What does your e-mail address say about you?

I thought I would write about my favorite marketing and communication tool: E-mail. I know all of you would agree if you are in business (or want to get up to speed to the century, really), then you definitely should have an E-mail address!

Well, I think most people do. But would you really want to do business with pret1flow3r@aol-hotmail-yahoo.com or how about with 1tough___guy@aol-hotmail-yahoo.com? I know I wouldn't. It's not that it sounds tacky, it probably says a lot about your personality, hobbies, marital status, religion, and, yes, even the line of business you're in (as in ilovemarketing@a-free-account.com), but the reality is, it's simply NOT professional. I would even say it is not appropriate. And yes, I know you'll still attract some prospects and get some leads, but you're also bound to shoo some away, as well.

I would even go as far as stating that you should avoid free e-mail accounts altogether. I don't understand why people are using their AOL e-mail account - or their Earthlink e-mail account or their "yes I'm going to say it" Comcast e-mail account to conduct business. Free accounts are a blessing and blessings should be appreciated, but let's all use our Yahoo!s for personal contacts only.

My Naples Marketing blog is all about your image. Your image should be as successful as you wish to be with your business. And your e-mail address is part of your image. And, if we established that e-mail is much needed and almost expected in today's business world, then why not use to your advantage and really use it effectively? I assure you, it will pay off.

5 Simple Steps :

1- E-mail@yourcompany.com - Yes! If you haven't already done so, then register a domain name and get e-mail hosting with it. Hopefully, you will be able to match your name:www.elaynafernandez.com, or your
company name: www.designed2impress.com; if you don't, you can get creative and add a location:
www.yourcompanynameSWFL.com or describe your niche: www.wedomarketinghere.com.

2- Info? Again? - Yes, it is standard. And so is everyone else! Why not make a difference? It could be your
title: yoursolution@mycompany.com or your name: jane.doe@mycompany.com or simply
jane@mycompany.com. Identify yourself and the prospect will feel less intimidated to contact you (who is "Info" anyway?). Use it to hint your business role, the nature of your work, your attitude, your priorities... find a way to make it memorable.

3- The "my clients/vendors/partners use my AOL account" Myth - of course they do! They also used to call your land line before you had a cell phone. But things change and now you have branded e-mail, which they should use. I admit it can get kind of tricky but there are tons of ways of going around this issue and consolidating your e-mail accounts and point them to one single account. At this point, you can start sorting personal and business contacts and the transition can be easier on you.

4- Sign in Style! - Don't just use a text-based signature (your name, job title, contact information). Really brand your e-mail messages. Add the company logo, the company tagline, your personal motto, and, my favorite, links to your website, your e-mail address, your blog, your strategic partners, resources for your clients, etc. This can be achieved by hiring a professional to design a branded HTML based e-mail signature. E-mail me for more information.

5- The Blackberry Brief - Not to pick on our favorite toys, but I seriously don't want to know that the e-mail was "Sent from Blackberry" or "Sent from iPhone". I don't mean to be a nag, but your clients sometimes are and we need to think like our clients (even the I-can-never-be-pleased types), so let's logon to the Blackberry website and the iPhone website...and let's replace the default message with our professional text-based signature that has all the information for a lead to reach you immediately.

If you follow these simple steps, you will certainly see the results. Brand recognition is huge in marketing your business or marketing yourself, and e-mail is a -and free- perfect way to position yourself and make a favorable statement and a good impression.

Hope you enjoyed my post. Have a powerful day!

This article is intended to educate and it constitutes the sole intellectual property of Elayna Fernandez and Designed 2 Impress. Any full or partial reproduction or duplication without the author's express written consent is strictly prohibited and will be considered copyright infringement.

About the Author:

Elayna Fernandez is a marketing consultant in the Naples FL, Estero FL, Bonita Springs FL and Marco Island, FL area. Her company, Designed 2 Impress, is dedicated to assisting individuals and small businesses in Naples FL, Estero FL, Bonita Springs FL and Marco Island, FL in creating successful and consistent brand and achieve their marketing goals.

For more information, please contact Elayna Fernandez or call 239-465-7868.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post!