Email Etiquette

When working in the communications field, it is impossible to avoid sending emails all day long. Some are to co-workers and can be more casual but others need to be professional for media outreach or to clients. It is very important to learn email etiquette now when emailing professors and potential employers and to carry the skills into future internship and job opportunities. Here are some things to keep in mind when sending emails.

Begin with a professional greeting

Saying “Hello” to “Hi” will work. Avoid “Hey” unless you’re emailing a close friend or have already established that tone with the person you’re emailing.  If you choose to include the person’s name, make sure you spell it right. There is nothing worse than spelling a person’s name wrong in the greeting especially when it is in their email address.

Get to the point

Many people to not have time to read five paragraph emails. If you are asking a question, just ask it. Be clear and concise. If you do have a longer email, be sure to split it up and have spaces between the paragraphs.

Create an email signature

An email signature allows you to share some information about yourself and avoid having to always type your contact information in the body of the email. In college, it is helpful to have your first and last name, school, major, important positions and contact information. As a public relations student, it is also appropriate to include social media handles and links to personal blogs or your LinkedIn page.

Please reply all

Always reply all to emails to make sure everyone is on the same page and avoid lack of communication. It is better to be overly informed than leave people out of the loop.

Never forget to proofread!

This is the most important part. Double check everything in your email from the spelling of someone’s name, any embedded links, dates and times. Proofreading your emails will avoid the embarrassing follow-up email with any corrections from the first email.

This blog post was written by PRowl Secretary Shaun Luberski. You can follow her on Twitter here.

Holiday Shopping in Your Inbox

Prepare for an inbox of coupons and promo codes this holiday season.

We've taken e-mail for granted. We use it most often for business purposes rather than personal purposes, but it remains a tactic for marketing professionals everywhere.  E-blasts, promotional codes, weekly updates, and blog content are all sent out as attention-grabbers via e-mail.

(Source: Here's The Thing)

According to Experian Marketing, over 90% of marketers are using e-mail in their marketing plan this holiday season. This puts e-mail in a more common place than social media. Chances are companies are using free media regardless, but their audience and focus are both factors of what channel receives the  most effort. Ultimately, we check our inboxes compulsively for the sake of business, so why do marketers reach out to us on the same outlet for the sake of consumerism?

The biggest holiday sales and shopping occur online, surpassing Black Fridays sales on Cyber Monday, the Monday following Thanksgiving. It's a virtual world for the holiday shopper, e-commerce and digital marketing staying one step ahead of the game.

As aspiring communication professionals, we understand that everyone has something to promote. Send out my e-blast, I'll send out your e-blast. Digital marketing is a perfect opportunity to differentiate marketing from public relations, and furthermore, organic promotion from that of paid advertisements.

Email Etiquette 101

Compulsively checking your email account is one thing every PR professional can relate to. Emails are a constant form of communication and it is important to know how to efficiently write one. Below are 4 of my favorite tips for writing an exceptional email:

1. Get straight the to point. Reading more than one is something no one enjoys doing. Cutting out unnecessary words is one way to get straight to the point. Focus on what is most important and people will be more inclined to read what you sent.

2. Use proper spelling and grammar. This will show that you are not careless and keep things professional. It is important to have a good reputation with your collegues and people you have to engage with.

3. Have a proper signature. It is important to have an appropriate signature depending on whom you are writing to. My favorite one to use is “Best” because it can be formal or casual. Using “Thank You” is also a good option when closing an email.

4. Keep it simple. Along with getting straight to the point, keeping it simple is another key tip. No fancy font or colors is the way to go.

Once you get the hang of writing emails they will be fun and quicker than you anticipated. Email is the most common form of communication and it is something one must be good at to do well in the professional world.

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Gabrielle Lacherza.

Please Touch Me - Tips for a Strong Subject Line

We see hundreds of emails in a week, at least a hundred in one day, and we are exposed to over 5,000 messages. That’s a lot to take in! So how do you get your email read instead of having it ignored? It all starts with the subject line! The subject line is no doubt the most important part of the email because it will decide your fate on whether or not it’s read or dead. Here is a list of tips to amp up your subject line!

1. Put the information or offer up front! 

Position is everything! Nobody wants to have search for the information or the main point of an email.They want to know right away what they are reading so present your point, or at least hint at it, right away in the subject line. Don’t turn the subject line into a guessing game for what the email is about, and definitely don’t leave it blank.

2. Keep your subject line short and sweet!

People are not attracted to lengthy subject lines and they want to see the point of the email right away. Also take notice to the fact that on mobile devices, subject lines get cut shorter than they do on desktops. Keep your subject line length to 8-10 words.

