5 Modern Email Etiquette for Professionals (+ Templates)

While it takes less than a minute to send an email, it’s nearly impossible to “unsend”.

What does this tell you? You have to pay careful attention while drafting your email.

Avoid sloppy mistakes and get your email copy to be top-notch before hitting the “send” button.

Unfortunately, some professionals don’t understand what goes into an impeccable formal email.

In this article, we’ll share the top 5 email etiquette for writing a professional email in today’s modern world.

Applying these etiquettes can as well ensure that your recipients open and enjoy your email.

What is Email Etiquette?

Email etiquette is a set of standards and principles guiding professional email writing. It is the use of appropriate structure, language, grammar, tone, and conventions in an email.

Communicating via email isn’t the same as having a conversation over a drink. Although emails can also be less formal when they’re personal rather than professional emails.

Following proper etiquette, while writing emails is important because it helps you communicate more clearly with your reader. In addition, you’ll maintain a better relationship with the recipient when you address them properly.

5 Modern Email Etiquette for Professionals

Here are the top 5 modern email etiquette to write an official email.

1. Use a Professional Email Address

If you’re sending out an email on your company’s behalf it’s best to use the company email address rather than your personal email.

Most people tend to neglect emails with personal addresses, especially when they’re not expecting one. Using your company’s email makes it easy for the recipient to notice amidst the host of other emails.

If you’re sending a personal email, ensure to use a formal email address that’s easy to identify and remember.

Your email address should contain your first name and perhaps combine your last name. Do not use weird or complicated names, symbols, and numbers for your email address.

2. Write Clear Subject Lines

First off, you shouldn’t send an email without a subject line. Your subject line is one of the most important parts of your email letter.

But more importantly, your subject line needs to address the concern of the recipient to encourage them to open the letter. Use a concise subject line that gives a clue to the content of the letter.

Let your reader know what to expect from the letter from your subject line, that’s the essence of a subject line. It’s similar to a topic.

An example of an appropriate subject line is “Meeting time changed.” It’s concise and can tell at a glance what the email is all about. Also, avoid using misleading subject lines.

3. Always Start with an Introduction

Always start your email with an introduction of yourself. However, keep in mind that there are rules for writing an email introduction.

Keep the introduction short. Mention your name in full, your title, and your company name. Further state your motive or the reason for the email in a concise manner. Afterward, you can go ahead to elaborate on the reason.

However, don’t go overboard with unnecessary content that tends to elongate the email. Emails are best short and straight to the point.

4. Maintain a Professional Tone

In email writing, the tone is very important. Perhaps, more significant than what you say. Emails are mostly fit for serious contexts such as business situations or messaging someone you’re not very familiar with.

Always use a professional don’t when writing emails. Avoid using slang, abbreviations, contractions, emoticons, and other informal terminology.

This, however, does not mean you should use ambiguous words and sound mythical. Keep it natural, friendly, and polite, but avoid vulgar words, humor, and sarcasm in emails.

Don’t say things like “Hey” or “What’s up” rather say “Hi” or “Hello.” Never write emails using abbreviations or incomplete sentences. Working professionals don’t have the leisure time to read and respond to emails.

So make it easier for them by writing direct words. Also, never use ALL CAPS when writing emails as it reads as yelling and comes out as harsh.

5. Use a Professional Format

A good format makes your email copy come out clean and easy to read. As a general rule, use the standard fonts for your emails. Some of the best fonts for email include:

• Times New Roman
• Arial
• Calibri
• Helvetica

Also, use proper sizing and color. When it comes to the font size, 10-point or 12-point is right. For font color, black is the best choice.

Use the same font, type size, and color throughout the email. Also, don’t overuse bold and italic properties.

6. Keep the Copy Clear and Concise

When writing your email, it’s important to keep it concise rather than lengthy and overly wordy. Avoid long paragraphs, instead, use bullets to keep the copy concise and readable.

Remember that some recipients may not have all the time to read lengthy copies. They may also have a sheer number of them waiting in their inbox.

The recipient should be able to scan through the email and know why you’re writing without having to read to the end of the copy. To ensure this, highlight the purpose of the message at the beginning of the email.

Aim to deliver your message so that the email body is no longer than three paragraphs. Use lines between the paragraphs to boost readability.

Bonus Point!

Proofread Your Email

Proofread your copy, just like you would any other correspondence before clicking the send button. Read the copy at least twice, keeping an eye on grammar, spelling, and format.

Here are some vital things to pay attention to while giving your email copy a second look:

• the subject line to ensure it is concise and communicates the message of the email
• the motive and message of the email, for clarity 
• spelling, grammar, and punctuation
• unnecessary words, phrases, or details
• the recipient’s email address and name. Check for correctness
• call to action

Before sending your email, also ensure that you attach any documents or files you may have referenced in the email’s body.

Getting Started: Free Email Templates

Email etiquette is more like a set of “dos and don’ts” that you can use to write your emails to make them outstanding. Although there are lots of these rules, these 5 plus 1 etiquettes are the basics and most important.

If you’re not sure where to start, start by downloading our Networking Email Templates after subscribing! They will help you structure emails to your contacts that get results.

Once subscribed, you’ll get access to our Email templates and many other free career development resources.