When it comes to your online email marketing promotions, think out your signature file. It is an important feature of your message not an afterthought. It tells people about YOU or specifically what your business is about.

The signature file is a little like a P.S. at the end of a message. It nearly always gets attention.

Here are 10 guidelines for creating a signature file that looks professional and gets clicks:

1. Make it brief, no more than about 6 lines, and make it pithy. Put in a nutshell what you and your business are all about along with the URL of course.

2. Use a single --- or double === divider across the top and/or across the bottom of the signature.

3. Adjust the signature file for the audience you are reaching. For certain newsgroups or mailing lists, adopt a soft-sell approach so as not to cause irritation. For an autoresponder message a hard sell signature file may be acceptable.

4. Include your email address and the URL of your home page.

5. Don't go above 8 lines including the divider(s).

6. Format to 60 characters so the line endings will appear neat in your recipient’s browser.

7. Left justify the text.

8. Proofread it. That’s worth repeating – Proofread it!

9. Cut and paste the URL into a browser and make sure it works! How frustrating to stumble on the fact that after you have sent hundreds of emails or you have been using the signature file for some weeks, the link doesn’t work because of a typo or other error in the URL. Test it!

10. Send an email to yourself with the signature file and check the overall appearance and impression. Is it clean and professional?

In conclusion: Labor hard and long on the wording of your signature until it is just right. Sum up your main selling proposition and craft it into a slogan.

Michael A. Jones is a writer and webmaster with over 10 years experience. Punctuation marks used discreetly and correctly can really add power to your emails. Check Michael’s punctuation guide here for ideas:

http://www.about-goal-setting.com/punctuation-guide.html

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