Creating a professional email footer can be an important part of establishing your brand and identity in business communications. An email footer provides an easy way to share relevant contact information, social media links, disclaimers, and more at the bottom of every email you send.
Why use an email footer?
Here are some of the key benefits of using an email footer:
- Promotes your brand – Include your company name, logo, tagline to build familiarity.
- Provides contact information – Share details like email address, phone number, physical address to make it easy for recipients to get in touch.
- Encourages engagement – Add links to your website, social profiles and other channels to generate more interest.
- Establishes professionalism – A formatted footer gives your emails a polished, business-like appearance.
- Enables compliance – Include legal disclaimers, confidentiality notices, unsubscribe links to meet regulatory requirements.
- Saves time – The footer automatically appends to every email, no need to recreate it each time.
By consistently using an email footer, you can shape your brand image and promote your business in a simple, effective way.
What to include in an email footer
The specific elements to include in your email footer will depend on your business needs, but some common items are:
Contact information
Make it easy for recipients to get in touch by listing details like:
- Full name
- Job title
- Company name
- Address
- Phone numbers
- Email address
- Website URL
Social media links
Encourage readers to engage with your brand on social platforms by including icons linked to your profiles. Some popular networks to include are:
- YouTube
Company information
Provide useful details like:
- Company name
- Logo
- Tagline
- Physical address
Legal disclaimers
Protect yourself legally by adding notices about:
- Confidentiality
- Email monitoring
- Copyright
- Liability limitations
Unsubscribe option
Include instructions for opting-out of emails to comply with spam laws like CAN-SPAM. A link to unsubscribe is recommended.
Creative elements
Customize your footer with:
- inspirational quotes
- call to action
- seasonal messages
- thought leadership content
How to code an HTML email footer
Once you’ve decided what content to include, it’s time to code your footer using HTML. Here are the key steps:
Add HTML footer container
Enclose all your footer code within a div tag like:
<div style=”background-color:#ededed;”>
</div>
This creates a parent container to apply styling and keep the footer visually separate from the main email content.
Include contact details
Use text, links, and images to add your name, company, address and other contact info. Make sure text is styled for legibility.
Add social media icons
Use img tags to embed and link your social media icons like:
<a href=”http://www.facebook.com/yourprofile”> <img src=”facebook-icon.png” alt=”Facebook”></a>
Insert disclaimers
Add any required legal disclaimers or confidentiality notices as plain text.
Include unsubscribe link
Use a link to create an unsubscribe option, which opens a webpage or mailto link:
<a href=”[unsubscribe page URL]”>Unsubscribe</a>
Add custom styling
Use CSS styles to format elements like:
<p style=”font-size:12px;color:#555555;”>[disclaimer text]</p>
This makes the footer visually appealing.
Email footer design tips
Keep these design practices in mind when creating your template:
- Keep it concise – Only include essential info readers need.
- Be consistent – Use the same footer across all emails for a cohesive look.
- Check compatibility – Test how your footer displays in different email clients.
- Mobile-friendly – Design responsively so it renders well on mobile devices.
- Readable typography – Use fonts and sizes that are easy to read.
- Scannable layout – Break content into scannable sections with whitespace.
- Validity – Check HTML code validity to avoid rendering issues.
Sample HTML email footer code
Here is some example HTML code for an email footer:
<div style=”background-color:#ededed; padding: 20px;”>
<p style=”margin:0;font-size:14px;”>John Smith<br>
Marketing Manager<br>
Acme Company<br></p>
<p style=”margin:0;font-size:14px;”>
123 Main Street<br>
New York, NY 10001<br>
555-555-1234<br></p>
<p style=”margin:0;font-size:14px;”>
<a href=”mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected]</a><br>
<a href=”http://www.acmecompany.com”>www.acmecompany.com</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href=”http://www.facebook.com/acmecompany”>
<img src=”facebook-icon.png” alt=”Facebook” width=”20″ height=”20″ />
</a>
<a href=”http://www.twitter.com/acmecompany”>
<img src=”twitter-icon.png” alt=”Twitter” width=”20″ height=”20″ />
</a></p>
<p style=”font-size:12px;”>This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete this message.</p>
<p style=”font-size:12px;”><a href=”[unsubscribe URL]”>Unsubscribe</a> from this mailing list.</p>
</div>
This contains typical elements like contact details, social icons, disclaimers and an unsubscribe link in a formatted layout. You can customize further with CSS.
Testing and troubleshooting
Before sending your template, be sure to test it thoroughly:
- Preview in different email clients and devices – Check that styling displays as expected.
- Validate HTML – Confirm the code is valid with no errors.
- Check links – Click social and unsubscribe links to verify they work.
- Review spam check – Check inbox placement and spam filters.
- Adjust layout – Fix any responsive or formatting issues.
Some common footer issues to look out for:
- Broken links – Double check URL paths and anchor syntax.
- Invalid HTML – Use a validator to debug errors.
- Inconsistent styling – CSS may render differently across email clients.
- Image blocking – Some clients block images by default for security.
- Spam filters – Lots of links or unusual formatting could trigger filters.
Fine tune your footer until it displays correctly across the major email platforms.
Conclusion
Adding a professional email footer provides a great opportunity to reinforce your brand, promote engagement, and establish credibility. By following HTML best practices you can create a fully customized footer that represents your business.
Include only the most important and relevant information for your audience. Keep the design clean, simple and mobile-friendly. Be sure to thoroughly test compatibility across email clients. With a little diligent effort, your email footer can become an invaluable brand asset.
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