8 Changes to Make to Your Email Signature Now

Email signatures are widely used and almost never updated. Some signatures are really sad.

We are in the branding business, and your email signature says so much about you and your brand. My recommendations below will help you get the most from your email signature.

Seriously, drop it. Now. Yes, I know there are still people who need to fax you something, but there is a pretty good chance it’s not the same people you are emailing. When they need your fax number, let them call you for it. It takes up space in your signature and makes it harder for the other 99 percent of the time when people are looking for your phone number.

I know, some people need your cell number and you want to be accessible. I get it. But if you list two numbers, I do not know which one I should call. Go ahead and publish your cell number only if you want people to really reach you there. Otherwise, publish your office number and leave your cell number on the greeting. Having only one number makes it clear where people can reach you without having to dig through a long signature.

Why you have more than one website is a question only you can answer, but don’t make me guess which one I should click. Give me one (and only one) site to click, and be sure it is clickable. Many times I see a website, like www.geiger.com, but I can’t click it. What a waste. Make sure it is clickable, like www.geiger.com. This means you should not be linking to your Facebook page, LinkedIn profile and other pages. If you feel you must add more than one link, make sure it is clear to the reader which one is the most important (size, color, etc.).

Yes, replying to an email means you don’t need the email. But, if your email gets forwarded, sometimes it doesn’t display your email address, and if the person on the forward wants to find you (or if they just want to send you a quick message without clicking reply) they can just click your email address in your signature. Like your website, make sure it is clickable and launches an email, such as mailto:dalenotrealemail@geiger.com (mailto should not be displayed, but that is how you make your email clickable and is shown to guide those who do not know the proper formatting to make an email clickable).

When I get a reply to an email and it has the standard “thanks,” “best,” “sincerely,” “regards,” it diminishes any future messages from you.

Those legal disclaimers and “confidentiality” notices aren’t helpful in legal situations, as evidenced by any Google search on the topic, or just click to read what the American bar says. So eliminate that wasted space and focus on your brand and message.

Like legalese, those cute slogans and other messages take away from reinforcing your brand. If it reinforces your brand, keep it in. But otherwise, take it out so people can focus on your branding. I do realize humor is part of some people’s branding, as is “quote of the day” or other items, so this recommendation is more subjective than any of the others. Just remember, the less copy in your signature, the easier it is for people to get the message you intend.

Changing your signature every so often makes people stop and look at it rather than assuming they already know what it says. Even just changing the font or location of a key message will draw attention to the signature and your branding message.

Each of the above can be debated and must be put into your own context to decide if it fits for you.