Millions of emails hit the networks every day and yet, only a few thousand are actually read without causing the recipient any anguish. Poor email marketing etiquette is a common cause for communication breakdown between two parties. There are a few standards expected from any email sender and the following tips can easily perfect the basics.

Informality Vs Carelessness

Would you like to receive an email with so many abbreviations, emoticons and slang that will take a professional code-breaker to decipher? No matter who will be receiving that email you are typing up, always use proper punctuation, words, grammar and spelling. It is much easier to read and understand a traditional sentence than a mix of garbled words, abbreviations and numbers. Never use chat lingo in professional emails. Think how ridiculous a sentence saying “im on d way 2 Ur ofce now, pls w8 4 me” is compared to “I’m on the way to your office now, please wait for me”.  

Summarize

No email needs 500 words to get the message across. Whatever you have to say, you can say it in less than half the words. Writing with proper grammar does not necessarily mean there is a need for lengthy sentences and paragraph blocks. Always concentrate on the subject at hand, rather than bringing up various things to talk about. Employer, colleague, friend or family, no one likes to receive the chronicles of your daily routine in their inbox. Keep things brief and to the point every time.

Never Capitalize

Using uppercase text simply looks like you are SHOUTING. Everything in lowercase looks just plain lazy. Write properly, in the same way you would write a school essay. Avoid too many graphics and color as well, because not everyone can view them. For emphasizing words, you can use bold format and perhaps even enclose the word in asterisk.

Stop Chains

Avoid forwarding virus warnings, chain letters and various other unverified materials. Check a reputed site such as http://www.snopes.com or http://www.nonprofit.net/hoax before forwarding any email. Most emails containing information on how to get a “free laptop or phone” or asking you to forward the email to 10 people to save a little girl’s life are hoaxes. None of the so-called promotions and requests for help are endorsed by any public or private organization.

Blind Carbon Copy

Always use the BCC field to send the same email to a list of recipients. The recipient will only see his/her address and not anybody else’s, ensuring security and privacy for the recipient. You will also help all of the recipients stay spam-free by doing so.

In addition to these handy hints, some important pointers to remember when sending email are to “zip” attachments, especially if it is a large item and to ensure the recipient has the appropriate program to view it. In addition, never reply to a hostile email when you are still angry; instead, wait for a calmer moment and decide how to reply to it. Always remember to add a signature at the end of an email and check if you are the primary recipient before replying to a message.

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