Tips on how to write effective emails:
- Do not overcommunicate by email
- Ask yourself if the email is necessary for the written record, too personal, will avoid back-and-forth communication, or if it would take less time to communicate over the phone or in person.
- Make good use of subject lines
- Summarise the email content, grab readers attention and include any reply time frames required.
- Keep messages clear and brief
- The email body should be direct and informative, and it should contain all pertinent information (a shortlist using bullet points or numbers can help with this). You should include any further details in an attached document or zip file, or a hyperlink to the location of resources.
- Be polite
- The emails you send formally reflect your professionalism, values and attention to detail.
- Check your tone
- Write in a formal tone as your choice of words, sentence length, punctuation and capitalisation can easily be misinterpreted without visual and auditory cues. A formal tone requires little to no inclusion of jargon.
- Proofread
- Take a moment to review your email for spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes, the length and tone of the message, and to ensure it is addressed to the correct email address.
- Review email etiquette
- See when to use BCC vs CC.
*Note: when sending marketing emails or messages, please be aware about spam laws. The Spam Act 2003 and the Spam Regulations set out your responsibilities. Visit the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) on how to avoid sending spam.
