Top 7 Mistakes of Professional Email Netiquette
| Category: E-mail Marketing | Date: 2002-06-13 |
1) Using All Caps: You may think that using all CAPS may seem attractive, but using all Caps is found to be amateurish, if not completely annoying. Think about it. If you open a message that has only a few starting sentences that are all caps you more than likely delete it as spam. Professionals and New Users alike are so accustomed to seeing this poor "eye-catching" technique in their "Junk Mail" every day, that most of us delete them out of habit.
2) Keep Your Signature File Down to 6 Lines or Less:
If your message was deserving enough to earn my attention, congratulations! I have read it and I have read your name at the end. To that point you have gained my attention. Dont make the mistake of thinking that I want to read another entire paragraph of your ad material. Keep your "sig" file short, with the essentials and keep my attention. Your name, your email address, your url, your website name and a short catchphrase advertising your product or service. Dont scare me off with too much text, when I thought I was done.
3) Please Double Space Between Paragraphs:
Even if you dont consciously realize it yet, your brain requires "breathers" and looks forward to that line break. Now, maybe I have been at it too long, but whenever I receive emails or newsletters where a new paragraph is simply indented with no line break between, it becomes slightly overwhelming and never-ending. Do your reader(s) a favor, double space between paragraphs and give us time to absorb what you have said so far.
4) Subject Headings are for "Identifiable" Subjects:
"Hi" doesnt cut it with me mister. If I dont recognize your email address or the name that shows in place of it, why would I open yours out of the other 100 I have received. If you have an important message for me, use a short (5 words or less) phrase, which makes it clear why I should open your email. If youre emailing other professionals, remember that many of us receive such enormous amounts of junk mail that we must sometimes delete mail based on the "Subject Heading" alone. Im sorry, but unless I know you, I just dont have time for "Hi"..
5) Please Dont Forward Your Trash to Me:
Short of spamming me with your useless promises of riches, the easiest way to get blackballed from my email is to send me useless garbage to fill my mailbox. If I did have the time to feel lonely, Id join a chat room. If Im feeling humorous, I have a wife and a 5-year-old to entertain me. If I want my horoscope, Ill look it up myself. I dont need to see your jokes, your chain letters or your personal thoughts on religion. If you have something genuinely beneficial, great. But dont send your garbage to me!
6) Text Based Email is Not for Wanna-Be Web Designers:
Hey, we all know that text based email can be sort of drab and boring, but please keep the dime-store window dressing to a minimum. Im not saying that ASCII pics or dividers dont make nice little breaks between messages. But for goodness sakes, it doesnt take 5 lines of plus signs between each paragraph or a photo layout of the "wall peaker" throughout your message to break up the monotony. Im here for a reason and text based art work isnt it pal, so take it easy on me.
7) Reply with the Original Message Attached Please:
How many times have you received a message that says nothing but "yes" or another anonymous message that makes absolutely no sense to anybody without the question attached. Unless you are carrying on a conversation back and forth that you know will be answered immediately, dont assume that Ill know what youre talking about. It could be days before I get to your reply. Some of you may have a photographic memory, but others of us have trouble remembering what we had for dinner last night. So please include the original message so I can refresh my memory on our discussion.
Top Mistake of this Writer:
Well, there are so many. But I guess besides the constant need for a spellchecker, I would say it that this was and occasionally still is my own number one mistake. Being a highly passionate person, I can react, or should I say overreact to something on the spur of any given moment. One of the many reasons I picked this work, is that I have to time to think before I (virtually) speak. I have to admit that keeping my big mouth shut was always the hardest thing for me to accomplish. Apart from being passionate, I am also very opinionated. Although these can be admirable qualities in some circles, it often puts me in hot water. Working through email offers me the time to think about what I say, and sometimes (not always, mind you, but sometimes) I can think about the stupid things Im about to say, before I actually have time to type them in and put my foot in my mouth.
Good luck to you in your Marketing Ad-ventures!
"Wild Bill"
About the author
ATTENTION: Are You Tired Of Fooling Around Yet? When Its Time For You To Get Down To Business, Get The Best In Marketing & Business Information!
