Email Etiquette: 10 Do s and Don ts of Email Communication

10 Do's and Don'ts of Email Communication

By Jennifer Beever, Marketing Consultant
© May 2001, New Incite Marketing Analysis and Design

Email has radically changed the way we communicate in the business world. The ability to communicate rapidly and clearly to employees, to customers, and to the media 24/7/365 has increased productivity and access to information. However, we need to recognize that, as with other forms of communication, with email comes a variety of rules and guidelines that should be followed by business people who want to communicate effectively. This article offers ten do's and don'ts to keep in mind when you use email in your business.

1.	Don't forget the basics of business writing when you create your email messages. Spell-check your email, use correct grammar, and be brief. Make sure you state your purpose in the subject line or first line of the email. And, if you don't want your email summarily deleted by the recipient, make sure the subject line contains language and terminology appropriate for the recipient's business environment. Don't use hype or typical spam subject lines, like "Make One Million Dollars Working From Home," or "WOW Your Customers for Only $19.99". Do use business terminology that fits your topic.
2.	Do make sure your email messages contain your contact and company information and any branded message or by-line you currently use. Make sure that the image you portray through email is in concert with your other marketing materials. HTML emails that contain graphics and logos are growing in popularity, but be aware that not all email recipients (such as AOL users) can read HTML messages. Before sending an HTML email, you must separate out the non-HTML recipients and create a text-only message that they can read, or some of your recipients will receive a garbled mess of symbols and meaningless characters.
3.	Don't send attachments to recipients who wouldn't normally receive email from you. Attachments to email are increasingly viewed with suspicion, because many emails with attachments were sent by hackers and contained destructive viruses. When the recipient opened the attachment, the virus was activated and wreaked havoc on the user's computer. Many email users, after being burned once, know never to open an email attachment unless they're sure they can trust the email sender. Only include an attachment to an email if the recipient knows and trusts you or expects to receive attachments from you.
4.	Do take time to reflect on your response to emails, rather than immediately sending your reply. According to Karen Martin, HR Consultant and author of corporate email policies, "Since email messages are instant communications, it is easy to respond too quickly. It is usually best to wait before using e-mail to deal with a situation that contains any emotionalism. Smart "emailers" allow their emails and email replies to 'age' several hours or overnight before re-reading the message and sending it." Make sure that you review your emails, revising if necessary to soften the tone, remove emotion or to make sure your message won't be misconstrued. Check for and modify terse or confusing language, and don't introduce new subjects before replying to the original subject.
5.	Don't email or forward jokes indiscriminately to business colleagues or to clients. This was overdone when email first came out, and you take the risk of annoying business contacts if you overdo it. Save the concept of "viral marketing" for business purposes by suggesting that recipients of your business email forward it to their own network. It's one of the best ways to market online if used appropriately.
6.	Do install an anti-virus software program on your PC, and subscribe to regular updates of new viruses. Norton (www.symantec.com) and McAfee Antivirus (www.mcafee.com) programs can be purchased off the shelf or on-line. Both Symantec and McAfee offer subscriptions for automatic updates so that new viruses are recognized. Failure to prevent viruses on your system not only puts your data and programs at risk, but it can also subject your entire contact database to emails with viral attachments that are sent automatically, without your knowledge.
7.	Don't use email to communicate sensitive or potentially embarrassing subjects. First, you have no control over how the email gets distributed or forwarded. An email with confidential or potentially embarrassing information can easily end up in the wrong hands. Second, email is not a completely dynamic communication format, like face-to-face or phone discussions. You can't see body language, hear voice tonalities, or otherwise assess the "true meaning" of the message from sensory perceptions. With email, what you read is what you get, and many email recipients have read between the lines and misconstrued meanings.
8.	Do send promotional emails only to your "opt-in" list. "But," you say, "I know my customers want to hear from me." Give customers and colleagues an opt-in opportunity anyway. This is a courtesy that recognizes the value of your associates' time and shows your respect. Before starting promotional email campaigns, send an email announcing your intent and inviting the recipients to opt-in. Honor their responses by updating your contact database and flagging those contacts that did not opt-in.
9.	DON'T TYPE YOUR EMAILS IN CAPITAL LETTERS. THIS IS CONSIDERED SHOUTING AND OFTEN SEEN AS OFFENSIVE BY EMAIL RECIPIENTS, according to Martin. Use Asterisks to emphasize a point. Conversely, don't use all lower case because it's hard to read.
10.	Do consider when your email recipient will read your email, especially if it is promotional. Avoid sending promotional emails on Friday or the weekend, because it will probably be quickly deleted when the receiver is trying to plow through the typical Monday morning email accumulation. Send promotional email between Tuesday and Thursday mornings for the best "read rate."

Above all, remember that marketing involves any communication from you to your customers or clients and to the world at large. Treat email with the same, if not more, consideration you would other forms of business communication and you'll have one more successful medium to market with.

This article may be reprinted with permission of the author. Please contact Jennifer Beever at 818-347-4248 or by email, jenb@newincite.com, for permission. Proper acknowledgement of the author, including name, company, and contact information, must be made with use.

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