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5 Tips for Writing Professional Emails

• Scott Stein

A guide to crafting messages that drive results.

Learning to write better emails will improve your reputation as a strong and thoughtful team member, help you articulate your ideas clearly,  grow your influence, avoid unnecessary back-and-forths, and actually get things done. Here are a few basic guidelines to follow:

• First, identify what you want your email to convey. Ask yourself: What outcome do I hope this email brings? What do I want the recipient to do? This will help clarify your intentions.
• Next, decide the recipients of your email. In general, though, avoid sending a message to an entire team of people if you only need to talk to one or two. Similarly, don’t CC your boss on all emails that don’t require their oversight. Tailor your subject line. Use a verb or a phrase to indicate what action you want the recipient to take such as “Decision,” “Action Required,” or “Feedback.”
• When you write your message, start with the action you want the reader to take. Follow up with the context, and end by letting them know you’re available for questions. Include visual elements like bullet points, bold text, italics, and shorter paragraphs.
• Always specify the timeline of the action or by when you want the recipient to get back to you. Include the expected end date for the task, request, or feedback.

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here .

How much of your time do you spend writing, replying to, and second-guessing emails?

• SS Scott Stein works with leaders and staff to implement fast-track strategies that improve results. He is the author of the book, “Leadership Hacks: Clever Shortcuts to Boost Your Impact and Results.” For more information visit www.scottstein.com .

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8 tips on how to write a professional email (with examples)

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Why is it important to know how to write a professional email?

Get email etiquette right for each work situation, time to hit send.

Humans send 332 billion emails every day .

For many of us, sending an email is so common that we may forget just how important writing a good email is to our professional goals.

We can always strive to improve our skills , and learning how to write a professional email to communicate more effectively and build stronger connections at work is one of them.

You aren't alone if you’ve asked yourself: How should I express my intentions concisely? What's the right tone to be professional but not stuffy? Should I start "Hello" or "Dear"?

In this guide, we’ll review the anatomy of an email and provide you with tips to write one effectively and professionally. We’ll also explain situations where writing a formal email with all the proper email etiquette is essential to your career and offer some examples to show you where to start.

Our world is increasing digital — and our work livess are no different.

Most of our communication happens online. In the United States, nearly 74% of Millennials and Gen Z prefer digital channels over face-to-face communication.

Digital communication runs counter to our human nature. Humans depend heavily on verbal and nonverbal communication cues such as body language, eye contact, and tone to gauge a person’s meaning.

Email and other digital communications don't allow us to pick up on these natural communication cues. It's essential to know how to craft messages that show are clear and accurate to what we want to communicate. 

This is particularly vital to our professional lives. Knowing how to write an effective email can help you in the following ways:

• Reputation . Demonstrating reliability and efficiency can make or break your professional reputation in the eyes of colleagues, managers, and potential clients or employers.
• Clarity . Providing meaningful information for the people that need your opinion creates and strengthens professional relationships.
• Efficiency . Using clear language streamlines processes and avoids counterproductive confusion.
• Progress . Respectful communication can help land the job, raise, vacation time, or work extension you want.

How to write a professional email

From crafting an attention-grabbing subject line to deciding on the proper sign-off and everything in between, all parts of an email serve a purpose.

Here are eight tips on how to write a professional email.

1. The right greeting

Greetings in an email are important. We always want to make a good first impression , and choosing the right salutation is the way to put your best foot forward.

Start the email with an appropriate greeting, which will change depending on your relationship with the recipient. The main salutations are the less formal “Hi” and “Hello” or more formal “Dear”: 

• If you’re writing directly to a colleague or someone you have a familiar professional relationship with, you can start with the following, start with “Hello” or “Hi.” 
• If you’re writing to someone you have never met or have a formal professional relationship with, like a hiring manager, or a new or potential client, start with “Dear.” 

"Dear Sir," "Dear Madam," "Dear Mr." or "Dear Mrs." might be overly formal for some recipients, read as antiquated, or even unintentionally misgender and upset someone. If you don't know how someone prefers to be addressed, it's best to stay gender-neutral.

You should also always double-check to ensure you’ve spelled the recipient's name correctly. If this is their first time writing and their full name isn't included on their contact information, consult their LinkedIn profile or another social media app. 

If they have a Gmail account, check their full name by typing their email into the recipient box, hitting the tab button, hovering over the email address, and clicking on their profile picture.

If you’re writing a business communication to send out to an email list, start with "To whom it may concern" for formal greetings or "Hello, everyone" for a group of recipients you have a casual relationship with.

2. Understand your intention

What’s an email for? Before you start writing, think about what exactly you hope to accomplish with your email. Understanding your motives will guide the message’s tone. A company-wide email needs to be written more formally than a response to a co-worker in an email chain. Regardless of what you want to accomplish, you need to write appropriately.

3. Explain your intention

Once you have figured out your intention, let the recipient know why you’re writing to them. Reasons for writing professional emails include:

• Asking for help from a manager
• Calling in a favor from a co-worker
• Replying to an earlier inquiry
• Following-up on something
• Offering clarity about an issue
• Saying thank you

Regardless of what you’re writing about, make sure the intention of the email is clear from the start. Here are some examples of statements you can include early in your email: 

• I wanted to send a follow-up email regarding our meeting yesterday.
• I'm writing to let you know about the team meeting on Thursday.
• I wanted to know if you have time to review my presentation.
• I want to discuss my upcoming vacation time.

4. Get to the point

The best email format for professional communication is writing a quick and concise message. Avoid walls of text. Keeping things short lets your recipient know that you respect their time.

State what you want clearly in the body of your email with 3–5 sentences and no more than three brief paragraphs.

• It was great meeting with you yesterday. I really liked your ideas for the new promotional materials. I wanted to follow up on the conversation and ask: Would it be better to create a video or write a blog post? Please let me know what you think.
• I read through your first draft, and the language is a little informal. I've left some edits, but can you please refer to the style guide and fix the language? Let me know if you need any help.

If you want to talk about something more that requires a lengthier discussion, an email isn't your best form of communication. Send an email briefly explaining what you'd like to discuss and set up a meeting.

• I'm feeling stuck on the social media content for the new account. Do you have some time this week to hop on Zoom and discuss strategy?
• I think there is some confusion about the scope of the new project. Let's schedule a check-in to review this together. Are you available to talk tomorrow?

5. Send your best regards

Keeping things short isn't the only way to show the recipient of your email that you respect their time. You can also let them know with a proper email closing.

Some examples include:

• I look forward to hearing back from you.
• Your feedback on the presentation was really helpful.
• I always love working with you and look forward to our next project.

Always be sure to say thank you:

• Thank you for your time.
• Thank you for reading.
• I always appreciate your input.
• I appreciate your taking the time to meet with me yesterday.

6. Sign off properly 

There are many options for signing off in an email, but it's best not to try to reinvent the wheel. Stick with a safe option like:

• Thanks again,
• Warmly, 

7. Write an appropriate email signature

An email signature is a useful space to give additional information about yourself. A work-appropriate email signature might include the following information about you:

• Position and company name
• Additional contact information, such as a phone number
• Links to relevant social media platforms

8. Proofread

You've spent all this time writing the most professional email possible — so don't rush to hit send without looking it all over.

Proofread your message to ensure that your intention is clear and straightforward and that you don't sound demanding or presumptuous.

Check that there aren't any typos or grammar mistakes. If you don't have the copy-editing skills to go over your message with a fine-toothed comb, download a grammar app for extra help.

If you’re forwarding your personal and business emails into a single inbox, double-check that you’re sending from the appropriate email account.

Let’s say you've just landed that job you always dreamed about (congratulations) and want to introduce yourself to the new team — but you also need to write your current boss a resignation letter. Don’t worry. We have email templates for that.

Specific work situations require specific types of correspondence. All of the other rules still apply; whether you are requesting a cover letter or sending in your resignation, keep it short, concise, and respectful.

Here are a few examples:

Follow-up after a job interview . Address the recipient by their first name, express gratitude for their time, emphasize your interest in the job and ask about the next steps.

Dear [interviewer’s name], 

I hope all is well! Thank you again for the opportunity to interview for [ job title] with [ company name]. It was a pleasure to get to know you and the team. 

I'm following up to see if there are any updates regarding [ job title] from my interview on [date]. I'm really excited about the opportunity. If you need any more information, please let me know.

Thank you again for your time and consideration. I hope to hear from you soon! 

Best regards, 

[Your name] 

Requesting time off . When requesting time off, especially for medical reasons, it's necessary to have a paper trail. Here is a template that you can use:

Hello [supervisor's name],

I am writing to request time off for [dates] because of [reason]. 

I checked with t don' have any urgent projects or deadlines during [dates requested]. Could I take my vacation time during those dates? If you have any questions, please let me know.

[insert your name]

You can check out other professional email examples with our other guides, which include samples, tips, and suggested email formats for the following work situations:

• Introducing yourself to a new team
• Saying thank you to your colleagues
• Writing a cover letter
• Asking for a letter of recommendation
• Giving two weeks' notice

Learning how to write a professional email is one of the most important skills you can learn. And, like every other skill, it just takes a little practice. Taking the time to build better-written communication skills will be worth it in the long term and will help you save time, avoid miscommunication, and construct better professional relationships.

Think through your message, keep it short and sweet, and proofread it twice. Then you’re ready to hit that send button.

Madeline Miles

Madeline is a writer, communicator, and storyteller who is passionate about using words to help drive positive change. She holds a bachelor's in English Creative Writing and Communication Studies and lives in Denver, Colorado. In her spare time, she's usually somewhere outside (preferably in the mountains) — and enjoys poetry and fiction.

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How to Easily Write Any Business Email in English

How many business emails do you write in a day?

A lot? If so, you’re not alone.

Email is incredibly important in the business world .

92% of people in a 2013 study thought email was a valuable tool for working with others.

But 64% of people also found that email can cause accidental confusion or anger in the workplace.

Oh my! How can you make sure your own emails aren’t misunderstood?

Maybe even more importantly, how can you make sure your emails get read?

That’s right. I said, “Read.”

These days, just pressing “send” doesn’t mean your email is going to be read right away .

In order to be noticed, you need to know how to get people’s attention.

In order to use email to communicate well, you need to write good emails.

Luckily, writing a good email isn’t hard. It may even be much easier than you think.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Writing Business Emails in English Made Easy

Rules for writing a good email.

“That was an awesome email.”

Who wouldn’t want to hear that? Well, you can! All you have to do is follow these simple rules.

Rule #1: Be Clear

You already have the knowledge to start writing clear emails today. All it takes is using the following:

Short sentences Simple language Correct grammar

Rule #2: Make It Brief

How much does it cost to send two emails instead of one? Nothing.

So, why write about a bunch of topics in one email? Keep your emails brief by focusing on only one topic.

