An email signature is an important part of communication. Especially when you are an artist, for example a photographer, and you want as many people as possible to see your works. This simple element can make a lasting impression and lets you stand out from the crowd. And that’s not all – an email signature provides an easy way to promote yourself and encourage your recipients to see your work. At the same time, while composing your signature, it is easy to miss important information and lose valuable opportunities. This guide will help you make sure you design a perfect signature for a photographer.
For steps on how to create a perfect, general-purpose email signature, see the perfect email signature anatomy.
You might wonder how a good email signature for photographers is any different from other good examples of email signatures. The truth is that the priority of getting a photographer’s email signature right is much higher than in the case of other professions. Potential clients will judge your skills, just by looking at your signature. It doesn’t really matter that email signature design doesn’t have much in common with photography. If you work with visuals, people will expect to see perfection in everything you do, including the email signature. This article will show you the most important details you should keep in mind while composing your perfect email signature.
Images, images, images
Your email signature should amaze your potential clients with high-quality graphics, and a well-thought layout. While, for example, an IT support technician’s email signature could get away without any beautifiers, a photographer simply needs to use images in the signature for it to be visible and clickable.
Another good idea is to use your own photos or some parts of them. There is no better way to promote your work and encourage others to book your services. Using your genuine work also shows that you are proud of what you do and that you trust your skills. Finally, your email signature will gain a one-of-a-kind element, which brings us to the next important part of a perfect email signature for a photographer: be unique.
Do something different
Certainly, easier said (or written) than done. Still, if an email signature stands out, while also being professional, it will encourage more people to click your banners and check your offers. If you take a look above, at John’s email signature, you will notice that it’s quite eye-catching. The photo immediately suggests what you do for a living. Such a photo is a great addition to an email signature. That is, if you don’t mind clichés. Sure, inserting a photo with a camera is a good way to show you are a photographer. Just don’t be surprised if it looks like every other photographer’s email signature (taking only the good and professional ones into account). If you want to stand out, using a simple and well-taken headshot will have a better effect on your recipients:
If you have positive reviews/opinions about your work or you have received any awards – brag! Choose what is the most important for you and include it in the signature so that others will know your work is well-known and appreciated.
Make sure you make the most out of your email signature
Remember that an email signature is like a business card, only with more functionalities. That is why you need to make the most out of it. Make sure you include all your contact details, so you will not miss any opportunities. Whether to use an email address in your email signature or not is entirely up to you. It might seem like a completely redundant element, but there are valid reasons to include it in your design. Read more about email address in email signatures.
How is an email signature better than a traditional business card? Wider reach is one thing, the functionalities – another. Banners with a well-thought Call-to-Action and links to your Social Media profiles are pretty standard (if not a must), but the available options are much more plentiful. One idea is to include a button which will allow your clients to book your services. Link it with a scheduling service like Calendly or Cogsworth to help your clients see your availability. At the same time, it will allow you to stay organized at all times.
Another thing is to tag your links. Adding tags lets you track the traffic you get from your email signatures. Tracking allows you to evaluate the effectiveness of your email signature campaign and provides you with the information necessary to know when you should work on your design. Learn more about tracking links in email signatures.
Finally, smile! If you include your photo, it is extremely important to make a good impression, and smiling does that job well. It doesn’t cost you anything and a genuine smile works like a magnet. If you do not believe that, make A/B tests to confirm. You might be surprised how influential a detail like that could be.
Be precise
While for most professions a simple job title is enough, photographers should specify the field they are most comfortable/best at. Targeting your most compatible audience makes sure you maximize clicks on your banners. Unless you want to be known as a jack-of-all-trades, which is another good option. Remember that a photographer’s email signature should be a unified part of a marketing campaign.
Last but not least, check your email signature before deploying it – does it work and look well on every email client? Do your links lead to correct offers? Mind that sometimes signatures with their banners and links stay unclicked in recipients’ mailboxes, only to be clicked after a few months. Plan and make sure your offers and links will be valid for such cases. For time-limited offers, let your clients know when they can benefit from them and make sure they will never reach a 404 page.
Manage email signatures in your company
If you have more than a single signature to worry about, then the guide above should be enough to get you started. But imagine you have to personalize signatures to be perfect in a company with over 100 employees. Personalizing an email signature manually becomes an extremely difficult project and even a small change requires a lot of work. The alternative option is to manage your email signatures centrally to make sure your email correspondence always looks professional, and you don’t miss any business opportunities. Read the guides below to learn more about managing email signatures in a company.
