The ultimate guide to creating a company email signature (with examples)
24 June 2024
Contents of article
- What is a company email signature?
- Why is it important for you to have a company email signature?
- What elements need to be included in your company email signature?
- What are some corporate email signature best practices?
- How to create a company email signature in Outlook
- How to create a company email signature in Gmail
- How can you design and manage email signatures for your company?
- Conclusion
- Frequently asked questions about company email signatures and how to manage them
A company email signature is an essential part of professional communication. It includes your contact information and highlights your company's brand and identity. A well-designed email signature enhances your professional image and builds trust and credibility with your recipients.
In this guide, we'll show you how to create an effective company email signature that looks great and serves its purpose. We'll provide examples to inspire you and help you create the perfect representation of your brand in every email you send.
What is a company email signature?
A company email signature, often referred to as an email footer or email sign-off, is a block of information located at the end of an email message. It typically includes the sender's name, job title, company logo, contact information, and sometimes a call-to-action or social media links.
Most brands recognize the benefits of email signatures, as using consistent branded signatures has been shown to boost email engagement rates, with 94% of marketers agreeing on this point.
The practice of using company email signatures dates back to the early days of digital communication. As email became the primary mode of business correspondence, professionals needed a way to convey important contact details and establish their identity consistently. Over time, email signatures have evolved to incorporate branding elements, such as company logos and social media links, further enhancing their value in business communication.
Why is it important for you to have a company email signature?
Having a company email signature is essential for several reasons:
Provides contact information: Your company email signature includes your phone number, email address, and social media links, making it easy for recipients to contact you. This streamlines communication and allows people to reach out quickly.
Enhances brand identity: Consistently incorporating your branding elements and company logo into your email signature promotes your brand. This enhances brand recognition, establishes a professional business image, and reinforces your brand identity.
Adds credibility: A well-designed email signature adds credibility to your communications. It shows that you're a legitimate, established business, rather than just an individual sending emails. This can significantly impact how recipients perceive your company.
Saves time: An automated corporate email signature saves you from manually typing your information with each email you send. This time-saving feature boosts productivity, allowing you to focus on important tasks.
Promotes marketing messages: Use your email signature to include a call-to-action and promote ongoing marketing campaigns, events, or special offers. This strategy can drive website traffic and increase engagement with your marketing efforts.
What elements need to be included in your company email signature?
When designing your company email signature, there are key elements you should include for optimal results:
1. Company logo
Your company logo is the most crucial element of your email signature. It serves as a visual representation of your brand and creates brand recognition with each email you send.
2. Full name and job title
Including your full name and job title helps recipients identify you and understand your role within the organization. This adds credibility to your emails, especially when communicating with new contacts.
3. Contact information
Ensure your email signature includes relevant contact details such as phone number, email address, and physical address if applicable. This makes it easy for people to reach you through multiple channels.
4. Social media icons
Including social media icons in your email signature allows recipients to connect with you on various social media platforms. This can help expand your online presence and increase engagement with your brand.
5. Promotional banner or call-to-action
Consider adding a promotional banner or call-to-action in your email signature to promote ongoing marketing efforts. This can drive website traffic and increase conversions.
6. Profile photo
Adding a professional profile photo can make your email signature more personable and help recipients put a face to the name. However, this is optional and may not be suitable for all businesses.
7. Legal disclaimer
Most companies require a legal disclaimer in all email communications, so make sure to one in your email signature. This ensures compliance with legal requirements and protects your business from potential liabilities.
8. Calls-to-action and interactive elements
Maximize your email signature's potential by incorporating interactive elements. Add one-click surveys for feedback, appointment booking links for easy scheduling, and highlight recent awards or certifications to boost credibility. This turns your email signature into a dynamic marketing tool.
What are some corporate email signature best practices?
Now that you know what elements to include in your company email signature, here are some best practices to keep in mind when designing and using one:
1. Keep it simple and uncluttered
Your email signature should be clean, concise, and easy to read. Avoid using too many images or unnecessary information that can make it look cluttered. A clean email signature helps in maintaining a professional appearance.
2. Use a web safe font
To ensure your company email signature appears correctly across different email clients, use a web safe font such as Arial, Verdana, Georgia, or Times New Roman. These fonts are widely supported and won't be substituted by a different font by the recipient's email client.
3. Use consistent branding
Ensure your company email signature aligns with your brand's visual identity. Use the same fonts, colors, and logo that you use in other marketing materials to maintain consistency and strengthen brand recognition.
4. Include clickable links
Make sure all the elements in your email signature, such as your logo, social media icons, and call-to-action, include clickable links. This makes it easier for recipients to take action and engage with your brand.
