When should you use an email signature?

An email signature is that little bit of flair at the end of each note or letter when you sign off, usually with your name. It's easy enough for anyone reading those emails to find out who sent it — but what exactly do we need one for?

It may seem like an unnecessary addition to our digital correspondence, but there are many reasons why including an email signature makes good sense. The bottom line is this: An email signature does more than just identify you as the sender. Here are some examples of ways that adding your own personal touch to your messages will help build relationships with clients and customers alike.

1. Showing your appreciation. If you've ever received a thank-you card from someone, then you know that sending a handwritten message saying "Thank You" after receiving their gift conveys much more than typing out the same sentiment would. A simple "Thanks!" or even a smiley face emoticon doesn't really say the same thing as seeing your hand writing. Email signatures allow us to show gratitude by signing off notes and letters with something other than words alone. And if you're looking to make sure people remember your company, leaving them an online link to your website through your email address book also allows others to learn about your offerings without having to ask around town first.

2. Establishing credibility. Having a consistent look across all communications helps establish your brand identity, which means establishing your logo, tagline, color scheme, etc., early on so that everyone knows how to best represent your business. Email signatures give companies another opportunity to reinforce these commonalities. They can create a standard format that users can easily recognize and begin associating with your brand immediately. This might mean using a particular font style, size, or color, or simply making the initials of your organization stand out. For example, Bank of America's signature looks similar to its logo and includes the bank's official colors and fonts. In comparison, Wells Fargo has a different logo and uses blue boxes instead of red ones, while Chase appears less formal with bright yellow typefaces. Yours could have anything go! 

3. Improving response rates. By adding a signature to your emails, you'll get higher visibility among your contacts since your full contact information (including phone number) is always available right next to your name. That increased exposure gives potential visitors an easier time finding your site via search engines. So whether you want to encourage people to call you because you offer great customer service, provide directions to your office, or advertise new products, putting your details front and center gives your audience quick access to everything they'd need. Just think of how often you see a person's Twitter handle right below his/her headshot on Facebook.

4. Enhancing your reputation. Even though most people don't realize it, appearances matter quite a lot when it comes to building trust between businesses. When searching for local services, consumers tend to gravitate toward certain brands based on things like price and location rather than objective qualities such as quality and reliability. But once they actually meet up with the provider, they start judging them solely on actual performance, and what better place to display that expertise than within your email signature? With an eye catching design and professional formatting, your signature becomes part of your branding, helping others form positive impressions of your company before meeting you personally. Not only will that improve your own image, but it will also spread awareness of your product or service throughout social media networks like LinkedIn and Pinterest.

5. Making it clear where the conversation ends. Most of us send out hundreds of emails per day, and chances are that not everyone will read each individual message. As such, your signature serves as an effective reminder to stop communicating with the recipient altogether. Think of it as a polite yet firm "close" button that lets both parties move onto other tasks. Of course, sometimes you'll run into someone who prefers not to take no for an answer, especially if you haven't heard back from another party involved in the discussion. Don't let yourself fall victim to communication fatigue, however. Instead of getting annoyed, try responding to any follow ups with a short update explaining the situation and letting him/er know that you won't continue pursuing the subject further until he/she responds.

6. Gaining favor. One last reason to add a signature to your emails is to impress upon recipients the importance of following up. Whether they missed your initial email due to spam filters or never saw it in the first place, most people respond well to reminders regarding specific topics. Plus, if they did receive your original missive, they must surely appreciate being reminded again. Adding a signature highlighting that you plan to check in with them later is a nice gesture that encourages promptness.

Of course, it goes without saying that you shouldn't neglect the basics: including a salutation ("Dear [Name],"), proper punctuation (a closing period and exclamation point), and a reference to your relationship (e.g. "Sincerely,"). These elements serve the dual purpose of welcoming readers into your world and showing respect for their time. Also keep in mind that the length of your signature isn't necessarily cut in stone. Some experts advise keeping it brief, while others recommend longer versions that emphasize key points. Whatever works for you is fine — there's nothing wrong with taking your cue from fellow professionals whose styles differ greatly from yours.

So now that you understand the benefits of email signatures, here are some guidelines to creating a strong one. First, stick with basic rules and avoid fancy text effects unless you feel comfortable doing so. Second, choose a template that suits you and your needs. Third, customize it according to your preferences and current business practices. Finally, consider adding photos and graphics to spice things up, but bear in mind that too many images can slow down load times.