Explain your main reason for writing in the first paragraph. Be specific about what it is you want.

Kara Blackburn, a lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management, said this about email writing: “Start by asking yourself what you want the person to do as a result of this email.”

Just asking that question will help focus your email.

Rule #3: Write a Strong Subject Line

That’s about how many emails business people receive a day, according to the Radicati Group .

Imagine your email sitting in a long list of other emails.

You don’t have to even imagine that. Just look at your own inbox.

What makes you want to open an email? Maybe the name of the person sending it. But if you’re like most people, you’ll open an email that has a strong subject line.

Your subject line is like a headline in a newspaper . The subject line needs to attract attention and make someone want to read your email.

You can write strong headlines by using the “4 U’s” approach taught by American Writers & Artists trainers .

The 4 U’s of writing headlines are:

• Ultra-specific (very specific)

Your email subject lines should definitely be useful and ultra-specific .

Apply the other two U’s only when it makes sense to do so.

For example, if you try to make every email you send seem urgent, then none of them will really seem urgent. Also, being too unique could make your email look like spam. Oops! We don’t want that to happen.

Rule #4: Be Polite

Would you use exclamation points and all caps in a formal letter? I don’t think so. But some people think that it’s okay to be overly emotional in emails. It’s not.

Calm down. To readers, too many exclamation points will seem like yelling. The same is true for words written in all caps.

Keep your emails polite and formal. Remember, your emails may not be only for the person you send them to. Someone may press “forward.”

Rule #5: Create the Right Tone

A good email is clear and brief, but not curt (rudely brief). Use sentence length, punctuation and polite language to create the right tone.

You also need to use the right language for each part of the email.

Business emails are like letters. They have a format. This includes:

• A salutation (a word or phrase like “Gentlemen,” “Dear Sir,” “Dear Madam” or “To Whom it May Concern” that is used to begin a letter)
• An opening sentence

The language you use in each part adds to the email’s clarity and tone.

Salutation:

The salutation you choose changes depending on who your audience is. It helps set your email’s tone. Would you use “Hey” in the salutation of a formal email ? Definitely not. Instead, you would start with “Dear” and the name of the person you’re writing to. For example:

• “Dear Sir or Madam” (if you don’t know the name of the person reading the email)
• “Dear Mr. Smith”
• “Dear Jim” (more informal)

Save “Hello,” “Hi” and “Hey” for when you want to create an informal tone .

What do you write when your email is going to a group of people? Some common salutations for groups are:

• “Dear all” (more formal)
• “Hi everyone” (more informal)

Opening Sentence:

Your opening sentence is the key to writing a clear email. A good opening sentence tells the reader what the email is about.

For example, if you’re writing to follow up on something, you could start with any of these:

• “I’m just writing…”
• “Just a (quick) note…”
• “Just a short note to follow up on…”

What other words can you use to write a good opening sentence? Try these, followed with your reason for writing:

• “I’m (just) writing to…”
• “Just a (quick) note to…”
• “Just a short email to…”

In business, people tend to write emails to:

• Clarify something
• Confirm something
• Follow up on something
• Let someone know about something
• Answer a question
• Ask a question
• Thank someone for something
• Update someone

One of the above will most likely be your reason for writing.

File Attachments:

If you’ve attached a file to your email, make sure you tell the person you’re writing to that you have attached it. The more specific you are, the better . Being specific adds to the clarity of the email. Here’s an example:

“I’m sending you this week’s schedule as an attachment.”

You can also start your sentence with:

• “I’ve attached…”
• “Please find attached…”
• “I’m attaching…”

When ending an email, ask yourself what you want the reader to do.

If you want them to reply to you, you can write:

• “I look forward to hearing from you.” (formal)
• “Looking forward to hearing from you.” (less formal)
• “I look forward to your reply.” (formal)
• “Hope to hear from you soon.” (informal)

If you want them to contact you if they need more information, you can write:

• “Do not hesitate to contact me if you need any assistance.” (formal)
• “Let me know if you need anything else.” (informal)

If you don’t want them to do anything:

• “Thank you for your help/assistance.”
• “Have a nice day/weekend.”

Just like your salutation, your closing will depend on how well you know the reader. Common closings include:

• “Sincerely” (formal)
• “Kind/Best/Warm regards” (less formal)

You may have received emails with closings like these:

• “All the best”
• “Best”
• “See you (soon)”
• “Take care”
• “Bye (for now)”

These closings help create a closer relationship when you already know your reader.

Language Guide for Specific Email Subjects

Business emails all tend to deal with one of two subjects:

• Giving information
• Asking for information

Within those two subjects, there are more specific situations that will come up over and over again. Here are some tips and examples of language you can use for some of the most common situations.

1. Responding to an Inquiry

If you’re writing to reply to an inquiry (a request for information) you need to use the first sentence to let your reader know this is what you’re doing. You’re also going to want to create goodwill (friendly and good feelings) with this person who may be your client or customer. Including the following sentences in your email helps do this:

• “Thank you for your interest.”
• “Thanks for choosing…”

In this situation, you’re probably going to be sending some type of attachment to provide information. You can use the language for sending attachments and follow it up with:

• “We hope you find this satisfactory.”
• “We hope you are happy/satisfied with this.”

Here’s an example of how you might respond to an inquiry about the cost to install windows in a house:

“I’m writing to respond to your inquiry about the cost of installing windows in your house (opening sentence). Please find our price list attached (file attachment). Do not hesitate to contact me if you need any assistance. Thank you for your interest in Acme Enterprises (building goodwill/friendly ending).”

2. Informing Someone About Something

While what you want to inform the reader of will change from email to email, certain key phrases can help you get your message across clearly. Here are some opening sentence phrases you can use:

• “I’d like to inform you of…”
• “I’m writing to tell you about…”
• “Just a note to say…”
• “Just to update you on…”

Depending on your relationship with the reader, you can get a bit more creative. If you have a more informal relationship and know each other well, you can try using phrases like these:

• “Here’s the low-down on…”
• “FYI: This is to let you know…” ( FYI stands for “ F or Y our I nformation.”)

Toward the end of the email, you may want to add:

“Hope this helps.”

You may also want to offer to give additional information if needed:

• “Let me/us know if you need anything else.”
• “Let me know if I can help you further.”

3. Confirming Arrangements

Writing to confirm arrangements? Let your reader(s) know this in the opening sentence:

• “I’d like to confirm…”
• “Just writing to confirm…”

Or you could set a more informal tone by writing:

“Tuesday is good for me.” (Especially if they have already suggested Tuesday.)

A nice way to end is to write:

“Looking forward to seeing/meeting…”

4. Changing Arrangements

Oh no! You’ve made arrangements and now you have to change them. How do you politely let someone know this? Any of these sentences and phrases should work:

• “I’m sorry but I can’t do/make Tuesday…”
• “This is to let you know that I’ve had to put off/postpone…”
• “I’m writing to call off/cancel…”
• “I’m afraid I can’t make/manage Wednesday. How about Friday instead?”

You don’t have to go into detail about why you need to change arrangements. The point of your email is simply to change arrangements. Keep it clear and brief.

5. Replying to a Previous Email

When you reach out by email to someone you don’t know and they write back, the polite thing to do is thank them for their time. Here’s how you can do that:

“Thanks/Thank you for your email…”

If someone has sent you an email and you write back, you can use one of these phrases at the beginning:

• “In reply to your email, here are …”
• “Re: your email, I …”

What else can be in your reply? Well, you might have to send attachments. If so, you’ll find the sentence, “You’ll find ___ attached,” valuable. There are times, however, when you might not have all of the necessary information available. Then you might have to make a promise to get back to the sender by writing:

“I’ll get back to you ASAP.” ( ASAP stands for “ A s S oon A s P ossible.”)

6. Giving Good News

Who doesn’t want to hear good news? Set the tone for your email right away by telling your reader you’re writing with good news. The words “pleased,” “happy” and  “delighted” work well. Include them in sentences like these:

• “I am/We are pleased to inform you…”
• “I’m happy to tell you…”
• “You’ll be happy/delighted to hear that…”

7. Giving Bad News

Certain words let people know that bad news is coming. I’m talking about words like “regret,” “sorry,” “afraid” and “unfortunately.”

Unfortunately (you see I just used one), you’ll have to give bad news about business issues from time to time. Here are some sentence openings you can write to tell bad news as nicely as possible:

• “We regret to tell/inform you…”
• “I’m sorry, but…”
• “I am afraid that…”
• “Unfortunately…”

8. Complaining

Complaining can be tough. But it’s easier to get what you want if you complain in a way that doesn’t offend your reader. The way to do that in an email is to not be too emotional and to make your complaint clear and specific .

The following phrases can help you get started:

• “I’m writing to complain (about…)”
• “I was disappointed to find/hear…”
• “I’m afraid that…”
• “Unfortunately …”

9. Making Inquiries

How can you ask someone to give you information? Start by using polite language to request what you want.

• “I am interested in receiving/finding out…”
• “I would like to receive…”
• “I would be grateful if…”
• “Could/Can you please send me…?”

Are you sure that the person you are writing to can help you? Don’t worry if you aren’t. Just ask by writing:

• “Would you be able to (help)…?”
• “Can you help?”

If you need an answer quickly, don’t assume the person you’re writing to understands this. Let them know by writing it:

“I’d appreciate a reply ASAP.”

10. Requesting Action

There are times when you want someone to do something for you. Here are useful phrases you can use to make your request:

• “Can you send ___ to me by Friday, please?”
• “Please get/keep in touch.”
• “Keep me posted.”

Note that the word “please” can keep your request from sounding like an order.

Besides the tips above, there are many resources online that can help you write an excellent business email. For example, the videos “Writing a Business Email” and the more general “Practice Your Business Writing” on FluentU have plenty of ideas you can use to improve your email writing. 

The FluentU program has many other videos to learn from, like movie trailers, news segments, clips from educational programming and an entire business category with hundreds of videos—all organized by difficulty level. The program will show you the definition of any word in a video, and let you add it as a flashcard for later study with personalized quizzes.

You can make a flashcard deck for business vocabulary or business email vocabulary, specifically. From here, you’ll also see other videos that use the words for additional context. And since we often write emails from our phones, it’s a good thing that FluentU can also come on the go with you through any browser, the iOS or the Android apps.

Common Acronyms Used in Emails

Have you ever seen “ASAP” “BTW,” or “FYI” in emails? Probably so. They’re acronyms, meaning they’re made up of the first letters of phrases or words. Often, they’re made up of the first letters of words in a particular phrase. We’ve already looked at a couple of these, but here’s a quick review:

ASAP : A s S oon A s P ossible BTW: By The Way FYI: For Your Information

Final Checklist for Emails

You’ve followed the rules and used the language guide. Now it’s time to see if you’ve written a good email. Use this list to check before you send it:

• Does your subject line explain what’s in the email?
• Does your email start with a salutation?
• Have you explained why you’re writing in the first sentence?
• Have you written short paragraphs that are spaced apart and easy to read?
• Have you mentioned your attachments?
• Are any requests you made clear?
• Does your email end with a simple closing?

