Professional Email Signature

December 12, 2021

Email Signature Examples

Gone are the days when the standard view was to focus solely on leaving a first, best impression. The world now runs on the digital web, and since the sender and receiver emailing each other cannot see each other physically, you cannot rely just on creating a perfect introduction in your emails.

The golden rule is to capture the reader’s attention from top to bottom of your email, yet words only cannot achieve the same result. So, a professional email signature takes the job in its hands as the visuals spark an interest faster than the words.

As an excellent promotional tool, an email signature is a must-to-have element in your emails. But how exactly to do that?

Grab a paper and pen as this guide contains the answers to all your queries about email signatures: the pros, requirements, how to format and create a signature, with some of the best tips and examples to help you create your email signature.

Let’s dive in!

What Is An Email Signature?

An email signature can be described as a block of text comprising all the necessary information about you and your services. It appears at the end of an email and marks a professional conclusion followed by a perfect introduction and body.

Whether you are a student, teacher, worker, self-employed, or a brand/business owner, an email signature showcases your abilities, skills, work position, contact details, and other important data. You can also include links such as social media profiles and CTAs to invite the audience to explore more about you.

The following are some of the most significant features of a professional email signature:

  • It displays your name, job title, and workplace
  • It includes a concise slogan that outlines your company’s objectives
  • All the information is highly valuable and to-the-point
  • It also includes a few, best possible, approach-able ways to contact you
  • The block of text serves as a harmonized, personalized conclusion to any email

In a nutshell, an email signature at the end of an email keeps your important details intact to give your email a more professional look. Yet there are also other benefits you’ll get; so, let’s move forward.

Pros Of Using A Professional Email Signature

An email signature is to benefit you but to know how exactly, let’s explore the pros of using an email signature, as discussed below.

1. Leaves A Great First & Last Impression

An email signature appears at the end of an email, but the eyes capture the large block instantly when you open an email. This way, you get the chance to impress your clients by creating a fantastic email signature.

Also, when applying for a scholarship, internship, or job, the client has to deal with hundreds of emails. In such a case, a personalized block of all your information standing at the end of the email is sure to stand out among others and thus, doubles the chance of getting a response.

2. A Proper, Professional Conclusion

Just like you shake hands in a business situation, an email signature serves the same purpose. Suppose you’ve written a long cover letter including all the necessary points. Even though your words are impressive, an unattractive, simple conclusion is less likely to convey the same message by the time the reader reaches the end.

Conversely, a professional email signature will remind the client again of who you are and what you have to offer. This marks a proper, professional conclusion to virtual, one-way communication instead of just concluding the email with the basic style.

3. Allows The Reader To Explore More About You & Your Services

Imagine this: the person you are emailing read all your content and is even impressed with your services. They feel like exploring more about you, and at the end of the email, there is an email signature including all the essential links that can amaze your client even more.

Yet contrary to the above, if you end your email with just a formal ending, the reader would simply close your message and may indulge in another task. Since you get only one chance to leave a remarkable impression, why not increase readers’ curiosity and make them believe in your services by adding all the essential links in your signature at the end of your emails!

4. An Effective Tool For Brand Marketing

Your email is likely forwarded to other people. With every person viewing a professional signature in your emails, your business or brand will see a boost in its audience. It’s a simple but efficient way to promote your company as, according to research, visuals are more likely to be retained than words.

Since you also add multiple social media links, you can increase the number of views and followers on your social profiles with an email signature.

5. Keeps Your Credibility Intact

Sending cold emails is popular in the digital world, yet it also raises whether to trust the sender. You can save your client from falling into confusion by giving them all the details.

However, since adding all this in your email can sound desperate and unprofessional and make your email full of external links, an email signature is perfect for the job.

If there is an email signature, the client will most likely explore all the links, which builds a trustful relationship between you and the client.

6. Gives Easy Access To Your Contact Information

It would be dreadful for the reader if contacting you means going through the whole email and finding your contact details again and again. It can even discourage the client from responding to you in the first place.

Yet with an email signature, all your essential contact information will be saved in a block at the end of the email. The client would know where to find your phone number, office address, or other data, and thus, your digital presence will be forever saved and won’t get lost.

7. Contributes To Business Growth

When clients are impressed by your professional attitude, they are likely to come back, which is precisely what your business needs. Since it promotes your services and does the marketing part, more people will reach out, contributing to overall business growth.

