How Email Footers Can Boost Your Brand Message
The email footer is the section at the bottom of an email message that includes information about you and your business, as well as compliance elements and promotional links.
But is this feature getting overlooked by email professionals?
Email marketers pride themselves on being highly precise and analytical in their approach. After all, email marketing requires a keen eye and a sharp mind to achieve campaign goals; it’s all about maximum optimization.
Why, then, are so many email professionals ignoring the email footer? This section at the end of an email can be an incredible opportunity for numerous reasons, helping you wrap up your message and have an impact on your readers.
We’re going to explain why the footer deserves a lot more love and how to do it right.
What is an Email Footer?
In email marketing, an email footer is located at the bottom of an email message and typically includes additional information about the sender and their organization. It also often contains important elements for recipients to engage further or find relevant details.
Email marketing footers serve various purposes, and their content can range from basic contact information to compliance details and promotional elements.
Email Footers: Unrealized Potential
There are different reasons that email marketing footers don’t get as much love as they deserve.
In general, email marketers tend to prioritize other elements of an email: the subject line, body content, headers, CTA buttons, etc., believing these have a more direct impact on their engagement and conversion rates.
Because of this, they believe footers are less critical to the overall success of an email campaign. They might assume recipients rarely pay attention to or engage with the information in the email footer. Professional footers are typically considered a formality; thus, in the rush to meet deadlines, the potential of footers is ignored in favor of other content elements.
Let’s review the reasons why you should completely change this mindset.
Email Footers Can Be Your Secret Weapon
Here are 7 reasons you should redo your footer right away:
- Brand consistency: Email marketing footers provide an additional opportunity to reinforce brand consistency. Including logos, brand colors, and taglines in the footer ensures every email aligns with the overall brand image.
- Best for contact information: Footers are a convenient place to include essential contact details, making it easy for recipients to get in touch. This accessibility can foster trust and improve customer relations.
- Legal compliance: Legal disclaimers and privacy statements in email marketing footers help ensure compliance with regulations. They also promote transparency, assuring recipients that the sender values privacy and adheres to relevant laws.
- Professionalism: If you pay attention, you will see the most prominent brands with well-oiled email marketing operations make excellent use of the footer. A well-crafted, professional footer adds a touch of professionalism to the communication; it signals that the sender pays attention to details and is invested in creating a positive and trustworthy interaction.
- Bonus opportunity for engagement: Social media links, promotional banners, or CTAs in the footer provide recipients with additional avenues for engagement. This can lead to increased website visits, social media follows, or other desired actions.
- Better personalization: Customized footers allow for a more personalized touch. By tailoring the footer content based on recipient segments or preferences, marketers can create a more targeted and engaging user experience.
- Useful for tracking: Including tracking elements in the footer can provide valuable insights into user behavior. Marketers can gather data on link clicks, social media interactions, and other metrics, helping refine future campaigns.
Email marketing footers can contribute significantly to the overall success of email campaigns and should be viewed as valuable real estate for building relationships and maximizing the impact of your every email.
What Information Should Your Email Footer Have?
You are free to add whatever information you like to your footer message, but here are a few options that are commonplace and email recipients are familiar with.
This table includes the basic information you can include in your footer:
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Unsubscribe options | Clear and easy-to-find options for recipients to unsubscribe from marketing emails. |
| Preference center links | Links to a preference center where recipients can customize their email preferences. |
| Contact information | Company’s contact details, including phone number and email address for inquiries. |
| Social media links | Icons or links to your company’s social media profiles for additional engagement. |
| Compliance information | Legal disclaimers, compliance statements, and privacy policy links for transparency. |
| Educational links | Links to educational resources such as FAQs, help centers, or knowledge bases. |
Remember to design the footer in a clean and organized manner, ensuring your subscribers can quickly find the information they need.
Next, we will examine why the footer is the best place to include legal/compliance info, and then we’ll look at different information you can add to this prime email real estate!
Email Footer: Legal Requirements
Email marketing regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe and the CAN-SPAM Act in the United States, require certain information to be included in marketing emails to ensure transparency, privacy, and compliance. Note that CAN-SPAM/GDPR laws can apply to you even if you are not in the U.S. or Europe, because your email recipients may be. In short, you must include this information for legal reasons!
The footer is an excellent (and strategic) place for this purpose.
