The Ultimate Guide to Changing Your Gmail Signature (With Photos)

Your email signature is more than just a sign-off at the bottom of your messages. When crafted well, it acts as a powerful branding and marketing tool to make your emails more impactful and drive results.

In fact, studies show that the average office worker sends 40 emails per day, which translates to 40 opportunities to make an impression, share important information, and encourage action with every email signature. It‘s like a digital business card that can reach a wide audience with minimal effort.

That‘s why it‘s so important to create a professional email signature and keep it up-to-date, especially if you‘re using Gmail, which has over 1.8 billion users worldwide. In this ultimate guide, we‘ll cover everything you need to know to create, change, and optimize your Gmail signature on any device.

Why Your Gmail Signature Matters

Before we dive into the technical details, let‘s examine some of the key reasons why your email signature is so valuable:

1. Branding – Your signature is a highly visible extension of your brand that reaches every person you email. By incorporating your brand‘s colors, fonts, logo, and personality into the signature design, you create a consistent, memorable brand experience. This is especially impactful for small businesses looking to build credibility.

2. Marketing – Email signatures drive real results for businesses large and small. One study found that adding a promotional banner to your signature can increase click-through rates by 4.5% or more. Whether you‘re promoting a new product, event, or piece of content, an email signature reaches your audience where they already engage.

3. Lead generation – When you include key contact details and calls-to-action (CTAs) in your signature, you make it incredibly easy for interested leads to connect with you. Adding links to your calendar scheduler, demo request, or sales inquiry form right in your signature eliminates friction for potential customers.

4. Thought leadership – By regularly updating your signature to highlight your latest blog posts, videos, awards, or other content, you can establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. This positions you as a go-to expert and keeps you top-of-mind with everyone you email.

5. Connection – At its core, your email signature fosters personal connection. A well-designed signature with your photo, personal interests, or even a favorite quote adds warmth and personality to your communications. Never underestimate the power of human connection in driving business results.

With these benefits in mind, let‘s look at exactly how to create a signature that achieves them in Gmail.

How to Create an Email Signature in Gmail

Gmail offers a robust signature editor right within your inbox settings. Follow these steps to set up your signature:

1. Open Gmail and click the Gear icon in the top right corner
2. Select See all settings
3. Scroll to the Signature section and click Create new
4. Enter a Signature name and click Create
5. In the signature editor, add your signature content, including:
   • Your full name, professional title, and company name
   • Key contact details like email, phone number, and website
   • Social profile links for LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.
   • A call-to-action like "Schedule a meeting" or "Download our app"
   • A headshot or company logo
   • Disclaimers or legal text if required by your company/industry
6. Format your text using the toolbar buttons to change font, color, size, etc.
7. To add an image, click the Insert Image icon and either:
   • Upload an image from your device
   • Add an image URL
   • Select an image from Google Drive
8. Click and drag the corners of the image to resize it to fit well in the signature
9. Adjust your Signature defaults to choose what signature is automatically included on new emails and replies
10. Click Save Changes at the bottom of the settings page

Here‘s an example of what your signature might look like with all the key elements:

[John Doe signature example screenshot]

HTML Signature Templates

While Gmail‘s signature editor is quite functional, some businesses prefer to use more advanced HTML templates for a signature that perfectly matches their branding. There are a few ways to go about this:

1. Use a signature generator tool – Free tools like HubSpot‘s Email Signature Generator or Designhill‘s Email Signature Maker let you easily create a professional HTML signature template right in your web browser. Simply input your details, customize the design, and copy the HTML code.

2. Hire a designer – If you want a completely custom HTML email signature, you can hire a professional designer on a platform like Upwork or 99designs. For a few hundred dollars, a designer can create a signature template that matches your exact brand guidelines.

3. Code it yourself – If you‘re comfortable with HTML and CSS, you can code your own email signature from scratch. This gives you complete control but requires more technical skills. Just be sure to use inline CSS since Gmail strips out HTML head and body tags. Tools like Litmus‘ HTML Email Previewer are great for testing your code.

Once you have your HTML signature template, here‘s how to add it to Gmail:

1. Open your Gmail signature settings
2. In the signature editor, click the HTML view button (looks like <>)
3. Paste the entire HTML code for your signature into the editor
4. Click back to Normal view and check that your signature looks correct
5. Save your changes

Keep in mind that due to Gmail‘s limitations, your beautiful HTML signature may not always render perfectly, especially on mobile devices. It‘s a good idea to have a simplified plain text version as a backup.

Email Signature Best Practices & Trends

Now that you understand the technicalities of setting up a Gmail signature, let‘s explore some best practices for making it as impactful as possible:

1. Keep it concise – The most effective email signatures are brief and skimmable. Stick to just the key details and use short, descriptive link text instead of long URLs. A good rule of thumb is 3-4 lines of text and 1-2 small visuals.

