Email Etiquette Tips

According to Campaign Monitor, the average office worker receives 121 emails every day, which means employees are combing through hundreds of emails each week. With that being said, it’s important to use your email professionally and know the basics of modern email etiquette. Here are some tips that can help you manage your email…

 

Email Etiquette Tips

• Write a clear subject line

• • • The subject line is the “first impression” of the email — so make it a good one. People decide whether to open it or not based on the subject line. Choose a subject line that is relevant to your email and will let the recipient know what the email is addressing. 

• Use a professional email address

• • • If you work for a company, you should be using the email they provide to you. If you are self-employed or sometimes use your personal email for work, make sure that your email address is professional. Use an email with your name in it — none of those embarrassing middle school emails!

• Only use “Reply All” if necessary

• • • Does everyone on the list need to be receiving this email? No? Then skip the “reply all” button. Carrying on a “reply all” conversation with people that don’t need to be included can be careless and annoying. 

• Add a signature block

• • • Include a signature block at the end of your email, so the reader has a clear idea of who you are and how to contact you. This should include your name, title, company name, and contact information. 

• Use professional salutations

• • • If you’re emailing colleagues or clients, don’t use laid-back expressions. Instead of starting with “Hey” or “Yo”, “Hi” or “Hello” are seen as more professional greetings. Also, only address people by their names — don’t try to shorten their name or use a nickname. 

• Proofread every email

• • • Proofreading is so important! Having typos or grammatical errors won’t go unnoticed by the readers of your email and may give them the wrong impression. Rather than relying on spell-checkers, read and reread your email a few times before sending it off.

• Use simple fonts

• • • Lime green Comic Sans? No, thank you. You want your email to be easy to read, so keep your fonts, colors, and sizes simple. The standard font for Gmail is 13pt Roboto and the standard for Outlook is 11pt Calibri, so either of these (or a similar font) would be a safe choice!

• Remember email isn’t confidential

• • • Every email leaves an electronic trail. You should assume that anyone and everyone can read your email, so don’t write anything that you won’t want someone else to read. Emails are easy to forward, so be careful about what you say. 

• Use auto-reply when you’re “out of office”

• • If you know you’re going to be out of the office, it’s courteous to set an auto-reply stating that you’re out of the office, when you expect to return, and who to contact if they need immediate assistance. 

 

Closing Thoughts

Need help with email campaigns? Transformation Marketing is an online marketing agency located near Lincoln, NE who specializes in email marketing, social media management, graphic design, web development, and so much more! Call us at 402-788-2896!