Strike That Perfect Professional Email Communication Etiquette in 2022

This article originally appeared on the?HiHello blog?on July 20, 2022.

If your emails aren’t getting opened, you may be using bad email etiquette. Learn the proper email etiquette in 2022 in this article.

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?$38 being returned for every $1 spent on marketing 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.

Greeting: Quickly greet the recipient and always spell their name correctly.

Body: Write your message in a few short paragraphs.

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. Keep it short

Emails should only ever be long enough to share the necessary information. When writing emails, a shorter email is always better.?

5. 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. Wrongly interpreting the tone of an email is very common, so always avoid sarcasm and frame your email in a positive light wherever possible.

6. 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.?

7. 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.?

8. Be mobile-friendly

85% 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.?

9. Shorten URLs

If you include links in emails, always shorten the link. Either hyperlink to some text or use a link shortener. Long links look messy and should be avoided wherever possible.?

10. 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.?

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 six 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.?

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