By Rose Strong, Furia Rubel Communications

First there was the pony express, homing pigeons, the telegram and the U.S. Postal Service. From there evolved the fax machine. In the 40-plus years since the first email was sent, we’ve come a long way with these quick, instant-style versions of mail messages. There’s Outlook, Yahoo, Gmail and a plethora of others out there transmitting electronic mail.

As it has evolved over the decades, email has practically replaced the postal service and fax machines in getting messages from one person to another in a near immediate fashion, making it an ideal form of communication.

For a public relations and marketing agency such as Furia Rubel, it is practically impossible to effectively do our jobs and work with our clients without email. I think most businesses today are in the same position of using email to be competitive, responsive and efficient.

Making the best use of the resources we have, Furia Rubel takes email just a step further and not only uses it for communication, but to display our contact info, our brand and give a call to action when needed. This blog from Hubspot, 12 Clever Ways to Use Your Email Signature to Support Your Marketing Campaigns , gives some great ideas for using this nearly overlooked means of communication.

An example of a professional email signature below displays my full name, my job title, our key services, the company address, phone number, my email and the company website. I am on LinkedIn and there’s a link to my profile on that social media platform.

In addition to all the relatively basic info, my signature states that Furia Rubel has been voted number one in several industry publication reader surveys. This email signature also includes a link to a survey and asks the reader to vote for Furia Rubel Communications. We’ve also cut down on text here to make it look tighter and more readable, by including a link to our confidentiality notice.

Using an email signature not only helps convey your brand, but it’s like sending out your business card every time you email someone. It’s also a sign that you’re a professional and conveys legitimacy of your position and brand. If everyone in your establishment uses the same style, you’re presenting a sense of unity for your law firm.

As the office manager, when I’m forwarded an email from a new contact, I make up a virtual business card in our database if it’s someone we’ll keep in contact with such as a potential client, a vendor, a member of the media or a referral source. If the person has an email signature at the bottom of their email, I simply copy and paste the information provided. It works like a charm. It also allows me to check out their website, social media presence and if they have a call-to-action they are anxious for folks to view.

Making the best use of all the resources available to you will help spread your brand message. An inconsequential seeming email is one small way to refer to your brand and make a big impact at the same time.

Note: PPRA is composed of many distinct organizations and individuals, each with different perspectives and specializations in diverse areas of public relations. Many of these members’ websites feature blogs with valuable insights and advice, and we would like to make this content available to you. Periodically, we will repost content from member blogs. If you would like to see your company’s blog considered, email Stephen Krasowski at skrasowski@rmahq.org.