Big Things Come in Small Packages –
Using e-mail signature files for self-promotion
Want to add another tool to your
promotional mix? One that will work for you day after day and be seen by
hundreds of individuals? Consider signature files (or sig files), those few
lines of contact information that can be placed at the end of your e-mails.
Written correctly, they can become a powerful tool for self-promotion.
Considering how many e-mails you send out in one day, this can become an ideal
vehicle to consistently place your information and marketing message in front of
your readers.
The secret to successfully using sig files as a promotional
tool is the keep them short and to the point. Here a few tips on creating
powerful and memorable sig files:
1. Decide what do you want your sig file to say about
you.
Map out what your reader needs to know about your business,
what tagline or description is already a part your business collateral and what
type of promotion might be appropriate for your reader.
2. Make sure the reader “gets what you do” when you
use your company tagline, or a
short phrase that describes your company.
If you find the
existing tag line doesn’t say it clearly, replace it with a sentence that
does.
3. Consider what
promotional information you want to put in the sig file.
an offer for a free report or
product
an offer for a free consultation
or trial offer
a company announcement (new
client, new product, award won, etc.)
a hyperlink to your latest press
release, article, or Web site feature
an invitation to subscribe to your free e-newsletter
4. Keep your
announcement to one or two sentences.
Make every word
count. Write those sentences clearly as if you were constructing an expensive
advertisement.
5. Always include:
your name and
title
company name
company
tagline, or a short phrase that describes what your company does
contact
number: phone or cell phone, and/or pager
fax number
e-mail
address (sometimes people can't get it directly or quickly from your actual
e-mail)
your Web URL (be
sure to include the "'http://" prefix to ensure it will translate as
a hyperlink on most
e-mail programs)
6. Include your
mailing address and/or fax # only if it’s vital to the conducting of your
business.
7. Keep the sig
file to a maximum of 8 – 9 lines.
You don’t want to
overwhelm your reader with too much information.
8. Steer clear
of cute quotes, illustrations made up of keyboard characters, or any other
information that doesn’t support your marketing message.
Save them for your
personal sig file that you use on e-mails to friends!
9. Use blank
space for easy reading.
Put a blank line
between your business information and your e-mail address and before your
promotional information.
10. E-mail
programs allow you to create multiple sig files.
Create different
messages for different readers!
If you follow the
above 10 tips, you not only promote your business but you also put you at
your reader’s fingertips and save them time. People will appreciate how easy
it is to have all your information close at hand. They will be able to grab your
phone number right from the e-mail instead of digging through business cards or
a software program. And you if they don’t have your information entered they
can now just cut and past it into their contact management program without any
extra typing.
I hope that after
reading this article, you now realize that this “small” promotional tool can
net you BIG business results!
c 2008 Leona M Seufert
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