Keep in mind that the email client you have set up cannot accommodate lengthy signatures. Shorten your signature whenever possible so that the recipient can view it quickly without scrolling down multiple screens. To reduce clutter, separate sections with lines or bolded headers. Lastly, remember that you should strive to maintain consistency and order wherever possible. Never deviate from your established standards, and refrain from changing things drastically.

What email signatures should not include?

While adding a signature to your electronic mail doesn't require you to write an entire novel, a few general tips apply. Avoid cluttering your email with extraneous information. While you certainly want to express enthusiasm over the content of your email, keep it concise and relevant. After all, the idea behind an email signature is to communicate effectively, not fill space unnecessarily. Remember that your email signature is supposed to complement, not overshadow, your main body copy.

There are several things you should definitely leave out of your email signature, regardless of your industry. Profanity, foul language and offensive remarks are considered inappropriate anywhere, and especially within emails. There's no excuse for bad taste either: No matter how funny you think it is, profanity is almost universally frowned upon, despite some exceptions. Be mindful of cultural differences as well. Depending on the region you operate in, certain terms may offend locals. Offensive comments directed towards race, religion, gender or sexual orientation are particularly unwelcome and disrespectful.

As mentioned earlier, you should aim to remain consistent in whatever you post. However, this rule applies to email signatures as well. Try to limit any changes to minor updates or additions. Consistency is essential, but drastic alterations aren't necessary. Stick with the tried and true options and stay away from trendy trends.

Finally, if you want to incorporate links into your email signature, it's important to ensure that they work properly. Links that redirect users to sites that haven't been verified by third parties pose security risks. Ensure that you're linking to safe websites, and double-check that these pages still function correctly. The safest bet is to host your links on reputable domains like Google Sites, Yahoo Mail and Outlook.com.

What should be included in an email signature?

With all of the above said, there are plenty of circumstances under which an email signature is appropriate. Many industries demand certain etiquette, and as long as you adhere to reasonable norms, you should be able to fit seamlessly into whichever group you belong to. Below are some additional tips to include in your signature depending on your profession.

Healthcare providers. Healthcare workers generally don't have to worry about offending patients as much as others, largely thanks to the sensitive nature of their jobs. Patients expect medical personnel to behave professionally, so doctors and nurses can safely engage with them in plain English. Still, care must be taken to remain respectful. Providing accurate information is crucial, but excessive detail should be avoided. Health professionals' signatures typically include titles along with abbreviated names, plus their license numbers and specialties.

Business owners. Businesses must strike a balance between respecting privacy and promoting themselves. Employees can freely discuss work matters with colleagues during normal hours, but bosses often prefer to speak privately with employees outside of business hours. Emails are a convenient method of two-way communication, but there's no guarantee that recipients will read them all the way through. Therefore, business leaders should focus on encouraging open dialogue with their staff. Addressing employees by their title and mentioning previous interactions is sufficient for casual conversations, but more elaborate wording is required to convey authority. Since your signature represents your company, it's wise to mention past successes and achievements whenever possible.

An email signature is the final line of text at the bottom of your emails, usually with your contact information or website link embedded. A good one will also include some kind of branding statement about yourself. Email signatures have been around since long before smartphones were invented, but it’s never too late to start using them now. In fact, many people actually prefer reading their inboxes first thing every morning instead of checking social media. If this sounds like you, here’s what you need to know when adding an email signature.

What is an appropriate signature?

Your signature shouldn't overwhelm readers. It's best not to go overboard by including tons of links or graphics. Keep it simple. Your goal is to make sure that anyone who opens your message knows immediately who sent it. You don’t want to waste space on unnecessary details. The most important part is always going to be your name, followed by any relevant contact info (your phone number, work address).

If you're sending messages to other businesses, consider starting off with something along the lines of “Received from [YOUR COMPANY NAME]”. This lets recipients know right away which company was responsible for the message. For personal communications, try putting your full legal name first — then add additional contact info if necessary. Some companies even recommend keeping your entire name below your contact info so everyone sees it. That said, keep in mind that sometimes less is more. If someone really needs your phone number, you might decide just to give it to them rather than cluttering up your signature.

You may also choose to end your email signature with "Sincerely," "Respectfully" or another similar phrase. These words are common because they let others know whether you expect certain courtesy from them while communicating digitally. They often appear after your last name in traditional professional signatures. While these phrases sound nice, remember that they aren’t legally binding. So unless you have signed contracts saying otherwise, feel free to skip them entirely.

