The Email Signature: Quick and Easy Marketing
Just as Brian Clark reveals the secret behind his success, so does Anne Wayman. The prolific freelance writer talks about using an email signature:
The easiest and cheapest way to market yourself is with your email signature. It’s free and it’s easy.
Of course, your email sig by itself is unlikely to generate business, although I’ve had it happen once or twice. Rather it’s a way to back up your other marketing efforts and make it super easy for potential clients to contact you. I’m amazed at the number of writers who contact me via email who don’t have an email signature.
Obviously, such a inquiry-generating device doesn’t work only for writers, but for freelancers in general. Anne’s right: the email signature keeps contacts aware of your online profile, making it easy for them to contact you. I place all my websites on my email signature, and it has helped clients past and present discover the different facets of my freelance career.
On the other hand, I have to disagree with Anne placing her phone number on her email signature. I’m a private person, and the prospect of anyone accidentally waking me up at 4:00 am isn’t exactly great. A phone number provides a more direct means of communication. But I’d rather use email to answer inquiries on my own time.
Do you use an email signature? What’s in it?
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POSTED IN: Marketing Your Skills
6 opinions for The Email Signature: Quick and Easy Marketing
Anne Wayman
Aug 7, 2007 at 6:31 am
I’ve solved the phone number problem… I turn it off when I don’t want to be bothered… which includes 4 a.m. as well as other times during the day.
My msg service picks up anything I miss and I have the option of returning the call or not.
In truth, my phone number has been out there for ages, both in email and on my websites and I get way more calls from potential customers than I do from drunks, oddballs, etc. In fact, I can’t remember a call that violated my privacy… not as a result of my number on email or my sites.
But, as in all things, mileage varies.
Thanks for linking to my post.
A
http://www.thegoldenpencil.com
Rico
Aug 7, 2007 at 8:52 am
I know what you mean. But the last thing I want is a full voicemail inbox. I want to limit unanswered messages to only my email, which is why I limit myself so.
Maybe I’ll consider your approach. Perhaps I can harness the direct contact allowed by the phone.. :)
Doug
Aug 7, 2007 at 11:17 am
I wrote quite a bit on email signatures on Service Untitled. Some thoughts and examples at:
http://www.serviceuntitled.com/index.php?s=email+signatures&submit=Search
Vyoma
Aug 7, 2007 at 12:10 pm
This is definetly the way to build a brand out of yourself.
But instead of putting links in signature to all my websites, I do so based on context.
When sending a personal email, I put my personal site address. Anything art related (like I am conversing with another artist or someone related), I put the link of my Art Blog. And so on.
Lori
Aug 9, 2007 at 6:10 am
There’s this lovely thing called caller ID that has saved me many a late-night conversation with clients who have no boundaries. Also, the phone in my bedroom has a button to switch off the ringer. If anyone EVER woke me up, my better half would make absolute mincemeat of that person verbally and hang up. I’d not have any troubles with doing the same, either.
What I did have a problem with was someone who was a bit of a scary person. He was harmless, but his lack of boundaries had him actually look up my number online and call me. Plus he said he was now working very close to where I lived. Luckily, he got the hint when I didn’t return any of his six emails.
Rico
Aug 10, 2007 at 9:59 am
Doug: Great post Doug. It seems you and Vyoma agree that some customization is needed (see below).
Vyoma: I honestly didn’t see it that way at first. Good thing you’ve highlighted the need to cater to your target, which plays a big part in successful marketing. :)
Lori: I may be coming off as a total tech n00b (I do know about caller ID and turning phones off). In any case, my hesitation about making phone numbers public is that I think people can take advantage of them in some nefarious way.
Btw, I shuddered when told me about how that guy mentioned his proximity to you. Scary! :)
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