(Marketing Tip: The word "stationery" in this sense is supposed to be spelt with an "e", it is purposely spelt wrong on this page to optimize for the search engines as the misspelling is more commonly used. It is important to find out exactly what people are searching for before optimizing pages. To get access to tools that do this click here)

People often laugh when I ask to see their businesses stationary (stationery, I know), they don't see the relevance from a Marketing point of view. What they don't realize is that this is more free advertising! This may be the simplest step but is one of the most important, get your business moving with stationary (stationery, yes, yes)!

Your URL (web site address) should be on every piece of paper in your office. Any brochures, letter heads, business cards. You never know who will find that piece of paper and visit your site. The Internet is still a novelty, people see a catchy domain name they want to check it out. Take advantage of this!

The most important part of Step Four and learning how to use stationary to your advantage is in the use of signature files. Somewhere in the e-mail program you are using (otherwise it is time to change) is an option to add signature files to outgoing messages. The following are the steps to follow for a couple of Microsoft products that I have found to be the most useful:

Outlook 2000:

Tools > Options > Mail format

Outlook Express:

Tools > Options > Signatures

I always recommend having at least three or four signature files that you can rotate. The first is a general signature. The mistake most people and companies make is this:

John Smith
Acme Inc. 
www.acme.com
acme@acme.com
1-800-555-5555

This is perfect right, gives all the company information needed in one short text. It isn't too long, doesn't drag on or overwhelm?
It's Also Boring!!!! Who is going to click on it? Maybe his mother-in-law so she can criticize the site but that is about it. How about this:

Free Wonderful Widgets to every fourth visitor!
www.acme.com
Will you be the lucky one?

"But where's the contact info, where's my name?" you ask in a panic.  Hopefully all that information is on your site right? The idea is to get them there first. Use a little creativity, this little marketing gem will get you more traffic than you'll believe. Now if you want to make money with it this is where the rotation comes in.

Signature files are your chance to throw in advertising and promotion material you'd never put in the body of a message. 

Example: Customer sends you a general inquiry after visiting your site. 

Before this course: You send a reply a day or two later and wonder why you never hear from them again. After all you answered their question, right?

After this course: You send a polite, professional response within 24 hours answering their questions and at the end of that message you choose a signature file. Ask yourself are they inquiring to buy? If not send a file encouraging them to subscribe to your free newsletter. (You do have one right? If not you will by Step Eight so don't worry) If they might buy what would they be interested in? What part of your site do you want to promote? Send a sig file promoting a product or service. Bang! Next day you make a sale. Free advertising!

That signature file better promote your newsletter, a product or a service otherwise you are missing an opportunity every single time you send an e-mail. 

I remember a client telling me how he met an Irish fellow in a airport who had gotten lost. The client helped him on his way and gave him a business card. When the fellow returned to Ireland he sent the client an e-mail to thank him to the address on his business card. As he had taken this course the client fired back a quick reply without thinking but his e-mail program automatically attached a small sig file promoting his website. The Irish fellow was intrigued, visited the site and was so impressed he recommended it to a friend who at last report does over $2000 worth of business a month with my client.

How long does it take to write a signature file? What is it worth? Don't miss out on this nugget of golden free advertising...

Summary:

• Make sure every piece of literature your company sends has your URL web address and e-mail address on it

• Create signature files for ALL outgoing e-mails.

• Rotate the files accordingly to promote your various products, services, or newsletter 

• Remember "Get your business moving with stationary!"

Proceed to Step Five

Link Your Way to Traffic