Small businesses struggling to afford a proper marketing strategy can also rely on email signature as it is a simple, reasonable, and convenient way to expand your work.

8. Easy Embedding In Email Saves Time & Energy

You can save a lot of time in rewriting contact details and services’ information when there is an email signature ready at hand to copy and paste.

It also lets you write more without getting exhausted as you don’t have to explain everything; instead, an email signature would do all the work. You can then use the time spent on long cover letters on tasks that equally matter, which is, again, a win-win situation!

Who Should Use An Email Signature?

Undoubtedly, an email signature is an excellent way to end your emails; it adds professionalism, leaves a great lasting impression, and promotes your services. Yet if you are confused about whether or not you should create an email signature, ask yourself:

  • Do your clients often find it hard to contact you?
  • As a student, do you want to ace that next scholarship/internship?
  • Is your business still in progress and needs a simple yet effective marketing tool?
  • Are you looking forward to impressing your employer/client?
  • Do you want to strengthen your brand’s credibility?
  • Is your long-term goal is to build a trustful relationship with your customers?

And above all,

  • Do you want to display your abilities, academic achievements, or business or career highlights professionally and elegantly in every email you send?

You are welcome to read forward if your answer is yes as irrespective of your profession or at what stage of life you currently are, a cohesive email signature would always outstand your emails.

Since it showcases all your necessary data enclosed in a box, whoever reads the email is attracted by the signature banner at the end and thus, gets impressed and may retain your services longer than others.

You can be a student, an employer, or a business owner, and an email signature can do wonders for your work and career. Want to know how? Here’s a list of who should use a professional email signature and when and where you can use it if you are a:

  • Student (school/graduate/masters): submitting assignments, contacting teachers, applying for a scholarship, etc.
  • Teacher: replying to students, colleagues, parents, catching up with school/college/university’s updates, etc.
  • Job Seeker: applying to job posts, contacting referrals, communicating with potential employers, etc.
  • Internship Seeker: applying to internships, responding to volunteering opportunities, etc.
  • Medical School Student: emailing research opportunities, contacting faculty members, reaching out with public/press members, etc.
  • Small Business Owners: replying to customer queries, promotional and marketing emails, contacting big brands, etc.
  • Work Employee: communicating businesses/customers, catching up with colleagues, etc.
  • Real Estate Agent: emailing potential clients, initiating deals, finalizing projects, etc.
  • Company Owner: posting vacancies, emailing staff, writing internal/external emails, etc.
  • Brand Owner: sending proposals, hiring/responding to employees or job seekers, announcing sales and campaigns, etc.
  • Youtuber: in collaboration emails, approaching brands, applying to influencer marketing platforms, etc.
  • Freelancer: reaching out to clients, contacting referrals, customer dealing, in cold emails, etc.

Moreover, if you don’t fit in any of the categories mentioned above, there’s another door for you to open: a personal email signature. There are no specific criteria for who should create a personal signature which can be a benefit if you don’t want to confine your email signature to a particular domain.

How To Format A Professional Email Signature

You can add anything in your email signature, but if your aim is to convince your reader and leave a good impression, you need to be specific and cautious. The golden rule is to put yourself in the shoes of your audience and find what precisely they would look for when they need you.

Adding tons of information in your email signature can:

  • make it messy
  • look unconvincing and unappealing
  • overwhelm the reader
  • give a stuffy look
  • cause the real information get lost
  • make your credibility dubious
  • lead the reader to forget your data easily

Therefore, to avoid all of this, make sure your signature

  • reflects what you have to offer
  • is systematic and organized
  • is eye-catching and appealing
  • includes all the introductory information
  • leaves a positive impression
  • convinces the reader to explore more about you

And how do you do this? By choosing the “right” format for your email signature, including all the necessary elements. And the general form of an email signature may comprise of:

  • Personal Details
  • Academic Details
  • Professional Details
  • Contact Details
  • Social Profiles
  • Infographics
  • Additional Details

Now, let’s dive deeper into what bits of information all these categories include in a professional email signature!

  • Personal Details

This is the base of the initial impression you want to convey to your readers, including your name. It depends on you if you wish to include your middle name; though, first and last names are recommended. If your professional name is a variation of your real name, we’d suggest using it.

Also, nicknames are highly discouraged unless you intend to use your email signature for your friends and family. However, if you are writing an email to someone for the first time, it is better to keep it professional.