2. Make it mobile-friendly – Over 60% of emails are opened on mobile devices, so it‘s critical that your signature looks great on small screens. Use a single column layout, large font sizes (at least 14px), and compressed images to optimize for mobile.

3. Stay on-brand – Your email signature should match the rest of your company‘s visual branding, including specific hex colors and fonts. Consult with your designers or use a tool like Adobe Color to extract your brand colors.

4. Use social proof – Adding a row of logos for awards, certifications, or media appearances is a subtle but effective form of social proof that builds credibility with every email. Just make sure you have permission to use any third-party logos.

5. Segment your signatures – If you wear multiple hats or communicate with distinct audiences, consider creating separate signature variations. For example, you may want a more formal signature with a confidentiality disclaimer for client emails and a friendly version with a headshot for personal messages.

6. Include a call-to-action – Email signatures are prime real estate for encouraging action. Add a prominent CTA button or link for scheduling a demo, registering for an event, downloading an eBook, etc. Just keep it relevant to your role and goals.

7. Provide alternate contact methods – Make it easy for recipients to reach you on their preferred platform by including links to your social profiles, instant messaging handles, or even a phone number. This reduces friction and helps build connections.

8. Use high-quality images – Any headshots, logos, or product photos in your signature should be crisp, clear, and properly sized. Use a tool like TinyPNG to compress images without losing quality. Blurry or pixelated images look unprofessional.

9. Keep it up-to-date – Set a reminder to review and update your email signature every few months. Swap out old promotions, update any changed contact details, and refresh the design to keep it current. An outdated signature can undermine your credibility.

10. Test, test, test – Before launching a new email signature, send test messages to yourself and colleagues on various devices and email clients. Ensure the formatting holds up, links work, and images display properly. Gather feedback and iterate until it‘s pixel-perfect.

By following these guidelines, you can craft an email signature that enhances every message you send and drives meaningful results for your business.

Examples of Great Email Signatures

To help illustrate these best practices, let‘s examine a few examples of well-designed email signatures from recognizable brands:

HubSpot

[HubSpot signature example screenshot] HubSpot‘s email signature is clean, on-brand, and includes a clear CTA to download their popular Marketing Blog. The use of brand colors and fonts keeps it feeling cohesive with other communications.

Zendesk

[Zendesk signature example screenshot] Zendesk takes a more personal approach, with a friendly headshot and first-person bio. They also include helpful links to their help center and social profiles to provide alternate support channels.

Asana

[Asana signature example screenshot] Asana‘s signature is beautifully minimalist, with plenty of white space and subtle brand elements. The inclusion of pronouns is a nice personal touch, while the simple CTA encourages recipients to try their product.

Gmail Signature FAQ

Still have questions about optimizing your Gmail signature? Here are answers to some common queries:

How do I create a signature in Gmail app?

To add a signature in the Gmail Android or iOS app, tap the three-line menu icon, then Settings > [your account] > Mobile Signature. Note that mobile signatures are plain text only and can‘t include formatting or images.

How do I add a clickable link to my Gmail signature?

Simply highlight the text you want to turn into a link in the signature editor, then click the Link button that looks like a chain. Paste in your URL and click OK to create a hyperlinked call-to-action.

Can I use a handwritten signature in Gmail?

Yes, if you have a PNG or JPG image file of your handwritten signature, you can insert it into your Gmail signature just like any other image. Many professionals include a scanned version of their real signature for a personal touch.

How do I create different signatures for different email accounts?

If you have multiple Gmail accounts, you‘ll need to set up signatures individually for each one by selecting the account from the top-right profile menu before editing your settings. You can even create multiple signatures for each account for different situations.

Can I use an animated GIF in my Gmail signature?

Technically yes, but animated GIFs in email signatures are considered a faux pas in most professional contexts. They can be distracting and look spammy. It‘s best to stick with static images unless you‘re in a highly creative industry.

How do I add my Instagram profile to my signature?

Simply include a clickable Instagram icon that links to your profile URL (i.e. https://www.instagram.com/yourusername). You can find free, high-quality social media icons on sites like Iconfinder.

Conclusion

By now, you should have a solid understanding of not only how to create a Gmail signature, but why it‘s so important and what separates an average signature from a highly optimized one.

Remember, every email you send is an opportunity to make an impression, build a relationship, and encourage action. By leveraging the tactics and best practices covered in this guide, you can transform your email signature from an afterthought to a powerful tool for branding, marketing, and growth.

So set aside some time to craft or refine your perfect email signature. Iterate and test to see what resonates with your unique audience and goals. And don‘t be afraid to let your personality shine through — after all, that human element is what truly connects us.

Now go forth and make your mark with every message you send. Your perfect email signature awaits!