In almost every brand coaching session I have conducted, when discussing emails I have been asked to explain what an email alias is and how to use it. Considering that this ‘email-stuff’ isn’t always common knowledge, the majority of you who haven’t booked a session with me (yet!) may not know what they are either. So in today’s post, we are going back to the basics of email branding.
We'll be looking at:
Personal Vs Corporate email addresses
Domains
Alternate Emails
Email Signatures
Happy reading!
Personal Vs Corporate email addresses
Anyone can get a corporate email address and I would definitely advise aspiring entrepreneurs to consider one for their brand instead of using a personal email. But what's the difference between the two?
A personal email is an email account created on a mail server - the most popular servers being Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo!. These are usually free and intended for personal use. Whilst a corporate email is an email addresses that has been created on the unique domain purchased by a company.
All email addresses will follow the structure below, but a business email will make you look more professional and improve your brand awareness.
Elements of an email address:
Email addresses consist of 3 sections and each section must be entered correctly for it to receive mail (Please note, the majority of platforms are not case-sensitive to email addresses).
Section 1: Local-Part (username)
The local-part is the username for the mailbox. It's the bit that goes before the @ symbol.
Section 2: @
The @ symbol links the mailbox to the domain. This is why you can have multiple emails under the same domain.
Section 3: Domain
The domain indicates the name of the organisation or company. Personal emails will use the server domain (e.g. Outlook.com, Hotmail.com, Gmail.com etc.) whilst corporate emails will have a custom domain (e.g. DesignedByJujubeng.co.uk).
Domains
You may have heard the terms URL, domain and web address before, but do you know what these terms mean?
Domain -
A domain is a name used to identify internet services, such as websites & emails. Your domain is what you see after the www. and after the @ in an email.
URL/Web address -
A URL consists of a domain name and often other detailed information. This create an address that tells your browser to take you to a specific page or file on the internet. Let's have a look at one below:
1. HTTP/HTTPS Protocol
If you've spent anytime on the internet at all, you would have noticed these letters in front of a URL: HTTP / HTTPS. But what do they actually mean?
HTTP/HTTPS is a protocol for passing information to a website. The “S” is for secure and means there is an SSL certificate for this domain. An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that authenticates a website's identity and enables an encrypted connection. In simple terms, it provides security for online communications.
2. Subdomain
www is a subdomain. It is the second section of a full URL.
3. SLD
The SLD or Second-level domain is the name you register when you buy your domain. It needs to be readable, easy to spell and memorable.
4. TLD/Domain Extension
The TLD (Top-level domain) or domain extension is the bit that comes after the SLD. Most websites end with .co.uk or .com, but there are various other types of TLD you can choose from. (e.g. .net, .org, .tv, .uk etc.)
5. Page or File name
After the domain, you may see a "/" and additional information in the URL. These are the pages and files that are accessible through a website. You are able to rename them and they should be checked to ensure everything is labelled correctly.
Alternate Emails/Email Alias
Now that we've refreshed your memory on how emails actually work, let's explore how they can work even better for your brand!
What is an alias/alternate email?
An alternate email address (a.k.a. an email alias), is a forwarding email that you can add to a primary email address. Emails sent to the alternate email automatically route to the user's primary inbox. Using alternate emails is a really simple but effective way to boost your customer experience (CX).
One of the key elements needed to provide a great customer experience is segmentation. Segmentation is about splitting something into smaller, more defined groups. It makes fulfilling the needs of the group easier and you are able to predict how they might respond to your interactions. Email communication will always be one of the most important methods of contact and an alias is an easy way of segmenting your business without having to pay for multiple inboxes!
Alias benefits:
Each alias can have it's own signature
You can reply from the same email address that the message was sent to
You can have up to 400 free alternate emails (dependent on domain provider)
Improves customer experience
Strengthens brand
Quick and easy to set up
Ready to use straight away
Here's a list of alias inspiration to get you started on your journey:
info@
support@
sales@
contact@
hello@
editor@
admin@
yourname@
privacy@
marketing@
jobs@
press@
careers@
help@
news@ feedback@ media@ hr@ advertising@ events@ pr@ legal@ team@ customerservice@ service@ editorial@ office@ advertise@ mail@ partners@
Email Signatures
Your email signature is a great way to boost your brand credibility. It makes your emails trustworthy as you are showing the recipient who they're corresponding with, whilst promoting brand awareness and recognition. A good email signature will provide your recipients with key information about your brand.
For Example:
Name and Job Role
Logo
Phone number
Email address
Company's website
Active social media accounts
Privacy/Legal disclaimer
Email signatures act as your digital business card, so you should put effort into it, just as you would with a physical card!
You can implement some, if not all of these tips straight away. So I hope you have been able to take something from this post that will help your brand get that bit stronger!
