How to Use Your Signature

Your Signature File, those few little lines attached to every piece of e-mail you send out or message that you post in a newsgroup, can be the single most effective publicity campaign that you can promote. And the least expensive!

Signature Files are just like a business card only; on the Internet, it is interactive. Recipients of your messages can instantly click on the hypertext link and visit your Web site or send you e-mail.

Signature Files are a very inexpensive way to deliver your message to the world without being blatantly commercial. A subtle message can go a very long way.

So here are a few pointers on Signature Files.

1. Make it 4 to 6 lines maximum
Some discussion groups limit their members to only four (4) lines. Make the first four lines of your Signature the most important ones, what you always want to appear. You can always delete the last two lines when posting to those discussion groups with stricter guidelines.

2. Make it count
You only have four (4) lines, maybe six (6). In either case you need to include your name or company name, the URL of your Web site and that leaves you two lines to convey a message.

Two lines is not a whole lot of space to convey your message. Really think hard about what you want to include and make it count! You can briefly state the nature of your business, offer something to entice their visit to your Web site, inform them of a special offer or benefit, offer something for free or make a call to action, like visit today because...

3. Always include contact info
What you include depends on your individual circumstances. If you have a Web site, by all means list it. If not, perhaps a fax number, phone number, 1-800 number or your PO box address. What you can skip is your e-mail address as they already just need hit reply to respond to your message.

4. Make several Signature Files
You might want to make several Signature Files for different business offers, different newsgroups or discussion groups or perhaps one for business mail and another for friends and family. For business you need contact info but for friends you might want to send your favorite quote or a humorous story or joke.

5. Always include a Signature
This is FREE exposure. Take advantage of it all the time. When posting to newsgroups and discussion groups, if people like what you have to say then they will jump to your Web site to find out more. We have had a lot of business and initial contacts that came to us straight from our Signature. Use it always...use it wisely.

6. Always update your signature File
Make certain that the information in your Signature File is up to date! There are some e-mail software programs that do not actually show you the Signature being attached before you send it out. We once sent out info on a Web site that was no longer in working order because of this little quirk in Eudora. Check that Sig File!

7. Code Your Signature File!
It is extremely important to "CODE" your Signature File so that you know which of your marketing efforts is providing you with the most results. For example, let us say you visit the newsgroups and make several postings. For the first group you might wish to add the CODE "OFFER #123" and for the next one "OFFER #234." Make it simple so that your respondents will take the time to use it.

E-mail, a Web site, newsgroups, search engines and online ads are just the Basic 5 of Internet Promotion that your business must persistently embrace if it is to achieve any sort of online business success.