5. Keep it mobile-friendly
With more people checking their emails on their phones, it's essential to ensure your email signature is optimized for mobile devices. Use a responsive design and test it on different screen sizes to make sure it looks good on both desktop and mobile devices.
6. Test your signature
Before sending out emails with your new company email signature, test it on different devices and email clients to ensure it looks good and functions properly. This step is crucial for ensuring your email signature works across various platforms.
7. Simplify for replies and forwards
When replying to or forwarding an email, the original email signature can sometimes get lost or appear cluttered. Consider creating a simplified version for these situations to maintain a clean and professional look.
8. Update regularly
Regularly update your email signature with any changes in contact information or branding updates. This ensures that the information you're providing is always accurate and up-to-date.
How to create a company email signature in Outlook
Outlook is a widely used email client for businesses. Follow this step-by-step guide to create a company email signature in Outlook:
Open Outlook and click “File” in the top left corner.
Select “Options” from the menu.
In the Outlook Options window, click “Mail” from the left-hand side menu.
Scroll to the “Signatures” section and click “Signatures…”
Click “New,” type a name for your signature, and hit Enter.
Design your email signature by adding text, images, links, and other elements using the formatting tools.
Click “Save” to save your signature.
In the “Choose default signature” section, select the email account you want to use this signature for and set it as your default for new emails, replies, or both.
Click “OK.”
How to create a company email signature in Gmail
Gmail is another popular email client for businesses. Here's how to create a company email signature in Gmail:
Log into your Gmail account and click the gear icon in the top right corner.
Select “Settings” from the drop-down menu.
In the “General” tab, scroll to the “Signature” section.
Toggle the button to enable signatures if it's not already on.
Design your signature using the provided formatting tools or paste in a pre-designed signature.
Scroll down and click “Save Changes.”
How can you design and manage email signatures for your company?
Now that you understand what elements make up a compelling company email signature, it's time to roll up your sleeves and start designing and managing one.
Here are a few options for creating and managing email signatures for your company:
1. Individual responsibility
One approach is to let individuals in your company create and manage their own email signatures. While this may seem like a quick and easy solution, it can lead to inconsistencies and unprofessional-looking signatures.
Without centralized management, maintaining uniformity across all email signatures is impossible. This lack of standardization can cause errors, from incorrect branding to misaligned formats, ultimately undermining your company's professional image.
2. Using an email signature generator
There are many online tools available that can help design and manage email signatures on an individual basis. These email signature generators usually offer customizable templates, ensuring consistency while allowing personalization for each individual.
However, it's important to note that while many of these tools are free, they have significant limitations. They won't work companywide and can't enforce corporate email signatures across an entire organization. Freelancers or very small teams might find them suitable, but larger companies will find them inadequate for maintaining consistent branding and professional standards across all employees.
3. Copying into an email client
Another option is to create an HTML email signature template and copy it into each employee's email client manually. While this allows full customization, it can be time-consuming and requires technical expertise. Relying on each person to copy the signature correctly introduces the risk of errors and inconsistencies. Different employees may make small mistakes or modifications, leading to variations in signature appearance.
Furthermore, without central control, ensuring consistent signatures across all devices becomes challenging. This lack of uniformity can affect brand consistency and professionalism in email communications.
4. Centrally controlled by IT
A more efficient option for larger companies is to have the IT department centrally manage and control email signatures for all employees. This ensures consistency and simplifies updates but can also limit individual personalization.
However, managing email signatures can be a time-consuming task for IT departments and is prone to numerous errors. Keeping track of updates, ensuring uniformity, and troubleshooting issues for every employee can quickly become overwhelming and lead to mistakes that can affect the company's professional image.
5. Using email signature software
The most comprehensive solution for designing and managing email signatures is to use dedicated email signature software. These tools offer centralized control, allowing you to create and manage email signatures for all employees in one place. They provide customizable templates, ensuring consistent branding across all signatures while still allowing individual personalization.
Some software even offers advanced features such as automated updates, making maintenance easy and ensuring all signatures are up-to-date. Overall, using email signature software provides the most efficient and effective way to manage email signatures for your company.
Conclusion
A company email signature is a powerful tool that can enhance your brand, drive marketing efforts, and improve productivity. By including key elements such as your logo, contact information, social media links, and promotional banners, you can create a professional and effective email signature that represents your company's branding and values.
Using best practices and the appropriate tools for designing and managing email signatures ensures consistency across all employees, maintaining a professional image for your business.
Start creating impressive company email signatures with Exclaimer 's email signature software. Learn more about how we can turbo boost your email signature management and get yourself an online demonstration.