Finally, do keep in mind that depending on where you live and/or work, you could face consequences for having an incorrect or no signature attached to your emails. Make sure you check local laws regarding email signatures before making a decision!

What should you put as your signature?

The basic elements of an effective email signature are pretty straightforward:

Name and title

Company affiliation(s)

Contact information

Logo or image

Website URL

Personal motto / tagline

While all of those items above are generally suitable for most types of correspondence, you'll probably want to customize them based on whom you send out mailings to. Here are three examples of different kinds of signatures we've created for our clients. Feel free to tweak them according to your own preferences.

Example #1: Business Signature Example 1

This example shows a modern, yet somewhat subdued signature for a marketing manager. Since her job requires frequent interaction with customers and prospects, she has kept her wording fairly general. She includes both her role titles and years of experience under each section. By doing this, she makes it easier for potential contacts to understand exactly why they reached out to her.

She also adds two sections to her signature. First, she uses bullet points to list her key accomplishments. Second, she provides a quote to demonstrate her dedication to customer service. Both bullets point back to her main responsibilities, helping to highlight her strengths and show future employers that she takes pride in her work. Finally, she finishes off her signature with a small photo of herself. Doing this helps reinforce her identity and gives her a chance to display a bit of personality without overdoing it.

A lot of professionals tend to avoid copying and pasting their names into their signatures. Instead, they opt to create custom signatures designed specifically for themselves. We strongly encourage against this approach. Why? Because creating unique signatures allows you to focus on being memorable, not just familiar. Plus, a well-crafted signature becomes a constant reminder of your brand throughout all communication channels. No matter how much time goes between interactions, your audience will still recognize your logo and catch its meaning in seconds.

Example #2: Corporate Executive Signature

For executives within large corporations, it’s very likely that their signature will change frequently. Not only does this help communicate the nature of their position, but it also keeps their messaging consistent across various mediums. Below are two versions of a corporate director’s signature. One version emphasizes his primary responsibility, while the second focuses on providing value to his team members.

As you can see, changing up your signature isn’t difficult to do. And once you get used to crafting different ones, you’ll find yourself thinking creatively about how to better represent your brand.

One note of caution though: Don’t use generic stock signatures. Generic ones can cause confusion among users and prevent them from recognizing your specific style. Remember that consistency is essential to building your brand. When it comes down to choosing between staying true to your values and pleasing as many people as possible, the former almost always wins.

Example #3: Personal Signature

Here’s a signature that works great for freelancers, entrepreneurs, artists, writers and others whose careers involve self-branding. It reflects the type of person behind the screen and clearly states what he offers. To top everything else off, it’s short and sweet.

Many creatives shy away from writing lengthy epics in their signatures. However, there’s nothing wrong with that. Just take care that whatever you write doesn’t turn into a boring jumble of unrelated adjectives. Think carefully about what you want your signature to say about you. Does it speak to your core beliefs? Or perhaps tell people what skills you offer? Whatever the case, make sure that your signature reflects what you stand for.

Are there rules for signatures?

Yes! There definitely are guidelines to follow when designing your signature. As mentioned earlier, your goal is to make sure that people instantly identify who sent them the email. Therefore, you must be careful not to overload them with irrelevant details. Also, keep in mind that you only have limited real estate in a typical email window. Try to leave enough room for anything extra that you would normally include in your body copy. Anything beyond that won't necessarily fit.

So aside from the basics listed above, here are some tips to bear in mind when constructing your signature:

Have multiple signatures per client account. Using separate signatures for different accounts prevents mixing up brands and confusing employees further down the road. This is especially useful for larger firms with several offices spread out across the country.

Use bold fonts. Bolded fonts look striking and draw attention to your signature. But please don't forget that plain old sans-serif font can still serve a purpose. Sometimes, they're perfectly fine to fill up dead spaces left by longer signatures.

Keep paragraphs to 2-4 sentences max. Longer blocks of texts can quickly become distracting and hard to read. Even worse, they'll often force you to shorten your actual signature. Therefore, whenever possible, break up your signature into shorter chunks.

Avoid fancy colors. Unless your signature fits the theme of your overall newsletter design, stick to clean, neutral shades. Bright, flashy colors distract readers' eyes and obscure the content itself.

