TO START
We all know the rudiments of making a good first impression with in-person networking. Dress neatly and professionally. Smile and shake hands with a firm, not limp or crushing, grip. Be a good listener. Exchange business cards and jot down notes on the back of received cards as a reminder of where you met and other important business details.

But there is another spin on the first impression scenario. What if one does not have the opportunity to make that good first impression in-person or needs to follow up that good first in-person impression with another form of communication. Let’s say using e-mail. How do you make a lasting impression that can also promote your business using e-mail?

I used to say and still find that volumes can be told about a person and their business from their business card. The same holds true for e-mail signatures. So let’s explore some tips to see if they work for you.

WHAT NOT TO DO
First I want to suggest what NOT to do. Have you ever noticed how some people sign off with a long underlined text list of all their contact info, including Skype and chat contacts, social media, etc.? It is a vertical blur of one monotone link after another. For example, one person I needed to speak with ASAP had about 10 linked lines of copy for how to be reached. I visually scrolled down the list only to find there was no phone number. (Growl), that was frustrating.

WHAT TO DO
Let’s see if we can come up with a list of what to do to not only make a really powerful and memorable first and lasting impression but also throw in a bit of social media marketing, too.

A list of things to do to create a memorable, social media e-mail signature @ Alison Gilbert

Let me add one thing about phone numbers. With so much promotion taking place for local businesses with the flourishing of Google places pages and Local Online Business Directories, potential customers want to see a local number to get a sense of where a service provider or vendor is located (especially if an address is not included).

Since business has become global, I suggest adding time zone, state and country, info. The last thing a home based business owner wants is to be called at 2 am because the potential customer thinks it is 2 pm. Here is an example of how I write my home number (a fictitious example) 987-654-3210, EST, NY, USA.

Here is an example of what this all might look like:

A memorable e-mail signature @ Alison Gilbert

CONCLUSION
Let me know what you think, if you find this helpful or if you do not agree with these suggestions. Thanks.

AUTHOR:

Alison Gilbert is a Digital Age Storyteller and photojournalist. She is a regular contributing author to DBME, writes The Marketing Byte Blog and is The New York Graphic Design Examiner. Alison is the owner of MARKETING BYTES Solutions 4 Local Biz. She has been a marketing pro and entrepreneur for over three decades. Her company specializes in local/small and start up businesses with a boutique (very personal style) approach to client service.

The MARKETING BYTES ProTeam consists of experienced marketing, design, technology and writing professionals offering the latest online Inbound Marketing technology, social media, graphic and web design, illustration, photo and video, content management as well as the best of traditional advertising. Her client base has covered just about every commercial industry.

Although located on Long Island, NY, MARKETING BYTES serves clients everywhere there is Internet access. To learn more, visit our site, Marketing Bytes, our local biz facebook page, Marketing Main Street USA, and join our local biz facebook group, Local Biz Is The Solution.

To contact us: e-mail or call 516-665-9034 (EST, NY, USA).

SOURCES AND RELATED ARTICLES

• Ten Clever Ways Your E-mail Can Support Your Marketing 
• The Art and Science of the E-Mail Signature
• 20 Tips for Creating An Effective E-Mail Signature
• How To Create An E-mail Signature
• Signature Block – Wikipedia
• Put Your Last Google + Update in Your E-mail Signature

About Alison Gilbert

Through decades as an entrepreneur, I developed ventures in over a half a dozen industries including HEALTH FOOD | GRAPHIC DESIGN | BUSINESS PROMOTION | HOLISTIC HEALTH | DECORATIVE PAINTING | SOCIAL MEDIA | PUBLIC SPEAKING | WRITING. Eventually under the umbrella of ALISON*S ART, INC, they evolved into the dba MARKETING BYTES, a hybrid company specializing marketing small business using social media marketing and traditional graphic design services. Currently retired, I am focusing on teaching social media marketing graphic design and visual journalism. I can be messaged through www.facebook.com/alisondgilbert and tweeted @MktngBytesMaven and @AlisonsArt.

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