One of the simplest ways to build your following is to make sure that each one of your emails that is sent contains a link to your profile. (You’re sending emails every day anyhow, so why not use this as an opportunity to build your list without any extra ongoing effort?)

Here’s one way to do it… Observe:

That’s an eye-catching email signature that you can setup for yourself. Only takes a few minutes, and can be added to your plain old freebie email accounts, or even Outlook. Here’s how you do it. If you use Gmail, Hotmail or some other web based email account, you can create a signature  using  WiseStamp. It’s free to use, and works like a charm!

Outlook requires a bit more legwork, but it’s still very simple:

1. First you’ll need to select the buttons or icons you’d like to use. You can find them everywhere, but here’s a few links for you to search:

Click here to use Google Image Search

Click here to use Flickr Image Search

Search for images, or icons of the social networking sites you’d like to create buttons for. Need a Twitter button in your email signature? Then search for “twitter icons” or “twitter buttons.” Find and save the images you like best, and repeat the process for any other social networking sites you’d like to have listed in your email signature.

- Next you’ll want to re-size the pictures you downloaded.  You can do this with any basic graphics program, including Paint (Should be on just about every PC!) I tend to setup my icons around 80 – 90 pixels wide, and 30 – 40 pixels tall.

-  Now you’ll head over to your Microsoft Outlook and open it

-  Across the top toolbar, you’ll find the “Tools” menu, click on the “Options” tab, and then “Mail Format.” Finally, click on “Signatures”

-  Click to setup “New”

-  Give your email signature a name – This is for your use  (This is in case you have multiple signatures), then click “Next.”

-  Type in your name, contact info, etc. This is your text that will appear in the final signature

- Press Enter, then right-click and select “Insert Image.”

- Click “Browse,” select an image, and click “Open.” Name the image (Such as: Join me on FaceBook!) in the Alternate Text box. This is done in case the email client blocks your image, the recipient will still know what was there. Then click “OK.”

-  Left-click on the image, press Ctrl-K, copy or type in the full URL for your social media corresponding to the button (This is the web address that leads to your social profile: http://twitter.com/remarketinglab), then click “OK.”

-  To add the next social media button (If you’re adding more than 1) press Enter to the right of the image, right click again, and repeat steps 8-10 above.

-  When you’re all done with this, click “Finish” then “OK.”

- Be sure to choose the new signature name as the “Signature for new messages.”

-  Click “OK.”

Now you’re all done! When your emails go out, they will now have the shiny new graphics and link to your social media profile. This one time task only takes a few minutes to complete, but can help you attract new followers throughout the year! Not a bad use of time huh?

• The best days to send email are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
• The best time of day to send email is after 9:30 but before 2:00
• Never use red colored font in a professional email (Sets off SPAM flags)
• Keep your subject lines shorter than 35 characters whenever possible
• “Long term prospects” (Those who are not in the market for at least 6 months) should get 1 email per month, whereas shorter term prospects should get emailed 2 – 3 times per month
• Send usable information free of blatant advertising
• Add your Twitter and FaceBook profile links to your email signature (If you have professional profiles setup)

Those are some pretty impressive numbers: a $43.08 return on investment for every dollar spent! Where else can you get those types of conversions? Direct mail? Magazine ads? Radio? Hiring telemarketers? Nope…

Use the tips I provided above, and and you will see an improvement in your own email marketing efforts. But there’s one more tip I have for you that absolutely must be observed:

- Use a permission based email list only! Do not SPAM! -

It’s far easier than you imagine to build a permission based email list. It doesn’t need to be a long and drawn out process. If you make use of a marketing-grade auto-responder system, all of your follow-up efforts will be automated and save you a truck-load of time, while delivering fresh, warm leads to you on a regular basis as the prospects begin to convert and respond to your efforts. I generally grow my own email list by 250 – 300 fresh emails per month. Would you like to do the same?

If you’d like to learn more about how to incorporate proper email marketing strategy into your own efforts, don’t forget about our Loan Officer Project 5 Day Webinar series. Nothing to buy from us, just 5 days of intense “hands on” learning. It’s free to participate, and we almost always fill every last spot. (We now have a waiting list) – To register and see if you can participate in the next round of free training, CLICK HERE NOW