Creating and Editing Email Signatures
Including an email signature in your business email correspondence is an important step. Besides making it easy for your customers and associates to contact you and giving your email a more professional appearance, a well crafted email signature can also make it easier for those you correspond with to refer their contacts to you and your services. There is really no reason not to add a signature to your emails. We have compiled sets of instructions for the more commonly used email programs.
Outlook Express
1. Open Outlook Express
2. In the top toolbar, click on "Tools"
3. Select "Options"
4. In the dialog box that comes up, click the "Signatures" tab
5. Click "New"
6. Check the box next to the words "Add signatures to all outgoing messages" (optional)*
7. Under "Edit Signature" select the "Text" radio button
8. Type your signature in the text box
9. Click "OK"
*If you choose not to have the signature added to all outgoing message by default, you can manually add it to messages of your choice by composing the email, and then on the top toolbar, select "Insert" and then "Signature". If you have more than one signature it will present a list and you can choose which signature you want to insert.
Outlook
1. Open Outlook
2. In the top toolbar, click on "Tools"
3. Select "Options"
4. Click on the "Mail Format" tab
5. Under the "Signature" heading, click on the "Signature" button
6. Choose the "Email Signature" tab
7. Name your new signature and click "OK"
8. Type your signature in the text box below the words "Edit Signature"
9. Click "OK"
Gmail
1. Sign into Gmail
2. Click on the "Settings" tab at the top of the page
3. At the bottom of the page next to the "Signature" option, there is a text box. This is where you will type your signature.
4. Click "Save Changes"
*Your signature will be automatically added to your outgoing emails, however if you do not want it on a specific email, simply delete it manually from that message.
Windows Live Hotmail
1. Sign into Hotmail
2. Select "Option" in the top right
3. Choose "More Options" at the bottom of the list
4. Under "Customize your Mail" select "Personal e-mail signature"
5. Use the text box to enter your desired email signature
6. Click "Save"
*Your signature will be automatically added to your outgoing emails, however if you do not want it on a specific email, simply delete it manually from that message.
MSN Hotmail Signature
1. Sign into Hotmail
2. From the Hotmail navigation bar choose "Options" (Located in the top right hand corner)
3. Choose "Personal Signature"
4. Type your desired signature into the text box
5. Click "OK"
*Your signature will be automatically added to your outgoing emails, however if you do not want it on a specific email, simply delete it manually from that message.
Yahoo!
1. Sign into Yahoo! Mail
2. Select the "Options" tab from the top of the screen
3. Select "Mail Options"
4. Click on the "Signature" tab
5. Click the radio button for "Show a signature on all outgoing messages"
6. Type your signature into the text box
7. Click "Save Changes"
*Your signature will be automatically added to your outgoing emails, however if you do not want it on a specific email, simply delete it manually from that message.
AOL
1. Sign into AOL
2. Go to the menu and select "Mail"
3. Click "Set Mail Signatures"
4. Click "Create"
5. Under "Signature Name" give the signature a name
6. In the text field create your desired signature
7. Click "OK"
8. Close the "Set up Signatures" window.
*Now that you have set up your signature, inserting it into a message is easy! Once you have composed a message, simply click on the "Signatures" button and select your signature.
Mac Mail
1. Open Mail
2. Choose "Preferences" from the "Mail" application menu
3. Click "Signatures"
4. Select your account from the leftmost field.
5. Click the plus (+) button from below the center section.
6. Enter a name for your new signature in the center field.
7. Type your desired signature in the rightmost field.
8. When you have finished generating your signature, close the preferences window.
*Your signature will be automatically added to your outgoing emails, however if you do not want it on a specific email, simply delete it manually from that message.
So now you are ready to go add your signature to your email. And make sure you check out our Marketing Bite about including social media links in your email signature!
Adding Social Media Links
Here are the official pages where you can get the Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin logos. Right click on the image of your choice to save it to your computer.