Here’s what regulations typically require you to include:
- Unsubscribe options: Regulations mandate that recipients should have the ability to easily unsubscribe from marketing emails. Including clear and accessible unsubscribe options in the footer ensures compliance and provides recipients with a straightforward way to opt out of future messages. Gmail and Yahoo have also announced a new mandate that comes into effect in February 2024 — bulk email senders must authenticate their emails, include easy unsubscription links, and only email willing recipients.
- Links to a preference center: Some regulations emphasize the importance of allowing recipients to manage their email preferences. Adding links to a preference center in the email marketing footer allows recipients to customize their communication preferences easily. This is also great for your list health, as subscribers will be able to set a frequency for the emails they get from you.
- Contact information: That’s right, regulations expect you to include the physical address of your business in the email! This step enhances transparency and also allows recipients to reach you with questions or concerns.
- Legal information: Legal disclaimers or links to privacy policies are often mandatory in marketing emails to inform recipients about your data handling practices. The footer is an ideal location for these elements, ensuring recipients are aware of the legal and privacy aspects of your communications.
By consolidating these elements in the footer, you create a centralized and easily accessible location for important information.
Examples of Legal Disclaimers/Privacy Policy Links in Email Footer
While it’s best to draft these with the help of a lawyer, these examples will help you understand how legal disclaimers and privacy statements are supposed to look like.
Below are examples of email disclaimers from an imaginary company named Shoppy ECom:
- General Disclaimer: This email and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged information intended for the named recipient(s) only. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete the email from your system. Any unauthorized disclosure, copying, distribution, or reliance on the contents of this email is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. Shoppy ECom accepts no responsibility for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. Views and opinions expressed in this communication may not necessarily represent those of Shoppy ECom.
- Compliance and Privacy Disclaimer: Shoppy ECom is committed to protecting your privacy. The information provided in this email is intended solely for the recipient and may contain confidential or privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, be advised that any unauthorized use, disclosure, copying, distribution, or the taking of any action in reliance on the content of this email is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please notify us immediately by replying to the sender and delete the message from your system. Additionally, please be aware that email communication may not be secure, and Shoppy ECom cannot guarantee the confidentiality of information transmitted over email. By communicating with us through email, you acknowledge and accept these risks.
The footer is the perfect place to add these details, as recipients rarely read or prioritize this information.
Creative Ways to Utilize Your Email Footer
Sticking to the basics while designing your professional footer is a missed opportunity. Clever marketers are utilizing this section in the most creative ways imaginable, so we found the best ideas and compiled them here. Let’s get right into it!
Brand Design/Tagline
You can use the space available in the footer to maximize brand recognition.
Leverage the footer to showcase your brand’s visual identity; incorporate your logo, brand colors, or a compelling tagline. This helps reinforce brand recall and establishes a consistent visual identity across all your emails.
CTA (Call-to-Action)
You can include a specific CTA in your footer message to drive engagement with a purpose.
Transform your email footer into a strategic space for a clear CTA. Whether it’s directing recipients to explore your latest offerings or participate in a survey, a well-placed CTA can boost engagement and conversions.
Link to Company Blog
By linking your blog in the footer, you can extend content reach.
Include a snippet or link to the company blog in the footer. This provides recipients with easy access to valuable content, encouraging them to stay informed about your industry, products, and services. In specific situations, recipients may want to read a press statement or seek more details about the content in your email, so a blog link is invaluable in that moment. Plus It’s an effective way to nurture leads and build authority in your domain!
Product Recommendations/Categories
You can even include tailored product suggestions in the footer message.
Utilize the footer to showcase product recommendations or link to popular product categories. This personalized touch enhances the customer experience, directing recipients to relevant offerings based on their preferences or previous interactions.
Customer Testimonials
Email footers can offer an excellent opportunity to build trust with social proof!
Feature a rotating selection of customer testimonials in the footer. Real endorsements from satisfied customers add credibility to your brand and instill confidence in potential buyers. This builds trust and fosters a positive perception of your products or services.
Thank You Message
Footers also offer you a chance to thank your prospects, adding a personal touch. Expressing gratitude can build rapport and make customers feel happy to receive your emails.
A simple thank-you message in the footer can go a long way. Use this space to express how grateful you are for their loyalty, recent purchases, or engagement with your brand. It adds a personal touch and strengthens your relationship with recipients.
