Reflex email

I have a question for you…would you send out a letter to a client, customer or supplier on piece of plain white reflex paper?

It’s a stupid question really.

I mean seriously, how unprofessional would that look?

So why on earth would you send out an email like that?

So often I see correspondence from people that have no branding on them whatsoever. It blows my mind!

There’s also the opposite end of the spectrum where people have found the wonders of Microsoft’s standard suite of stationery. While some of the themes are quite nice, most are not appropriate for business type email.

The question then is, how can I do this?

Well to be honest, the answer is not as simple as it may seem.

In short, it’s relatively easy and cost effective to produce custom, well branded email stationery and signatures. In fact we have a number of them in our gallery. But like all things I.T. they all come at a cost.

This is a on-screen medium, so to begin with, don’t expect it to print out like a letterhead. It simply won’t happen.

And just because it’s on-screen doesn’t mean it will look and act the same way on every screen either. With the plethora of email systems and settings out in the wild, anything is possible!

There are also some restrictions on its use. For example, you can’t use stationery to reply with. So therefore you need to look at alternative ways to brand your replies if that’s an important aspect for you.

Signatures are probably the best solution but again, it’s all dependant upon the design and the way you wish to use it.

You may also need to keep in mind that you will need to change your email habits slightly. Depending upon how the design is implemented, you may need to adjust the way you create an email or the way you set up your signatures.

In mind, at the end of the day, I believe it’s worth the small amount of pain that seems to be associated with implementing branded emails in the first instance. Once it’s up and running, it’s a no brainer.

Even if you just place your logo into your signature, it’s better than nothing.

Don’t forget to think about your signature as well. This is a great tool to communicate any additional messages you might have. I recently noticed that everyone’s signature at the Augusta Margaret Tourist Association has a reminder about Cow Parade.

It’s free advertising and a great marketing tool.

Perhaps it’s time to look at how you’re using email…are you being effective enough? Or are you communicating on reflex?