How to level up your email signature

Send a message with your email signature

Email remains one of the most trusted forms of communication between you and your clients, colleagues and peers. It's a chance for a more intimate and personal approach with them, which makes your email signature⁠(opens in a new tab or window) vital for establishing you as a serious and trustworthy business. It’s also an often-overlooked opportunity to reinforce your brand.

Make your first impression a better one

Think of your email signature as a virtual business card. If you're contacting someone for the first time by email, it contributes to their first and sometimes lasting impression of you and your brand. So, you'll want to make sure it stands out from the crowd while also reflecting your personality and quality of work.

Better email signatures with Canva

Canva can help you level up your email signature quickly and easily. Start inspired with a template. Search 'email signatures' on the Canva homepage. Remember you can customize all design elements so find one that resonates or approximates your ideal email signature⁠(opens in a new tab or window) then you can make it your own. Keep in mind that the ones with crowns are only for pro and team subscribers.

Keep it simple

When deciding what information to include in your email signature, remember the "Paradox of Choice" theory, which states the more choices presented, the less likely it is for a person to choose anything at all. So decide the best point of contact, the best way for someone to learn more about your or your business and, if relevant, how they can look at your website or product.

Call to action

To make it easy for your customer to purchase from you, they should always know exactly what you want them to do whether they're on your website, social media channels, product pages, and especially in your emails. If you're sending out a newsletter or a personal email, including a clear call to action will increase the likelihood your customer does what you want. You can even take the call to action a step further and include an offer or incentive in your email signature.

How to make it eye-grabbing

The human brain is wired to detect movement. While the humble GIF is often overlooked or relegated to communication channels, it can be a great way to catch people's attention before they exit your email. Your email signature GIF can be as simple as your logo changing color, it could be a short clip from a brand video, or something more esoteric like a pop-culture reference. Whatever you decide to use, you can find, and create your own⁠(opens in a new tab or window), GIFs in Canva. You could even add a Happy Friday GIF⁠(opens in a new tab or window) to end-of-week emails or a Happy Thanksgiving GIF⁠(opens in a new tab or window) during the holiday season to bring some cheer to your recipients.

Include a disclaimer if required

Depending on the nature of your work, industry, and email contents, you may want to consider including a confidentiality disclaimer. They're best placed at the very bottom of your signature, so they don't distract from your contact information. If you're unsure what to include, do some research to determine what's best for your business. For example, a confidentiality disclaimer serves to prevent a breach. This could come in handy in case a confidential piece of information is leaked by the recipient. Whereas, a personal opinion disclaimer separates the opinion of an employee from the formal views of the company as a legal entity.

Keep it simple and start inspired

Remember less is more when it comes to text and tight spaces, so keep it simple and only add the info and elements your recipients are likely to need and appreciate. And if you're in need of more inspo, don't forget there are 1000s of templates you can choose on Canva. If you want to learn more about how you can level up your email signature, check out our video guide on creating professional email signatures.⁠(opens in a new tab or window)