Referral Links
You could also use the footer message to highlight your referral program.
Turn your footer into a referral hub by including links or banners that prompt recipients to refer friends or colleagues. Incentivize referrals with discounts or exclusive offers, fostering brand advocacy and growing your email list.
Sustainability Statements
The footer message can showcase corporate responsibility, too.
If sustainability is a key aspect of your brand, use the footer to highlight eco-friendly initiatives or partnerships. Incorporate icons or short messages that communicate your commitment to sustainability, resonating with environmentally-conscious consumers. As more people become aware of your company’s “green” initiatives, it can have a positive impact on your brand’s image.
Brand Mission
Communicate purpose and values by sharing them in a professional footer.
This doesn’t have to be your company’s tagline; craft a concise brand mission statement for the footer which clearly articulates your company’s purpose and values. This communicates authenticity and also helps align your brand with customers who share similar values.
Feedback Links
Always look for opportunities to collect feedback on your email content.
Encourage input by including links to customer surveys or feedback forms in the footer. Gathering insights directly from recipients helps refine your products or services and shows you value their opinions.
Promote Your App
If you have a new app or want to boost app adoption, the footer is a great place to do it.
Include app download links or highlight specific features to drive downloads. Enhance the user experience by making it easy for recipients to connect with your brand on the go.
Link to Your Lead Magnet
Why not use your footer to acquire more leads for your email list?
You can add a link to your lead magnet, such as a free ebook, webinar, or resource, in the footer. This entices recipients to share their contact information in exchange for valuable content, helping you grow your email list and nurture potential leads. For example, a line like “Download thousands of design templates for free” would attract a lot of clicks, if included in your footer.
Lead magnets can have a HUGE impact on list growth, when done correctly. No matter how good your lead magnet is, it’s all about presentation and strategy; done the right way, you can witness an incredible response.
Campaign Refinery offers a program called the Lead Magnet Muliplier that is 100% FREE and helps email marketers like yourself achieve 8X the number of signups. And no, we’re not exaggerating those numbers.
There’s no catch, but we do have a clause in place: If you want to retain access to this course, you must finish it in 7 days. It’s just 4 short videos, so it’s not too much!
Register for the Lead Magnet Multiplier course today to learn how the pros maximize their lead magnet signups!
Email Footers in Personal and Business Emails
Footers are also used in personal and workplace emails, but you might know them by their other name — email signatures.
There are a few differences between email signatures and email footers, which we will explore in the next section, but let’s discover more about the use of footers in personal and corporate emails.
Footer messages play a crucial role in these emails; they serve as the closing impression of your communication, provide additional context, contact information, and add a touch of professionalism. While the content may vary between personal and business emails, the goal remains consistent: to enhance communication and leave a positive impression.
Signing off on a personal email is highly subjective; depending on your relationship with the contact you’re emailing, you can tune your signature.
In a business context, email signatures are a vital part of professional communication. They serve as a digital business card, providing recipients with essential information about your role, company, and how to reach you.
Business signatures should typically include:
| Element | What to do |
|---|---|
| Full name and job title | Clearly state your name and position within the company. |
| Company name | Include the name of your organization. |
| Contact information | Provide a professional email address, phone number, and physical address if applicable. |
| Company logo | Add your company logo for brand reinforcement. |
| Social media icons/links | Links to your company’s official social media profiles. |
| Legal disclaimers | Include necessary legal disclaimers. |
Next, let’s learn how to create signatures on two popular email clients: Gmail and Outlook.
How to Add Email Footer in Gmail
Creating a signature in Gmail is a straightforward process.
Here are the steps to create an email signature in Gmail:
- On a computer, open Gmail.com and sign in with your Google account.
- In the top right, click on the gear icon, then select “See all settings.”
- You should already be on the “General” tab to access general settings.
- Scroll down until you find the “Signature” section and click on “Create New.”
- In the signature text box, enter your desired signature. Here, you can include your name and any other details you want to include.
- You can use the formatting tools to customize the appearance of your footer. Add links, change fonts, or insert images if needed.
- To add an image (like a logo), click on the image icon in the formatting toolbar. You can provide a URL or upload an image from your device.
- You can then choose to include this in new emails or email forwards.
- Scroll to the bottom and click “Save Changes” to save your new email signature!
