Whether you’re conducting a mass email marketing campaign, or you’re using your email account for everyday communications, your signature matters. The way you sign off your email will have an impact on how your recipients will remember you.
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Importance of an Email Signature
The importance of the email signature is often overlooked. It’s not simply a way of signing off your email, and it’s more than a statement of how your recipients can get in touch with you.
Your email signature is an opportunity.
Firstly, it’s an opportunity to say something about who you are: as a person, as a professional, and as a company. Your colors, font, and design will demonstrate your brand values, tying in with every other aspect of your visual media.
Secondly, it’s an opportunity to connect with your recipients. Whether it’s to invite them to join you on social media, encourage them to visit your website, even urge them to download your latest podcast, your signature can support some of your broader sales and marketing goals.
Here are 15 of the best email signature examples that you can use in your email communications.
1. Include a headshot
Your email signature will usually include your basic contact information, but a warm photo of yourself will bring your signature to life and add a personal touch to your email. Top tip: Make sure you smile!
2. Include a visual
By the same token, an animated gif is a good way to bring your signature to life. This chocolate gif is enough to send anyone straight to the website to place an order.
3. Link to a YouTube video
Video content is said to be one of the most successful channels for nurturing leads.
If you have a big presence on YouTube, then showcase your videos in your signature – you could even earn some new subscribers.
4. Showcase a product
If you’re an ecommerce business, use your signature to convert your recipients into customers. Showcase your latest product by providing a visual, a description, and a link to the product page.
5. Showcase your portfolio
If you’re a visual business such as a photographer or graphic designer, your signature can showcase your most recent or most popular work. Even better, ensure each image links through to a relevant page on your website.
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6. Link to your social profiles
It’s standard practice to grow your social following by linking to your profiles in your email signature. Make sure you use attractive icons that link directly through to your profile.
7. Ask for a Review
Recieving a good review is one of the top authority signals to Google (as well as potential customers). Why not use your signature to ask for a review? Just make sure you make it easy for your customers to leave one by linking through to the relevant review site.
8. Keep it simple
While it’s tempting to use your email signature to provide your recipients with as much detail as possible, there’s a lot to be said for keeping it simple.
If you provide too many calls-to-action and links, you risk confusing your recipients. They’re far more likely to convert if they see just a simple link and a couple of social icons:
9. Include a Link to Google Maps
It’s up to you whether or not you include a physical address in your email signature; it might even be a legal requirement that you include one. However, if it makes sense for you to include one – say your business is a restaurant or shop – then it’s worth considering inserting a link to your location on Google Maps.
A link to Google Maps will allow your recipients to click straight through from your email to Maps when they read your email on their smartphone. Great news if they need to locate you when they’re on the go!
10. Use Color
When you’re planning the design of your email signature, it’s worth remembering that color catches attention. A burst of color may be all that’s needed to get you noticed and remembered by your recipients.
That said, you can go wrong by using too many colors, or color combinations that make you look over-the-top or childish. So, our advice is to use color with caution:
- Choose one or two complementary colors.
- Choose colors that match your industry – for example, brighter colors may suit creative agencies, whereas professional services might want to opt for a subtler palette.
- Ensure that your colors are in line with the rest of your branded material.
11. Make it Responsive to Mobile
It’s more than likely that your recipients will be reading your email on their smartphone instead of – or as well as– their desktop or laptop. It’s crucial that you create your signature with mobile in mind.
- Use logos that translate well onto smaller screens.
- Make sure text appears in the right format when read on a mobile.
- Ensure that links and icons are spaced properly so they can be tapped.
12. Use a Hand-Written Sign-Off
A hand-written sign-off can add a personal touch to your email signature. And although you recipients will know that you haven’t personally penned your email, the handwritten signature, like the one below, will give them that illusion.
13. Include a call-to-action
You are not limited to using your email signature as a means to get a review.
You can also nudge your recipient to take a specific action by adding a suitable call-to-action (CTA) that is polite, assertive, and feels more like a postscript than a sales pitch.
Just make sure that your CTA contains a single, clear message that is easy to understand and follow.
14. Don’t forget to add data privacy and legal disclaimers
For some industries, there can be certain legal disclaimers that you’re bound to display in your email. And email signatures provide a good way of doing this.