Try to limit images and hyperlinks. Too many images and icons in your signature can slow down the loading speed of emails sent through Gmail and other services.

Don't clutter your signature with meaningless signs. Although "Sincerely" and other formal closing statements can be added to your signature at times, it's okay to remove them altogether. Adding useless words such as "Best regards" creates unneeded noise.

Don't duplicate your contact info. Be wary of repeating your email addresses or telephone numbers. Having too many variations can confuse new hires who may receive messages meant for other departments.

Consider using templates. Many tools allow you to build sleek and stylish signatures directly inside your email application. With proper customization, these tools can streamline the process of creating fresh signatures regularly. Check out Mailchimp Signatures, Constant Contact Templates, Microsoft Word templates, Google Docs Forms, etc.

What are 3 things that should be included in your signature?

Aside from your name, contact info and possibly a logo, think twice before adding any other stuff. Most people skim through their inboxes from top to bottom, looking for interesting subject lines. Including random facts, quotes and jokes in your signature can easily detract from the main reason why someone opened your email. After all, they didn't open it because of you personally—they did so because of the promise of something fun or informative.

That said, there are exceptions to this rule. Consider signing off with a slogan or mission statement. Some people believe that adding personalized touches in their signatures sends positive vibes to others. Others simply enjoy seeing their initials next to their contact info.

Whether you sign off with a catchy hook line or your middle initial, make sure that your signature ends with a clear call-to action. Tell your subscribers to share the email with friends, visit your site, download a white paper or schedule a meeting. Use language that speaks directly to your target group. Otherwise, you risk alienating people who weren't interested in receiving the original message in the fist place.

In conclusion...

It's not uncommon for companies today to offer their customers the ability to sign up with them online, using a digital form or through social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter. This also allows businesses to reach out to new clients without having to pick up the phone or send physical mail (which is expensive).

But there’s one question that still remains unanswered when it comes to signing on to websites: Should you include an email signature within these emails? The answer depends entirely on what type of company you’re running and who your audience is...

Here we take a look at some common questions around this topic and explain why including an email signature makes sense for any industry — from small startups to large corporations — as well as for different types of audiences.

Should you include email signature in reply?

If you have someone who has requested information via email but hasn't yet signed off after reading all of the details, then sending another copy of those same details by emailing them again may be appropriate if that person receives regular correspondence from the sender. In fact, most people expect follow-up communication via email so doing things differently might make them feel disrespected.

The best time to add a signature would be once the recipient has read everything and agreed to proceed. This ensures both parties are happy about the exchange before moving forward. If you don’t want to wait until then, though, here’s what to keep in mind when adding one to responses sent over email.

Including an email signature will show professionalism and respectfulness towards the other party. It shows initiative and care in following up with them. And it doesn’t hurt that personalizing it gives it more impact than "Dear John Smith."

You can also ask yourself whether you really need to respond immediately or whether you could set aside some time later on to get back to him/her. By keeping track of deadlines, you won’t miss important dates anymore. Plus, you’ll avoid putting unnecessary pressure on others since they’re already busy working.

And lastly, always remember to be professional no matter what happens! Being rude or disrespectful will only further damage relationships down the line.

How do I include email signature in replies?

Adding your signature to replies requires extra effort because you must edit every single message you write. However, it pays off in the end because your recipients will know exactly where to find contact info if needed. Here's how to go about it:

Open Gmail.

Click “More…” next to Reply button and select Edit Signature. You’ll see your current signature under the text box. Click the pencil icon to change it. A pop-up window will appear asking you which field to customize first. Choose Email address and enter your preferred name, followed by Website URL(optional) and Phone number fields. Then click Save Changes.

Now that you've added your email signature, you can start customizing messages according to specific needs. For example, if you own a clothing store, you'd probably want to provide additional sizing options for women while men would need sizes for shirts.

Also, consider adding a few relevant links such as directions or coupons for your location so visitors don't have to search for them themselves.

As for removing your signature, it works just as easily: open Settings & General Controls, scroll to Signature Block, disable Show my email signature option, and hit Done.

Should you include signature in email?

Sending bulk emails is often unavoidable when operating a business. Sometimes, you'll receive requests from multiple sources simultaneously, each requiring a response from you. But while you're writing your email, think twice before hitting Send. Does it meet certain criteria? Is it necessary? Can you remove something instead?

Answering these questions beforehand can help save you hours of work later. Also, try to be mindful of spam laws and regulations because improper usage of email marketing software can land you into trouble.

