How to make an email footer: Best practices & examples

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The email footer is a vital component of any professional email. As the last thing your recipient sees, it plays a key role in encouraging action and leaving a lasting impression.

By optimizing your email footer with relevant details, you enhance readability and ensure your message resonates with your audience. Remember, a strong email footer can boost your communication effectiveness and support your branding efforts.

In this guide, we'll discuss some best practices for creating effective and impactful email footers.

What is an email footer?

An email footer, often referred to as an email signature or email sign-off, is a crucial element that appears at the bottom of your emails. This section typically features the sender's contact information, including their name, job title, company name, phone number, and website.

Many individuals enhance their email footers by adding extra elements such as social media links, company logos, promotional banners, and legal disclaimers. These additional components can help engage recipients and provide more information, making email footers an important tool for branding and communication.

Tailoring your email signature to suit the purpose of your email and your personal preferences can significantly improve your professional image and increase engagement.

What are the benefits to using a corporate email footer?

Having a well-designed email footer can provide many benefits, including:

1. Creating a professional image

A well-crafted email footer adds to your professionalism and credibility as a sender. It also reflects positively on your company or brand.

2. Reinforcing your brand

Your email footer is an extension of your brand and can help promote brand awareness and recognition. By using consistent branding elements such as logos, colors, and fonts in your email footer, you reinforce your brand image with every email sent.

3. Providing important information

Along with your contact details, you can include additional information in your email footer that may be relevant to the recipient. This could be links to social media platforms or a current marketing campaign.

4. Saving time

A well-designed email footer eliminates the need for manually typing out your contact information each time you send an email. This saves time and ensures consistency in all communication.

5. Increased engagement

Adding relevant links to your social media profiles, website, or landing page within the email footer can encourage recipients to connect with you on different platforms and further engage with your brand.

The main components of a business email footer

• Contact information: Name, job title, email address, and phone number.

• Company information: Company name, logo, and business address.

• Imagery: Marketing banner, company logo, headshot photo, and social icons.

• Legal disclaimer: Confidentiality notices and compliance statements.

  
  

10 email footer examples for inspiration

Here are ten examples of the best email footers, each serving a unique purpose:

1. The classic email footer

This email footer keeps things simple, with minimal design and only includes the sender's name, job title, and contact information. This is a great option for individuals who want to maintain a professional image without adding any extra elements.

2. The branding email footer

In this example, the sender has included their company logo and added consistent branding elements such as color and font to reinforce brand identity. This is a great option for businesses looking to promote their brand and increase recognition.

3. The promotional email footer

This email footer includes a marketing banner with a referral promotion. This adds visual interest and provides a clear incentive to readers. It's an effective way to engage with your audience and drive conversions.

4. The personalized email footer

This email footer features a headshot photo of the sender along with their contact information. Including a personal touch can help build a connection with the recipient and make the email feel more personal.

5. The footer with legal disclaimer

In this case, the sender added a legal disclaimer to the email footer to comply with regulations and protect sensitive information.

6. The social footer

This example includes links to the sender's social media profiles, making it easy for recipients to connect with them on different platforms. This is an excellent way to expand your online presence and increase engagement with your brand.

7. The customer feedback email footer

This email footer features a call to action for recipients to rate their experience with the company. By providing easy access to a survey, the company can gather valuable feedback and improve their customer service. You can also make this even easier by including one-click feedback surveys.

8. The green email footer

This email footer incorporates the company's environmental values by using a green color scheme and including their sustainability initiatives. This not only reinforces their brand identity but also showcases their commitment to being environmentally friendly.

9. The recruitment email footer

This email footer has a marketing banner displaying new job openings, inviting recipients to apply for roles and explore the company culture.

10. The holiday email footer

This email footer is designed for the holiday season, featuring festive colors and a holiday greeting. Adding a seasonal theme to your email footer can really help strengthen relationships with clients or colleagues.