Here are some common disclaimers that are often mentioned in email signatures:
- Confidentiality disclaimer
- Virus transmission disclaimer
- Non-binding disclaimer
- Personal opinion disclaimer
- The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) disclaimers
15. Use space dividers
You want to make your email signature as comprehensive as possible, but you don’t want it to look overcrowded, disorganized, and ugly. And space dividers are a good way of keeping your signature clean.
They allow you to separate different pieces of information with spaces and present them in a nice and tidy way. You can also use a glyph divider (i.e. the vertical sign “|”) to separate your logo, giving a more pleasant look to your email signature.
Most Important Elements of an Email Signature
Your name, title, and company
Include your name and the name of your company you’re representing.
Contact information
Include your company website, at least one phone number, but avoid the unnecessary step of including an email address.
Job title or department (optional)
You might find it useful to let people know your exact job title or which department you work in, but it’s not necessary to include both.
Company physical address (or Google Maps link)
Ideally use a Google Maps link rather than take up valuable space with a mailing address.
A disclaimer or other legal requirements
There may be some legal requirements you need to meet in your email signature, so it’s worth checking with a lawyer to get this right.
A CTA (optional)
If you have a sales or marketing goal you’re working towards, your email signature could be a great place to recruit an audience.
Social icons
If your social profiles are well-managed and up-to-date, include social icons in your Gmail signature to encourage people to connect with you.
Responsive design
With 70% of people reading their emails via a smartphone app, make sure your signature works for mobile.
A logo or headshot (optional)
A headshot can help your recipients put a face to your name. A company logo (that clicks through to the website) can help to raise brand awareness and drive traffic.
Email Signature FAQs:
How many lines should an email signature be?
Professional email signatures look best when they are kept simple and short. That’s why you should try and limit your signature to 3 to 4 lines of text, mentioning only the essentials like full name, job title, and contact information.
Should I bold my name in my email signature?
Yes, it’s a good idea to bold text in your signature. It helps you highlight important details — such as yourname, position, and company — within your email signature by naturally drawing the recipient’s attention to the bolded text. Similarly, you can also try italicizing certain texts to lay emphasis on them.
What color should my email signature be?
Calm and elegant colors, such as blue and black, are the most recommended colors for email signatures. But you can choose any color that best communicates your mood, the company’s mission, and the necessary call to action as long as it’s not too flashy.
What not to include in my email signature?
Your email signature should not contain any unnecessary piece of information that would clutter it up. This may include:
- Religious/political statements
- Inspirational quotes
- Links to unused social accounts
- Too much contact information
- Pointless certifications
- Large image files
- Multiple and flashy color fonts
Your email signature is a prime opportunity to convert your recipients into social followers, customers, and loyal fans. The key is to find the right combination of visuals, information, and calls-to-action to provide your recipients with options without overwhelming them.
FAQs
What are some good signatures for emails? ›
A personal email signature should include your full name, a photo of yourself, a direct phone number, a hyperlinked website address, and social media icons with links to your personal profiles. If you are currently employed, include your job title.
What is a good Gmail signature? ›A good email signature should include your name, position/role, company name, link to company website, email address, logo and social media icons. Additionally, more information can be included if you need it, like banner ads, telephone numbers, additional websites, emails and other call to action text and buttons.
Which Colour is best for email signature? ›White is associated with purity, perfection and safety. Black denotes power and authority. Together these two basic colors make a great combination, generally accepted and essential for every email signature.
How do I make a signature creative? ›- Decide what you want your signature to convey. ...
- Analyze the letters in your name. ...
- Determine what parts of your name you want to include. ...
- Experiment with different styles. ...
- Think outside of the box. ...
- Choose your favorite signature.
- Emphasize your name, affiliation, and secondary contact information.
- Keep the colors simple and consistent.
- Use design hierarchy.
- Make links trackable.
- Use space dividers.
- Include an international prefix in your contact number.
- Make your design mobile-friendly.
Signatures that include just your initials (with or without the middle initial) are usually considered more formal and businesslike than full-name signatures. If you're worried about forgery, consider making your signature longer and more legible. Include your entire first and last name. Be sure to write clearly.
What your email signature says about you? ›Your email closing leaves an impression. It reveals clues about you — your personality, your status, your approach, your intention. It can help you to build stronger bonds or conversely, close them off.
Should email signatures be image or text? ›First and foremost, if you're using only an image as your email signature, you're at risk of your emails being treated as spam. This is because the text:image ratio is too low. As a general rule, there needs to be more text than images included in the body of your email messages.
