How to make your email signature stand out and look professional
If you work in an office environment in 2024, email likely takes up a decent portion of your day-to-day responsibilities. Whether it’s communicating with customers, coworkers or potential collaborators, a properly crafted email can be a powerful tool in pushing projects forward.
A sometimes overlooked aspect of the email sits right at the bottom of the message: your signature. But don’t mistake the signature’s lower placement to mean it’s insignificant—quite the opposite, actually. As senior contributor Goldie Chan writes in her recent story for Forbes, an email signature is like a digital business card, a place where you get to enhance your brand and streamline your communication, making it easier for recipients to connect and follow up.
With that in mind, it might be a good idea to check if your own email signature needs a facelift. In her story, Chan provides tips on how to get your signature to stand out in an inbox full of business emails. Below are a few of the highlights:
- Make it short and sweet: We’re talking about an email signature here, not a mini-biography of your entire work background. Keep your signature to the basics, such as your first and last name, job title, phone number, social media handles and an image or logo for your company or personal brand.
- Stay professional: Your emails should make a positive impression, so steer clear of making jokes or unnecessary references to your personal interests. Keep in mind that this is your email for work, and you never know who your correspondence could be forwarded to and whose inbox it might end up in.
- Consider adding a call to action: Say you’ve got an upcoming event that you’re promoting: You should feel empowered to create an attractive, clickable icon for your signature that directs readers to an RSVP page. If you don’t have experience with web design, simple hyperlinked text can work too, or seek out a coworker or freelancer who can assist you with building an attention-grabbing CTA.