As I've mentioned before, I use Gmail for ALL my different business and personal email addresses — but I only use ONE Gmail account to manage everything.
I keep my Inbox neat and organized (and keep track of all the emails for my different email accounts) by setting up and utilizing email filters. However, I also create and use different signatures for each of my different email addresses to make my life easier AND help promote my different businesses all at the same time!
So for example, my personal gmail signature is:
Andrea
creator & editor :: AndreaDekker.com
It's simple. I like that!
But since I use different signatures for each of my email addresses — and since I'm not willing to manually type out a different signature for each email I send — I rely on Gmail's super cool signature feature that allows me to set up a different signature for each email address I use and manage from my one Gmail account.
I've you've never used signatures before, or if you've just never utilized the different Gmail signature features, keep reading for lots more information!
How to Set Up Gmail Signatures:
STEP 1: Click on the "gear" in the top right corner of your gmail screen
STEP 2: Click on "settings"
STEP 3: You should already be in the "General" tab… but if not, click on "General"
STEP 4: Scroll down to where you see the signatures box and set up your signature
You can click on the drop-down menu to select different email addresses (if applicable) or you can just set up a signature for your single email address.
Also, you can use the editor buttons (across the top of the signature box) to add images, links, bold, italics, underlines, etc.
NOTE: Make sure the "No Signature" box is NOT checked!
STEP 5: Scroll all the way down to the bottom and click "SAVE".
Now the next time you compose a new email, your signature should show up even before you start typing anything.
A Few More Tips for Your Signature:
Keep It Simple
I don't know about you, but I really dislike long, fancy signatures with lots of colors, fonts, graphics, links, etc.
I know there are some companies that need to include disclosure languages and other legal jargon, but if that doesn't apply to you, I'd suggest keeping things as simple as possible.
If you get an email from me personally, this is all you're going to see:
Andrea
creator & editor :: AndreaDekker.com
There is no mistaking what I'm trying to promote in my signature — my own blog. If you have a specific website, blog, product, or service to promote, make that part of your signature VERY clear — and skip the rest. Or, create a special webpage with all your contact, about, and other important information and link to that page via your email signature.
Skip Images and Graphics
I guess this goes along with "keeping it simple" but when you use graphics in your signature, a little message box pops up whenever someone opens your email asking them to "show graphics".
Images can often be annoying for email recipients, images can sometimes make it more difficult to read your emails via mobile devices, and images can make it more likely for your email to be marked as spam. Those are just a few of the reasons I suggest not including images or graphics in your Gmail signatures.
Remember Your URL
You would not believe how many emails I get from people (business people and other blog owners included) who include the name of their business in their signature, but don't include the actual URL link… or worse, they don't even include the name!
Hello!
Think about how many emails you send every day… if even 10% of those people clicked on your website/blog link, it could have a big effect on your traffic… and potentially on your sales!
However, I get an equal number of emails with 87 crazy links to every blog article, social media site, etc. etc. I don't want to look at all that either… and I'm certainly not going to waste my time clicking on every link!
As I mentioned above, I only use ONE url link in my signature… and that's for my blog. I figure if I send people to my blog, they can find any contact information they need (including links to my social media sites). Plus, if I only have ONE link for them to click on, they might be more curious to "learn more" and actually click on it!
If you don't have an email signature set up, do it now! And if you DO have an email signature… it might just be time for a little editing.
How do you set up your email signature?