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
Depending on which email program you use, the way to add these social icons to your signature will vary. In some programs, such as Outlook, you need to download the image to your computer, then use the toolbar to insert and link the image. Other programs, such as Yahoo! and Google will require that you use an HTML code to add the linked image to your signature.
Outlook Express
1. Open Outlook Express
2. In the top toolbar, click on "Tools"
3. Select "Options"
4. In the dialog box that comes up, click the "Signatures" tab
5. Click "New"
6. Check the box next to the words "Add signatures to all outgoing messages" (optional)*
7. Under "Edit Signature" select the "Text" radio button
8. Type your signature in the text box
9. Click "OK"
*If you choose not to have the signature added to all outgoing message by default, you can manually add it to messages of your choice by composing the email, and then on the top toolbar, select "Insert" and then "Signature". If you have more than one signature it will present a list and you can choose which signature you want to insert.
Outlook
1. Open Outlook
2. In the top toolbar, click on "Tools"
3. Select "Options"
4. Click on the "Mail Format" tab
5. Under the "Signature" heading, click on the "Signature" button
6. Choose the "Email Signature" tab
7. Name your new signature and click "OK"
8. Type your signature in the text box below the words "Edit Signature"
9. Click "OK"
Gmail
1. Sign into Gmail
2. Click on the "Settings" tab at the top of the page
3. At the bottom of the page next to the "Signature" option, there is a text box. This is where you will type your signature.
4. Click "Save Changes"
*Your signature will be automatically added to your outgoing emails, however if you do not want it on a specific email, simply delete it manually from that message.
Windows Live Hotmail
1. Sign into Hotmail
2. Select "Option" in the top right
3. Choose "More Options" at the bottom of the list
4. Under "Customize your Mail" select "Personal e-mail signature"
5. Use the text box to enter your desired email signature
6. Click "Save"
*Your signature will be automatically added to your outgoing emails, however if you do not want it on a specific email, simply delete it manually from that message.
MSN Hotmail Signature
1. Sign into Hotmail
2. From the Hotmail navigation bar choose "Options" (Located in the top right hand corner)
3. Choose "Personal Signature"
4. Type your desired signature into the text box
5. Click "OK"
*Your signature will be automatically added to your outgoing emails, however if you do not want it on a specific email, simply delete it manually from that message.
Yahoo!
1. Sign into Yahoo! Mail
2. Select the "Options" tab from the top of the screen
3. Select "Mail Options"
4. Click on the "Signature" tab
5. Click the radio button for "Show a signature on all outgoing messages"
6. Type your signature into the text box
7. Click "Save Changes"
*Your signature will be automatically added to your outgoing emails, however if you do not want it on a specific email, simply delete it manually from that message.
AOL
1. Sign into AOL
2. Go to the menu and select "Mail"
3. Click "Set Mail Signatures"
4. Click "Create"
5. Under "Signature Name" give the signature a name
6. In the text field create your desired signature
7. Click "OK"
8. Close the "Set up Signatures" window.
*Now that you have set up your signature, inserting it into a message is easy! Once you have composed a message, simply click on the "Signatures" button and select your signature.
Mac Mail
1. Open Mail
2. Choose "Preferences" from the "Mail" application menu
3. Click "Signatures"
4. Select your account from the leftmost field.
5. Click the plus (+) button from below the center section.
6. Enter a name for your new signature in the center field.
7. Type your desired signature in the rightmost field.
8. When you have finished generating your signature, close the preferences window.
*Your signature will be automatically added to your outgoing emails, however if you do not want it on a specific email, simply delete it manually from that message.
So now you are ready to go add your signature to your email. And make sure you check out our Marketing Bite about including social media links in your email signature!
Adding Social Media Links
Here are the official pages where you can get the Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin logos. Right click on the image of your choice to save it to your computer.
Depending on which email program you use, the way to add these social icons to your signature will vary. In some programs, such as Outlook, you need to download the image to your computer, then use the toolbar to insert and link the image. Other programs, such as Yahoo! and Google will require that you use an HTML code to add the linked image to your signature.
