Take our Poll: Social Links in Your Email Signature?
I don’t have a link to my social media presence. It is not a good ROI. People go to Linkedin in or Twitter and “bounce around” but never feel comfortable engaging. In my opinion, it seems silly to have 4-5 hyperlinks in your email signature. It’s intimidating to have to chose the right link. And since more desktop email clients redirect to a web browser to follow the link, most people never come back to your email and chose another link.
My advice: Have a single hyperlink in your email signature. You will find that “IF” people feel comfortable engaging with you that they go to the one place that you give them an option…. (BTW, it you insist in a overwhelmingly ineffective deluge of social real estate links, there are dozens of sites that aggregate your online presence together — card.ly, dooid, etc…)
Dan
Dan, I like your points about brevity. We have all seen an email where the signature is longer than the message itself. Another tip to consider is to create a separate, even shorter signature that is used for a Reply/Forward messages only. I prefer a reply/forward signature that has name and phone number only and all on one line. In either signature I recommend that you consider as few lines as possible to prevent scrolling. And NO GRAPHICS.
Original email signature:
_______________________________________________________
Miles Austin | Speaker – Trainer | Cell (206) 660-0006
Fill the Funnel, Inc. | Web Tools for Business | http://www.fillthefunnel.com
Reply/Forward signature:
________________________________________
Miles Austin | Phone (206) 660-0006
You did make me smile with your comment that people never “feel comfortable engaging” when going to LinkedIn & Twitter. Might it be the presence there is not engaging? My experience returns the opposite results. I enjoy numerous “engagements” each week via others that have reached out via LinkedIn and/or Twitter.
I leave Linkedin because that’s what I use to look up other people. I don’t use Twitter when investigating others, therefore don’t include my link to it.
Terri, I agree with you that LinkedIn is the best choice if you are going to use a Social Media link. Business focused audience, and your profile should have links to your most important three online sites as well.
As our Poll approaches 100 responses the results should begin to reflect a good overview of our readers practice. I am now wondering why those that select the “Neither” option do not include a link(s). If you have already responded, or are coming for the first time, would you share your reasons why you do not include a link?
Please tweet this out to your followers (easy to use the Tweet button at the top of the Poll) and get your friends and co-workers to take the poll. The bigger the pool of responses the better.
All my social places and spaces are on Xeesm which is part of my email signature, also on any comment I make on blog posts, video sites and more. The advantage for others – I am easy to find, easy to connect with.
Best
Marita
http://xeesm.com/maritar
In the interest of full disclosure: I am working for Xeequa
Along with LinkedIn and Twitter – FaceBook and my blog too!
Makes it easier for clients, customers and others to find and follow me and my activities and services.