Test your new signature by sending an email to yourself.
Add Email Footer in Outlook
Here are the steps to add a footer in Outlook on the web:
- Open your web browser and visit Outlook.com.
- Sign in with your Microsoft account credentials.
- Click on the gear icon in the upper-right corner to open the settings menu.
- Navigate to the “Mail” tab on the left.
- Click on “Compose and reply” in the left-hand menu.
- Under “Email signature,” find options to create and customize your signature.
- Use the text box to enter your desired email signature, including your name, job title, and contact information.
- Use the formatting toolbar to customize the appearance of your signature.
- To add an image, such as a company logo, use the toolbar’s image icon.
- Once you’ve created your signature, scroll down and click “Save” to save your changes.
- Compose a new email to test how your signature looks.
Your email signature will be automatically added to the end of every email you compose in Outlook on the web. Keep it professional, concise, and consistent with your brand identity.
Email Footer vs Email Signature: Not Quite the Same Thing
Email footers in email marketing have a lot more potential compared to your business email signature. While too many links or information would look tacky in a workplace email, there’s no such issue with email marketing.
Here’s why footers are different from email signatures:
| Feature | Email Footer | Email Signature |
|---|---|---|
| Placement | Appears at the end of an email message. | Can be placed at the end or below the email body. |
| Components | Typically includes contact details and company information. | Includes personal and professional information, often more extensive. |
| Customization | Usually customizable, but may have a standard format for consistency. | Highly customizable, allowing for personal branding. |
| Purpose | Provides additional contact or company information. | Serves as a personal identifier and branding tool. |
| Legal disclaimers | May include legal disclaimers or confidentiality statements. | May or may not include legal disclaimers, depending on user preference. |
| Branding | Primarily for company branding and professional communication. | Combines personal and professional branding elements. |
| Use cases | Common in formal or business communication. | Common in professional and personal email communication. |
You get a lot more room for creative innovation when working with footers in marketing. With the help of great design, you can use this tiny space to have a big impact on your long-term email marketing goals. So let’s explore how to create the best footer message.
How to Create an Excellent Email Footer: Guide
Creating an effective footer message for email marketing involves incorporating essential elements that provide recipients with valuable information and reinforce your brand.
Here’s a detailed guide to help you create a professional and impactful footer.
1. Planning Phase
Before you start creating your footer, define your goals. Consider what information is crucial for your recipients and what you want to achieve with your email marketing. Common goals include brand reinforcement, providing contact information, complying with regulations, and encouraging additional engagement.
2. Compile Information
Collect the necessary information you want to include in your footer.
This may include:
- Your full name,
- Job title,
- Company name,
- Company logo,
- Contact information (email address, phone number),
- Company address,
- Social media links,
- Legal disclaimers or compliance statements,
- Unsubscribe options.
You can also create different footers for different segments of your email list, depending on your goals.
3. Design a Layout
Plan the layout of your footer message to ensure a clean and organized appearance.
Consider the following points:
- Hierarchy: Arrange elements in order of importance, with key information at the top.
- Use of space: Use space intelligently to avoid a cluttered look.
- Font/colors: Choose fonts and colors consistent with your brand for a cohesive design.
- Images: If using a company logo, ensure it is appropriately sized for clarity.
4. Use HTML for Visual Appeal
Consider using HTML for your footer if your email client supports it. HTML allows for a more visually appealing design, including formatted text, images, and links. However, ensure it degrades aesthetically to plain text for email clients that do not support HTML.
5. Include Contact Information
Provide clear and complete contact information. Include your email address, phone number, and company address. This builds trust and allows recipients to reach out easily.
6. Incorporate Social Media Links
Add icons or text links to your social media profiles. This encourages recipients to connect with your brand on other platforms, or verify legitimacy, plus it contributes to enhancing your online presence.
7. Legal Disclaimers/Compliance Info
Include any legal disclaimers or compliance statements required by regulations such as CAN-SPAM or GDPR. This ensures adherence to privacy laws.
8. Unsubscribe Options
Make it easy for recipients to unsubscribe from your emails. Include a clear and accessible unsubscribe link or options, as required by email marketing regulations. Adding this also prevents recipients marking your email as spam, which damages your sender reputation.
You can also include unsubscribe options with a list-unsubscribe header.