How to create an email footer for your business

1. Define the purpose

Take a moment to think about the purpose of your email footer and what you want to achieve. Is it simply to provide contact details, or are you aiming to use it for marketing? Knowing your goals will help you choose the right elements and create a design that connects with your audience.

2. Decide on what contact details are necessary

Consider your audience's needs and include only essential contact information in your email footer to avoid clutter. For example, if you're an e-commerce business, providing a link to your website will be more relevant than a physical address.

3. Design your email footer template

Select a layout that aligns with your brand and email's purpose. You can choose a simple, text-based design or add visual elements such as images and logos for a more eye-catching footer.

4. Select fonts and colors

Choose fonts and colors that are consistent with your brand to reinforce brand identity. Make sure the font is legible and easy to read.

5. Add images or graphics

Images such as your company logo can make your email footer more visually appealing. However, be mindful of the size and placement of images, as they can affect loading times and overall design.

6. Include CTAs

Consider incorporating a call-to-action in your email footer to encourage recipients to take action. This could be to visit your website, follow you on social media, or subscribe to your newsletter.

7. Stay compliant

If your business requires legal disclaimers, include them in your email footer. For example, if you're sending marketing emails, adding an unsubscribe link is necessary for GDPR compliance.

8. Test and finalize

Before using your email footer, test it across different devices and email clients to ensure compatibility and design consistency. Once finalized, make sure to update it regularly with any changes in contact information or branding elements.

9. Implement in your email client

Once you've finalized your email footer, implement it in your email client. Some email clients even allow you to save multiple footers and use them for different purposes. This feature can come in handy when sending out emails for various reasons.

Email footer best practices 

1. Make it visually appealing

Incorporate visuals such as icons or separators to break up text and draw attention to key areas of your email footer. A balanced layout can enhance readability and engagement.

2. Keep it simple

Avoid clutter and limit the number of elements in your email footer. Including too much information can make it overwhelming and decrease its effectiveness.

3. Ensure legibility

Use a font that is easy to read, even when viewed on smaller devices. Stick to basic fonts such as Arial, Helvetica, or Verdana to ensure compatibility across different email clients.

4. Make it mobile-friendly

It's essential to ensure your email footer is optimized for mobile devices. Keep the design clean and avoid using large images that could affect loading times.

5. Personalize when possible

If your email platform allows, consider adding personalized elements such as the recipient's name or tailored messages. This can create a more engaging experience and foster a stronger connection.

6. Consider legal requirements

Make sure your email footer complies with legal regulations, such as including an email disclaimer or privacy policy link, to ensure transparency and trust.

7. Stay concise

While it’s important to include valuable information, aim to keep your footer concise. A cluttered footer can detract from the main message of your email, so prioritize clarity and brevity.

The challenges of managing email footers centrally

Maintaining a cohesive email footer across a company’s communications is essential for brand consistency, but managing this process can be challenging. Without a centralized email signature solution, employees may create their own signatures, leading to a mix of designs, inconsistent information, and incompatible branding elements. This lack of uniformity can negatively impact your brand identity.

Updating email footers in a large organization can also be a logistical headache. Changes must be communicated clearly and executed by multiple employees, which often results in outdated or incorrect information being sent out. To streamline this process and ensure a consistent brand image, you need to implement a centralized email signature management system.

Use Exclaimer to take control of your company email footers

Exclaimer simplifies email footer management with a centralized platform for creating, updating, and enforcing designs throughout your organization. By using Exclaimer, businesses can ensure that every employee aligns with the latest branding, incorporates essential legal disclaimers, and presents a consistent appearance that boosts professional communication. This solution not only saves valuable time but also enhances your brand image, making Exclaimer an essential tool for companies seeking cohesive and effective communication.

Optimize your email footers today with Exclaimer to elevate your branding and ensure compliance across your organization. Start with a free trial or get an online demonstration to experience the ease and efficiency of managing your company email footers.