3. Give it a sense of urgency but make it personal!

People hate the thought of missing out on something good, so give your subject line a time constraint. Also, make it relatable to the reader so they feel they need to open it right away.

4. Check for spelling errors!

One single spelling error can make someone delete your email right away. It looks unprofessional, so double and triple check!

5. Most importantly, be clever!

Grab your reader’s attention! It’s found that having short and descriptive subject lines are more prone to being opened compared to cheesy lures. Subject lines can be funny, controversial, personal, or even just a single word.

Subject lines are so important when it comes to an email. If people are receiving hundreds of emails a day, there is a competitive edge to sending out an email. Use these tips to make yours stand out and beat the rest!

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Alissa Steele.

 

6 Ways To Avoid Email Overwhelm

Most professionals have a love/hate relationship with their email inboxes. Between never ending email threads and an ever growing number in the 'unread' column, it is easy to feel that your inbox is taking over your professional, or even personal, life.

Luckily, there are easy ways to regain control of your inbox. Here are six easy ways to make take some of the dread out of your mailbox:

1. Get rid of the junk. Have you noticed that half of the emails you skim through or instantly delete during the day are subscriptions or promotional offers you no longer want or need? Take the plunge, and remove yourself from those lists to avoid added clutter in your inbox. Use an unsubscribe service like unroll.me to help wade through what should stay and what should go.

2. Create labels or folders to help you organize. Labels and folders are a great way to make sense of your inbox and can help to sort through junk. Label or file always emails with important dates or information that you can't delete right away.

3. Don't hold on to old messages. Instead of having messages linger in your inbox, hit that delete button and let it go. If a message or thread contains important information, use a filter or folder to deal with it later. Otherwise, let go and don't allow the clutter to build.

4. Avoid numerous drafts. Drafts are a great way to work on an email before you're ready to send, but the draft folder can fill up rather quickly. Once your done crafting and your email is ready to send, go back and empty the draft folder back to zero. There is no need to take up space and add more clutter

5. Manage as you go. With all of our email now conveniently stored on our smartphones, keeping up with email during the day is easier than ever. If you have a few minutes while waiting in line or sitting in traffic, take a second a sift through. You're likely to find that there are some messages you can delete without even opening.

6. Stop emailing yourself! The advances in cloud software have made taking your files with you everywhere easier than ever. Services like Google Drive and Dropbox, which are offered free, are great to use. Gone are the days when you had to email yourself an attachment, message or reminder - further clogging your inbox.

What do you do to help avoid email overwhelm? Share your email tips with us in the comments!

Email Inbox Etiquette

An email inbox can be overwhelming. Especially in the generation of text messages and tweets, answering emails can seem very time consuming. As an aspiring PR professional, realize you will be relying on email a lot. Winter break is a great time to get organized and catch up!

Although email is a great tool, it can also be a downfall when it is disorganized. During past internships, the number of emails I received in just one hour was intimidating. Here are a few times to keep your inbox organized and to keep yourself sane:

Keep it as unread – If you don't want to read the whole email now, save it for later. Most of the time I am in such a hurry to clean up my inbox I click through emails without reading the whole thing. Instead of skimming through emails, keep it flagged for a little later when you have the time and patience. 

Check your junk mail folder – You never know what is in there until you check it! Try to check it once every day to make sure aren't missing an important message. 

Organize by subject – Creating folders for my inbox was such a lifesaver. If you have a lot of unread notes, organize by subject or sender to get through the important stuff first.

How do you organize your inbox? Let us know!

Death of the Press Release

If there's one thing that reporters always say it's that they're busy. They're constantly under deadline and their phones are ringing off the hook. They don't have time to read lengthy pitches. The key is to keep it short, sweet and to the point. 

The age of social media in which we've found ourselves has changed the art of pitching even more. Instead of emails, reporters are looking to their Twitter timelines for information and potential stories.  How can press releases possibly compete with 140 character pitches? They probably can't.

Okay, so maybe that's a little extreme.  However, I think that there is something to say about the effectiveness of press releases.  PR professionals might be too quick to resort to the traditional press release in times where a simple pitch email with no attachment or a quick tweet (120 characters to leave room for response) might do just as well.

We all know how frustrating it is for a reporter to disregard a carefully thought out pitch and release, and I think it would be more beneficial to simply send the pitch and not attach the press release.  If they want details, they'll reach out.  The email size will be smaller without the attachment so maybe they'll be more likely to open it! I'm not afraid to admit this might be too simplistic of a media relations viewpoint.

