Region 11 MARKETING Minute

Email signatures (a.k.a. sig lines) are powerful, low-cost, high-return marketing tools (a virtual business card or ad) for your chorus. What's interesting is how seldom sig lines are used.

Consider this: If your chorus has 30 members, each of whom sends 15 emails daily, then (assuming 250 business days) that's 112,500 business cards or ads distributed annually, at no cost. If you have 100 members, that's 375,000 cards or ads annually.

What Is an Email Signature?

In general, your email signature is information automatically added as the last few lines of your outgoing email to let people know who/where/what you are. Consider your sig line as your online business card with "callback" abilities.

Here are a few examples:

**************
Mary Jones
Director - Pride of Harmony Chorus
Sweet Adelines International
Ph: 111-222-3333
E-mail: maryjones@email.com
Website: www.PofH.com
Love to Sing? Check Us Out!"

**************
Mary Jones
Lead - Pride of Harmony Chorus
Lead - Harmony Quartet
Sweet Adelines International
www.sweetadelinesintl.org
"Harmonizing the World"

**************

What a Strong Email Signature Does for Your Chorus

Making the most of your sig lines, for yourself and every member of your chorus, is analogous to leaving your business cards -- but even more powerful.

Most importantly, in this age when we're all inundated with too many emails, your email signature is a clear signal to your recipient that the message is from you and provides the context (e.g., job title, organization name, and web site) that reminds that person who you are and enriches their understanding of your message. That's a lot more than can quickly be deciphered from your email address in the "from" field.

Beyond this most basic benefit, your email signature is a business card or ad that alerts the recipient to special news and enables them to have direct access to your web site or send email back to you with the swift click of a mouse.

How to Create an Effective Email Sig Line

First of all, keep it brief. A general rule of thumb is that a good sig line is 4-6 lines in length. Eight lines is the maximum length, but that is pushing it. Remember, those to whom you email frequently see your email signature line again and again.

Musts include:

Name
Title, if any
Chorus name
Phone number
Chorus web address

Optional elements include:

Tagline (organizational or specific event, campaign, etc.
Graphical elements such as a horizontal line to distinguish your sig line from the rest of the email.

Inclusion of your email address is not necessary, since it's in the "from" field of the email and gets forwarded with an email that's passed on. Best to drive audiences to your web site for more contact information details.

Adding Your Sig Line to Your Emails

Once you've decided on sig line content and format, you'll need to add it to your email program. Check your email program's HELP menu and search for "signatures". You should be able to find some information there about how to set one up on your program.