Did you answer, “Yes” to everything?

Then congratulations!

You’ve written a good email.

Tracy Bowens is a TEFL Certified Trainer and a Visiting Professor at DeVry University in Orlando, Florida. She has an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. Continuous emails flow out of her computer daily.

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Jan 18, 2022

How to write a business email with 10 business email examples

Looking for business email examples? Our business email templates and samples will help you to learn how to write a business email in the right format.

Lawrie Jones

Table of contents

Wondering how to write a business email? Well, you've come to the right place. By the end of this blog, you'll know how to send a business email in any situation and have improved your overall business communication skills.

Our business email examples will show you how to start and end a business email, deliver your message in the business email format, and getting what you ultimately want: a response to your email.

The various business email writing samples that we cover will teach you business email sentences and other business communication tips will help you handle any situation according to email etiquette.

The various business email samples that we break down will illustrate how to introduce your business in an email, how to say sorry, how do you say thank you, and how to say no politely in a business email, as well as how to write a business email with attachments.

Ready to start?

Last but not the least, we will introduce you to Flowrite 's business email templates that will help you to supercharge your business emails and messages, like this:

What is a business email?

Business email is an essential communication tool with employees and external organizations, including customers, subscribers, and stakeholders.

As well as sharing information and updates, business emails can be used to market products, manage complaints, support customers, and engage suppliers. Put simply, a business email is the lifeblood of any modern company.

Business emails are typically short, polite, and written with a clear purpose. However, business emails don't need to be boring. If written correctly, an effective business email can inform, engage, and inspire any reader.

How to write a business email

Wiring a great business email involves a little process and a little psychology. First, you'll need to understand how to format a business email, including a great subject line, appropriate greeting, body copy, and ending. But more than that, you need to go beyond providing information and delivering a little inspiration, too.

Every email is an interruption, say  researchers . You're asking someone to read your email, so it must have value. Your email must have a purpose and state it clearly and quickly. Don't waste time or words getting to your point, be clear with why you're messaging and what you want, says Jeff Su in the  Harvard Business Review .

We all receive hundreds of emails a day, so you must work hard to avoid what  academics describe as  "standardized, vague, and impersonal realizations of interpersonal moves". Our translation: personalize your emails and keep them interesting, or risk losing readers' attention. 

Business email format

The basics of how to write a business email format should be familiar to anyone online. The typical formal business email format has five core parts, including:

• Subject Line
• Formal greeting
• Closing phrase

Understanding the business email writing format enables you to sketch out, structure quickly, and write a business email from scratch in minutes. 

We've covered the core parts of professional email greetings and endings in other posts, so we'll be brief here. Instead, we're going to delve into more detail in the content, including providing 10 examples of business emails that command attention and demand action. 

Business email greetings

There's no magic in how to start a business email; you use a formal email greeting and an appropriate email opening sentence . The core of your message depends on who you're contacting, what you want, and why, but the basics of how to start a good business email are pretty standard.

Many people want to know how to start a business email conversation with someone they have never met. If you know the person's name, it's polite to start with:

• Dear (person's name)

Use their full name, and avoid a title (such as Mr or Mrs), as these are outdated and could cause offense.

Suppose you're finding it difficult to decide how to address someone in a business email. In that case, we suggest being formal rather than being informal. So while you're OK to use any opening you choose in a personal email, if you're wondering if you can use 'Hi' in business letters or emails, we would advise against it. 

Unless you know the person, overly informal greetings such as 'Hey could come across as informal and unprofessional, which could kick off your relationship on the wrong note.

How to start a business email

The opening sentence should explain who you are, where you're from, and what you want. Of course, it can be a challenge to fit all this in, but here's an example of how to start a business email.

The decision on how you start a business email depends entirely on what you're trying to say. Still, the approach above is a tried and tested classic.

For more examples on how to start an email , check out our business email examples in this article.

How to end a business email

As we've explained, every business email should have a point and a purpose, so be clear about what you want from the reader. So let's use the example above to illustrate how this can work in a formal context.

If there's already an existing relationship between the two participants, then it's okay to be a less formal. So here's how this can work.

As you can see this example maintains professionalism without being too stiff. For example choosing the right email closing line can make a significant difference in the tone of the email .

How to finish a business email

The formal way to end a business email is by using one of two options. Here's what they are and when you'd use them.

• Yours sincerely – this is a formal sign-off if you are addressing the email to a person and you know their name
• Yours faithfully – a formal business email sign-off if you don't know the name of the person you're emailing

There are other, less formal but increasingly popular, business email closings include:

• Kind regards
• Best regards
• I look forward to hearing from

When deciding how to sign off a business email, think about how well you know the reader and how formal you want to be. If you've emailed someone before and have a relationship, feel free to be a little less formal. On the other hand, stick to the tried and tested email sign-offs if this is the first message you're sending.

Business email writing samples

Here are some common phrases that can help you write better business emails and some advice on using them.

Learn how to:

• Introduce yourself in an email
• Say thank you
• Politely say no
• Say you're busy
• Describe the attachments you're including

How to introduce your business in an email

When introducing yourself in an email , include your name, job title, and company. Don't' try to be smart or funny; stick with the basic information that any reader might want to know. 

• My name is Lawrence Jones, and I'm the marketing director at (insert company name)

How to say sorry in a business email

Saying sorry in a business email can be challenging, but it's best done quickly and cleanly, like tearing off a band-aid. So don't beat around the bush or muddle the message; just say sorry.

• I would like to apologize for your recent experiences with our company.

How do you say thank you in a business email

When saying thank you in an email, keep things short but be specific. Don't just say thanks; explain what you're thanking the person for and the impact that they have had. If you're saying thanks for something they've done, 

• I'd like to thank you for your amazing work on the recent project. Your work has helped us to save significant amounts of time and money.

How to say no politely in a business email

Learning how to say no politely is a core business communication skill that can be a challenge. We're conditioned not to want to disappoint people, but remember this isn't about you personally, but about business. A polite but firm no can improve the way you are perceived. It's tempting to apologize or qualify your response but don't. Stick to the facts and don't lose focus.

• I'm sorry to say that we won't be able to accommodate your request at this time.

How to say I am busy in email

Work can be stressful enough without having to explain why you're busy. Don't apologize, but be clear that you don't have time. Instead, manage expectations and finish positively by explaining when you can help.

• I'm not currently able to support you with this project as I'm engaged in other work. However, I'll have some capacity to work with you next week.

How to write a business email with attachments

Let your reader know that there's an attachment, what it contains, and why it's essential. For example, if the file is large or in a specific format that may require them to access an application, let them know.

• Please find attached a copy of the report you have requested. The PDF file is 10MB, so be aware of this before sharing. You may require viewing software to make comments on it.

10 business email writing examples

The best way to explain the concepts we're describing is to put them into practice. Here are 10 examples of effective business emails. We've tackled most of the main reasons you'll need to message someone in these business correspondence email templates. Use these templates for information, but make sure to edit and adapt them to your specific circumstances.          

1. How to write an email to a company

If you're finding it challenging to write a business email to a company you've never worked with before, don't worry – it's one of the most demanding emails to write. It's tempting to include too much, but you're at the top of the funnel, so focus on the basics and keep things brief.  In our first business sample, we describe how to write a mail to a company totally cold.                                 

2. Business email reply sample

In this example, we look at how to respond to a business proposal email that a company has sent you. Before writing, consider what you want to do with the information they have supplied. Be clear if you're interested or not interested. This will save time (and avoid unwanted future emails).

3. Sample email to client for new business

Sending a cold email to a potential customer completely cold can create new connections and generate new business. There are no set rules on how to write a business email to a potential client, but you must show that you have researched what they do and understand who they are. Before using this sample email to customers for business, do some research and edit it.

4. Business cooperation email sample

A business collaboration is a partnership that benefits you both, so approach any email positively and with purpose. In this example of how to write a business partnership request email, we focus on the benefits of collaboration. This business collaboration email sample is also suitable for those wondering how to write an email to a potential business partner.

5. How to send a business proposal email

A business proposal is more than a request for a partnership but a formal document detailing the terms and conditions of your relationship. When deciding how to start a business proposal email, understand that multiple people will see this email, so be formal. 

6. How to write a business introduction email

Having the skills to introduce your business to another can help you win clients, form partnerships, and secure profitable projects. Leave the selling for later, and start with a meeting. This example of how to write a business meeting request email can be amended, covering how to write a business invitation email.

7. How to write a business inquiry email

A business inquiry is a formal, unsolicited message requesting information. Again, strip it back, be clear and focus on what you want. The recipient should know exactly what you're asking for, why, and when they need to respond. See our example of how to write a business inquiry email here.

8. How to write a business email asking for something

It depends on what you want, but a business inquiry email asking for something should include what you want when you want it and why. Here's an example of how to write a business email asking for something.    

9. How to write a cold email for business

If you're wondering, when is it OK to email strangers about your business? The answer is anytime––as long as what you're contacting them about is relevant. In any cold email , focus on the value you can offer, not what you want. You can see how that works in this example of how to write a cold email for business.

10. How to write a business follow up email

A prompt and polite email after a business meeting is a professional courtesy that you can't forget to complete. In this example of how to write a follow-up email to a client after a business meeting, we keep the details to a minimum and focus on arranging a follow-up .

Business email templates by Flowrite

Flowrite is an AI writing tool that turns your instructions into ready-to-send emails and messages in seconds, like this:

It takes care of the email structure, capitalization, grammar, spelling, punctuation – you name it. Essentially you can focus on your thoughts and ideas, and Flowrite will give them wings. We dare to say that it's the fastest way to start writing better emails.

Our AI template collection features dozens of business email templates that will help you with all the aspects covered in this blog post.

How to improve your business email writing skills

We hope that this guide has helped you to understand how to write business emails.

If you found it helpful, we suggest that you bookmark it so that you can revisit our business email examples and pick up the best business email formats, sentences and templates and find how to start and end a business email the correct way.

If you want further improve your business email writing skills giving Flowrite a try can be one of the most efficient ways to do it. In addition to being more productive by turning instructions into ready-to-send emails with the help of our business email templates you can actually learn from our AI writing assistant.

Like one of our early users Camille put it: "I'm now even drawing inspiration from the emails generated, for my own communication style. Seems that I'm learning as much from Flowrite style than the tool is learning from me."

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5 Tips for Writing an Effective Business Email

Table of Contents

Introduction

Updated September 12, 2022 – It’s true; email is becoming outdated with the general population. But as a workplace tool, it remains a powerful and reliable way to communicate online or in-house. This piece looks at the best 5 tips and tricks on how to write an effective business email.