  • Academic Details 

Academic details are necessary to impress the reader with your abilities and skills. It is also good to include your institution name if it’s well-known as it will look more convincing to the audience. Your qualification will make you sound credible, especially if you are looking for a scholarship, internship, or job.

  • Professional Details 

Here you should add all about your work and experience in the field. Name your company, mention your business/brand you own, and your workplace position. Some people prefer adding their department as well, and it is often included in the email signatures of all the employees within a particular company.

  • Contact Details 

Based on your profession, you can add one or more contacts; however, you should never overwhelm the reader with multiple sources. Think of it practically; if you are adding three numbers and four emails, you are simply confusing the reader as to which one is the correct one to pick.

The best way is to keep the contact information as concise as possible. Add an email address and a phone number. Add an office contact and a business email if it’s a business signature.

  • Social Profiles 

A professional email signature is sure to leave an appealing impression on your reader. And what better way can be to impress them further by letting them explore your services. Social profiles are precisely for that job, and you should add at least three social links to your email signature.

You can choose from the top social media platform: Facebook and Instagram are excellent since nearly every person uses them. You can add a link to Skype or Zoom if you’d like your clients to approach you directly via a video call. Include a LinkedIn link if you are applying for a job or internship. Similarly, if your clients need detailed insight into your work, there’s always a Youtube button that you can add.

Another thing you can add here is a link to your website or portfolio. You can also include a direct link to place orders, view the recent catalog, or access a particular session.

On a further note, avoid including too many social icons since it takes away your email signature’s professional and sophisticated appearance. Also, double-check your links not to add any inactive, dead social media profile because that would lead your reader to nowhere resulting in a wrong impression.

  • Infographics

Images bring colors to your email signature, but they can also make the eyes overwhelmed as too vibrant, popped-up colors are often hard to withstand and process. You should ensure you are not giving your professional email signature into a cartoon design by choosing images with contrasting colors.

The most common infographics you should include in your email signature are your image and business/brand/company/institution logo/banner. Make sure the background is simple and not crowded with props for the headshot. Look straight into the camera and smile; the more confident you are, the more positive impact it will leave on your readers.

If possible, try to blend the colors in each other. You can do this by fusing the shades in the logo/banner with those in your profile picture, not forgetting to color your social icons accordingly.

  • Additional Details

This element is optional; you can add whatever extracurricular success you want. For instance, give space to your hobbies, interests, accomplishments, scholarships, skills, abilities, and anything that will make your signature look more compelling and convincing. You can also leave these details if they seem extra or make your signature messy and stuffy.

What To Add If You Are A

If it seems overwhelming deciding what you should include in your email signature, we’ve made things easy for you by categorizing the most important details about what to add if you are a:

 

Student

A student’s email signature should be elegant and straightforward since it is to be viewed by teachers and professors.

Must add:

  • Your name and major (/main subjects)
  • Institution name (school/college/uni or other)
  • Institution Logo
  • The year you graduated (or recent academic accomplishment)
  • Your LinkedIn profile
  • A link to your portfolio
  • Skills, Awards, Scholarships

Avoid:

  • Using nicknames
  • Adding more than three social icons
  • Over-using colors

 

Teacher

Teachers/Professors should add:

  • Your professional name as a teacher/professor
  • Institute name
  • Job title (teacher assistant, homeroom teacher, home tutor, etc.)
  • Department
  • Subjects you teach
  • Qualification & Experience
  • Your workplace (institute’s) address
  • Official institute phone number (along with your assigned extension)
  • A professional email
  • Link to your profile at the institute’s official website
  • Your website links to private classes or recent seminars
  • Institute’s logo
  • LinkedIn profile, Facebook/Instagram social icon

Avoid:

  • Using one signature for two professions (class instructor at school and a private home tutor are two different professions)
  • Job/Internship Seeker

It’s all about impressing your reader. Add:

  • Your first & last name (or business name)
  • Academic qualifications, certifications, credentials
  • A phone number & a professional email address
  • Link to your portfolio
  • Link to your brand’s website (if you are a service provider)
  • Certificates provided by any past experience in a company/business

Don’t:

  • Add personal social media accounts (viewed by friends & family)

Medical School Student

You should highlight:

  • First name and surname
  • Medical school name
  • Medical school banner/logo
  • Graduating year/years of study
  • Your Medical Residency Program
  • Your area of expertise (/major/main subjects)
  • Hospital name (any past internships/scholarships)

Must Avoid:

  • Mentioning unnecessary stuff like your GPA or Step scores
  • Entitling yourself with “future” (future Cardiologists, to-be doctor, etc.)

