A decade ago, when email services were becoming famous, people used their names to end the email. But, a lot has changed since then. In the world that we live right now, email signatures have sort of become like a digital identity.
It helps the recipient know more about the person and recognize them. As a freelancer, an email signature can help you find clients. Including details about you in the signature helps them look through your blog and website.
This enhances credibility and gives them a sneak peek of your work even before they contact you. These days, an email signature is an essential element for every mail. In this blog, you will find information on writing an eye-catching email signature for freelancers that will help in landing more clients and increasing income.
How can I create a professional email signature?
Let me look at an email signature and how I can make an email signature for e-mail. However, you can easily create a professional email signature using an online signature. To create an email signature you can use a template and make them editable for your logo, URLs, and everything else you want.
If you need a simplified template then create it directly from a Gmail client or email provider but this will lack any customization features like a template.
Why do freelancers need a signature?
1. They represent a brand
As a freelancer, you are a brand itself. According to research, on average a person sends 10-25 emails a day. Signatures, when used correctly, can help you in increasing brand recognition.
2. It increases the credibility
Your signature is a part of your digital footprint. Having a link in your signature to your work samples or portfolio increases the credibility of your work. It shows the recipient that you are proud of what you do and you have nothing to hide. Having a professional email signature is an excellent way to build a positive relationship.
3. Signatures make email professional
Imagine someone is writing to you regarding a marketing campaign and their signature reads as “John Doe”. You don’t know the role of the person in the company. Therefore you wouldn’t know how deep your explanations have to be. There is a high chance that you get diverted. Now, imagine the signature “John Doe | Marketing Manager” with a Linkedin link. This small improvisation can make a whole lot of difference in how people respond to you.
4. Testimonials
As a freelancer, testimonials play a huge part. Including the feedback as a small snippet in the signature can shed a positive light.
Tools to create your email signature
Many email signature generator services can be used at no cost to create the signature on your account. It’s worth checking.
How To Design A Email Signature
An eye-catching email signature will help you achieve all the above-mentioned benefits. Here are some ideas for creating it!
1. Classic
Depending on the nature of your freelance job, it is sometimes better to keep things simple. A simple design will contain all the information that one might need such as a photo, logo, website or social media links.
2. Visual
A visual is a great pick if you are a designer or a blogger. You can add pictures of your latest blog or design. It helps you display your portfolio and promote your work in a single glance. Also, by including pictures from your portfolio you are allowing your brand to stand out.
3. GIF
GIFs help in increasing the momentum of your email signature design. These designs draw people’s attention. A good way to attract recipients is to animate your logo.
Each design serves a different purpose. What might work for one may not work for others. Therefore it is important that you carefully design what suits your niche. In the next section, we are going to see some design tips.
Design tips for freelancer’s email signature
It is essential to have a very clean and clutter-free email design. This ensures that your readers are not confused or lost. It is the place where you need to stack the key items that you want your readers to know.
As a freelancer, you need to ask yourself what you’d want to showcase in this section. For instance, your name and your website are a no brainer, but what else do you want to list? Once you have it ready, you can look at a few design guides that will help you craft a sleek signature.
1. Choosing a Layout
A layout overlaps with the design. The layout should be chosen based on the intent of what the freelancer wants to show. The layout being the base needs to be well thought out and established.
2. Adding a Photo
As a freelancer, you will work with clients across the globe. There are high chances that the clients you collaborate with do not know how you look like. Adding a picture will help you connect with your audience. A professional mug shot can be a great addition to the email signature.
3. Representing your brand
For a freelancer, personal branding is prime. Most of them do not consider this. Maintaining branding will help you project yourself as a brand. How can you do this, for starters, you can use a pre-defined color palette across your channels. You can use this in your website, social media channels, email signature, contact details for contacting your potential clients etc.
4. Having a Call-to-action
A call to action in an email signature is a must to maximize its benefits. You can use something as simple as a click here that redirects the users to your website or social media channel.
Leverage
The Power of
Email Signature
Do’s and Don’ts of an Email Signature
Do’s:
- Add your social media links. People need to know you are real
- Use the right tools to create the email signature. Tools like Microsoft Word or Outlook will format the signature in their own way which will not look the same when you are using another platform.
- Use the industry-standard size (650 Pixels) for email signatures.
- Use tables to create layout if you are not versatile in CSS or HTML
- Use link shorteners
- Use an ALT text
Don’ts:
- Don’t Use Bullets
- Don’t add too many links
- Don’t add custom fonts
- Don’t add irrelevant information
You can also have a look at creating a professional email signature.
Bottom line
An email signature is a must-have for professional purposes. It helps you stand out. This is true for the case of a freelancer. It is best to get a designer or rely on professional email generators to design your email signature. If you are a freelancer, let us know the thought process behind your email signature in the comments section below. Get your Free Email Signature here!