How do you sign your email messages? Do you have a simple “Regards,” followed by your name? Or, do you include a 27-line resume of certifications, affiliations, and social media links beneath your name? (Don’t laugh… I’ve actually seen this!)
Frankly, neither of those are very helpful when it comes to marketing your business. An effective signature is another one of those ‘tricks’ that’s not fully taken advantage of by most people in our industry. So, here’s your chance to get a few steps ahead of the competition, build your opt-in list, increase sales, and/or inform potential clients.
Consider these three ideas, and watch for Part 2 in a couple of weeks…
#1 Name, Title, and Any Relevant Certifications
So, you’ve got your Advanced-Whatever-Whatever in Toastmasters. Big deal. So do I… but, if it doesn’t apply to your business, leave it off. (If you’re specifically representing your Toastmasters club, division, or district, of course you can use it!) Just keep it simple and relevant, and your email recipients will be happy and not overwhelmed.
#2 Very Specific Contact Information
Be sure to include a way to contact you directly, but limit it to the single best way to get in touch with you. If that’s via telephone, include your number. If it’s via email, include that. There’s no need to list lines & lines of text with fax, skype, mailing address, and the name of your carrier pigeon. Simplicity, remember?
#3 Social Media
I know somebody who has 9 lines of social media links… NINE lines. That’s just plain silly. You want to keep it to the top 3 social media websites you frequent. It doesn’t necessarily have to be LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. As a speaker, your YouTube or Vimeo videos are hugely important. Perhaps you could link directly to your demo video on one of those websites.
Maybe you don’t tweet at all… then definitely don’t include Twitter. It’s better to not link to a social media site than it is to link to an outdated profile on that site.
If you’re super active in a private online community — and you’re communicating with your fellow members — you might consider including a link to your profile page. There are hundreds of options for this part of your signature line. Do what’s best for you and your business, but keep it simple. (Are you noticing a theme here?)
Watch for another post about email signatures, coming soon!
Known by some in the speaking industry as “the Butterfly Herder,” Cynthia works closely with emerging professional speakers as they grow from speaking as a hobby to getting paid to speak full-time. In addition to creating websites for professional speakers, she consults in the areas of online presence & credibility, public relations, and content & product creation. Visit her website at www.SpeakerWebsites.com.
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