We’ve all heard that a first impression is incredibly important, so we get dressed up, pay attention to our choice of words and do everything we can to present our most professional selves to the world.

Sometimes, however, we don’t have the opportunity as counselors to put our best foot forward in the literal sense. Instead, we must rely on digital communication for a first meeting. Believe it or not, your email signature says a lot about who you are. I will keep this article short and sweet, just like your email signature should be.

 

Here are some tips for creating an effective email signature:

 

• Think carefully about the photo you upload. Make sure it is a recent photo, a high-quality image and appropriate for your professional setting. If you don’t have a photo you like, perhaps you can choose a logo instead.
• Link to your social media, but only if it is up to date. No one wants to read your tweets from 2009!
• Do not include your email address. If recipients have your email signature, they have your email address.
• Lead people to what you want them to learn about you. This might be your Twitter account, but it could be your webpage or your Instagram instead.
• Think about using a booking site (Adria uses youcanbook.me/) so that people can book an appointment with you from your email signature.

 

Your email signature should be simple, effective and functional. Here is an example that Adria created with WiseStamp, a free email signature creator.

 

 

 

 

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Adria S. Dunbar is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership, Policy and Human Development at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. She has more than 15 years of experience with both efficient and inefficient technology in school settings, private practice and counselor education. Contact her at adria.dunbar@ncsu.edu.

 

@TechCounselor’s Instagram is @techncounselor (instagram.com/techcounselor/).

 

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