Too many business messages go unread, get ignored, or deleted when they arrive at the inbox. Learning how to write in a way that compels people to read is a critical skill . It means less chasing up, resending messages, frustration, and miscommunication. And the first impression begins with those first few words.

One of the main issues with the written word is lost emotions and expressions. You know what you mean, but getting that across to the recipient takes skill. But it can be the difference between successful and failed communication.

Coming up are tried and tested professional email writing tips. It’s an essential read if you want others to take notice of your in-house or external messages. You don’t need special teachers, exams, or literature grades to be adept at business messaging, either. Still, there are definite DOS and DON’TS , and that’s what this handy guide covers.

#1 Write a Captivating Subject Line

The first of our email writing tips for business focuses on the top part of your message, the subject line . The workplace is a busy environment, and people scan their inboxes quickly. That’s why first impressions are so critical. Messages with weak or missing subjects are the lowest priority, and recipients tend to ignore or delete them.

How your subject line reads depends on the type of business email. The subjects of in-house messages are more accessible to write than those used for marketing campaigns.

7 Quick Tips for Learning Email Subject Lines

Here are 7 tips for writing a captivating subject line. Which ones to use depends on the audience, so think carefully about who your recipient is:

• Create it last. It’s easier to summarize content after you write it
• Keep it short ≤ 50 characters is ideal for mobile devices
• Use clear, concise language (it’s just a message, not an exam)
• Ask a question or emphasize a little urgency
• Don’t give everything away to arouse a little curiosity
• Don’t overdo it, e.g., USING ALL CAPS or fancy characters
• Be honest, don’t deceive the reader with a misleading subject line

Tip #7 is vital to keep eyeballs fixed on the main message. For example, don’t promise a free course of online studying in the subject line if learning is not free.

Business email tip: Use highly relevant keywords in your subject lines. This approach makes business emails easier to search for later if necessary.

#2 Use Concise Language (Subjects & Body)

The general school of thought is to use clear, concise language. It’s one of the best tips for writing business emails, as many recipients now use mobile devices. A message with unnecessarily long words and unfamiliar jargon is easy to ignore. Keep in mind that no recipient is ever going to complain that your email is too easy to read.

#3 Make Your Email Scannable for Readers

One can easily find examples of this point in modern marketing. Let’s say a business runs an email campaign for college students to buy university essays . Essay assistance is a much sought-after online help service for college-level learners today. But marketing emails constantly bombard university students. And many of those are studying how to balance part-time jobs with course work and campus duties.

Emails that make the grades for school recipients are the ones that are easy to scan. Scannable messages help readers jump quickly to the content that interests them.

7 Ways to Make Your Business Emails Scannable

University students wear many hats as they juggle their way through on-campus and online studying. They don’t have the time or patience to read lengthy, hard-to-read messages between course studies.

Start studying and practicing these 7 scanability tips to improve your business emails:

• Create plenty of white space by using short paragraphs
• Avoid fancy fonts. Use those easiest on the eyes, e.g., Courier, Verdana
• Break the content up using short bolded, Title Case Headlines Like This
• Use short bulleted and numbered lists when appropriate
• Limit one idea to a single paragraph
• Bold keywords and sentences to draw attention to them
• Wrap up with a summary and a call-to-action if needed

This writing style works for most text, e.g., emails, school essays, how-to guides, etc. Also, people are more inclined to share engaging, easy-to-read, scannable content. That could be around school, the university campus, or anywhere else the campaign targets.

#4 Address the Recipient Appropriately

It’s never a good idea to use overly casual language in business email communication. Likewise, avoid slang terms or emojis. Even if you’re friends with the person, business emails get forwarded and read by others in professional environments. Instead, use a formal salutation and address the recipient using a polite, official tone.

#5 Keep it Simple

Try to keep messages simple. There are no teachers, exams, grades, or online studying to bog you down. It’s just a case of using straightforward language, proper formatting, and knowing your audience… that’s it. Most business emails should be easy to read, quick to scan, as short as possible, and address the subject line directly.

It’s okay to leave the reader wanting to know more, as it encourages a response. But it’s not okay to mislead in email promotional campaigns. For example, one should not market professional teachers if you use amateur tutors for a training course. In-house or B2B emails are more about communication than sales, but the principles are similar.

Lastly, never send any business email without proofreading it first.

Closing Comments

Although email is less and less present in our daily non-professional communication as people increasingly use social media and text apps such as WhatsApp to communicate in the workplace and place of business, it is still very much the main avenue of communication. Mastering the skills of effective email communication is paramount, and we hope this article will help you on your path. For more email-related advice, please check out our  email section here , and happy emailing! 

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Copyright © 2024 Businesswritingblog.com.

Top 9 Strategies for Writing an Effective Business Email

Writing a business email is much different from sending off an email to a friend or family member. The tone has to be more professional. But, at the same time, it also has to be warm and friendly. After all, you want to attract customers, not drive them away. Here are some tips for creating

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Writing a business email is much different from sending off an email to a friend or family member. The tone has to be more professional. But, at the same time, it also has to be warm and friendly. After all, you want to attract customers, not drive them away. Here are some tips for creating effective business emails every time.

1. Greet the Email Recipients

At the beginning of the email, take the time to write a greeting to the recipients. Whenever possible, personalize the email by including the recipient’s name. This will make your greeting seem more real. It also shows people that someone has taken the time to be more personal and not just send out the same email to thousands of people.

2. Don’t Ramble On

This is an email, not a hand-written letter. You don’t have to write volumes of information. You just need to get the basic points across. For each thing that you write, ask yourself if it really needs to be there. People don’t have time to read everything in each email they receive.

3. Use the Subject Line

We can’t stress enough just how important it is to use the subject line. How many times have you deleted a message without reading it, because there was no subject? Other people do this too, and if you aren’t using successful subject lines, a lot of your emails are likely being deleted. Make sure to include a successful subject line, one that is clear and to the point.

4. Be Careful with Your Tone

It can be a lot more difficult to communicate via email because the reader is unable to see your body language and hear your tone of voice. Choose how you word your emails very carefully, so as to not come across as nasty, pushy, etc. Don’t write anything that could be taken the wrong way.

5. Check Your Spelling

This may seem like a no-brainer, but far too many people send out emails without checking their spelling and grammar. You want to come across as being professional. If your spelling and grammar aren’t perfect, you won’t achieve that. You have a spell check tool. Use it.

6. Avoid Emoticons

Stop using cute little emoticons in your business emails. They are just that, cute. They do not look professional, and no, they do make you seem more down to earth to your business associates. Save the emoticons for your friends and family. While you’re at it, stop using acronyms as well. Spell things out, and if necessary, put the acronyms in brackets after.

7. Leave off the Attachments

If there is something that you really want your readers to see, copy and paste it right into the email. Don’t make them take the extra step of having to open an attachment. Or, attach the document, but copy and paste the most important part, and let readers decide if they want to open the attachment and read the rest.

8. Don’t Use All Caps

You don’t want to yell at your customers, but that is exactly what you are doing when you use all caps in email communications. If you absolutely must stress a word or a phrase, you may use caps, but not for the entire body of the email. It is better to italicize it though, because it isn’t as harsh looking.

9. Say Goodbye

In addition to a nice greeting, your business emails should include a closing that is complimentary, as well as a signature. For instance, it could be as simple as saying, “Thank you”, or a bit more elaborate, such as, “We look forward to hearing from you.”

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10 Tips for Writing Effective Business Emails

Published: Oct 12, 2016

Have you ever emailed a recruiter about a job and never heard back? While you may have attributed the radio silence to your lack of experience or to bad timing, your email itself might have been the issue. Although most of us regard writing an email as a basic task with no real guidelines, email protocol exists. Your ability to follow it can make or break the impression you give to a recruiter. Of course, email etiquette is not reserved to correspondence with recruiters; it also exists when you’re emailing with clients and co-workers. What follows are 10 easy tips to help you craft a successful business email, no matter whom you’re emailing.

1. Include a Subject Line With Key Words

When writing an email, always include a subject line. This is especially important if you are reaching out to a new contact, who may assume an email marked “no subject” is spam and delete it without opening. Make sure that your subject line references the main point of your email in a succinct way, such as “Inquiry about Internship Openings” or “Marketing Meeting Follow-Up.” Use key words in the subject line, in case the recipient needs to search for the email later to follow up.

2. Have an Appropriate Greeting

At the beginning of your email, use a formal salutation such as “Dear Ms. X.” Be absolutely positive that you get the person’s gender correct and spell his or her name right. Failing to do so shows carelessness on your part and can even offend the recipient, which is a major problem if you are emailing a client or a recruiter. If you cannot find the name of a recruiter online and must use a generic greeting, using “Dear Hiring Manager” is a safe bet.

3. Write Concisely

No one wants to read a page-long email, so keep the body of your message as concise as possible. Use paragraphs often to break up your writing and make it easier to digest. Just because this isn’t a formal publication or research paper does not give you license to forget about proper writing style.

4. Keep It Professional

In that vein, keep your emails professional in style, and make sure you’re not using exclamation points or capitalization excessively. This isn’t texting. Refrain from using smiley faces and other emoticons, unless you have established this type of rapport with the person on the other end.

5. Be Personable

Open your email with a short, considerate statement unrelated to the main purpose of your email. Saying “I hope you had a great weekend” or “I hope this email finds you well” starts your message off on a positive, personable note. Establishing a congenial rapport with the person is important, in case you ever need to ask for a favor down the line.

6. Clarify the Purpose

Be clear about the reason for your email, and propose direct, specific questions that you would like the person to answer. If you have multiple issues you want the person to address, you can always use bullet points or paragraph breaks to ensure nothing gets missed.

7. Say Thank You

Toward the end of your email, make sure to thank the person. Whether you are responding to a colleague who has just given you data you requested, or thanking a recruiter for her time and consideration, this is a critical step and an expectation in email correspondence.

8. End With a Call to Action

Finally, remind the person about the central issue of your email by concluding with a call to action. A simple “Looking forward to hearing from you soon” sets up the expectation that the person must respond to you, and it should help elicit a prompt reply. If you have a matter that needs immediate attention, you can be even more specific in your call to action: “I look forward to hearing from you about a time we can meet next week.”

9. Sign off With Your Contact Information

Once your email is finished, sign off with an appropriate email close, such as “Best” or “Regards.” Make sure to include your contact information—your first and last name, email address, and phone number—so that the person can easily follow up with you.

10. Proofread Your Work

The last and perhaps most significant step is to proofread your entire email. If you skip the editing, you can instantaneously undo all of your hard work. Spelling errors can undermine your intelligence and make you seem careless, which may cause recruiters to discount your email. Everyone makes spelling and grammar mistakes, so take the extra 30 seconds to double check your work and correct any errors, because it can make a big difference. If it’s an important email, copy edit it.

