Because e-mails are short in length, it’s often assumed that drafting an effective e-mail requires no skill. The truth is that new users of e-mail often make mistakes when writing messages because they are unaware of best practices. The following five (5) tips will help you adopt effective e-mail strategies as you become a more skilled user.

1) Have a Clear Subject Line
Keep it simple and include descriptive language that lets the recipient know what your e-mail is about.

Examples:

• Chapter 4 Homework Assignment
• Questions about my July billing statement
• Pleasure Meeting You at the Men’s Health Conference
  

2) Avoid the Spam Folder
E-mails that have subject lines that are in all caps, all lower case, or that include URLs and exclamation points can end up in your recipient’s Spam folder or junk mail, which will be discussed in the unit on "E-mail Folders."

3) Don’t Be Lazy with Language
How you text or communicate with friends and family is probably not appropriate for a professional e-mail. If you are communicating with a teacher, administrator, potential employer, workplace supervisor, or other professional, it is important to reflect a positive, mature image. Using language shortcuts (e.g., “omg,” “4 u,” or “Gr8”), emoticons, and slang (e.g., “big yikes,” “She was throwing shade,” etc.) can take away from your message and adversely impact your reputation. So…

• Consider your audience
• Write words out and avoid shortcuts
• Save the emoticons and slang for your text messages
  

4) Use a Greeting

Don’t just start with your text. The failure to address your reader could offend him or her.
Appropriate Greetings:

• Dear Dr. Jones,
• Hello, Ms. Moody,
• Hi, David,
• Hello, everyone,
• To whom it may concern,   [if you don’t know the name of the person you are addressing]
  

5) Sign off with Your Name
It’s important to let the reader know who is contacting them. Adding your name in your closing provides a complete message. For an added touch, include your name with a proper sign-off.

Sign-offs:

• Thank you,
• Best wishes,
• See you tomorrow,
• Warm regards,
• Sincerely,    [for very formal messages like a job application]
• Respectfully yours,    [for very formal messages]
  

**Remember, with some people receiving hundreds of e-mails a day, it’s important to make sure that your message gets noticed for the right reasons!