The Dos and Don'ts of Effective Email Communication

Email is a part of our daily life. Here are some Dos and Don'ts of effective email communication.

Do you know what actions you should and shouldn’t take when entering the email world? Emails are written and read constantly; it is an effective way to communicate. Like anything else, there are always DOs and DON’Ts. Here is a helpful infographic by eMerge, you guide for emailing. Let’s see if you are on the path to having successful effective email communication.

Short and Sweet

The first DO that will lead you to effective email is, as always, write a catchy subject line. You want to have a subject line of interest to your audience. A subject line that is strong and attention grabbing will ensure your email will be read. Another great tip when considering your subject line would be to include your name. Placing your name in the subject line ensures that your recipient will know exactly who is reaching out to them and what the message is about. The more specific you are, the better. Here are a few good sample, subject lines:.

• Questions about meeting with James at 4:00.
• Meeting at 4:00 rescheduled with Allayna.
• Reminder about conference with Alliya.
• Allyssa's meeting at 5:00 needs to be rescheduled.

Something to avoid in your subject lines is to USE ALL CAPS! Using all caps is not how you would write a normal sentence, so don’t use them in your subject line. Another negative aspect people commonly tend to do, is use words that they feel are attracting attention, but is really just an annoyance to your recipient. Here are a few phrases to stay away from:

• EMERGENCY!
• URGENT ASSISTANCE NEEDED!
• HEY WHERE ARE YOU!?

Caps can be effective if you use them right. Try using caps on one word in your subject line, this can grab your recipients attention, without going overboard.

• MEETING: 4pm in conference room
• Here is a FREE trial for YOU!

Visually Appealing

The second DO when keeping effective email communication is to include your brand. By using something visual, it shows who you are and what company you are representing. Good examples would be to include your company’s logo toward the top of your message. Be sure when you include your visual, the visual makes your email “pop.” Check also to see that your template isn’t too wide. Pay attention, any additions or visual effects should not distract your audience from the key points you are trying to get across. Along with a visuals remember to break up your ideas. If you have more than one thought, it’s smarter to present each idea as smaller pieces of information. Separate your thoughts into paragraphs, it will make the information easier to digest. The more organized your email is the better!

Relevant and Informative

Effective e-mailers keep their audience on their toes. Be certain that your email is something that your audience is interested in. Be certain that what you are bringing to the email makes your readers want to come back for more! Let your audience be the one who asks you for additional information on what you are informing them about. Sending constant reminders about what you have to offer can be a major put off. Constant emails can come off as needy and annoying. Place yourself on the interesting e-mailer list by keeping your messages valuable and intriguing.

Don't Overwhelm

Other tips to keep active when looking into increasing your effective email communication is to pay attention to whom you are emailing and what you are emailing. Be sure that everyone you are including in your email is interested in the email topic, and what you send should apply to all of your recipients. Sometimes more than one recipient is eligible for the same email, but avoid sending emails to mass amounts of people — if the option is there. Differentiating the content to particular recipients is a great practice.

With these email tips you are sure to boost your effective email communication. Let's review todays effective email communication tips. First, practice a good and catchy subject line. Second, include interesting visuals. Remember to keep your audience interested and finally apply your information to the targeted audience will change your emailing experience. Anytime a technological improvement can be added into your day is another day you are increasing your multimedia mind.