With that said, if you choose to send a mass email, you definitely shouldn't forget to include an email signature. Otherwise, your recipients could misinterpret your intentions and wonder why you didn't bother taking the time to put together a proper note.

Moreover, many services nowadays allow users to attach a signature directly onto their emails. That means you don't even have to worry about creating a separate document!

Just head to Mail app settings and check Add Attachment Signature. From now on, whenever you create an email, you can simply drag a file onto the body of the message and tap the attachment icon to preview it. Afterward, you can decide whether you want to insert your signature right away or leave it blank.

Don't fret too much if you haven't heard anything back from whoever contacted you. Most likely, they were overwhelmed with tasks during peak times. As long as you made sure to deliver your message properly, chances are good they received it.

So, if you accidentally overlooked it, rest assured knowing that they did indeed view it. Just give them a day or two to process it and move on.

Where do you put your email signature?

A lot goes behind deciding where to place your email signature. Some experts recommend placing it below the subject line, while others say above it. Others advise against doing either of those completely.

There are pros and cons to each side. Below you'll find various opinions regarding placement of signatures along with tips on how to improve yours.

Below is an outline of arguments supporting placement of an email signature below the subject line. First, let's examine the main point of contention.

Many argue that the signature belongs elsewhere due to its purpose. Emails aren't supposed to contain lengthy descriptions anyway. They're meant to communicate succinctly and quickly. Therefore, readers tend to skim through subjects and jump straight to content. So why waste valuable space with an unrelated paragraph that actually takes longer to read?

On top of that, if you place your signature below the subject line, recipients may mistakenly believe that your entire letter was written solely by you. Since they wouldn't usually come across that kind of handwriting anywhere else, they'd be left wondering how you managed to produce such clear words without looking at the screen.

Another argument points out that placing the signature below the subject line hinders visibility because it obscures the actual message itself. When you scan the inbox, you normally ignore subjects anyway.

Finally, an email signature shouldn't interfere with legibility. Many people spend less than 10 seconds scanning their email boxes. Not everyone spends that amount of time studying even complex letters. Place the signature somewhere far enough away from the body of the email so that it isn't blurry or hard to spot.

However, the majority of professionals disagree with this opinion. According to them, people prefer seeing a signature at the bottom of an email because they're used to receiving them. Placing it below the subject line increases credibility and helps build trust between customers and brands.

One of the biggest benefits of using email signatures lies in direct communication between individuals. It lets you personally touch base with potential buyers, partners, or collaborators and present your product or service in front of numerous interested prospects.

Placement of an email signature above the subject line is mostly supported by arguments stating that it creates better user experience overall. Users are accustomed to seeing signatures placed above subject lines. Having to locate a signature among dozens of unread texts wastes precious time.

Some argue that users may perceive email threads containing signatures as spammy, especially if they're never seen previously. Such behavior may lead to increased bounce rates due to unsubscribe requests. Plus, such emails are harder to filter.

Next, we'll explore arguments supporting placement of an email signature above the subject line.

First, placing the signature above the subject line is beneficial for several reasons. One major plus is increased accessibility. People can clearly distinguish your brand colors and logo from the background. There are tons of distractions throughout your emails, making it easier for viewers to focus on the primary objective: viewing your ad or clicking your link.

Second, it keeps signatures short and sweet. Don't fall victim to the temptation to fill spaces with useless verbiage. Keep the size limited to prevent confusion and eye fatigue. Make sure to design your signature accordingly.

Third, it eliminates the possibility of getting caught up in endless scrolling. No one likes spending countless minutes trying to find an email thread buried deep inside hundreds of pages.

Fourth, it provides room for creativity. An email signature is truly a unique opportunity to express individuality. Try experimenting with fonts, colors, images, etc., to get creative.

Last, it prevents losing track of emails over time. Keeping track of multiple conversations can cause serious headaches. Use color coding to differentiate related topics, otherwise you'll risk forgetting which ones belong to which project.

After considering all arguments, we conclude that it ultimately boils down to preference. Both sides hold valid arguments that support their respective positions. Ultimately, however, the choice is up to you. Experiment with varying styles and designs to find the perfect combination.

By the way, our advice is to stick with whatever suits you the most. While we hope you learned plenty of useful information from this article, remember not to force anyone to adopt your style. Be patient rather than forceful. Nobody wants to lose their cool with strangers.