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Writing Business Emails: Top 5 Tips

Ashleigh Ferguson

Writing professional emails is an integral part of business communication. Emails are fast, affordable, and an efficient way to keep in contact with suppliers, colleagues, and clients.

As integral as emails are, however, many people struggle with business email etiquette. For one, you may have the content down, but there is still an aspect that many people overlook when drafting their business emails—readability. The level of readability your email has is determined by how clearly your text is understood by your reader. When your recipient is able to clearly understand your message, you increase the chances of them acting the way you want them to.

In this article, we’ll look at some easy tips you can use to increase the readability of your next email.

1. Eliminate Unnecessary Words

2. use white space, 3. format your emails properly, 4. check your spelling and grammar, 5. have clear ctas, write better business emails.

You want your reader to understand what you’re trying to say immediately, inquire about, or propose. All that will get lost if you fill your emails with fluff.

If you think about how you have conversations in person, you’ll notice that babbling doesn’t carry well; it’s the same for emails. If you want to be taken seriously, cut to the chase.

Show your readers that you are considerate of their time. Be clear and confident in the words you use by choosing them carefully.

A great place to start is to cut out filler words and phrases, such as:

• Just touching base (especially in a subject line)
• A large number of
• At the present time
• With the exception of

Make Your Email Visually Appealing

How your email appears to the reader can significantly improve its readability. Follow tips 2 and 3 to improve how your email looks.

White space, or the areas without text, improves readability. To achieve a visually appealing email, start by using shorter paragraphs with white space between them.

People skim emails for the important points, and long sentences or paragraphs make this difficult. We recommend a maximum of four lines per paragraph, with the most crucial information being in the first paragraph.

• Separate your email greeting (Dear So-and-so) and the beginning of your message with a return
• Left-align your email, and don't indent your paragraphs
• Don't write a big block of text. Add breaks whenever you move on to a new topic
• As with your greeting, separate the end of your message and your email sign-off with a return

Another way to improve your emails is to use the formatting tools available: bullet points, italics, bold, and so forth. However, make sure to keep your fonts and font sizes consistent. Don't use big text to emphasize a word, as this is common in spam emails.

Always assume your recipient is receiving tons of other emails throughout the day. Expect them to only glance at parts of your message, rather than all of it.

A great way to engage your reader is to use bullet points and numbered lists for your most critical points. These make it much easier for the recipient to read the email quickly and digest bits of information. Bullet points and numbered lists are also great tools if you’re asking a series of questions.

They also help to create white space, which improves the visual appeal of your email.

Nothing screams unprofessional like an email riddled with grammatical errors, misspellings, and misused (or absent) punctuation.

If your reader is busy trying to decipher what you’re trying to say, they may decide that it’s not worth the effort. Grammar issues can significantly change the meaning of your message, which can cause misunderstandings.

Good grammar improves your credibility. When your emails are well-written, it’s more likely that you’ll be taken seriously. So, don’t make careless spelling and grammar mistakes because your reputation depends on it.

Always double-check your emails before hitting “send.” It’s easy for mistakes to slip through, which is why we recommend a grammar checker like ProWritingAid.

Calls to action (CTAs) are more prominently known in marketing emails. For example, if you’re reaching out to a client then you definitely don’t want them to be asking, “Okay, what next?” with no clear directive of what to do.

CTAs also have a place in regular business emails that you’d send to your colleagues, boss, or people you want to work with. In fact, if you’re sending an email, it’s quite likely that you’re requesting information.

Always mention what you want the recipient to do next, whether it’s meeting up to discuss an idea further, replying to an email with requested details, or confirming their availability for a meeting.

There are a few other things you can do to improve your emails’ overall effectiveness and maintain professional email etiquette, such as:

• Include clear subject lines
• Keep your email focused on one goal
• Maintain a professional tone
• Be positive and personable

The way you communicate in an email message can determine how people view your work ethic and attention to detail. By increasing the readability of your emails, you’re increasing the chances of your emails being acted upon.

Implement these tips if you want to write effective, professional emails.

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Ashleigh Ferguson is a former copywriter on the ProWritingAid team. With an affinity for learning new things, you can always count on her to know some random fact. She’s a self-proclaimed ‘Fix-it Felix’ and a newly minted ‘candle lady’.

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Email etiquette: Helpful business email writing tips & templates

When it comes to communication in the business world, writing clear and professional emails is essential. Whether you’re contacting colleagues, clients, or potential business partners, your email writing skills are key to making a good impression.

Remember the blog we wrote about 8 common faux pas in English Business emails ? Now, let’s focus on what you should do. In this blog, discover helpful email writing tips for business and useful business email templates that will help you write a professional email.

Tip #1 – Use positive language

When writing effective business emails, positive language is a great way to communicate your message effectively. Instead of being negative or critical, be friendly and professional.

Negative and critical : “ I don’t like the finance section in your report. It’s too confusing and the numbers are all over the place .”

Friendly and professional : “ Thank you for sending me your report. Could we work on the finance section a bit more? Adding more clarity to the numbers and improving the structure will really help to communicate your points effectively .”

See how the positive option sounds better? Using positive language not only leaves a better impression, but it also encourages effective and constructive email communication.

Tip #2 – Focus on your main points

Make sure the emails you send are clear and concise, this helps other people understand your message and respond effectively. Here are 4 easy ways to help your emails stay focussed:

• Start with what matters: When you’re writing an email, think about what you really want to say. Begin with that main point so it’s the first thing your recipient sees.
• Trim away the extras: Sometimes we add extra things that aren’t really needed. Keep your email simple by sticking to the important details. If it doesn’t help your main point, it might be better to leave it out.
• One idea at a time: If you have a few points to talk about, that’s fine. Just remember to tackle one point in each email. That way, your ideas won’t get mixed up.
• Be short and clear: Short sentences and simple words are a great way to make your point really clear.

Tip # 3 – Always check for errors before sending

Before hitting the send button, make it a habit to review your email for any potential errors. Try using the read-aloud feature, listening to your email being read aloud can be a fantastic way to catch any mistakes and make sure it flows smoothly. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, but with this cool trick, you can catch errors before anyone else sees them!

Save these helpful business email templates

Take advantage of these helpful business email templates that you can customise to suit your needs. These ready-to-use templates will help you save time and maintain a professional and positive tone when writing business emails.

Template #1 – Requesting a meeting

Hi [recipient’s name] ,

I hope this email finds you well. I am interested in discussing [purpose of the meeting] and its importance for [your project or team] .

Would you be available for a meeting sometime this [week or month] ? Your expertise would be invaluable in shaping our approach moving forward.

Kind regards,

[Your name]

Template #2 – Requesting information

I hope this email finds you well. I am currently working on [your task or project] and I need some additional information related to [specific details] .

Could you please provide me with the information or any relevant documents to help me complete this [task or project] ?

Thank you in advance for your support.

Template #3 – Delivering work

I hope this email finds you well. I am pleased to share the [project or task] , please find the [document, report or file] attached for your review.

If you have any feedback or need me to make any changes, please let me know.

Template #4 – Explaining a problem

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to bring to your attention a challenge we are facing, [describe the problem] . This issue is impacting [mention the effects on the project or team] .

Could we set up a meeting to discuss this further and explore potential solutions?

Take the leap and master English!

Unlock the art of drafting effective business emails with our valuable business email writing tips and templates. But why stop there? British Council English Online courses are the ultimate tool to help you develop your English language skills.

Our expert teachers are here to mentor you through every aspect of English language development, helping you to improve your English speaking, reading and writing skills. No matter what your skill level is, we offer customised study plans to meet your needs.

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Email Etiquette: 12 Rules and Useful Tips

Clémence Daniere

Table of contents

What is professional email etiquette, and why is it important, the unspoken email etiquette rules that matter, best practices you may not know about, in conclusion…, subscribe to techsmith’s newsletter.

Email etiquette isn’t something that we’re born knowing. Yet, it feels like everyone but us knows the unwritten rules of professional emails.

Luckily, these rules are not hard once you get the main picture. We’re here to give you tips that’ll make you stand out. In a good way, we promise!

So whether you’re new to professional email communication or just want a quick refresh, this guide is for you. After all, sending an email should never be overwhelming.

Let’s get into emailing best practices so you can elevate your professional communication in just a few steps.

Simply put, email etiquette is the way you write your emails for professional communication. Different aspects of emails have different purposes, which is what we’re covering in this guide.

Email etiquette is important for many reasons. First, it sets the tone for communication and reflects your professionalism. A poorly written email can lead to misunderstandings and even damage relationships .

Additionally, proper etiquette can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of communication, leading to better relationships and results. 

Email is undoubtedly the top communication channel for workplace communication , so understanding etiquette is important if you want to succeed. 

Let’s go over the most important rules that you should follow for proper communication.

Professional email address

This one is easy. When you create your account, use an email address with your name. I know we all have an embarrassing address from our youth, we never want to resurface. If you’re still using it, let’s create a new one!

Appropriate and informative subject line

Your subject line is the introduction to your email. Or, what your recipient will read first. Keep this one short, concise, and informative.

For example, a good subject line for a job application email would be: “Sales Assistant Position Application.” Notice that the subject line includes the job title “Sales Assistant” and the purpose “Application.” The recipient will know exactly what you are reaching out for–that’s the goal!

Professional salutation & closing

Proper salutation is always a greeting like “Hello, Good morning, Dear, etc” followed by their name. Add the “Mrs, Ms, MR, Dr, etc” prefix whenever you can.

If you don’t know their name, no worries, just say hello. And don’t forget to add a comma after the salutation.

Your closing and signature are also going to be standard. End your emails with a closing remark such as “Best regards”, “Sincerely”, or “Thank you” depending on the context.

Then, sign off your email with your name or a personalized email signature block.

Proper grammar and spelling

This one is obvious, but it can be the hardest to follow. Our best advice is to double-check your words and follow standard grammar rules. Outlook and Gmail have spell checkers, but more advanced tools like Grammarly can really take your writing to the next level.

Maintain a professional tone and don’t overuse exclamation points . We know it can be hard to come across as friendly without them but use them sparingly. They quickly get overwhelming. 

Keep it concise

No one wants to waste time wading through a clunky, long email. Your email recipient is likely only spending a small amount of time on your message. That makes it important to get to the point quickly. 

In your opening line, state the purpose of your email. Follow it up with some additional information and close it out with a timeframe. This makes communication extremely easy and efficient for everyone. 

Don’t let attachments clog inboxes

Large files are an email inbox’s worst nightmare. They can mess up the speed and efficiency of your recipient’s inbox.

A wise choice is to share large attachments with a link .

Screencast is a third-party application that creates a unique link for all of your images and videos. You can then send that link instead of the large attachment itself.

Plus, you can start a conversation on the image or video you attached. Add comments, reactions, and continue to collaborate all in one space.

