Effective Email Writing

Communicating via electronic mail (email) is the method of communication for businesses, individuals, and many others. Knowing how to do it correctly can save both time and embarrassment. So, what is effective email writing all about?

1) Each email contains a subject line. Place the topic of your email in this space. The wording should stand out while drawing your reader's attention. In other words, make your subject line informative. Make this as precise as possible. Being precise will help your reader choose your email before others.

2) Remember to keep the length of your email within one screen. Long, drawn out emails can be cumbersome to your reader. They also could result in your email being on multiple screens. This would result in your reader having to scroll up to reread your message. Making it difficult for your reader to read your email is not effective email writing. Avoid long email messages. Avoiding long email messages is another way of stating that conciseness is important in effective email writing.

3) Be concise. Use phrases or short sentences, when possible. State what you need in short words and abbreviations. Just make sure that your message does not appear cryptic. Say as much as you can in as few words as possible. Conciseness is an effective email writing tool.

4) Reread your message prior to sending. This is also known as proofreading. This way you can read your style and correct it if needed. You do not want your message to appear so casual or disjointed that you would be embarrassed if others were to read it. Once an email is sent, it is sent. It cannot be retrieved from your mailbox like in snail mail. This leads us to….

5) Do not write too personal of an email. Do not send highly confidential messages. Even if you delete the message from your computer, or your reader does, it does not mean it is permanently deleted. It is still stored in the system's memory. It is not erased. Effective email writing does not include highly personal information.

6) Remember that many people may read your message. Some people receive emails and forward them to other people. It is very easy to do. Others may print a hard copy of your email and distribute it. Always think about the ease of disseminating your email to others. Make sure you are presenting yourself properly.

7) Ask a question. By asking your reader a question, you are giving them an easy way to respond. By responding with a simple "yes" or "no" you will be saving time for both your and your reader. The same thing applies with a question requiring only a short response.

Knowing how to effectively write an email can only help you in our modern times. It is easier than you think.