9. Add Informative Links
Consider including links to educational resources such as FAQs, help centers, or knowledge bases. This can provide recipients with additional information about your products or services.
10. Test Formatting
Ensure your footer looks good on both desktop and mobile devices. Many people check emails on their smartphones, so mobile responsiveness is crucial.
11. Preview and Test
Preview your footer message within your email client before finalizing. Send test emails to yourself or colleagues to verify the footer appears correctly and all links are functional.
12. Update Regularly
Put a schedule in place to regularly review and update your footer to reflect any changes in your contact information, branding, or legal requirements.
By following these steps, you can create a professional footer that not only complies with regulations but also enhances your brand image and provides recipients with valuable information. Remember to keep it concise, visually appealing, and aligned with your overall email marketing strategy.
Create a Footer Easily at Campaign Refinery
At Campaign Refinery, crafting an exceptional footer is a smooth experience. Our platform is designed to simplify the process of creating compelling and visually appealing email content, and this extends to creating footers, too.
Here’s why crafting footers with Campaign Refinery is a breeze:
- Minimalist, straightforward UI: Campaign Refinery has an intuitive and user-friendly interface that allows even non-tech-savvy to effortlessly create professional footers. We built our platform with simplicity in mind, ensuring clients can use the tools without effort.
- Excellent drag-and-drop editor: Our perfectly designed drag-and-drop editor eliminates the need for coding skills. Simply select the elements you want to include in your email marketing footer, drag them into place, and customize them to suit your brand.
- Huge template library: If you’re looking for inspiration or want a quick solution, Campaign Refinery offers a collection of pre-designed templates. Choose a template that resonates with your brand, and customize it effortlessly to match your preferences. Plus, we care about mobile responsiveness, so they’re going to look good on all devices and clients!
With these tools, you can be sure to create an email footer that is stylish and effective!
Examples of Great Email Footers
If you’re wondering what good, clean footers should look like, we found a few to inspire you.
Friendly Email Footer Example
This email footer from Churn is a great example of how they create a friendly and warm vibe with their emails. The footer is simple, shares relatable quotes, and sticks to listing compliance information only (phsycial address and an unsubscribe link).
Simple and Clean Email Footer Example
In this email, Reel, a company that makes environment-friendly products, opts for a simple and clean email footer that is spaced well — it offers a lot of information yet does not look cluttered.
Example of Good Link Placement in the Email Footer
This promo email from Postable gets the footer right — it includes quick links to popular product categories, highlights a “Card of the Day,” and adds social media icons. Our favorite bit is the link to a preference center, where recipients can adjust various settings for the emails they receive from Postable.
Putting Together Your Email Footer: Tips to Remember
As you design your footer, refer to the examples above or just browse through your own inbox to find inspiration and ideas you like.
Here is a table of things to remember as you create the perfect email marketing footer:
| Factor | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Cleanliness | Don’t clutter up the footer. Keep what you need. |
| Formatting | Ensure mobile responsive design — today, most people check emails on their phones. |
| Design | Pay careful attention to the layout and use space intelligently to make the email footer appear attractive and eye-catching. |
| Analytics | If you include a CTA, ensure the link is trackable so you can monitor how much attention it gets. Great footers can make a solid contribution to your conversion rates. |
| Branding | The footer message is a great opportunity to leave your readers with a lasting impression — cash in on this. |
Ensure you make the footer distinct from the body of the email so your subscribers don’t miss it.
Landing in the Inbox with Campaign Refinery
We at Campaign Refinery believe that creating an email marketing footer should be both easy and awesome. Our user-friendly features make the process enjoyable and efficient.
Besides this, here’s what else you get as a Campaign Refinery customer:
- The best deliverability rates in the industry — we’ve got it figured out.
- Amazing service levels from our customer care team.
- Automation flows that allow you to run a tight ship.
- Our automated list-cleaning adds an extra layer of protection from being marked as a spammer by efficiently removing invalid email addresses from your list.
- With our Gamification feature, you can run campaigns with stellar engagement rates.
- Campaign Refinery is cost-effective; we don’t charge you for having thousands of contacts; we only charge you for the emails you send.
We have a vetting process for clients to ensure spam emails don’t go from our platform, and we only onboard email professionals who implement best practices.
If this sounds like the elite group you want to be a part of, apply to be a Campaign Refinery customer today!