Trust us, your recipient will thank you for not slowing down their inbox.

Easily communicate with Snagit today

Snagit makes it easy for you to create and share engaging and easy-to-follow visuals for your emails!

Reply all is a great tool, but it can also be a scary tool. Our advice is to use it… sparingly. Remember that when you reply all, you reply ALL.

Everyone on the thread will get your email back, which is a great tool for mass communication of information. However, it becomes a not-so-great tool for specific, individualized questions.

Business email etiquette should seem a bit more doable at this point. Or so we hope. In this section, we’ll go over some email etiquette tips that will improve your communication beyond expectations.

Respond promptly

Try to respond to your emails within 24 hours of receiving them. But sometimes, we know that isn’t realistic. Instead, prioritize the importance of your emails using the Eisenhower Method . 

Avoid using email for confidential information

Use a secure messaging platform or a face-to-face conversation for any confidential information. Although emails are usually private, they are not foolproof. As the saying goes: better to be safe than sorry.

Use visual communication to avoid long walls of text

This one is a real game-changer. Instead of long, boring emails, try to share information through visuals . It’ll be more effective and less boring to your recipients.

In fact, a recent TechSmith study found that 98% of respondents who use video at work say it impacts the effectiveness of their message in various ways, among them by reducing misunderstandings, increasing engagement, and saving time.

By sending images, you can easily show a process , provide feedback , and share data. Communication gets a whole lot easier when it’s clear and thrives with the aid of visuals.

Plus, screenshots are super easy to take. With a screenshotting tool like Snagit , you can capture your screen, and add helpful annotations whenever you need. Whether you need to call out an important detail, use the Step Tool to highlight a process, or use more features , Snagit has you covered.

Once your capture is edited perfectly, share your screenshot with a unique link. Then, paste it into your favorite messaging platform. We’re guessing it’s over email!

Videos are fantastic tools when you need a quick demo or tutorial for yourself or your team. With Snagit’s picture-in-picture recording and Screen Draw abilities, you can elevate any email. Just press record and everything else is made easy for you.

Just like a screenshot, you can email your videos by sharing a unique link.

Share your screenshots and screen recordings with Snagit

Easily create, edit, and share information with anyone using Snagit!

Use email filters and folders to stay organized

Lastly, stay organized! Emails get lost in the sea of communication we receive every day. And you can’t mark all of them as flagged, that’ll get confusing too!

Instead, create folders to stay organized. Once you’re done reading an email, just file it away in the appropriate folder. That way you’ll never lose an email and you can refer back to it quickly whenever you need information from it.

It changes your communication and it changes the way you work. No more wasted time.

So, sending a professional email isn’t all that hard. Some of the conventions can definitely be tricky to keep in mind, but that’s what this guide is all about. Feel free to refer back to it whenever you need, nobody will know!

Additional Resources

What makes a good presentation how to make a powerpoint 101, how to make a screencast in 5 easy steps, how to write an email.

More From Forbes

How to accept a job offer via email (with tips and examples).

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A well-written job offer acceptance email makes a positive impression.

You’ve been job hunting for months, endured endless interviews and finally have a job offer. Hurray! Now, it's time to make it official. The initial offer of employment will most likely be delivered informally via phone or email. After that, ensure you receive a formal communication from the employer containing the details. If the offer aligns with your expectations, great. If not, this is the time to negotiate. Remember, you have the most significant negotiating power during that tiny window of time between being offered a position and formally agreeing to accept it. Once you’ve negotiated and feel comfortable with the terms, it’s time to finalize the agreement.

Nowadays, it's standard practice to accept a job offer via email. A well-written job offer acceptance email will help make a positive impression on your future employer by communicating gratitude , enthusiasm and professionalism. It’s also an effective way to confirm the details of your offer to avoid any future misunderstandings. How formal your email is will depend on the company culture and your relationship with the hiring team. Use your best judgment and refer to your communications with the organization thus far as a guide. Ultimately, you’ll want to be as polite and succinct as possible.

Accepting a job offer can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. Typically, an employer will provide a deadline by which you’ll need to decide. Ideally, you’ll want to show the company you value their time by responding within two to three days. Let’s review a few tips and examples to guide you through writing a job offer acceptance email.

Essential Elements For A Job Offer Acceptance Email

Your job offer acceptance email should be well thought out and error-free. As you write your draft, keep these six steps in mind.

1. Begin With A Straightforward Subject Line

Chances are that the hiring team is inundated with emails daily. By writing a succinct, professional subject line, you'll ensure that your email stands out. Provide details, including your name and the job title. In general, avoid emojis, abbreviations and too much punctuation to prevent the email from looking like spam. Also, keep it short—between 30 and 50 characters in length. Keeping the subject line concise is especially important if the employer reads your email on a mobile device.

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Wwe wrestlemania 40 results and everything that happened as the rock pins cody, winning 1 3 billion powerball ticket sold 4th largest ever here s how much the winner could take home, 2. personalize the greeting.

If you know the name of the person who extended the job offer, use their name and title. When the company culture is formal, you might want to write something like, “Dear Ms. Jones.” Otherwise, “Hello Ms. Jones” is considered a more relaxed greeting. If the culture is very casual, you might even use “Hi Kathy” as a salutation.

3. Express Gratitude

To set a positive tone, thank the employer for the opportunity. Be authentic and concise. If possible, include specific examples of elements of the job you’re looking forward to.

4. Formally Accept The Job Offer

This section should include your statement of acceptance. Mention the job title as it was specified in the offer. You might even include the company name and start date to avoid confusion.

5. State And Agree To The Terms

At this point, briefly describe the terms of employment, such as the starting salary and any other benefits you agreed to. By including specifics, you’ll ensure that there isn’t any confusion in the future. This section is also a good place to ask any additional questions you might have regarding the role.

6. Conclude And Sign

Finally, finish the email by thanking the employer again and expressing how excited you are to accept the position. Conclude with a professional email sign-off. Some examples are:

Best regards,

• Kind regards,

Then, add your signature, including contact information such as email and phone number.

Finally, don’t forget to proofread your email. It helps to read it out loud and use a spell-checking tool like Grammarly to avoid typos and grammatical errors.

Job Offer Acceptance Email Example

Are you suffering from writer’s block? Here’s an example of an acceptance email to inspire you.

Subject line: Cory Brown – Job Offer Acceptance

Dear Mr. Smith,

I enjoyed speaking with you on the phone yesterday about the role. Thank you for your confidence in my abilities and for offering me the position. As I mentioned, I look forward to making a positive contribution to the team.

I am delighted to formally accept the offer of a Product Manager position with Company ABC. As discussed, my starting salary will be $150,000 annually, with 15 days of paid leave and health insurance benefits.

Based on our conversation, I will start work on Monday, October 5 th . Please let me know if there are any documents I should bring with me on my first day. I'm available via email, or you can contact me at 212-555-1212.

Again, thank you very much. I can’t wait to get started!

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or accepting your first job, a well-crafted job offer acceptance email sets the tone for your new position. By following these tips, you’ll be able to confirm key details, convey enthusiasm and present yourself as a consummate professional.

Are you a woman who needs help changing careers? Download my FREE 22-page e-book: How Professional Women Can Master Career Change!

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Create a Professional Email: Tips and Examples for 2024

In today's digital age, creating a professional email is essential for establishing credibility and making a lasting impression. A well-crafted email can set the tone for effective communication and positively impact recipients. From job applications to business correspondence, having a professional email address can make all the difference in how you are perceived in the virtual world.

Why a Professional Email Matters

A professional email reflects your attention to detail and professionalism, which can be crucial in various aspects of life, including job opportunities and business relationships. It conveys reliability and competence, making it indispensable for building trust and credibility with recipients.

Key Elements of a Professional Email

Crafting a professional email involves incorporating key elements such as clear and concise language, proper formatting, and adherence to professional etiquette. These elements contribute to the overall effectiveness of your communication and help you stand out as someone who takes your online presence seriously.

Crafting an Impressive Email Address

Your email address is often the first point of contact with others, so it's essential to create one that exudes professionalism. A well-thought-out email address reflects your identity and leaves a lasting impression on recipients, setting the stage for successful interactions.

Essential Components of a Professional Email

Choosing the Right Email Service Provider

A custom domain for your professional email address can significantly enhance your credibility and brand identity . Instead of using generic domains like @gmail.com or @yahoo.com, consider investing in a custom domain that reflects your business or personal brand. This small investment can make a big difference in how recipients perceive your emails.

Utilizing a Custom Domain

A clear and concise subject line is essential for creating a professional email that gets noticed. It should accurately summarize the content of your email while piquing the recipient's interest. Avoid using vague or misleading subject lines, as they can come across as unprofessional and may even trigger spam filters.

Creating a Clear and Concise Subject Line

Crafting a clear and concise subject line is the first hurdle in opening your email. It's your email's headline, so make it informative and engaging. Briefly state the purpose of your email without being vague or clickbaity. Keep it short and sweet, ideally under 50 characters, to ensure it doesn't get cut off in inboxes. This will grab the recipient's attention and entice them to open your email for the full message.

Following these essential components of professional email creation can elevate your communication game and leave a lasting impression on recipients. Remember to keep these tips in mind when crafting your next professional email!

Tips for Creating a Professional Email Address

When learning how to create a professional email address, using your full name is key. This adds a personal touch to your communication and makes it easier for recipients to remember and associate your email with you. For example, an email address like [email protected] immediately conveys professionalism and clarity.

Using Your Full Name

Utilizing your full name in your professional email address can help establish credibility and trustworthiness. It also contributes to brand consistency and makes it easier for people to find you online. A professional email address like [email protected] gives off a polished and reliable impression.

Including Relevant Keywords

Incorporating relevant keywords into your professional email address can help with search engine optimization and make it more discoverable. For instance, if you're in the real estate business, an email address like [email protected] can enhance your online visibility and attract potential clients.

Avoiding Numbers and Special Characters

When creating a professional email address, it's best to avoid using numbers or special characters as they can make the address look cluttered and unprofessional. Stick to simple, easy-to-remember combinations that reflect your identity and profession, such as [email protected].

Remember, when crafting a professional email address, keep it simple, relevant, and reflective of your personal or business brand. Following these tips for creating a professional email address can elevate your online presence and make a lasting impression on potential clients or business partners.

Professional Email Address Examples

When creating a professional email, the right email address can make all the difference. Here are some examples of professional email addresses that can serve as inspiration for your own:

[email protected]

John Doe's email address is a prime example of a professional and straightforward email address. Using his full name in the address helps to create a sense of professionalism and credibility.

[email protected]

Jane Smith's email address is another excellent example of a professional and personalized approach. Using her full name ensures that her recipients will easily recognize and remember her.

[email protected]

Alex Johnson's email address is simple yet effective, incorporating his initial and last name to convey professionalism and trustworthiness.

