Making the Switch to Branded Email

We recently posted about the importance of using a branded email address and shared some information about our preferred tool, Google Business Apps. Click here to read more about setting up an @companyname.com email address.

Once your new email address is up and running, there are a few things that you should do. Here's a short checklist to get you started...

  1. Notify Your Contacts - Email all of your contacts from your old email address. Keep the message short and sweet (i.e. I have a new email address. Please remove oldaddress@yahoo.com from your contact list and add name@companyname.com.). You can tactfully email your entire contact list at once by adding all recipients to the bcc field.  
  2. Customize Your Email Signature - Make your email correspondence look even more professional by adding a branded signature. Instructions and best practices are included below. 
  3. Update Listings and Contact Forms - Chances are your old email address is linked to some stuff. Update any social media profiles or listings that are associated with your business. Ensure that descriptions contain your new contact information. Update your website with new information as well, and make sure that all of your contact forms are linked properly. If you do not manage your own website, contact your web master to complete this process. 
  4. Setup an Auto-Responder - Log back into your old account to set up an auto-responder. You should be able to do this in the general settings for your inbox. The auto-responder message can be as simple as "I have a new email address. Please send future correspondence to name@companyname.com."
  5. Setup an Email Forward - Some of your contacts will inevitably fail to use your new address. If you are worried about missing messages, set up an email forward in the general settings of your old inbox.  

Gmail Signature How-To 

The following video may be helpful if you are customizing a signature within a Gmail account...

Email Signature Dos & Don'ts

Regardless of whether or not you use Gmail, there are some general rules to follow when it comes to email signatures...

  • Do include a sign-off that is personable and professional. The Rooted ID team consistently uses "To your success," but "Warm regards," "Thanks," or "Cheers" would work just as well.
  • Don't get too creative. Favorite quotes and lengthy sign-offs are better suited for personal correspondence. 
  • Do include relevant information like your name, title, company name and phone number.
  • Don't go overboard. If you include too much information (three phone numbers, a fax number, two websites and the name of your first born son), it can be difficult to discern what's important and how to reach you.
  • Do include your logo. We recommend linking this to your website (as seen in the video above). 
  • Don't include unnecessary graphics. Your contact information should exist as text. Some inboxes block images, and text ensures that pertinent contact information displays correctly. 

Care to add some email etiquette to our list of dos and don'ts? Share your thoughts in the comments section below. 

Rooted ID