By Jeremy McGovern, jmcgovern@lessitermedia.com
Executive Editor/Publisher, Lessiter Media
Copywriters obsess over the headline and body copy, making sure that the message stays on point. But how many of us have ever stopped and considered the departing salutation on promotional messaging, and how it might influence our audiences? If you haven’t, it may be time to start giving these final few words at the end of an email or letter a little more attention.
Perkbox, a business whose aim is improving employee engagement and productivity, surveyed nearly 2,000 professionals on what annoys them about emails. Although this survey was generally about business emails, I think there are key takeaways that would apply to writing directly to a client or to a larger audience in a marketing campaign. According to the survey results, 36% of respondents spend 1 to 3 hours daily reading email, with 31% saying they check their email outside of work every hour. So there are abundant opportunities to lose someone with a poorly-selected sign-off.
Below is a list of the best and worst sign-offs according to the Perkbox's survey. While many on the worst list appear to have been pulled straight from a 1980s rock ballad playlist, it's best to avoid being too cutesy.
Interestingly, many respondents (44%) were also annoyed by senders who fail to use a sign-off at all. So better to sign off with something ordinary than nothing at all. Just play it safe and stick to the basics.
Source: Perkbox