Anyone can send their E-mail with a "sincerely yours". But if that is all you do, you are missing out on a small yet effective marketing strategy, your signature.

I'm sure that most of you have seen or use a signature in your e-mails. If not, here is how it works.

A signature is like a business card you attach at the end of your e-mails. Signature files are great because they are a subtle, non intrusive way to advertise your business. And they are accepted in forums and newsgroups where more blatant forms of advertisement are frowned upon.

Here is an example of a basic signature:

__________________
John Doe
John Doe Inc.
John@johndoe.com
http://www.johndoe.com

This is a pretty safe signature, because it is not coming off as "COME TO MY WEB SITE!!!!".

Some guidelines to follow when making a signature file are:

• Get your point across without spamming.
• Try to keep the signature down to around 5 lines maximum.
• Make it neat and easy to read.

And finally, how to make a signature. Most e-mail programs have a signature utility that will include your signature automatically at the bottom of each message. If you look up signatures in your help file, you should be able to figure it out.