The complete guide to writing professional email signatures

An email signature is a must-have, as it helps create a lasting impression for you and your business. A good sign-off can be a make or break for your email. If you’ve just started planning a new signature, or you’ve never created one before, this post is for you.

We'll go through all the most important parts of an email signature, from why you need it, to how you can craft the perfect signature to stay looking professional and on brand.

The importance of a memorable email signature

So why is an email signature so important? The simple answer is this: email signatures grasp attention. With the average worker receiving 121 emails a day, what makes yours stand out in your prospect's inbox is a memorable sign-off line.

Getting the attention of your recipient is essential for marketing, cold emailing, client outreach - you name it.

On top of the fact that it helps you stand out from the crowd, your signature is also an important marketing tool. It allows you, in a small, short, easy-to-find location, to communicate your business offerings and keep your clients in the loop of company updates.

It gives information about exactly who you are, where you can be contacted, and exactly what your business is. And most important, it wraps up each conversation with professionalism.

Treat your email signature like a business card

Your email signature represents you just like a physical business card, but in digital format. What's important to remember is that, depending on how you use your emails for your work, your digital business card will be sent to far more people than a physical one ever would.

You don't have to give it out personally - it's automatically presented every time you send an email. Because so many different recipients will see it, it's important to make sure it's as good as it can be.

What's the purpose of a physical business card? To make a great first impression. With an email signature, the goal is no different.

Your digital business card needs to be informative, in that it provides all the most important information, while remaining easy to read and uncluttered.

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What should you include in an email signature?

Things you should include

• Your name
• A picture of yourself or the logo of your company
• Your company/organization
• Your position
• Contact information
• Phone number with international prefix
• Email
• Fax, if your company still uses this
• Social media links
• A closing sentence (Best wishes, kind regards, etc.)

Things you shouldn't include

• Unnecessary information such as personal quotes
• Too much contact information which might confuse your recipients
• Too many photographs - just use one
• Out-of-date links or social media platforms that you don't use

Your email signature should match your brand identity

Chances are you're creating a signature not just for yourself but to also represent a business or organization. If the signature is for your company, it’s important that the style is aligned with your brand identity.

Try using the same accent colors as your brand logo, like in this example:

(Logo source: Dribbble)

It's good to include a few accent colors that highlight your information, but remember to always use the main color which is easy to read. Bright yellows or pinks probably aren't the best bet for readability.

Remember that this email signature also represents your company (unless you're a freelancer) and so should remain professional. Try not to use too many flashy or bright colors, like in this example:

The blue of the sender's name isn't a brand color and doesn't add anything to the signature. Moreover, those bright green colors on the bullet points and the letter initials are difficult to read. Avoid this!

Mobile view and responsiveness

It’s important to consider how people will see your email signature across devices. Emails are often being read on smartphones and tablets, so make sure to check how your signature might appear on a smaller screen or in a portrait view:

This example is a portrait view of the signature that displays perfectly on a smartphone screen. A responsive email signature is crucial, as it’s easier for your recipient to scroll down and access your contact information.

Because most people check their emails on their mobile these days, it's important that it isn't clunky or difficult to view. You want to maximize your chances of getting a response!

Similar post: How to add signature in Apple Mail

Email signature guide FAQs

What is a good professional email signature?

A good professional email signature is one that contains the sender’s full name, job title (if the sender’s currently employed), photo, phone number, the company’s physical and website addresses (the latter should be hyperlinked), and social media icons that link to the sender’s and/or company’s profiles.

What’s more, good professional email signatures are visually appealing and don’t include unnecessary information.

What should my email signature say?

Your email signature should include:

• Your first name
• Your last name
• A picture of you or your company logo
• The name of your company or organization
• Your job title at the company/organization
• Contact information (phone number and email address)
• A hyperlink to your company’s website
• Social media links
• A closing sentence

Do's and don'ts for email signatures

When it comes to creating professional email signatures, there are quite a few pieces of information you should and shouldn’t include. Here are the most important email signature dos and don’ts:

Do's

• Include your full name
• Add a picture of yourself or your company’s logo
• Include the name of your company or organization
• Add your position at the said company or organization
• Incorporate all the necessary contact info (the company’s physical address, your email address, a hyperlink to the company’s website address, your phone number with the appropriate international prefix, and fax)
• Add links to the company’s active social media profiles
• Craft a polite closing sentence (kind regards, best wishes, sincerely, etc.)

Dont’s

• Include irrelevant or too much information
• Use more than one image
• Use custom fonts
• Use font colors that aren’t in line with your brand identity
• Add out-of-date links

Should I include my credentials in my email signature?

It depends on whether your credentials are relevant to your job title. If the answer is yes, then yes — you should list your academic degree(s), licenses, and certifications. You should first list your permanent credentials and then mention any non-permanent credentials you hold.

Create an email signature with Mailbutler in less than 2 minutes

The examples above are created with Mailbutler’s signature builder that offers flexible templates with beautiful designs to let you easily customize your information, social links and formalities like closing remarks and disclaimers.

They’re also responsive across devices! Whether a professional-looking signature for business emails or a friendly one for casual messages, Mailbutler ensures you can create your own unique email signature in no time.