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Do you have a signature text file (also known as email signature) set
up in your email software so that your name, company and website address
automatically appear at the bottom of every outgoing e-mail you send?
If you don't have one already, setting up a signature text file is an
easy (and totally free) way to help correspondents be in touch, identify
your company and most importantly … promote your website.
 When
you send out letters, those receiving your correspondence can see the
complete contact information for your company, as well as the logo and
corporate colors. E-mails, however, are devoid of any identifying features,
unless you have built them into your email preferences. In your message
settings you can define name, organization and the email address you want
to have people reply to, but not much else. The signature text file gives
you the opportunity to do much more than that!
Your signature file could contain the following information: name, title,
company, complete contact information (phone, fax, email, or preferred
means of contacting you), marketing slogan, teasers about product or service
specials or other information and, most importantly, the URL for your
website.
A signature text file is FREE promotion for your website, building traffic
to the site without any charge. So, don't forget to include your website
address! Don't just put www.mycompany.com, include the http:// …
to make your link "click-able". Some email software have limitations
which necessitate copying the URL and pasting it into a web browser if
the http:// is missing. If you include the full web address ,then all
they have to do is click on the link and it opens up a new browser window
and goes direct to your website.
The basic email signature should be standard throughout your company,
and be on all outgoing company emails. The way your employees sign their
emails reflects on your company image. Ensure that email correspondence
is "signed" in a manner which reflects how you want to portray
your company to those who receive email correspondence from your staff.
The steps for setting up the file differ, depending on which email software
you use:
- In Word Pad or your word processing software, create a file with
the information you want to appear at the bottom of each email you send.
Be sure to save the file in a text format (.txt) … you could name
it signature.txt. Remember where you saved the file on your hard drive.
- Open your browser software and locate your email preferences:
- In Netscape Communicator, click on the Edit menu, then Preferences,
and then Identity. Near the bottom you will see a box with a "Choose"
button next to it labeled "Signature file". In that box, type
the complete path to your signature file on your hard drive, or use
the browse function to find the file. Click OK.
- In Microsoft Outlook Express 5 – in the Tools Menu, Select Options,
Select Signature tab. Click New next to the Signatures box. Check the
box next to "Add signatures to all outgoing messages" Type
the signature as you want it to appear in the Edit Signature box. Click
OK.
- In Outlook Express: Choose Tools, Options, Click on the Signatures
tab, Signatures #1, Default Signature, Edit Signature. Type your signature
in here, as you would like it to appear. Click OK. Click New Mail to
view your new email signature.
- In Eudora: Go to Tools, Signatures; Go inside the box it opens (click
the tab that contains a pen icon). Right click your mouse to bring up
the menu. Choose New. Enter Signature Name, click Enter. Type your signature
in the box. You can format the font, add bold, italics, change alignment
etc., but not everyone may be able to see this formatting unless their
email program supports it. When you are finished click File, then Save.
Associate your signature with the email account it goes with by going
into Tools, Options, Sending Mail, Select Default Signature, and then
click OK.
- In AOL 8.0: Click on Write. When the new message window opens, click
on the Insert Signature File button (pencil), click on Set Up Signatures,
click on create, type in signature name and then how you want your signature
text file to appear on the bottom. Click OK. The signature file you
created will now appear as a selection whenever you click on the Insert
Signature File button.
Steps may vary slightly depending on the version of the browser you are
using.
- Test the signature by sending an e-mail to yourself. Make changes
in it until you are happy with how it looks.
If you want to make your signature file stand out, you could use
special symbols. Using CAPITAL letters on some lines can really make
certain words pop out. Borders can place a nice frame around your
signature. Here's a few you could try:
~~~~~ '''''''''' '''' """"""""
*******==== ==== >>>>>>
///////// ####### ## %%%%
Use lines breaks and white space to make the signature text easy
to read. Stay fresh by changing your email signature now and then.
You can include special season's greetings, promotions, company news
or contest information. You can even attach graphics or animated gif
files, but remember the email will then take longer to download.
Remember, the point of using a signature file is: 1) to identify the
sender, 2) provide contact information, and 3) to build traffic to your
site!
…. my signature text files follow:
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