By following these examples, you can create a professional email address that reflects your brand identity and expertise while making a lasting impression on your recipients.

How to Make a Professional Email Address Stand Out

Incorporating Your Brand Identity

When creating a professional email, incorporate your brand identity to make a lasting impression. Use your company logo or colors in your email signature, and choose an email address that reflects your brand. For example, if you're a photographer, consider an email address like [email protected] to showcase your brand and profession.

Showcasing Your Expertise

One of the best ways to create a professional email is by showcasing your expertise in the content you send. Share valuable insights, industry updates, or helpful resources related to your field. By consistently providing valuable information, you'll establish yourself as an authority in your industry and leave a lasting impression on recipients.

Personalizing Your Email Signature

Personalize your signature with a friendly sign-off and contact details to make your professional email address stand out. Consider adding links to your social media profiles or website so recipients can learn more about you and connect with you outside of email communication.

Now that we've covered how to make a professional email address stand out by incorporating brand identity, showcasing expertise, and personalizing the email signature, let's explore how Strikingly can help you achieve these goals with its customizable features for professional emails.

Strikingly Features for Professional Email Creation

Strikingly Landing Page

Strikingly offers a range of features to help you create a professional email that stands out. With custom domain integration, you can use your domain name for your email address, giving it a polished and professional look. This feature allows you to create a unique and memorable email address that reflects your brand identity and expertise.

Custom Domain Integration

Custom Domains from Strikingly

In the realm of professional communication, first impressions matter. When it comes to email, your email address is often the first point of contact you have with colleagues, clients, or potential partners. Strikingly's Custom Domain Integration elevates your email game by enabling you to ditch the generic email addresses associated with free email providers and craft email addresses that exude professionalism and brand recognition.

Here's how Strikingly's Custom Domain Integration empowers you to create professional emails:

• Brand Consistency. Imagine sending emails from an address like "[email protected]" instead of "[email protected]". Strikingly's integration allows you to connect your website domain seamlessly with your email, creating a unified brand identity. This fosters trust and recognition in the recipient's mind, as the email address identifies you and your business.
• Enhanced Credibility. Generic email addresses can sometimes raise red flags about legitimacy. A custom domain email address associated with your professional website instantly conveys a sense of credibility and establishes you as a serious player in your field.
• Improved Memorability. Say goodbye to the days of struggling to recall colleagues' email addresses. Custom domain emails make yours easier to remember. Recipients are more likely to recall "[email address removed]" than a generic one, streamlining communication and reducing the risk of missed messages.
• Departmental Organization. For businesses with multiple teams, Strikingly's integration allows you to create various email addresses for different departments, such as "[email protected]" or "[email protected]." This fosters better organization and streamlines communication for both you and your recipients.

Strikingly's Custom Domain Integration goes beyond aesthetics. It's a strategic tool that injects professionalism into your email communication, fosters trust with recipients and strengthens your brand identity in every message you send.

Professional Website Templates

Strikingly Website Template

While Strikingly shines in website creation, its benefits extend to your professional email. The platform's selection of professional website templates often features a "Contact Us" section. This pre-designed section likely includes an email signup form. Utilizing this form ensures your email address maintains a consistent, professional look that matches your website. Imagine a sleek contact form with your company logo and color scheme – this consistency builds trust and reinforces brand identity when those details appear in your email signature. Strikingly makes it seamless to achieve this polished look, helping you project professionalism from website to inbox.

Email Marketing Tools

Strikingly Newsletter

Creating professional emails consistently can feel like a time-consuming chore. Strikingly's Email Marketing Tools come to the rescue, empowering you to craft polished and impactful emails that resonate with your audience. Here's how Strikingly simplifies the process:

• Effortless Design. Ditch the plain text emails! Strikingly boasts a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor that allows you to design beautiful and professional-looking emails. Choose from a library of pre-designed templates or build your own from scratch. Integrate eye-catching visuals, personalize the layout, and incorporate your brand colors to create emails that leave a lasting impression.
• Personalization Powerhouse. Strikingly understands the power of personalization. Segment your audience based on interests or demographics and tailor your emails for maximum impact. Use dynamic content to personalize greetings, product recommendations, or special offers, making your emails more relevant and engaging to each recipient.
• A/B Testing for Optimization. Not sure which subject line or call-to-action button resonates best? Strikingly's A/B testing feature allows you to experiment and choose the winning option. Send out different versions of your email to a small test group and analyze the results. Strikingly helps you identify which elements perform best to refine your emails for higher open rates and click-through rates.
• Effortless Automation. Save precious time by automating your email marketing efforts. Strikingly allows you to create automated email workflows triggered by specific actions, such as abandoned carts or website sign-ups. This ensures timely and relevant communication with your audience, nurturing leads and driving conversions.
• Analytics at Your Fingertips. Strikingly provides valuable insights into your email marketing performance. Track open rates, click-through rates, and other key metrics to understand what resonates with your audience. Use this data to refine your future email campaigns and maximize your return on investment.

Leveraging Strikingly's Email Marketing Tools lets you ditch the design headaches and focus on crafting compelling content. With its intuitive interface, personalization features, and built-in analytics, Strikingly empowers you to craft professional emails that get noticed, drive action, and elevate your brand communication.

With Strikingly's comprehensive features for professional email creation, you can elevate the impact of your communication efforts and establish a strong online presence that resonates with your audience. Whether you're looking to create a professional email address or enhance the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns, Strikingly provides the tools and resources you need to succeed in today's digital landscape.

Take Your Email Communication to the Next Level

Creating a professional email is crucial to establishing your online presence. Following the key elements and essential components outlined in this guide, you can master the art of professional email creation. Elevate your professional image with a winning email address that reflects your expertise and showcases your brand identity. Take your email communication to the next level by personalizing your email signature and utilizing Strikingly's features for professional email creation.

Mastering the Art of Professional Email Creation

Crafting a professional email is more than choosing the right service provider or domain. It's about presenting yourself in a way that reflects your professionalism and expertise in your field. By incorporating these tips into your email creation process, you can ensure that every message you send leaves a lasting impression.

Elevate Your Professional Image with a Winning Email

Your professional image is important, and a well-crafted email address is an essential part of that image. Use the examples provided to inspire your unique address, one that stands out and showcases your professionalism.

With Strikingly's custom domain integration, professional email templates, and email marketing tools, you can take your communication to new heights. These features will help you create impactful emails that leave a lasting impression on recipients.

Creating a professional email is important in establishing yourself as an expert. With the right approach and tools, you can craft impressive emails that elevate your professional image and take your communication to the next level.

Trusted by millions of entrepreneurs & creatives.

Effective Email Marketing Subject Lines: 9 Copywriting Tips​

By Cara Berkeley

Email is still one of the most effective channels to engage, convert, and retain potential customers, but it's getting harder to stand out in people's inboxes. By 2025, the number of emails sent and received globally each day is estimated to reach 376 billion, according to Statista .

For this reason, writing engaging email subject lines has become more important than ever. You only have one chance to stand out and to grab your reader’s interest enough to open your email.

How to write an effective email marketing subject line

Here are nine copywriting techniques to create more attention-grabbing subject lines and give a boost to your email open rates.

1. Try using no more than five words

A Yesware study found that open rates were at their highest with email subject lines between one and five words. And, according to a Marketo study, subject lines with around 41 characters or seven words achieved more engagement overall.

It is a common pitfall for businesses to cram too much information in any one message. But in marketing often less really is more. Short and sweet email subject lines like “Products celebs are wearing” or “Deals you can’t miss” will get the point across and gain interest.

If the subject line needs to be longer than five words, put the most compelling information at the beginning. Your email subject line should just be a short and simple hook to bring the reader in.

2. Use numbers in your email subject line

Numbers help your subject lines stand out and also add credibility to your message. Yesware found that email subject lines that included a number had higher than average open and reply rates.

Include a statistic from a survey, a time-saving figure, the discount percentage figure, or the number of steps in your how-to guide. Break style guide rules by writing numbers less than 10 as numerals.

Examples of data-driven subject lines:

• “40% off today only”
• “15 ways to save on energy”

Infographics, which generally contain data and statistics, have become an increasingly popular piece of content. Use an infographic in the body copy of your email and tease it out with some of the data in your subject line.

3. Add intrigue or make an honest promise

To create more compelling subject lines, make sure they're intriguing or feature a promise. Consider using questions to build interest, or promise to reveal how readers can achieve something. For example:

• “David, is your home priced to sell quickly?”
• “Jane, here's how to boost your home's value.”

As with any marketing , make sure you are aware of your customers’ pain points and leverage them in your email subject line. A promised solution or answer for their issues will be hard to resist.

Make sure the actual email copy stays true to the subject line. Early on in the email body, reveal the answer to your question or uncover what you promised to reveal. Otherwise, you risk creating a negative response in your reader and maybe even a dreaded unsubscribe.

4. Combine personalization with conversational language

Various studies have reported a link between personalization and higher engagement levels. Personalized subject lines can even boost open rates by as much as 50% . While this is a well-known phenomenon, many businesses still underestimate the power of addressing the reader by name.

To make your email subject lines sound even more personal, keep the language informal and write like you're talking to a friend. “Linda, we don’t want you to miss out” or “This will look good on you, Linda” will increase your email open rates.

5. Sharpen up your unique voice

In a crowded inbox, you need to use language that sets you apart from other businesses. A distinct brand voice that highlights your personality is something that your competitors can't replicate.

Use language that is unique to you and complements your personality. Choose unconventional words to make your subject lines more memorable. Humor is one tool you can use to increase your inbox uniqueness.

Activewear retailer Fabletics combined brand personality with insight into what matters to their customers in this subject line: “Your butt will look great in these workout pants.” You can see how that one choice of word also makes this email stand out!

And Groupon knows how to use humor, as in this subject line: “Deals That Make Us Proud (Unlike Our Nephew, Steve).”

Having a brand personality and a unique copywriting voice will influence your customers to read more.

6. Use title case

There's no magic formula that will guarantee higher open rates, but one study showed that subject lines in title case are slightly more effective. When the major words of the subject line are capitalized, it seems to add authority to the message.

Try split testing two identical subject lines—one in title case and the other in sentence case. Then measure the open rates for each version. Just one word as in these examples can make your email stand out in their inbox:

• “We miss YOU”
• “FLASH Sale today only”

7. Experiment with emojis

Using an emoji in the subject line can help your message stand out in an inbox. According to Experian, including an emoji can increase open rates by around 45%.

However, emojis aren't always a good idea. For example, if you're a B2B business or a more formal business such as a law office or accounting firm, emojis might seem inappropriate.

Experiment by split testing two versions of the same subject line—one with an emoji and one without. Just make sure you test your subject lines with emojis on different devices and platforms; some emojis display incorrectly and it could look like a mistake.