Go to: http://www.MakingProfit.com/mp/newsletter/
Get The Special Attention You Need & Deserve In The Web Design & Programming for Your Site!
GreatDesignz.com
webmaster@greatdesignz.com
http://www,greatdesignz.com
2) Keep Your Signature File Down to 6 Lines or Less:
If your message was deserving enough to earn my attention, congratulations! I have read it and I have read your name at the end. To that point you have gained my attention. Dont make the mistake of thinking that I want to read another entire paragraph of your ad material. Keep your "sig" file short, with the essentials and keep my attention. Your name, your email address, your url, your website name and a short catchphrase advertising your product or service. Dont scare me off with too much text, when I thought I was done.
3) Please Double Space Between Paragraphs:
Even if you dont consciously realize it yet, your brain requires "breathers" and looks forward to that line break. Now, maybe I have been at it too long, but whenever I receive emails or newsletters where a new paragraph is simply indented with no line break between, it becomes slightly overwhelming and never-ending. Do your reader(s) a favor, double space between paragraphs and give us time to absorb what you have said so far.
4) Subject Headings are for "Identifiable" Subjects:
"Hi" doesnt cut it with me mister. If I dont recognize your email address or the name that shows in place of it, why would I open yours out of the other 100 I have received. If you have an important message for me, use a short (5 words or less) phrase, which makes it clear why I should open your email. If youre emailing other professionals, remember that many of us receive such enormous amounts of junk mail that we must sometimes delete mail based on the "Subject Heading" alone. Im sorry, but unless I know you, I just dont have time for "Hi"..
5) Please Dont Forward Your Trash to Me:
Short of spamming me with your useless promises of riches, the easiest way to get blackballed from my email is to send me useless garbage to fill my mailbox. If I did have the time to feel lonely, Id join a chat room. If Im feeling humorous, I have a wife and a 5-year-old to entertain me. If I want my horoscope, Ill look it up myself. I dont need to see your jokes, your chain letters or your personal thoughts on religion. If you have something genuinely beneficial, great. But dont send your garbage to me!
6) Text Based Email is Not for Wanna-Be Web Designers:
Hey, we all know that text based email can be sort of drab and boring, but please keep the dime-store window dressing to a minimum. Im not saying that ASCII pics or dividers dont make nice little breaks between messages. But for goodness sakes, it doesnt take 5 lines of plus signs between each paragraph or a photo layout of the "wall peaker" throughout your message to break up the monotony. Im here for a reason and text based art work isnt it pal, so take it easy on me.
7) Reply with the Original Message Attached Please:
How many times have you received a message that says nothing but "yes" or another anonymous message that makes absolutely no sense to anybody without the question attached. Unless you are carrying on a conversation back and forth that you know will be answered immediately, dont assume that Ill know what youre talking about. It could be days before I get to your reply. Some of you may have a photographic memory, but others of us have trouble remembering what we had for dinner last night. So please include the original message so I can refresh my memory on our discussion.
Top Mistake of this Writer:
Well, there are so many. But I guess besides the constant need for a spellchecker, I would say it that this was and occasionally still is my own number one mistake. Being a highly passionate person, I can react, or should I say overreact to something on the spur of any given moment. One of the many reasons I picked this work, is that I have to time to think before I (virtually) speak. I have to admit that keeping my big mouth shut was always the hardest thing for me to accomplish. Apart from being passionate, I am also very opinionated. Although these can be admirable qualities in some circles, it often puts me in hot water. Working through email offers me the time to think about what I say, and sometimes (not always, mind you, but sometimes) I can think about the stupid things Im about to say, before I actually have time to type them in and put my foot in my mouth.
Good luck to you in your Marketing Ad-ventures!
"Wild Bill"
About the author
ATTENTION: Are You Tired Of Fooling Around Yet? When Its Time For You To Get Down To Business, Get The Best In Marketing & Business Information!
Go to: http://www.MakingProfit.com/mp/newsletter/
Get The Special Attention You Need & Deserve In The Web Design & Programming for Your Site!
GreatDesignz.com
webmaster@greatdesignz.com
http://www,greatdesignz.com
Copyright © 2005-2006 Powered by Custom PHP Programming