If you appreciate fast, easy, and free marketing tools, you’ll love this solution! An easy and often overlooked way to promote your business is through your email signature.

An email signature is basic contact information about you and your company that is placed at the end of your emails. It can also be called a file or a signature block.

Every email you send must include your “personalized” signature file. Most email software allows users to set a signature to automatically display at the end of every email you send. It only takes a few minutes to set up and puts your signature file on autopilot.

Now that email communication is commonly used and accepted for conducting business around the world, why not turn your email signature into a dynamic marketing tool for you and your business?

In addition to letting your customers and prospects know how to get in touch with you, here are six easy ways you can customize your signature block and make it an effective marketing tool:

– Include your slogan. By putting your tagline in your signature file, you build brand and customer awareness of yourself and your company and what you can do for them.

– Include your USP. Adding your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) will help your email recipients connect with your products and services every time they open your emails. This keeps you “top of mind” with your customers and also helps them identify others who may need your help, resulting in more referrals.

– Include a link to a special offer or product. When you include an active link to a special offer or product in your signature file, it can help increase your sales.

– Include a link to your mailing list. By simply adding the active link to the signup page for your newsletter, special report, or other free giveaway, your custom signature can help you build your mailing list.

– Include a link to your website. In addition to your signature file sending the recipient to your website, you never know who or when your email may be forwarded to others, so there’s also the potential to drive new traffic to your website.

– Include a call to action. If you want your email recipient to click through to your website, special offer, product, or mailing list, you’ll want to include a call to action.

Some words of caution: Limit your signature block to no more than six or seven lines. Anything too big and cumbersome can detract from your email message. If you’re thinking of including a logo or image, be aware that some email programs block images. Lastly, include only one or two active links. Too many links can be confusing to the recipient and you want to give them an obvious choice.

You may want to update and customize your signature file every 30, 60 or 90 days by alternating promotions or rewording your USP. You can even try them out to see which one works the most effectively and produces the best results.

How can you use your email signature as part of your marketing strategy?