a Quote or Tagline
There’s more to a creative email footer than just imagery.
For example, an old-school way to provide your signature some personality is by tacking on a quote or a tagline for your business.
This stylized footer with Squarespace’s “Handmade in New York” tagline shows how something as seemingly simple as a quote can be visually striking:
Beard brand keeps their footer simple with a their logo, creative tagline and social icons:
Maybe it’s your brand’s motto. Perhaps it’s something motivational.
Either way, this is a simple way to add a personal, thoughtful touch to your messages. If you’re struggling for inspiration yourself, consider some classic email quotes from Wisestamp.
5. Show You Mean Business with a Company Logo
Finally, consider how something as simple as your company logo can make your signature stand out.
An alternative to headshots, logos are a subtle way to make your brand seem “bigger” at a glance.
Again, your email footers and signatures can really point to your status as a professional. Having a sleek company logo present is yet another piece of the puzzle to demonstrate that you mean business.
And with that, we conclude our list!
//[inject:ad-personalized-email]
So, What’s in Your Sign Off?
If you haven’t thought twice about your email footers or signatures, don’t fret!
There’s plenty you can experiment with and given the tools out there today, coming up with a stylish signature can be done in a matter of minutes.
Remember: every little detail of your emails count when it comes to winning over subscribers. The way you sign off your emails is no different!
By the way, what’s in your email signature these days? Let us know in the comments below!