Communications Corner: Tips for creating a winning signature block

Let’s talk about signature blocks – or as they are also known: the modern-day, electronic business card. Having a professional-looking signature block that everyone in your utility or city uses can give your organization more credibility with those who receive your emails. Plus, by providing multiple ways to contact you, signature blocks can make it easier for people to get in touch with you.

A good email signature for new emails should include the following elements:

1. First name and last name
2. Title and department
3. Email address and telephone number. At a minimum, you should include your office number. If your organization pays for or reimburses your cell phone, you should include that number as well.
4. Utility/city logo and utility/city name
5. Utility/city physical address
6. Utility/city website
7. Social media icons linked to official utility/city profiles
8. Disclaimer – A disclaimer is a block of a legal text. To learn more about disclaimers and their importance, check out these tips and examples of good email disclaimers.

You can choose to use the same email signature block for both new emails and replies or you can create a shorter signature block for replies. Here are some elements to include if you create a separate reply signature block.

1. First name and last name
2. Title and department
3. Utility/city name
4. Direct mobile number and email address
5. Utility/city logo

For a best-practice email signature block:

1. Use one font type. Make sure the font you choose is a safe font (e.g., Arial, Verdana, Georgia, Tahoma, Courier, Times New Roman, Trebuchet, Palatino, or Lucida)
2. Use two to three colors at most. Use your utility/city colors if you have some.
3. Unify visually social media icons (in size, color, style, shape, etc.).
4. Use a maximum of three to four social media icons in one signature block.
5. Put the disclaimer text below the signature block.