Is Best regards a good closing? ›“Best regards” is a common, friendly closing for emails and written letters. When you see “best regards” near the end of a message, it simply means the writer wishes you well. It is a semiformal letter ending, versatile enough for both personal and professional correspondence.
Which signature is the most formal? ›When writing a formal email to your superiors, you can include a closing signature email such as “Yours sincerely” or “Yours faithfully.” On the other hand, when addressing informal emails, try incorporating “Warmest regards” or “Yours truly” in the end.
What can I use instead of best regards? ›
- Respectfully.
- Best.
- All the best.
- Thank you.
- Thanks again.
- Thanks in advance.
- Thank you for your time.
- Cheers.
Does your signature really have to be your actual name, or can it be something else entirely? If you need a legal opinion, you should consult an attorney, but, generally speaking, your signature can be whatever you want it to be.
How can I make my signature pretty? ›How to design your own amazing signature - YouTube
How do you make a cool signature in Outlook? ›Select Signature > Signatures from the Message menu. Choose New, and type a name for your signature. For example: Business, Official, Personal. In the Edit signature field, right-click and select Paste.
Is it professional to have a quote in your email signature? ›Adding quotes to your email signature is a popular way of including a spark of personality to your personal emails, but that doesn't mean you should use it professionally. In sales and marketing emails, including a quote in your signature can divide readers and distract them from the purpose of your message.
How do I add a preferred name to my email signature? ›Including your preferred name is the most vital ingredient in your email signature. If your name is Kathleen but you only go by Kate, use Kate in your signature. Title and company name. If you're self-employed, your title might read Tech ethicist or Writer/editor .
Can I just write my name as a signature? ›Yes, you can type your name as a signature, as long as you are using the right tools to capture information about when and where you signed. Some e-signing platforms actually invite signees to type their name as their electronic signature.
What is a signature style? ›When you have a signature style, it means that you have created a memorable image of yourself and have established a lasting impression on others. Think about how often we judge people almost immediately based on their appearance.
How can I make my short and stylish signature of my name? ›- Once you download the signNow add-on, click on the icon in the upper menu.
- Upload a document you want to eSign.
- It'll open in the online editor.
- Select My Signature.
- Generate a signature and click Done.
- After you short signature of my name save the executed doc to your device.
- Sincerely.
- With appreciation.
- Yours sincerely.
- Yours cordially.
- Best wishes.
- Take care.
- Talk soon.
Can you say warm regards? ›
Warm Regards is a relatively rare and unusual phrase that is often used for close friends and relatives. It thus is commonly used casually or informally. It is therefore considered slightly odd to end business letters with “Warm regards” unless the people involved are social acquaintances as well.
How do you start an email greeting? ›- Allow Me to Introduce Myself.
- Good afternoon.
- Good morning.
- How are you?
- Hope this email finds you well.
- I hope you enjoyed your weekend.
- I hope you're doing well.
- I hope you're having a great week.
Best conveys best wishes in a cheerful, pithy way. If you get a lot of email, you know that nearly everyone uses this sign-off. That familiarity makes it seamless in the same way that regards is seamless in more formal emails.
Can I end an email with just my name? ›There are multiple ways to close email messages. First you must choose your closing word or phrase, if you wish to include one — for example, Thank you or Regards. If you know your recipient and are addressing him or her by first name, in most cases you can then add just your first name.
What should one avoid in an email signature? ›- Unnecessary contact information. Don't overload your signature template with every possible way to contact you. ...
- Custom fonts. ...
- Bullet points. ...
- Animated GIFs. ...
- Videos. ...
- Quotes. ...
- Personal information. ...
- Multiple color fonts.
Effective emails, not only share information in a clear and concise manner, they save time and effort for both the reader and the recipient, which in the long run, impacts the bottom line.
How long should your email signature be? ›Keeping It Simple Email Signature. Tip: Limit your email signature to three or four lines of text. Once you have the basic format, consider adding one or two of the following options to personalize your sign-off.
What is the ideal format for email content? ›Subject Line: Summarize what your email is about in a clear and concise way. Salutation: Greet your recipient with an appropriate salutation for the situation. Introduction: Provide a brief summary of who you are. Body: Write a few short paragraphs about why you're reaching out and end with a CTA.
