What Makes A Good Email

*Click* your email just got deleted from someone's inbox, without it even being opened. Why did this just happen? The truth is that email had no perceived value to the recipient, nothing that would provoke them to keeping it in their inbox.

Those emails that are worth reading often have many similarities that make their message both easy to follow, and worthwhile to read. When writing your next email try to keep the following areas in mind:

The Subject

This is the most important part of your entire email because it is the first thing your reader will see. Stay away from labeling it as “Hello” or “Important”. Try to encompass your message content in a single phrase such as “Last weeks meeting minutes” or “Updated task list for March”. This allows for your recipient to know the importance of the email before they even open it. Avoid using happy faces and multiple exclamation marks in your email subject, it can come off as unprofessional and often recipients will not even open the message.

Identify Its Purpose

Since you have already identified the main subject of the email, carry it through in your content. Don’t dance around the subject at hand but get to the main point of your email within the first paragraph, allowing for less time to be required in determining what the email is about.

Professionalism

With each email you send there should be a level of professionalism that should be kept in mind. This level can vary between emailing clients and fellow co-workers but should never be entirely left out. This allows for a good impression on the email recipient.

Proofreading

Don’t just give your email a quick glance before it is sent off. Often people have a bad tendency of sending an email without double-checking the recipient and content. A great habit to get into for important emails is to read it over and read it quietly to yourself making sure that the message cannot be misinterpreted.

Professional Signature

A well-designed signature for your emails can be an added bonus in giving you credibility. It can also be a great way to drive people to your company website and social media outlets to gain more information.

Format

While composing your emails try to avoid having any background images and unnecessary colors throughout the message. Bolding is a great way to accentuate a point you are trying to make, but it must also be used in moderation because over usage can be seen as unprofessional.

Linking

Don’t have too many links in your emails when you send them. Unless your emails are being sent as mass newsletters through an email marketing system they will often be classified as spam if they contain more than 3 links.

Keeping your emails clear and to the point will allow the recipient to be able to understand and respond correctly to your emails message. This will overall improve your communication with both co-workers and benefit your business in the end.