How to use email signatures for content distribution
Content distribution is a crucial element of B2B marketing strategy.
Without a solid content distribution strategy, all the time and effort you spend creating high-quality content will be wasted.
If you don’t know how to distribute it effectively, all of your excellent marketing collateral will never reach your intended recipients.
It will therefore never convert leads.
Or turn new customers into long-standing ones.
All of this is to say:
Incredible content means nothing if it isn’t seen by your target audience.
So it’s of vital importance that you’re savvy with your content distribution efforts.
There’s one component of your marketing toolbox which is chronically underrated.
And that’s the email signature.
You can utilise your email signature in a number of different ways in order to optimise your content distribution strategy.
So that your content will always be seen and enjoyed by the people you want it to reach.
Read on for how to do so!
But first up, a little bit of context...
What is content distribution?
Before we delve into how to use email signatures for content distribution, let’s go back to basics.
What is content distribution all about?
Well:
Content distribution is the process of sharing and promoting your content.
It therefore comes into play after you’ve created your content and planned who you’d like it to reach.
It can span various channels, strategies and formats.
Indeed, normally a combination of several is used in order to maximise impact.
Some examples of content types that should be included in your distribution strategy are:
- eBooks
- Newsletters
- Blog posts
- Case studies and customer success stories
The type(s) of content you include in your marketing strategy will depend on your current business goals and targets.
The importance of content distribution
Content distribution boasts a number of benefits.
It boosts brand awareness, as well as being hugely beneficial for lead generation and client retention.
The value of content distribution has been steadily increasing over the last decade.
And it’s just going to keep on growing.
So:
How you promote and publish your content is becoming more and more pivotal to the success of your campaign.
In the current climate, the sheer volume of content being produced on a daily basis is gargantuan - and ever-increasing.
So you now have to do more than ever before to get your content noticed.
With so much ever-present white noise, a top-notch piece of content could easily get lost in the crowd.
It all boils down to this:
It’s no longer enough to create great material.
You now need a detailed plan in place to make sure it gets seen by the right eyes.
As Neil Patel put it:
"20% of your time should be spent creating content, and the other 80% distributing it."
It must be a priority!
Why use email signatures for content distribution?
Email remains by far the biggest corporate communication channel used worldwide.
More than WhatsApp, text messages and Google searches combined.
So it makes sense to utilise the emails you are already sending out as a way of promoting your content.
Other reasons to opt for the email signature as a content distribution tool are:
They are cheap and cheerful
Set-up and running costs are low yet ROI is huge.
This makes them a simple yet highly effective marketing channel.
They are easily measurable
You can extract a range of B2B data from your email signature such as open rates and CTR, which can help to improve your current campaigns as well as inform future ones.
They are highly targeted
Far from a scattergun approach, email signature marketing fires straight into your recipients’ inbox.
This direct line of communication piques prospects’ interest, encouraging them to move down the B2B sales funnel.
They are quick to tweak and adapt
You have full control over the copy and design of your email signature, making them easy to update and keep fresh and relevant.
8 ways to use your email signature as a content distribution tool
With the help of an automation tool such as Mailtastic, you can use your email signature to promote your messaging in a host of different ways.
All of which will have a huge impact on the success of your campaigns.
Now’s the time to get creative!
You could use your email signature to...
1 - Drive traffic to your social networks
As Desoutter found out, the email signature can have an enormous impact on your social traffic.
In their recent campaign, a whopping 90% of all traffic to their LinkedIn profile came from their email signature banner.
2 - Promote webinars
Cognism’s webinar sign-ups increased by 25% when they used Mailtastic email signatures to promote them.
3 - Direct readers to your blog
A link to either your most recent post, or your highest-rated content, is sure to work wonders.
4 - Promote an event
If you are hosting or attending an upcoming event, promote it in your email signature to raise awareness and boost sign-ups.
5 - Advertise a new product or update
Including this in the email signature, rather than in the body of the email, makes it less ‘salesy’ and so more likely to resonate with recipients.
6 - List a job vacancy
HR departments can use the email signature to showcase available positions with links to job descriptions and application pages.
7 - Encourage recipients to subscribe to your email newsletter
If you’re looking to boost your subscriber list, this is the way to do it.
8 - Share case studies or customer success stories
Demonstrating how much you’ve helped previous clients is the best way to boost your credibility and convert leads who are on the fence.
Here’s hoping this has given you an insight into how email signatures can help to distribute your content easily and effectively.
It’s not a one-size-fits-all situation, so do think about how you can use your email signature in a way that fits with your company goals and current targets.
But there’s no denying their value.
Make them work for you, and the email signature can be an incredibly powerful way to distribute your content far and wide.
