It's been fun learning more about the group and its interactions. One thing that helped is an email signature. Granted, not everyone has this handy promo tool on their email, but most do.
Except I don't.
Why? It's a tough call. I teach three classes for a local high school. I freelance full time. I have a weekly newspaper column that's carried in multiple publications.
I don't want an email signature that stretches from my spot in the Nebraska countryside all the way to California.
What should be included? Name, address, phone number? Website? Twitter ID? All three job items I listed above?
I don't feel I can leave off the teaching career; it's tied to my writing (I teach Journalism and Speech). Yet, most of my life is spent writing.
Typically, I type a "signature" that fits the person I'm emailing. It may take a bit of extra time, but I think it's worth it. That way, people don't have to wade through a long email signature.
Is it enough? Am I missing out on personal promotion by NOT using an email signature? Perhaps I'll just add my website, for now.
Do you use an email signature? What do you include?
I have a non writing life, and for a long time I was careful about how I signed off, since I doubted dog club delegates really cared to "Discover the Enchantment in Romance" But it did get tiring to type out all that information. Then I discovered my e-mail program allows multiple signatures. All I have to do now is click the drop down menu, and I can be Monica Stoner (We only have a little spark of madness, we must preserve it) Monica Henderson Stoner, Delegate Saluki Club of America, or Monica Stoner writing as Mona Karel, (Discover the Enchantment in Romcance) with all my contact information.
ReplyDeletePersonally those long drawn out signature lines with multiple banners and plugs drive me buggy but I can ignore them!
I use my signature to promote my most pressing project or endeavor which, at the moment, is my newly released book. I've included my name, the title of my book, my publisher, release date, and my email address (by which people can discern my web site). I recently added my cell phone number, as well, as a couple of reporters needed to reach me quicker than I could check my email.
ReplyDeleteI find signatures handy ways to contact people and find myself referring back to others' often for a quick connection. I haven't thought about including my Twitter handle, but not a bad idea!
Thanks for the nudge to think about this communication that we use (or choose not to use) daily without ever giving it a thought. Mindfulness is always good!
I do use one, but will remove it from the body of my email depending on who I am writing ( my daughter for instance). I find it helpful and a passive way to self-market (which for most writers, is akin to having a root canal) but a necessary evil in today's shifting landscape.
ReplyDeleteI use a separate email address for friends and local groups who seem to want to ignore my writing life.
ReplyDeleteI also delete the signature when it's not appropriate for the email I'm sending.
Yes, I absolutely do! It's an easy way to provide links to my portfolio, and provide contact information. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, I absolutely do! It's an easy way to provide links to my portfolio, and provide contact information. :)
ReplyDeleteI use my first name with my blog address below. And if it's a more professional e-mail, I just add my last name.
ReplyDeleteI have two different signatures and sometimes I have to delete one and add another because I haven't taken the time to figure out a different way to do this yet in yahoo! mail, although there probably is. ANYWAY, if I'm sending a WOW! email, I have our website, Facebook page, blog, and Twitter account in my signature along with a title of what I do at WOW! If it's as an author or editor, I just have my upcoming books, blog, and Facebook page. But your post has now drawn my attention to this and I'm going to start paying more attention to this. . .
ReplyDeleteI used my website and contact info(and a tag line) for a couple years but when I changed my website, I dropped it. Mostly, I think, because the email signature didn't represent ALL the facets of how my writing business had grown. So now, I'll manually include a signature, depending on who's getting the email.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's just me, but when I see one of those sigs with five or six lines of text, my brain goes, "Ugh. That's too much to read." One clean line will grab my attention. So I keep my signature to my name and website for any business-related email. Everyone else gets "Cathy." Or "Cath" if I'm feeling particularly lazy. :-)
I have more than one email signature set up in my email client. Then I select the most appropriate one, based on the recipient. The Wise Stamp signature I now use even includes social media buttons and a graphic of my latest book cover.
ReplyDelete