The average office worker will send 40 emails per day, yet just under 7 of those emails will ever be opened. That doesn’t mean you should quit sending emails, though. The 17% of emails that do get opened can have a significant impact on your business.
With an average of $42 being returned for every $1 spent on marketing emails and $38 for every $1 spent on sales emails, the time and money it takes to write a good email is well spent. But writing a good email takes time and skill. The good news is that you can learn how to write better emails with a few simple changes.
What is good email etiquette?
If you’re looking to boost your email open rate, gain more responses, and avoid ending up in their spam, there are nine main elements you need to master.
1. Nix typos
Typos are often seen as unprofessional and, thankfully, easy to avoid, so your emails should never be sent with any typos. If you are prone to misspelling words and skipping commas, we recommend using Grammarly to check for any errors before clicking send.
2. Use the right format
Everyone has their personal writing style, but every email should follow the same format.
Subject line: Describe your email in about 60 characters. Don’t let your subject line get too long, as it can look spammy and get lost in their inbox, especially on mobile devices.
Greeting: Quickly greet the recipient and always spell their name correctly.
Body: Write your message in a few short paragraphs. Emails should be quick and to the point, so be sure to avoid any fluff.
Signature: Include your email signature and sign off.
3. Be genuine
No one likes to open an email that appears to be written by a robot. Offer some personality, and let them know your intent upfront.
4. Tailor it to them
The best emails are crafted with the recipient in mind. Don’t only think about what you want from them. Instead, consider how your proposal can benefit them. This may require a bit of extra research on your part to be done well.
5. Keep it short
Emails should only ever be long enough to share the necessary information. When writing emails, a shorter email is always better.
6. Use the right tone
We’ve all read an email that sounds like a scolding, only to find out the sender was actually very happy to share that information; on the flip side, when messaging using Slack, we can be a bit too casual. Wrongly interpreting the tone of an email is very common, so always avoid sarcasm and frame your email in a positive light wherever possible.
7. Be timely
These days, everyone is working on a tight schedule, and waiting for an email could be delaying someone else’s schedule. When responding to teammates and colleagues, send a reply within 24 hours. For people outside of your organization, respond by the end of the workweek for non-urgent emails.
8. Set out-of-office messages
Whether you’re heading out on a week-long vacation or just leaving the office for a day or two, be sure to set an out-of-office auto-reply. Let them know how long you will be out and who to contact for any urgent matters.
9. Be mobile-friendly
81% of email users check their email on a mobile phone, so don’t send emails that aren’t optimized for mobile. Keep sentences short and ensure that all images and text are visible on a smaller screen.
10. Shorten URLs
If you include links in emails, always shorten the link—either hyperlink to text or use a link shortener. Long links look messy and should be avoided wherever possible.
11. Include an email signature
Always include a professional email signature at the end of your email. Make sure you add a phone number, website, social media links, and any other information that could be useful. We recommend linking your email signature to your digital business card to better represent your brand.
12. Use reply-all carefully
Most inboxes are already flooded with unnecessary emails so before clicking reply-all, double-check all of the recipients before hitting send. This is especially important when sending sensitive information.
13. Get their information right
If you’re sending an email to a new contact, double and triple-check that their contact is correct. It takes only a few seconds to ensure that their email address, name, and any other information is right, but sending an email with the wrong information can have serious consequences. Not only could you send sensitive information to the wrong email address, but you could also offend someone with inaccurate information and lose a connection or a sale.
14. Create a descriptive subject line
Make sure every email you send has a descriptive and clear subject line. Confusing subject lines can lead to confusion, frustration, and unopened emails.
15. Callout attachments
It’s easy to miss an attachment at the bottom of an email if you don’t know it’s there. That’s why it is essential to mention when an attachment is added to the email so it doesn’t go unnoticed.
16. Use email fields properly
Knowing how to properly address each email and use the To, Cc, and Bcc fields correctly is key to ensuring everyone receives each email as they should. When sending an email, the To field should be used for the email addresses of everyone you are directly contacting.
For people you aren’t directly reaching out to but should still see the email, the Cc and Bcc fields should be used. The Cc field should be used when you want someone to see the email, but they aren’t obligated to respond or when you’re making an introduction.
The Bcc field works differently because when someone is Bcc’d on an email, it won’t be visible to other recipients.
What is bad email etiquette?
If your email open rate is worse than the average, you may be making some email etiquette mistakes. Crafting the perfect email is less about being a great writer and more about avoiding errors. Avoid these seven mistakes to improve your emails and boost your response rate.
1. Keep shorthand and emojis to a minimum
While emails have gotten less formal recently, best practices indicate that keeping any shorthand, acronyms, or slang to a minimum is always best. While emojis are great for subject lines in marketing emails, for any other situations, it is always best to skip adding that smiley face.
2. Clickbait subject lines
Getting recipients to open emails is no easy feat, but a clickbait-style subject line should never be the answer. While it might result in someone opening the email, it can lead to a negative reputation for you and your brand.
3. Don’t clutter inboxes
Inboxes can get out of hand quickly. Don’t bother co-workers, clients, or customers with a barrage of emails. Instead, stay off their unsubscribe list with a few well-curated emails.
4. Avoid revealing any confidential information
Emails are far less secure than you might think, so think twice before including any confidential information. You might be surprised how easily your email can end up in the wrong hands, so keep any sensitive information out of emails and opt for a more secure sharing method.
5. Watch what you forward
We’ve already discussed the importance of not cluttering inboxes, so with that in mind, make sure you aren’t forwarding unnecessary emails. Consider whether or not the recipient really needs this information or if a more simple summary email would suffice.
6. Double-check attachments
Most of the world has been guilty of forgetting an email attachment and having to send a follow-up. Not only is this often an inconvenience for the recipient, but it could result in a negative view of the sender.
7. Cut the humor
While humor is a great ice breaker, it doesn’t translate well over email. Humor and sarcasm can be easily misinterpreted and could lead to a worse situation than an unanswered email.
Main photo by cottonbro studio
