If you have a website and simply sign your e-mails
with just your name, STOP right there! If you're
not taking advantage of using a good signature line,
you're missing out on promoting your business every time
you send mail.
So you ask, what exactly does
a good signature line look like?
It should read like
a mini bio with the "Four W's:" Who, What, When, Where. The length
is usually 4 o 6 lines (at no more then 65 characters per
line). You should include your company name, URL,
a business slogan, and a link to subscribe to your
ezine or a freebie you may be offering. For example:
Sally Smith- Smith's Hardware Store
http://www.smithhardware.com/
"The Finest in Hardware Since 1910"
Subscribe to "Smiths Hardware Post" send
mailto:subscribe@smithhardware.com.
"All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy"
Take note of the special characters encasing the
signature. This is optional but helps add
a flair of creativity to your signature. Some
people like to add a quote as in the example above.
There are two excellent sites online for finding
quotes you can use in your sig line:
http://www.coolsigs.com
http://www.siglets.com
It's best to make a few different signature lines and
switch them every so often so you don't get bored.
If your site runs special sales or promotions you
can make a signature line just for that occasion.
In your email client make sure you set "add signature
to all outgoing emails by default" so every time you
send a new message the signature line will be included
automatically.
Think of the amount of email you reply to weekly;
that's a lot of people who will receive
your mini billboard. It works silently in the
background selling your site and services.
Signature lines are extremely important when
posting to discussion boards and newsgroups.
You can't just barge in and try to sell your
products, but with a good signature line, you're
doing it in an acceptable way when you post or reply
to a message.
As in all of your advertising, try to pique the readers'
curiosity with your signature, so they want to click
on your URL and find out more about you.
Promoting your website means getting your URL seen
in as many places as possible, and signature lines
are one avenue in that direction. If you need
more help with composing your signature lines
or configuring your email client try:
http://www.smithfam.com/news/june99r.html
http://www.earthlink.net/internet/email/signatures.html
Although this may seem pretty elementary, you'd
be amazed to see the amount of email I receive daily
that's missing the signature boat. If you've overlooked
your mini billboard I suggest you create one now,
because you never know when someone may ask to see
your "John Hancock."
About the Author
Merle's Cyber Promotions (MC)
http://www.mcpromotions.com
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