Email Is Still King

Like everything else, public relations is a business. And in any business, communication is key. Although email is not hip compared to the social media tools of our time, email still rules in business communication. Email is vital to the success of a business and aspiring PR pros should know that email should is their number one tool of communication.

This past summer I had the opportunity to intern in the corporate communications department of a national insurance company. A heavy reliance was placed on work email communication. When an important message needed to be sent, I could find it in my inbox.

Email has become almost a universal language for the working professionals. It is old, familiar and most of all, dependable.

Here are some tips to put you on the right track to writing a professional email:

1. Greeting: When writing an email it is always important to have a proper greeting. Depending on when you send the message, you could put “Good Morning” or “Good Afternoon.” Most important about a greeting though is to address the person you are emailing by first name. This makes it more personal and warm
2. Body: Keep it short and sweet. No one likes to read more than three simple paragraphs anyways!
3. Closing: Depending upon the subject matter of your email, your closing can vary. I usually stick with “Best,” or “Best Regards,” however you can always close out your email with the go-to “Sincerely,” or “Thanks.”
4. Signature: Email signatures are key to an email. They tell the person a little bit more about yourself without having to research. Your signature should include your college status and major, any positions you hold as well as your current job title. Here is an example of what my email signature looks like:

Kaitlyn Sutton

Temple University '14

Strategic & Organizational Communication, Public Relations

PRowl Public Relations

Be Seen. Be Heard. Be Known

http://prowlpublicrelations.blogspot.com/

@ProwlPR

Alpha Epsilon Phi Sorority, Phi Theta Chapter

Public Relations Chair

Philadelphia Insurance Companies

Corporate Communications Intern

ksutton@phlyins.com

(e): kaitlyn.sutton@temple.edu

(c): (insert cell phone number)

5.   Spell Check: This is a vital tool that most people forget to utilize. Make sure you not only spell check your email but read it out loud once or twice to make sure you are also using correct grammar and sentence structure.

What other things do you keep in mind when writing an email? We want to know!