What are your thoughts? Is the press release here to stay or will it soon go the way of snail mail?

Email Inbox Etiquette

An email inbox can be overwhelming. Especially in the generation of text messages and tweets, answering emails can seem very time consuming. As an aspiring PR professional, realize you will be relying on email a lot. 

Although email is a great tool, it can also be a downfall when it is disorganized. During past internships, the number of emails I received in just one hour was intimidating. Here are a few times to keep your inbox organized and to keep yourself sane:

Keep it as unread – If you don't want to read the whole email now, save it for later. Most of the time I am in such a hurry to clean up my inbox I click through emails without reading the whole thing. Instead of skimming through emails, keep it flagged for a little later when you have the time and patience. 

Check your junk mail folder – You never know what is in there until you check it! Try to check it once every day to make sure aren't missing an important message. 

Organize by subject – Creating folders for my inbox was such a lifesaver. If you have a lot of unread notes, organize by subject or sender to get through the important stuff first.

How do you organize your inbox? Let us know!

Got Professionalism?

We all write emails, sometimes multiple times a day, but how much effort is put into the emails we write? Even the simplest emails should be given the utmost time and attention. It is important to always appear professional and take the time to construct every email you write. If you follow these simple tips, you will never think about writing an unprofessional email again. 

1. Keep it short, sweet, and to the point: People are normally busy and don’t have much time to spare reading a long email. 
2. Be polite: Don’t be rude when it comes to asking people for things. Remember to say, “Please” and “Thank you” throughout the email.
3. Take a breather: Never write an email while you are upset. Aggression is easy to pick up on in an email and people don’t want to feel you are yelling at them. Write your thoughts down first and then edit to make them sound pleasant. 
4. Hold the creativity: Some people like to use colorful fonts or big print. Don’t! Standard, black font is the most professional. It is classic and people find it easier to read. 
5. Proofread, proofread, proofread: Never send an email without reading it first. Do not just rely on spell check; read it yourself and read it slowly. There is nothing more embarrassing than someone reading an email and correcting a spelling or grammar mistake.

Emails are a part of our everyday communication. Careful attention must be put into every one. Mistakes in an email are the fastest way to disrupt a relationship with people. Take your time and read through every email before you hit the send button because once you hit send, it’s out there and cannot be retrieved. 

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Alie Curran. 

We Are the Twenty Percent!

In the world of business, ROI is everything. In order to increase your ROI, you need to ensure you are delivering the right message, to the right audience, through the correct channel.

Online, there are seven types of audiences: altruists, selectives, passionates, connectors, trendspotters, provocateurs, and careerists.Of these consumers, only 20% are high sharers, active users, like us, whom generally create original content and whom are loyal to online brands, and the other 80% are considered low sharers, consumers not loyal to a specific brand and whom are not very active on social media. In general, campaigns should be tailored to your company's or organization's high sharers. Below, I will highlight the characteristics of each type of high share consumer and how to cater to them.

1. Altruists account for the largest percentage of social consumers. They re-tweet, post and share because of a desire to help others. Altruists are especially important to focus on for non-profits and fundraising endeavors. The most effective way to engage altruists is through Facebook and email.
2.  Selectives make up the second highest percentage of social consumers. They strategically share information and content with specific users. These consumers use email most frequently to share content.
3. Passionates share content and information because of a common passion they share with their followers and friends. They can be frequently found on Facebook and on customer review sites.
4. Connectors share information in order to create opportunities. They generally will link multiple account to optimize their social experience. They are most commonly found and can be reached on Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr and Facebook.
5. Trendspotters want to be in and let others know they are in the know. They attempt to increase their credibility via multiple social channels and can be found on YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, foursquare, Flickr, Facebook and Delicious. 
6. Provocateurs are always looking to get a reaction. Bloggers are generally included in the this category and can be reached on YouTube, Wordpress/Blogger, Twitter, LinkedIn, foursqare, Flickr and Delicious. 
7. Careerists general use social sites for business and networking purposes. In general, Careerists utilize YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr and Facebook.

The number of followers and analytics of your company's page are no longer an appropriate measure of a campaign's success. Targeting high share consumers to generate recommondations and inspire creation of content is the appropriate means to increase engagement, brand loyalty, and ROI.

This post is based on the Huffington post article written by Jennifer Nagy,  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennifer-nagy/social-media-marketing_b_1695186.html 

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!

Gmail: Keeping You Sane Through Labels

Thanks to the power of the iPhone I have access to my email virtually 24 hours a day, but with my organizations, school and work, I have a messy inbox.

