Editor’s note: Mason Taylor is a musician and social enthusiast. He blogs at a’tris HQ and tweets @atris
If you are a plain text purist then this post is not for you. However, if you prefer a richer e-mail experience, then WiseStamp may be up your alley.
Several months ago Joshua wrote a great piece here about getting HTML in your mail footers using Mail.app. His tutorial does an excellent job of breaking down the steps necessary to trick Apple into allowing you to post some customized goodness beneath your messages. The only catch is it takes a bit of doing and, if you’ve abandoned Apple’s mail client to move to a web-based solution, you’re out of luck. One nice thing about WiseStamp is that it’s designed as a browser extension so it goes where you go. WiseStamp works with Yahoo mail, AOL mail, Hotmail, and Gmail using most popular browsers including Firefox, Chrome, and Flock (there’s a Safari version on the way too) so, even if you use a few of these, you should be all set. You’ll just need to configure your settings for each browser. (Side note: If you’re looking for a great way to manage multiple browsers, I’d highly recommend checking out Choosy)
Another great thing about WiseStamp is that it’s super easy to set up. Once you’ve installed the extension, just click on the icon if you’re using Chrome (or navigate to your tools menu in Firefox) to customize it. I haven’t tried the Flock version, but I’d imagine it would be pretty similar. From there, you will see a familiar looking text editor which will allow you to add images and insert custom html. You can also use the visual tools to change fonts, insert links, and do pretty much everything you’d expect or want to. Adding profiles from your favorite social sites is really easy as well. Just click on the social tab, choose your favorites, and enter your information.
Last but not least, the single most powerful feature of WiseStamp is its ability to automatically import RSS feeds to add value to your messages. I use this feature to insert my latest blog post, but you could pull anything from a stream of heady quotes to your latest deviation. Are you a power seller on ebay? Include the latest item you’re auctioning off. Would you like to help promote my band’s music? Share our tunes on last.fm! ;) You can learn how to do all of these things and more by reading WiseStamp’s 25 best feed ideas. FYI: this feature is currently unavailable in Chrome but, according to the developer, it’s coming soon.
Check out the video clip I’ve included below to take a tour of WiseStamp’s features:
Social signatures invite your message recipients to get to know you in a more personal way. They can help build relationships, educate, and maybe even drive sales. As Joshua wrote, “Now you can be cool like me, and actually make your signature work for you.”
How will you use yours?
Editor’s note: Mason Taylor is a musician and social enthusiast. He blogs at a’tris HQ and tweets @atris
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