Health & Fitness
Apologies... and Today's Topic: Email Signatures
Blogger Robin Ferrier tackles how you can use your email signature as a PR and marketing tool.
First, let me start with an apology. I've committed what I consider one of the Cardinal Sins of blogging. I committed to a blog and then let it languish. (Even worse, I let BOTH my blogs languish.) I wish I had an excuse that was better than, "I was busy." But I don't. I was busy and I let this blog fall by the wayside. Sorry, readers. (All two or three of you...) I'll try not to let it happen again. Because I do want to lead by example.
So now back to our regularly scheduled program...
Today's topic: Email Signatures.
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Chances are, if you send email, you use one. You know what I'm talking about, those pesky little lines at the bottom of your email that include your contact info. (And if you're not using one, do so starting now. There's nothing worse than pulling up an email, wanting to call someone to respond and having to dig through a stack of business cards or past emails to find the phone number you need.)
Maybe you're wondering right now why I'm writing about email signatures in a column about PR and marketing, assuming email signatures aren't about that. If that's what you're thinking, you're wrong. Because if you aren't using your email signature to promote your organization, you're doing yourself -- and your company -- a disservice.
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What do I mean?
Well, first off, your email signature better include a link to your company's website. But that's just the beginning.
Have you thought about adding in a line or two about your company's latest initiative?
Every email I send in my official capacity as PR Committee Chair for the Gaithersburg Book Festival includes a line -- in red and all caps so that it stands out -- that says: "COMING SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012". I just recently added a line to my JHU MCC email signature that talks about the Shady Grove Farmers' & Artisans' Market that we host on Wednesdays on our campus.
Using your email signature to promote an upcoming event -- or your company's latest initiative or FB page or Twitter account -- is a high-impact, low-effort, and easy way to give an extra push to whatever it is your organization cares about right now...
And one last reminder if you take this advice: Make sure whatever you add to the signature line stays up-to-date. (Imagine if my GBF signature line still had the 2011 date on it!)
