Email signatures are a must-have. They let people know who you are and where you work. They let your email recipients easily find your other contact info, like Skype ID or phone number. Finally, they just make your emails look more professional. But have you considered using your email signature for actual marketing purposes?

Every day you send dozens of individual emails – which, unlike mass email campaigns, always get opened and read. So why not turn your recipient’s attention – once you have it – to something you want to promote? Your signature has a lot of potential for bringing your offers into spotlight, and here are some ideas on what you can promote with it.

Your Web Page

Most likely, you already have a link to your website in your email signature. You can try using this link in an engaging title or a call-to-action instead of just placing the URL. For this tactic to work, you’ll want to make your homepage more landing page – like, so that it leads the visitors towards the action you want them to take.

Your Blog

Your blog is a powerful marketing tool, so give it a little extra exposure in your email signature, too! A great idea is to regularly update your email signature, including the newest posts from your blog. With tools like WiseStamp, you don’t even have to do it manually: your signature can include an RSS feed that shows your latest post automatically.

Your Social Media Accounts

To build a following on social media, you need to spread the word about your accounts, and email signature is a perfectly appropriate way to do that. If you are focused on building a personal brand, link your signature to your personal accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or whatever your social media priorities are. Another option is to promote your brand’s pages by linking to them or even placing ‘Like’ buttons right in the signature.

Your Event

Are you planning a trade show, speaking at a conference, or just organizing a Google+ Hangout on some subject? Promote the event in your signature, and you will increase awareness and potentially the number of participants.

Your Product’s Free Demo

A free version or demo of your product is an important step in persuading customers to buy it, so it’s in your best interest to encourage as many people to try the freebie as possible. Give a link to the demo in your signature, so that people you know personally could use it right away.

Your Latest Marketing Offer

Have you started a holiday sale? Or have you prepared a free ebook that will be of value to your prospective clients? Don’t miss the opportunity to spread the word about your latest offer by mentioning it in the signature.

Your Success Story

This may sound like an unusual idea, but why not link to your success story or case study in your signature? These are powerful persuasion tools, and linking to them in the signature will expand your reach.

Email signature is much more than an e-business card, so don’t limit its power to your phone number or address! What else can you use in your signature to reach your marketing goals? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.