8. Use second-person pronouns

Second-person pronouns such as “you,” “your,” “yours,” and “yourself” can add instant appeal to subject lines. Put simply, they make the reader feel more emotionally connected to your business and the message.

“You are not going to want to miss this” and “These jeans would look good on you” make the customer feel like you know them.

Write about the reader, not your business. Emphasize how the reader will benefit from opening your email. If you don't know their name, use a second-person pronoun to make the message sound more personal.

9. Use the FOMO technique periodically

Using FOMO (fear of missing out) in marketing is nothing new.

For example: “Peter, your 20 percent discount expires at midnight.” However, it can backfire. If you promote a limited-time offer one week, only to offer a similar promotion the following week, it can foster mistrust and damage your reputation.

Loss-aversion strategies might be a great tactic for boosting engagement in the short term, but it can get annoying. If you do it too often, it can seem inauthentic and repel potential customers. Use it periodically to boost email open rates, but use it carefully and honestly.

A well-crafted email subject line will boost your open rates

For any business growing an email list of subscribers is a cornerstone marketing activity. And as email marketing continues to grow more competitive, writing effective subject lines is one of the most important skills for any email marketer.

While there's no silver bullet for creating a perfect email subject line, these copywriting techniques can help your emails stand out.

For best results, use a combination of two or three of the strategies outlined here. And don't be afraid to experiment. A/B test different versions, measure the results, and focus on what works for your unique business and audience.

RELATED: How to Write a Cold Email That Gets Results

About the Author

Post by: Cara Berkeley

Cara Berkeley is a blogger, investment property owner, and full-time marketing executive. She's learned that thinking outside the box can make all the difference and shares tips and tricks on smart money management and investing on her blog at www.pennypolly.com

Company: Penny Polly

Website: www.pennypolly.com

Connect with me on Facebook .

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Tax changes small business owners should be aware of as the tax deadline looms

FILE - A cash register is seen on the front counter at the Alpha Shoe Repair Corp., Feb. 3, 2023, in New York. As Tax Day, April 15, approaches, there are plenty of things small business owners should keep in mind when filing taxes this year. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

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As Tax Day approaches, there are plenty of things small business owners should keep in mind when filing taxes this year.

April 15 is still the annual tax deadline for many small businesses although, unlike individuals, small businesses can have varying deadlines depending on the type of company, the state the taxes are filed in, and other factors. Quarterly estimated tax payments are generally required throughout the year. And certain types of small businesses had to file by March 15.

Since business tax filing is complex, most experts recommend small business owners work with a professional tax adviser rather than trying to file on their own or even with tax-filing software.

“Taxes should not be scary, especially when you have a certified tax professional or someone who is your trusted adviser,” said Amber Kellogg, vice president of affiliate origination and management at business consultancy Occams Advisory. “I always say you don’t go to the dentist to get your oil changed, and you certainly shouldn’t do (taxes) yourself unless you’re an expert.”

But even if small business owners aren’t filing taxes themselves, it’s still important to stay informed about any tax changes during the year. Here are things small business owners should consider as the April 15 deadline looms.

Consider an extension

Because of some pending tax legislation in Congress this year, Mitch Gerstein, senior tax adviser at accounting firm Isdaner & Co., said it might be a good idea to file for an extension. When you file an extension you still pay estimated taxes, but final paperwork isn’t due until September.

This gives your tax provider adequate time to file a return. And it’s cheaper to file an extension than an amended return, which costs more in administrative fees.

One reason Gerstein recommends an extension this year: a bonus depreciation write-off used by many small businesses is set to decrease for 2023. The bonus depreciation allowance was designed to spur capital purchases and it let businesses write off 100% of certain new and used assets in 2022. But beginning in 2023, that will decrease to 80% for used assets, dropping another 20% each year thereafter. However, a tax bill pending in Congress could restore the write-off to 100%. It’s rare that there is such a significant tax bill pending in Congress when taxes are due, Gerstein said.

Optimize your retirement plan

The Secure Act 2.0 passed by Congress in late 2022 gives small businesses some tax advantages if they offer a retirement plan. There’s a tax credit for small businesses starting new employee plans. The credit is up to 100% of the startup costs for adopting and maintaining a new 401(k) plan, capped at $5,000. There’s also a tax credit based on employer contribution, up to $1,000 annually per employee, over the plan’s first five years.

Changes in research and development write-offs

Scott Orn, chief operating officer of Kruze Consulting, works with startups backed by venture capital. Orn said the number one concern his clients are calling about is “Section 174,” a part of the tax code that involves writing off research and development costs.

In the past, companies were able to deduct 100% of research and development expenses from their taxable income. That was helpful because often that deduction meant the company was operating at a loss and wouldn’t have to pay taxes.

But starting in 2022 due to new legislation, companies have had to “capitalize” the expense – or spread it out over several years. That means they must now write off the expenses over five years for U.S.-based R&D, or 15 years for foreign R&D expenses.

Large and small companies alike are affected by the change, but small businesses are hurt the most, Orn said.

“(Small businesses) are the ones who are swinging into profit where they thought they were like safely losing money and not ever going to pay taxes for a while,” Orn said. “And that’s why it’s such a big surprise for them. It’s hurting people, it’s like it’s a lot of money these companies don’t have.”

Avoid underpayment penalties

Yet another reason for small business owners to use a tax professional is the fact that underpaying will cost more this year. In the past, underpayment penalties hovered at around 3%, but this year they’re more than double at 8% . That’s because the penalties are based on the federal short term interest rate plus three points, said Danny Castro, Florida Market Tax Leader at BDO USA, part of BDO Global, a global accounting network.

“The cost of underpayment is as high as it’s been in a long time,” he said.

One credit to skip: the ERC

At one time, the pandemic-era Employee Retention Credit seemed like a boon for small businesses. Designed to help small businesses keep employees during pandemic-era shutdowns, the generous credit let businesses file amended tax returns to claim the credit.

But that led to a cottage industry of scammers trying to entice small businesses to help them file for the credit – for a fee – even if they didn’t qualify. The IRS has launched several initiatives to claw back some money improperly given to businesses. To date, the IRS said 500 taxpayers have given back $225 million via a voluntary disclosure program, which ended on March 22, that let small businesses who thought they received the credit in error give back the money and keep 20%. And 1,800 businesses have withdrawn unprocessed claims totaling $251 million.

Get organized, stay organized

The best thing small businesses can do to help their tax advisers file their taxes is stay organized. A shoe box full of receipts isn’t helpful when trying to file timely taxes. Owners should log receipts in an orderly database they can turn over to their adviser. And stay on top of quarterly estimated payments.

“(Small business owners) need to be able to keep accurate records throughout the year and not have to go back in April and go, gosh, what what was this receipt for,” said Occams Advisory’s Amber Kellogg, “Keeping those, accurate records is very, very important.”

This story has been corrected to show that BDO USA is part of BDO Global, not BBO Global.

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An 82-year-old woman who runs half-marathons shares 3 simple habits that transformed her heart health

• A woman who started running half-marathons in her 70s said the exercise has improved her heart health.
• She walks 8 miles daily, and takes pictures along the way to share with family. 
• Her routine, including lifting weights and mobility exercise, is perfect for longevity, science suggests.

Getting older doesn't have to mean slowing down. Just ask Wilma King, who started running half-marathons in her 70s.

King completed her first race in 2014 alongside her daughter Andrea as well as her sister, brother-in-law, and their daughter, all of whom had run the event before.

"It just looked like they were having too much fun and I wanted to join in," she told Business Insider.

Now 82, King said she walks eight miles every morning to keep her heart healthy and to stay mentally sharp .

The walking, along with other habits like keeping in touch with family and working out to keep her joints healthy , has helped keep her energized and alert, though she can't imagine doing anything else.

"I don't have a secret," she said. "This seems normal and natural to me, and I just simply don't think about it."

Experts and research suggest you can improve your health by following her lead, even if you don't put in as many miles.

Walking every morning is part of her daily routine

King said she's always had a fairly active lifestyle and has enjoyed bicycling with her family as soon as her daughter was old enough to be brought along in a carrier seat.

In 2014, however, King was diagnosed with pericarditis (chest pain and irritation of the tissue surrounding the heart), pleurisy, and a valve problem. She was determined to do everything she could to stay healthy and took up a regular walking schedule, starting a little at a time.

"It was an effort basically to get out of the house and then to the corner," she said. "I wanted to get back to the way I had been before because those illnesses took a lot out of me."

King started by just walking down the block and back and gradually went further and further as her stamina increased .

"I don't even know why I started doing eight miles, but that's the routine," she said. "And then from the walking, I started running more."

Now, her main form of exercise is long daily walks, totaling 200 miles a month (although experts say most people can benefit from just an extra 500 to 1000 steps a day , especially at first).

"It's good as far as staying alert and certainly my heart function has improved. And then it's good for my mental health," she said.

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For her first half-marathon, she used a running plan (she doesn't remember which) to work her way up to longer distances.

She's completed the annual Rock 'n' Roll Washington DC half marathon every year since and has no plans to stop any time soon.

"I'm slower now than I was at one point, but I'm 82, so what can I say?" King said. "I'll do it as long as I can."

King said she suspects the family tradition is also a sneaky way for her daughter to check in on her health over time.

"I think for her it's almost like a cognitive test 'I want to see how mom is moving. I want to see if she's paying attention and things like that.' It's a nice one-on-one, but I think she's watching me to see exactly what I do and how I do it," she said.

And if finishing 12 miles isn't enough of a sign she's aging gracefully, her daughter is " too polite to tell me," King said with a laugh.

Sharing pictures of her walks with friends and family to stay social

King said her morning routine also involves connecting with loved ones as part of her daily stroll — she takes pictures along the route with her phone to pass along as a little check-in.

"I walk for heart health, plus I entertain myself. I have some daily contacts and I send like a 'hello, how are you message' along with the photograph," she said.

There's good science to suggest that King has the right idea since being social can boost both longevity and your motivation to keep exercising .

People in Blue Zones, areas of the world with high concentrations of people who live to 100 , are known for having strong habits of building social connections which is beneficial for both mental and physical health.

Weight lifting and mobility exercises to prevent injury

King doesn't just walk to stay active but does some stretching and mobility exercises like deep knee bends to help protect her joints. Being able to prevent injury by staying mobile is key to longevity , a personal trainer previously told BI.

King also taps into one of the best anti-aging exercises we know of just by working out from home.

"It's not much to talk about. I have some six-pound weights and I lift those up, down, side-to-side and swing them back and forth and all of that. Nothing real special," she said.

Even without any fancy weightlifting techniques, strength training is consistently linked to living a longer, healthier life.

For King, the combination of vibrant social life, long walks, and other workouts is paying off, as she's noticed more serious health declines among peers in her age group who don't have a similar routine.

"I think of myself as one of the lucky ones. So far so good," she said.

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