Best email writing practices
Email communication is nothing but the exchange of short nuggets of information between entities via electronic mail, these messages are relayed through copy, editorial text, documents, as well as visual illustrations.
Effective email communication does require you to adhere to certain strategies and follow the email etiquette of course. All in all, this isn’t a hard skill to master and could prove to be an excellent format for conveying information, fostering relationships, as well as just interaction. Here is a list that illustrates some tips and practices that will enhance your email writing skills.
Best email marketing practices:
Relevant subject line
The subject line is an important element of email communication, and it is advisable to fashion it in a way that the recipient of the email knows exactly what you are trying to communicate. This ensures a higher click-through rate for your emails, moreover, it is appropriate to email etiquette to incorporate short and to-the-point subject lines for the convenience of the recipient.
Make sure to use a professional email address
Email etiquette calls for the usage of professional email addresses, this makes sure your clients take you more seriously. Refrain from using adjectives (such as cool, hot, big) or obviously obscene numbers (420, 69, etc) considering this will alter the way your clients perceive you.
It is also advisable for you to hold separate email IDs for personal and professional use, furthermore, it is also recommended for you to use the name of your company or brand in your email address so your recipients can recognize you instantly.
Use professional language throughout the email
Informal salutations are probably the way to go when you are communicating with your friends but email communication in the professional sphere definitely calls for the use of professional salutations as well as language.
It is not hard to make use of respectful and polite language, and doing so will make sure the client’s interaction with you is a pleasant one. (No one in the business world likes to be on the receiving end of shoddy colloquial emails)
Proofread the email before sending it out
More often than not, there are unintentional errors in grammar, spelling, and structure in an email. Make sure to proofread all your emails twice before sending them out, because this email is seen as an extension of your company and services, which must portray a certain standard.
Maintain brevity
Email communication is most effective when it is short and to the point, it is easy to get carried away and indulge in long form but that is usually an unnecessary and ineffective way to go about it. Keeping your emails concise and compact has also been known to be received in a better light and also encourages clients to revert back soon. This also means you have to spend slightly less time drafting the email, and that means you have more time for other pursuits.
Avoid using caps
Making use of capital letters in the form of shorthand might not be such a good idea, it definitely violates email etiquette. Using capitals is perceived as too harsh and is also extremely unprofessional. Some acronyms you can avoid are, ASAP, FYI, BTW, EOD, COD, and WFH. Although this seems like an insignificant detail, it is not, and maintaining decent language goes a long way and helps your reputation greatly.
Cross-check if you have the right email address
It is extremely frustrating to be on the receiving end as well as the sending end of wrong emails. It is not hard to cross-check at the end if you have the right ID or not, and doing so will save you much trouble. Gmail even offers the “undo send” option to rectify these kinds of mistakes.
It’s always an advantageous habit to check if you have the right person or not.
Sign off appropriately
The signing off of emails also calls for certain email etiquette, signing off colloquially while indulging in email communication is frowned upon universally and must be avoided at all costs. It is also advantageous to sign off with your designation and name so people will know who you are and what position you hold.
Some acceptable, as well as professional sign-offs, include, Best, Best regards, Regards, Sincerely, and Yours Sincerely (There are many more but these are just the most common ones in practice).
On a conclusion note, we would like to mention that effective email communication is not a hard skill to master and can easily be used to your advantage provided you adhere to the prescribed as well as accepted email etiquette and back that up with an inappropriate strategy to help you navigate this space.
