Table of Contents
Introduction
Did you know many people still don’t know how to write an email? Writing an email can be tricky at times. It’s a digital communication, so it’s slightly less formal than writing a regular letter. After all, many people prefer typing to writing. However, it means many people forget how powerful an email can be.
Why You Should Know How To Write an Email
You sure have seen so many posts on social media about people writing the wrong email. It can be missing the header, no ending, or other simple mistakes. Here is why you need to know the art of email writing.
1. It Can Open Your Future
Email communication holds the power to open your future. Whether it’s for enrolling in the best school or applying for a job, you If you want to enroll in the best school, you need to be able to write a good email. In short, your email is how you introduce yourself to the other person.
2. Improving Communication Skill
When you have so many ideas but are too shy to speak them out loud, you can rely on emails. Writing an email is one of many communication methods you can use to talk to others. It’s also good for you to organize your thoughts and it also will improve your verbal communication skills.
3. Makes You Digital Ready
Did you know that many people are still not used to receiving and sending emails? Most people take emails for granted when they’re highly beneficial.
Emails come with a cloud storage for attachments. You can use an email address as your backup storage for pictures and other files. Another thing you can do is to use your email to save all of your important data and information. Of course, you need to have a strong password to protect its content.
Tips On How You Can Improve Your Email Writing
Writing an email sounds like an easy task. You just open your smartphone and type something on the mail app. However, email is unique since it borders conventional and digital communication. Therefore, you need to look at these four tips to improve your email writing.
1. Understand the Structure
An email is like most written communication forms. You need to start with a greeting and tell your purpose in the email body. Then respectfully end the latter, complete with a signature.
Remember that you can’t treat email like a regular messaging app. This is because a letter is formal by nature. Another reason is that email has numerous purposes, from keeping in touch to applying for a position.
Knowing the structure is not enough if you never apply the knowledge. If you don’t want to feel awkward, you can always start small by starting with a greeting in your written communication.
Using “Hello” as a greeting is generally okay. But it will be better if you write their names. For example, you’re writing an email to Mr. Nathan Obermann.
Rather than using “Dear Nathan” to start your email, you should write “Dear Mr. Obermann” instead. If it’s a formal email to a company or organization, you can include their position in the company.
Start the email body by stating why you wrote the email. Then write follow-up sentences to back up the initial thesis. There is no limit on how long an email body must be, but it should be concise to say all that you want.
Include a CTA or Call-to-Action at the end of your letter. Even if the email is a work or paper submission, a simple “please read” counts as a CTA. This is especially important since most emails require a response in any form.
If you don’t know how to sign your email, you can always use either “Best regards,” or “Regards,” followed by your name. Of course, you can always include additional information such as your position upon sending the email.
4. Match the tone with the recipient
Do you know the best way to address the recipient? Or how to set the email tone? This is one thing that complicates email writing for many people.
Since email is in writing, you need to prepare your diction. Unlike verbal communication, written form allows you to check and edit your words. Focus on what you want to say and ensure the recipient understands them.
The general rule is to use a polite and respectful tone in all email communications. However, you can be casual and use Internet jargon when it’s your close friends and family. The Oxford Dictionary already has “lol” in their entry for several years. But it’s still an inappropriate word to use in a formal email.
5. Never Rush Sending an Email
One common mistake is rushing to send an email and forgetting the attachment and other details. In many cases, you may forget to end your mail, send the wrong file, or have multiple typing mistakes. The worst thing is not writing the subject and will have your mail flagged as spam.
When you have the chance, you can compare the emails you wrote. You will notice the difference in tone and articulation between emails you write in a hurry and not.
6. Keep Practicing
The only way you can write a good email is by continuing practice. You can start emailing your friends and family regularly. But if you’re shy and don’t know what to say, you can always email yourself.
Imagine different scenarios in your head to try different email tones. For example, you can compose two emails about a traffic jam. One is for a local newspaper, and the other one to a family member. You will see that even the same topic can have different outputs.
Using emails to communicate is becoming more common every day. So there’s no reason for you to avoid writing a proper email. Remember that a good email always starts with a greeting, a succinct body, and a closing.
Knowing how to write an email is a practical skill that works in many situations. It will be easy for you to impress everyone and build a network.