 

Small Business Owners

Small Businesses are still growing, so their primary goal should be to attract more audiences. You should include:

  • Your name
  • Brand/business name
  • Job title or position (owner, co-founder, etc.)
  • Brand/business logo
  • Your headshot image
  • Brand/business official website
  • A phone number & official business email address
  • Link to Facebook & Instagram pages

However, as a small business owner, never add these things to your professional email signature:

  • Mentioning a long list of services
  • Adding a bunch of contacts (instead, you can add links to more services or give an offer to first-timers)
  • Adding social media links that don’t fully portray your business/brand (private, dead, inactive profiles)

 

Work Employee

Typically, a company assigns each of its work employees their unique email signature, yet if you want to create one for yourself, you should add:

  • Your first and last name
  • Company/workplace name
  • Job title
  • Work department
  • Office landline number
  • A private (business) contact
  • Office email (or private business email)
  • Official website of the company
  • Company logo

Please refrain from:

  • Adding contacts that are for personal (friends/family) use
  • Merging two professions in one signature

 

Real Estate Agent

Credibility is the most important priority here, so make sure your email signature has:

  • Your full name
  • Your company/business name
  • Company/business license number (must!)
  • Office address
  • Office phone number
  • A direct phone number
  • A professional email
  • Link to direct video calling (Skype/Zoom) (optional)
  • Link to official Facebook and/or Instagram pages
  • Official website

Don’t:

  • Add only one contact option (two are good)
  • Include a few social icons (let the client explore all about you)
  • Skip your license number at any cost

 

Company/Brand Owner

Here’s what to include:

  • The company/brand name
  • Your name
  • Job position (CEO, president, director, etc.)
  • Any affiliate company/organization
  • Office landline
  • Business address
  • Professional brand logo
  • Official website
  • Facebook & Instagram links

Avoid:

  • filling your email signature with more than-necessary social links
  • using multiple fonts
  • using poor quality, dull infographics

Youtube/Content Creator

Youtubers and content creators have more flexibility in their email signature, and they can customize it with the following:

  • Your name
  • Your work title (baker, traveler, event photographer, yoga instructor, etc.)
  • YouTube channel address
  • Official website address (related to YT channel)
  • Official email
  • Link to your portfolio/LinkedIn profile
  • Social icons: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and others.

If you are a public figure, then you should be cautious of:

  • adding your personal phone number
  • mentioning your address

 

Freelancer

Since freelancers are primarily self-employed, they are free from restrictions as they are not associated with any organization. Feel free to customize your professional email signature with the following:

  • Your first and last name
  • Freelancing job title (academic writer, graphic designer, web developer, etc.)
  • Link to freelancing profile (Fiverr, Upwork, Outsourcely, etc.)
  • Link to portfolio and/or LinkedIn profile
  • Link to the official website (if any, otherwise portfolio and LinkedIn profile are enough)
  • Official email address
  • Social icons: Facebook, Instagram, etc.

It is also recommended to add a sentence or two to describe your work (like a Bio).

Also, freelancers should avoid:

  • asking for a referral in the email signature (sounds unprofessional and desperate)
  • including too many call-to-actions

 

Tips To Create A Professional Email Signature

Now that we’ve covered what to include in your email signature, how about learning some handy tips and tricks to make sure your signature fulfills all that it’s ought to.

  • Harmonize Your Message With Your Signature 

Irrespective of your profession, a professional email signature should be able to convey exactly what you have to offer. It means both your contact details and the overall look and adjustment of elements in the signature. For instance, an e-commerce signature may look best with the banner at the bottom while a graphic designer’s signature may include the social icons in the same place.

  • Use Pastels 

Vibrant colors are tempting, but they pop and make the eyes overwhelmed. The safest way is to use pastel shades that reflect a soothing vibe. Of course, you can use whatever colors your brand/business/profession comprises, yet to stay on the safe side; pastels are always a decent approach. Yet even in pastels, make sure you choose your shades wisely and not make your signature a rainbow.

  • Keep It Simple & Uncluttered

One of the purposes of an email signature is to frame your details, yet it shouldn’t look like the block is stuffed with information. If your signature is messy, it makes it hard for the reader to find the info, which candles the very use of signature. Jot down the most important details you’d want your audience to remember about you and create a simple, uncluttered email signature.