Gmail has a variety of ways to keep your inbox organized with labels. Labels allow you to color coat and categorize emails from different people or a set of group of people. So for example, I have a set color label for all of my staff members who work on one particular account. Gmail also allows you to create folders where you can save particular conversations. For instance I have a TO-DO folder where I filter all of my to-do emails.

To create a label:

1. Click the Labels drop-down menu; click the gear icon Mail settings and Labels.

2. Select Create new.

3. Type the name of your new label and click OK

To apply a label to a message, you can select the check box next to the message(s) in question, and then select the label name from the Labels drop-down menu. You can also drag a message to a label's name to move that message to a label.

Also, when you receive an email from a person who you would like to add to an existing label:

1. Click More
2. Select Filter messages like these
3. The From box should already have the individuals email address, from there you select Next Step.
4. Under Choose action select Apply the label and choose accordingly

For more tips follow Gmail on Twitter: @gmail.

How To: Write a Professional Email Part II

When PRowl launched its blog over three years ago, a staff member blogged about tips for writing a professional email. Nobody would have guessed that three years later it would remain our top blog post with over 180 views a day and over 10,000 views in total. It has been an ongoing joke with staff members over the years how one blog post could be so popular and that our top search words to date still remain to be "How to write a professional email." In my advanced PR class we spent the week going over the rules for emails, proposals and memorandums and I thought it would only be appropriate to write a sequel to our most popular blog post to-date. I present to you, How to: Write a Professional Email Part II.

With the need to disseminate information quickly, email still remains a popular form of professional communication. According to research by the Radicati Group, by 2012 people are expected to receive approximately 228 emails a day in their inbox. With information overload growing into an increasingly larger problem, it is important to ensure that your email has a clear purpose, has tailored content and fits the appropriate format. The following tips are from Dennis L. Wilcox's Public Relations Writing and Media Relations Techniques, 6th edition.

Content Tips:
- Use language that falls halfway between formal writing and spontaneous conversation.
- Send messages without attachments whenever possible. An attachment drastically decreases the odds that your message will be read.
- Blunt words and statements assume more importance in electronic form than in a telephone conversation. Temper your language.
- When sending e-mail messages to the media, use blind copy distribution so that the recipients don't know it is a mass mailing.
- Always reread an email message message before sending it. Will the tone or choice of words offend the receiver? Are you coming across as friendly and courteous, or blunt and pompous?

Format Tips:
- Subject lines: Think of the subject line as a form of headline. You have up to 42 characters to grab the attention of your receiver. If you are requesting information or need a decision/response, then provide the necessary context so that recipient knows what is being discussed or requested.

- Salutation: An e-mail is a more informal means of communication and therefore you can skip the "Dear, XXX" unless you deem it to be appropriate. If the email is business oriented for example, it might be best to use a more formal designation such as "Hello, Ms. Smith." However, if there is already a level of familiarity, feel free to begin with the person's first name. If the email is being sent to a group, use an opener such as "Team" or "Colleagues."

- First sentence/paragraph: Get to the "bottom line" right away so the recipient knows what the key message is and what you want him or her to do with it.

- Body of message: Regardless if you have a lot to say, emails should be kept fairly brief and short so find a way to condense. A good rule of thumb is the one screen rule or approximately 2o - 25 lines, single-spaced.

- Closing: Sign off with a word such as "Regards," "Best," or even "Cheers." You can also use the standard closing "Sincerely," if you feel it is appropriate for the situation. Make sure you include your name, title, organization, email, phone and fax numbers in a standard signature. This makes it easy for the recipient to contact you directly if he or she wants additional information.

Lastly, Mind your Email Manners:

- Avoid the "Reply to All" button. People hate having their inbox clogged unnecessarily.
- Skip the CAPITAL letters. People don't like being yelled at.
- Save the fancy stationary. Nobody cares for emoticons or purple pastel backgrounds.
- Keep forwards to a minimum. Everyone hates chain mail.
- Count to 10 before hitting send. Email travels fast and you never know who your message might be forwarded on to.

I hope you find these new tips as useful and helpful as the old ones! Please feel free to share some of your own as well!

Avoiding all-too-common PR Snafus

One of the most important things to do when writing press releases, emails, pitches, etc. is to proofread. Error-free writing is a must when trying to get your writing picked up by journalists. In order to help you steer clear of errors, here are some things to keep in mind when sending information to the media:

Do not use internet language, slang, or little-known acronyms

As you will see below, it is incredibly unprofessional, and often confusing, to understand important information when it is not written in plain English. Avoid at all costs using abbreviated statements like TTYL and LOL. A blast email sent from a PR agency to PRNewser in 2010 shows why internet language should not be used when writing for public relations:

The subject line for the pitch email read:

Pls send this firm wide and to my whole rolodex asap—also to PR trade list on Y drive in media lists—pls do so asap—also pr newswire, etc.