Are email signatures necessary? ›Having a professional email signature is important for a number of reasons, including: Your email signature makes your emails trustworthy by showing your recipients who they're corresponding with (your full name and a photo of you)
What can I say instead of warm regards? ›- “Sincerely”
- “Appreciated”
- “Respectfully yours”
- “Thank you so much”
- “Thank you”
- “With appreciation”
- “Very best”
- “Best”
Is it correct to say kindest regards? ›
Historically, with best regards and with kindest regards have been used as a letter closing—a.k.a. a valediction. In decades past, regards implied not only esteem but also affection; today it sits somewhat higher on the spectrum of formality.
Should I use sincerely or regards? ›'Yours sincerely' and 'Yours faithfully' should be reserved for very formal emails and letters, such as job applications and formal business correspondence. You are unlikely to encounter these in day-to-day email correspondence. Hence, 'Kind regards' and 'Best regards' are better options for workplace emails.
Can I end an email with all the best? ›All the best email sign-offs are general, friendly but slightly formal sign-offs; like “best regards” or “all the best”. If you expect to see or meet the recipient in the near future then you can end your email with “I look forward to speaking with you” or “I look forward to meeting you”.
Is respectfully a good email closing? ›When you are contacting someone in a position of power and authority—or at least someone who likes to think they are—using “Respectfully” as your business email sign-off can be a subtle but important word choice. It's simple: “Respectfully” implies deference.
How do you write Kind regards? ›You definitely only need to capitalise the first letter, like this: 'Kind regards'. Speaking of which, if you're confused about which sign-offs are okay, and which are a professional no-no, read our article on the best ways to start and finish an email.
Do you put your name after Best regards? ›Best regards, Kind regards, Best wishes, Yours sincerely - which to use and when. When ending an email or letter, before you write your name, you usually include a small signoff with something like "Best regards", "Kind regards", "Best wishes" or "Yours sincerely".
What can I say instead of best regards? ›- Respectfully.
- Best.
- All the best.
- Thank you.
- Thanks again.
- Thanks in advance.
- Thank you for your time.
- Cheers.
Signatures that include just your initials (with or without the middle initial) are usually considered more formal and businesslike than full-name signatures. If you're worried about forgery, consider making your signature longer and more legible. Include your entire first and last name. Be sure to write clearly.
Is Best regards a good closing? ›“Best regards” is a common, friendly closing for emails and written letters. When you see “best regards” near the end of a message, it simply means the writer wishes you well. It is a semiformal letter ending, versatile enough for both personal and professional correspondence.
What your email signature says about you? ›Your email closing leaves an impression. It reveals clues about you — your personality, your status, your approach, your intention. It can help you to build stronger bonds or conversely, close them off.
How do you end a professional email example? ›
With warmest regards. I look forward to your continued business. Sincerely yours. Yours truly.
Is it correct to say kindest regards? ›Historically, with best regards and with kindest regards have been used as a letter closing—a.k.a. a valediction. In decades past, regards implied not only esteem but also affection; today it sits somewhat higher on the spectrum of formality.
Can I end an email with all the best? ›All the best email sign-offs are general, friendly but slightly formal sign-offs; like “best regards” or “all the best”. If you expect to see or meet the recipient in the near future then you can end your email with “I look forward to speaking with you” or “I look forward to meeting you”.
What can I say instead of warm regards? ›- “Sincerely”
- “Appreciated”
- “Respectfully yours”
- “Thank you so much”
- “Thank you”
- “With appreciation”
- “Very best”
- “Best”
Because your signature identifies you, it should be consistent. It doesn't have to be your full name — unless you're specifically trying to match a previous authorized signature. You can choose to use just your initials instead, as one example.
How can I make my signature pretty? ›How to design your own amazing signature - YouTube
Which signature is most formal? ›When writing a formal email to your superiors, you can include a closing signature email such as “Yours sincerely” or “Yours faithfully.” On the other hand, when addressing informal emails, try incorporating “Warmest regards” or “Yours truly” in the end.
Can I say thank you and best regards? ›Yes, many use that way, also in "Best Regards". But, especially if we're talking about some official/formal email, I'd suggest to write according to the normal rules of orthography. In that case, write them like this: "Best regards", "Thanks and regards" or "Yours faithfully", etc.
Is cordially a good salutation? ›Cordially is a friendly sign off that's also polite and formal. In other words, it's a nice ending phrase for an email that's formal but you want to make it sound cheerful and kind. However, some might think it's slightly outdated.