  • Use Legible Font

Your email signature will show your professionalism but only when the reader is at ease. Instead of making the overall signature complex by choosing various fonts that are hard to read, just focus on one font style that is legible even for small-sized text.

How To Create A Professional Email Signature

Enough of the theory; now it’s time to move to the practical part where you’d learn how to create an email signature. Generally, there are two options available:

  1. DIY Email Signature 

As the name suggests, it’s a “Do It Yourself” email signature where the process begins from scratch. You can create your email signature on simple platforms like Docs, Gmail, or other online editors available. The pro is, of course, the flexibility to create and adjust everything as per your likeness, yet the method is often avoided, given the amount of time and energy it takes.

Besides, it is often hectic to readjust again and again, especially if you’re a beginner, which is why there’s another convenient method to make an email signature, as below.

  1. Use An Email Signature Generator 

Like Gmail is for writing emails, an email signature generator creates signatures. Such a tool comes in handy when you don’t have any experience in the field and want to save your time and energy. The email signature generator comes with built-in, personalized templates and ready-at-hand options to create a signature in a matter of minutes.

An in case you’re wondering where to find an excellent signature generator, we’ve got it covered for you! Hatima is a reliable name in this regard, an email signature generator with a simple interface to create fantastic signatures in just 60 seconds!

You’re welcome to explore the following benefits with Hatima:

  • Pre-added templates let you quickly input data and preview it along with
  • Add as many custom fields as you prefer with no layout adjustment
  • Link your LinkedIn profile/portfolio/website to your profile image and logo/banner
  • To add your finest profiles, choose from up to 20 social media icons available
  • Customize your signature with various options: font size, row spacing, text color, social colors, and more!

The exciting news is that you can create your professional email signature at YourEmailSignature.com in less than one minute using Hatima!

 

Professional Email Signature Examples

We’ve covered almost everything about creating a professional email signature; now, let’s look at some of the top examples to ignite your inspiration!

CEO Email Signature

The above example perfectly suits a CEO’s signature, for we can find all the necessary details of a business/brand/company head. The top rows have the most important information: name, job title, and company name. Then come the phone, website, and Skype link for access further. Also, the social media icons at the right align perfectly with the rest and make the sides seem full.

E-commerce Email Signature 

Again, the same style as that of a CEO, but all the difference is made by a banner full of colors. The profile on the top left, social links at the top right, individual information in the between, while the banner covering all the bottom space gives this signature both a harmonized and aligned look.

Graphic Designer Email Address

This signature is an excellent example of organizing when you have various things to add to. The bottom has three buttons, yet it doesn’t look stuffy and balances well with the rest of the signature!

Marketing Representative Email Signature 

It is not always that you have a large-sized banner; sometimes, a simple logo would be just as sophisticated. As the above signature reflects, the link at the end invites the viewer to explore more about the blog, which fulfills the purpose of an email signature.

Chef/Restaurant Owner Email Signature 

If you offer your services at a particular place, like the restaurant signature above, an address is good to add. However, the most peculiar thing we find here is how the absence of a large banner or logo is perfectly replaced with a CTA at the top that both increases the reader’s curiosity and your work’s credibility.

Software Engineer / Web Developer Email Signature

Look at how this signature has links to both the LinkedIn profile and portfolio; an excellent way to show you’re the best person for the work. The overall appearance is sophisticated and minimal, and the absence of a profile picture is the best example of “sometimes, your work speaks for you.”

Brand Manager Email Signature 

Another minimal signature for those who don’t like adding too much information. Let the client come to you, and for that, we see a quick link at the bottom for a direct video call!

Human Resources Email Signature 

This signature is simple yet contains everything one would need: name, job title, and company. Then a phone, website link, and Skype profile, while on the right is direct links to social media profiles. And if the reader wants more, a quick button at the bottom is enough to give them what they want!

Conclusion

The list of benefits of a professional email signature goes long; it leaves a good impression, does all the marketing, and keeps your credibility intact. Anyone can create a signature that showcases their personal, academic, professional, and extracurricular highlights with contact details and links to explore further.

Also, creating an email signature isn’t rocket science, yet it does require some expertise at hand; since everyone isn’t proficient, it’s better to save your time and energy by using an email signature generator. Effective and practical tools like YourEmailSignature come with pre-added templates where you have to input data, and it creates your email signature within 60 seconds!

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