5 Rules to Keep Your Email Signature Aligned with Your Brand
Have you ever received an email with several attachments, colors and graphics, just to find out that it’s all part of their signature and all they wrote to say was “thanks” but your stuck scrolling down through a list of numbers, quotes, logos, and endorsements? Not to mention when there is a legitimate attachment, and you have to open all the signature icons just to get to it. Talk about a bad user experience! Like any other form of communication, our email signatures must positively reflect our brand to everyone we communicate with. If our clients, partners, and vendors have a negative experience with every email we send, we’re sending the wrong message.
Most of us set up our email signatures years ago, either when you started with your company, received a new computer or if you’ve ever had to reset all your preferences. A lot has changed since then and with the popularity of checking email by phone, signature etiquette is continuing to change significantly. Think of your email signature as one more way to reinforce your visual brand to everyone you communicate with. This doesn’t mean you need a bunch of graphics and logos. A simple sign off complete with your name, company, and contact information will communicate everything you need without ticking anyone off.
Here are the basics:
DON’T use icons, graphics or logos. These things don’t always come through if your client isn’t viewing in html, or checks their email from their mobile phone. Even if they are visible, it’s going to appear that there are several attachments to the email, which may cause the user to waste time opening only to be frustrated when they see it’s just your signature icon.
DO provide a link to your website so that the user can see all your graphics, logos, and icons if they choose to. Be sure to include the “http://” before your web address since some email programs need this to make your web address clickable.
DON’T use color. If you wouldn’t use your name in red on a printed letter, don’t do it in your emails. Keep it grayscale or black for a professional look, and use the same font as the rest of the email just like you’d do in a formal letter.
DO limit yourself to 4 or 5 lines at the most. This should include your name, company name, phone number, mobile number if you wish, and web address. If for some reason one would need your fax, mailing address, etc. they can easily click on the web address which will link them directly to your website.
DO set up company-wide guidelines for email signatures. Remember that the recipients experience of receiving an email reflects on your company as a whole. By keeping all email signatures consistent, you are sending a professional branded message to your audience. Make it a good one!
Tags: Brand, brand guidelines, Branding, email signature, logo, signature