If the person who sent this email had paid closer attention to what they were sending, the issue could have been avoided. Showing directions for pitch distribution reflects poorly on the agency’s credibility.

Always check for typos and missing words

Even if you think something is perfect, look over it for typos. Better yet, have a coworker look over it. A simple email with an overlooked typo could mean the difference between the word “as” and a more explicit word. Typos can be detrimental to the purpose of your writing, like the following skincare company’s marketing copy:

“Pulse is a state-of-the-art spa, catering to people who have skin.”

Always make sure you send your email to the right person

Nothing is more offensive to the person receiving your message than addressing them incorrectly. Sending an email greeting Diane instead of Dan is an automatic way to get your email put into an editor’s trash bin.

Do not use emoticons when sending a professional email

This may seem like common sense, but I have seen emails to executives filled with smiley faces. Use of emoticons is one of the most unprofessional ways to communicate via email. So please, do not send a message with one of these guys in it: .

Subject lines should always be error-free

The subject line is the first thing that a person sees when they look through their email inbox. Subject line errors are both embarrassing and a way to land your email in the trash bin. For instance, if you are announcing someone as the Vice President of Finance and they really are the CFO, you have given out incorrect information that, unfortunately, may get used by the media as it is assumed that the information you sent out is correct.

Have you ever seen any of these common “snafus”? Do you have any other tips on avoiding such mistakes? Let us know!

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Kurie Fitzgerald.

Writing the Perfect Email Pitch

With hundreds of emails piling up in journalist's inboxes daily, it is necessary to have a well-crafted pitch to make sure your story stands out. Below I have outlined some things to keep in mind before you hit the send button.

• Think of who you are pitching. While you may have a very well-written and thought out pitch, you need to make sure that you are tailoring your story so that it is relevant to the publication you are sending it to.


• Keep your subject line short and to the point. Journalists won't take the time to read a long and rambling subject line. If you are having trouble, try writing the body of the email first and then picking key words that will get your point across.


• When you start the body of your email, the first sentence needs to grab the reader's attention by letting them know how they will be affected by what you have to say. Expand upon your subject line to give them more detail.


• Make it personal. Don't send out the same generic email to a ton of journalists hoping one of them will decide to write your story. You need to build relationships with these journalists and show that you want their attention specifically, not just taking a shot in the dark.


• NEVER send attachments. This will successfully get your email put in the trash or stuck in a spam folder. Only attach files if asked.


• Follow-up at an appropriate time. Editors have to look through their entire inbox, so if after a week or two you still haven't heard back from them, send a reminder email or phone call to pitch your story.

While pitching a story of any kind can be stressful, just remember to remain polite and professional while creating these relationships and the process will get easier every time.

What makes your email pitches successful?

What's in Your Email Signature Line?

We have all seen them. Those annoying email signatures that take up more space than the email itself, with crazy fonts and colors, irrelevant quotes from past leaders and crazy clip art inserts. I'm somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to my email signature and it has certainly evolved from my freshman year's:

Niki Ianni
Future PR Rockstar
(610) XXX-XXXX

In retrospect, its fair to say I was slightly uniformed but definitely eager at least. Now, as I have grown up, learned the do's and don'ts and have actually gained a few titles for myself, my email signature has evolved into something more telling than "Future PR Rockstar." While on ragan.com I found a great article by Arik Hanson that outlines a checklist of things to include in your email signature. So I put mine to the test. My current email signature includes:

Niki Ianni
Firm Director, PRowl Public Relations
Firm Director, Temple University PRSSA

(e): xxxxxxxx@temple.edu
(c): (xxx) xxx-xxxx

@NikiMIanni
www.prowlpublicrelations.blogspot.com

As outlined in the Ragan article, your email signature should include:

1. Name - First and last
2. Title
3. Phone - Work and cell (include fax number if relevant to your industry)
4. Email
5. Website
6. Twitter handle - Only if its fairly active
7. Blog - only if updated regularly

Luckily, my email signature stands up to the test (minus the website - currently a work in progress!)

So remove those inspirational quotes, delete any of those cheesy pictures, get rid of the rainbow colored font and remember to keep it clean, clear and simple.

How does your email signature stand up to the checklist? Let us know!