| |
| |
|
Marketing Information |
|
|
|
Make Your E-Mail Signature File WORK for You!
You're probably familiar with e-mail signature (or "sig") files - they're the few lines of contact information that many of us put at the bottom of every e-mail we send. Most e-mail software programs allow you to create and use sig files - even the newer versions of AOL. I've heard some people who don't use sig files defend their position by saying, "All my clients know my info - I don't need to remind them with every e-mail." Stop! You're missing a perfect opportunity to promote your business, as well as do your clients and prospects a favor. When you think about how many e-mails you actually send a day, it's probably more than you realized! Some people send over 100 a day. That's a lot of mail - and a lot of chances to slip in your own subtle marketing messages. Sig Files Put You at Their Fingertips People love it when you make information easy to find. Sure, your clients have your phone number somewhere, but they'll really appreciate it when they can grab your number right from an e-mail they're looking at. In fact, e-mail is such a part of our lives now, that if someone needs your phone number quickly, she may be more likely to grab it off your latest e-mail than to dig up your business card. (Don't underestimate this occurrence - there are many disorganized people in the world!) Also, if people want to put your info into their contact management software (Outlook, ACT, Palm, etc.), they can simply copy and paste it right from your sig file. Good Sig Files Tell Strangers What You Do As a former co-chair of New York's Women in Communications Inc. (WICI), I booked speakers for our monthly cocktail events, conducting most of this work via e-mail. The speakers I corresponded with only knew me as a representative of WICI; they had no idea what I did for a living. But one woman, after spotting my sig file, promptly wanted to learn more about my copywriting services. She then hired me for a $5,000 project. Thank you, sig file! Sig Files Are Ready to Travel E-mails are forwarded all the time. You never know where yours may end up, and one of the recipients may be very interested in your service or product. I learned this when I got a call from a prospect in Israel. A colleague of hers here in the U.S. had forwarded her an interesting issue of my newsletter. She learned about my services and got my phone number from the sig file at the bottom. Sig Files Are a Great Promotional Tool Now, let's move beyond the obvious stuff. Think of your sig file as a little messenger who speaks to everyone you send an e-mail to. What do you want him to say? Do you have great news? A new product or service? A free newsletter or report? Let us know via your sig file! Your Sig File Checklist Here are several items to consider putting into your sig file. CAUTION: Do not attempt to insert them all! Choose what's most important for you and your business.
Now, also consider putting promotional info in your sig file, such as:
In the interest of space and your reader's time, keep your offer or announcement to one or two sentences only. (Tip: Always throw in the word "free" when possible. It's everyone's favorite word!) Bonus: Most e-mail software programs allow you to create and keep several signatures on file, so you can change them easily and often. This makes it a cinch to switch your messages weekly or even daily, and maintain ones for different businesses. Choose What's Important to You Of course, it's possible to get carried away and include too much information. We don't need random quotes that have no relation to your business, cute illustrations made up of keyboard characters, or your weekend phone number in the Hamptons. Try to keep your sig file to a maximum of eight lines. More than that will overwhelm the reader, and it will look silly if your sig files are always longer than your e-mail messages! Here's a good example: Jane Smith, President Notice that "Jane" opted not to give her mailing address here, in order to use the space for her tagline and an invitation to receive her free report. It's all up to you. If your customers frequently need your mailing address, then you should include it. (I don't include it in mine, since 99% of my work is done via e-mail.) Decide what bits of info are most valuable to keep, and use the rest of the space for a unique message or promotion! One Last Thing: Make Sure We "Get" What You Do I've seen some seemingly complete sig files that still leave me wondering, "Thanks for all the info, but what do you DO?" We all know what IBM and Kodak do, but the whole world doesn't know what your business does (yet). For now, it's your job to help us all learn. Include a tagline that describes what your company does or a short phrase that helps us understand. If your sig file consistently delivers a clear impression of what you have to offer your prospects, it will reward you numerous times in the future! (c) 2000-2003 Alexandria K. Brown. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," is author of the award-winning manual, "Boost Business With Your Own E-zine." To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at http://EzineQueenTutorial.com/
MORE RESOURCES:
Marketing - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Optimizing Your Email Marketing Email CampaignsEmail marketing can be a tremendously valuable tool for web businesses. Because it is so fast, cheap and easy, and because it is everywhere, email lends itself ideally to direct marketing. Create A Business Card That Sells and is Effective Why does your business need a business card?Business card is a powerful piece of card handed out to your clients or given to you by someone which has all that information in such a small space. Business cards are an important part of any business and that gives a first impression of your business to anyone. Getting New Clients - When Only a Few is More Than Enough Many of the business owners I speak with are looking for a relatively small number of new clients. It isn't that they're not ambitious, it's just the size of their businesses doesn't warrant a larger objective. Increase Your Response with Multi-Step Marketing "There is only one way to judge the effectiveness of a marketing piece, and that is by the number of responses you get." - Heidi Richards -Multi-step marketing is a simple yet extremely powerful strategy when you use it to its full potential. The Most Important Marketing Principles of All Time As you have probably experienced there is a lot of hype in the business and marketing world. New concepts, revolutionary methods and the like land in our in boxes every day. The Great Direct Marketing Conundrum Many a home business owner has spent sleepless nights thinking of ways to turn his venture into a higher profit-making unit and build it to be his primary source of income. This is never easy for a home business because most start-ups face initial lack of money and cash flows. Networking: The Cost of a Connection "Networking is a waste of time," said JoAnne, owner of a busy print shop. "Besides, I advertise in the daily paper. Starting Small Business Promotional Campaigns So you're starting a small business. You figured out what you wanted to sell or do and went out and got it all set up, had your DBA framed and on the wall and now all you need is for someone to buy your product or use your service. Postcard Direct Mail Marketing Works (Its Cheap, Quick, Affordable and More) Used the right way and with the right audience, postcards often outperform their mailbox "competitors" in money saved and revenue generated (the competitors are sales letters, self-mailers, unaddressed flyers, dimensional mailers and catalogs). Here's why postcards are so effective. Customizing Booklets By Industry or By Company Customizing booklets can be done by industry or by company."110 Ideas for Organizing Your Travel Business Office" or "110 Ideas for Organizing Your Beauty Salon" or "110 Ways for Organizing Your Fitness Center" are examples of customizing a generic booklet about organizing your business life according to specific industries. Avoid the Duds: 10 Strategies for Selecting The Perfect Speaker Today, more than ever, the success of meetings relies heavily on the strength of program content and presentation. Nothing can spoil a meeting more than hiring the wrong speaker. Like Brushing Your Teeth What do the following things have in common: brushing your teeth, regular exercise, eating a balanced diet, paying your bills on time, cleaning your gutters, spending quality time with your spouse and kids??They're all forms of regular "self-care" that, if you neglect them for a period of time or take the wrong approach, there will be costly negative consequences.The same goes for marketing. Target Marketing - What Are You Aiming For? Is Advertising Viable?At the turn of the 20th century, department store magnate J.C. Neuromarketing: Smart Marketing Or Jedi Mind Control Trick? In the international bestseller "Blink," Malcolm Gladwell explains why our decisions to choose brands, select a mate, sue our doctor or make choices that decide Presidential elections, aren't as simple as they seem.Why we often let unconscious biases affect our opinions about people who are taller or have a different skin colour. Secret of Strategy - Part 1 A step-by-step guide to creating a growth strategy based on your current situation and future possibilities. I'll bet you think you already have a strategy. Flesh Eating Spiders And Other Marketing Horrors After a friend was bitten by a spider, I decided to do some research to find out more about the spider.I came across a website that decided to create a marketing message that focused on fear based selling and over the top lies. Receiving a Brochure Printing Quote Brochures are a great way to get your message across. While having a brochure can be extremely useful, it is sometimes hard to know whether it is affordable. Color Part 1: Accuracy Color is one of the most difficult parts of a design to show accurately to a client.Color perception can be affected by many factors, including:Human perception:The way each person sees color can vary, depending on the structure of the individual's eye. The 7 Commandments of Marketing Marketing is the key to success with any business, online or traditional. You can have a website or business location. Meaning and Marketing - The Hurricane I step outside my back door and look at some large limbs lying on the ground. They are all dead.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |