Unspoken Rules: What is Email Etiquette and Why Does It Matter?
Etiquette is like an unwritten rulebook for human interactions, ensuring you maintain politeness and communicate effectively at the same time.
But what is email etiquette and why is it important?
Email etiquette is critical because it comes into play when you aren’t face-to-face with the other person. Email users across the world send almost 350 billion emails every day; email etiquette for business can set you apart in a crowded inbox. And if you’re an email marketer, it makes the different types of email campaigns you send effective and appreciated.
Let’s study the intricacies of email etiquette so your email marketing subscribers think of you as an eloquent, gracious, and friendly email sender!
What Is Email Etiquette?
Email etiquette, also known as email netiquette, refers to the established set of rules and guidelines for proper and effective email communication. It encompasses a range of principles that help individuals and organizations convey messages professionally and respectfully.
What is Proper Etiquette?
Proper etiquette for emails is a set of rules of email; they help senders better understand the meaning of email etiquette and cover topics such as:
- Email subject lines,
- Email tone,
- Formality of language,
- Email copywriting,
- Proper email format,
- Considerations for privacy and email security.
Now that we know what is meant by email etiquette, we examine what makes email etiquette important.
Why Do You Need Email Etiquette?
Adhering to email etiquette or email courtesy is essential for both individuals and businesses — it ensures messages are clear, courteous, and well-received. It also helps prevent misunderstandings and maintains positive relationships.
Let’s review the pros and cons of enforcing an email etiquette policy in professional emails.
| Advantages of Email Etiquette | Disadvantages of Email Etiquette |
|---|---|
| It demonstrates respect, courtesy, and attention to detail. | It can sometimes feel overly formal or stiff, especially with close colleagues. |
| It promotes clear and concise communication, reducing misunderstandings | It can be time-consuming to craft perfectly formatted and worded emails. |
| It facilitates easy organization and retrieval of emails through clear subject lines and structured messages. | It can lead to over-reliance on email for communication, potentially neglecting personal methods like phone calls or face-to-face meetings. |
| It helps maintain a consistent brand image. | Etiquette rules can sometimes be outdated, making it difficult to adapt to evolving communication norms. |
| It minimizes potential misunderstandings caused by cultural differences. | Etiquette can vary across cultures; what is considered polite in one culture might be seen as rude in another. |
| It provides a framework for tone, style, and structure. | Strict adherence to etiquette can sometimes hinder creativity and personal expression. |
We are in favor of email etiquette, so let’s go a bit deeper into how you can benefit from paying attention to email etiquette.
Why is Having Email Etiquette Important?
Email etiquette is particularly important in a professional environment where clear communication is crucial to conducting business smoothly.
Now that we know what is proper email etiquette, let’s look at why etiquette is important.
Benefits of Email Etiquette
- Professionalism: Using proper email etiquette demonstrates professionalism and respect in your digital interactions.
- Reputation: Consistently using good email etiquette can enhance your professional reputation. Clarity: Following email etiquette guidelines, such as using clear subject lines and well-structured messages, ensures your emails are easily understood.
- Efficiency: Well-crafted emails, with concise and relevant content, save time for both you and your recipient.
- Respect for recipients: Being courteous and respectful in your email communication shows consideration for your recipient’s time and attention.
- To escape spam filters: Proper email etiquette reduces the chances of your emails getting caught in spam filters.
- Cybersecurity: Email etiquette practices, like being cautious with links and attachments, help protect against phishing emails and malware attacks.
- Reduced miscommunication: Clear and considerate email communication minimizes the risk of misinterpretation or confusion.
Why Do We Use Good Etiquette When Writing Emails?
Good etiquette helps you maintain professionalism, clarity, and efficiency in email communication. It contributes to your reputation, respects the recipient’s time, and helps ensure privacy and security.
Let’s better understand the meaning of email etiquette by examining cases of bad email etiquette.
Examples of Poorly Written Emails
Review these examples of poorly written emails so you don’t accidentally do the same:
| Example of poor etiquette | Why it’s bad |
|---|---|
| Writing “I hope this email finds you well” | This is a cliché and often unnecessary. |
| “Thanks in advance” | This can come across as demanding or entitled. |
| Using all caps for emphasis | It can read as shouting and can be considered unprofessional. |
| Long paragraphs with no breaks | Such emails are difficult to read and scan. |
| Forgetting to proofread | It can lead to embarrassing errors and missed opportunities. |
| Replying to all unnecessarily | This action can flood inboxes and waste time for recipients who don’t need the information. |
Of the above, the most offensive email etiquette example is the last one — a reply-all email is rude.
Examples of Unprofessional Emails
Below, you can see examples of unprofessional emails; avoid sending emails like these at all costs:
| Example | Problems |
|---|---|
| Subject: quick q Hey dude, Just wondering if you got that thing done yet? Lmk asap. thx, Jason | This subject line uses abbreviated language and slang, there is no proper greeting, and is unclear overall. |
| Subject: Re: Meeting sup was the meeting today? i totally forgot lol | This is an extremely informal greeting, uses slang, and admits forgetfulness unprofessionally. |
| Email body: Important info I wanted to let you know that there is a meeting tommorow at 3pm. Please be prepaired to discuss you’re progress. | This email body has multiple typos. |
| Email body: Question I have a question about something. Can you help me? | The subject line and email body are too vague. |
| Email opening: Project just checking in | This email provides no context. |
| A long email with no paragraph breaks, all crammed into one block of text. | The recipient will struggle to read the wall of text. |
Funny Examples of Bad Email Etiquette
Check out these humorous examples of bad email etiquette:
| Example | Why it’s funny and bad |
|---|---|
| Subject: Reply-All: Company Picnic – OMG, I can’t wait! What kind of potato salad are we having?!?!?!!?! | The number of “Re:” prefixes and the irrelevant message sent to everyone is absurd. |
| Email Body: “Here it is.” The email contains an attachment with a cryptic file name like “Document1.docx” with no further explanation. | The recipient is left wondering what “it” is. Is it the report they requested? A cat picture? A virus? |
| Auto-reply message: Gone fishin’. Be back whenever I feel like it. If it’s important, try again later. If it’s REALLY important, send a carrier pigeon. | This is funny because it’s unprofessional and nonchalant. It implies a complete disregard for work responsibilities. |
| In an email chain discussing budget cuts, an employee replies all: OMG, I’m stressed about these cuts, might have to sell one of my kidneys. | This is a classic example of inappropriate dark humor in a professional setting. |
Which of the Following is Considered to Be Poor Email Etiquette?
Let’s see if you can identify which examples from the list below demonstrate poor email etiquette.
- Forwarding a chain email with a long list of recipients in the “To” field instead of using “BCC.”
- Setting an out-of-office reply that includes personal opinions or jokes.
- Quoting entire previous email threads in replies, instead of a small portion.
- Using a font color other than black or very dark gray for the main body of the email.
- Including an animated GIF in a professional email signature.
- Marking all emails as “high importance,” regardless of their actual urgency.
- Sending a “test email” to a large distribution list.
- Sending holiday season greetings to your workmates.
Ready for the answers? Except for the last one, all the others were bad!
Next, we explain email etiquette according to the use case.
Distinction Between Personal, Workplace, and Marketing Email Etiquette
Email etiquette varies for personal, professional, and marketing emails due to the different purposes and contexts of these types of emails.
Here’s how they differ:
| Type of Email | Definition |
| Personal emails | These emails are typically informal and used for communicating with friends, family, or personal acquaintances. |
| Professional emails | These emails are used in a business or work context, and they require a higher level of formality and professionalism. |
| Marketing emails | These emails are designed for promotional and advertising purposes, targeting a larger audience to generate sales, engagement, or brand awareness. |
Let’s learn the differences between them personal etiquette, email business etiquette, and proper email etiquette for marketing emails.
Personal Emails
Email manners for personal emails are more relaxed. It may include the use of informal language, emojis, and funny email subject lines. Content can be more personal and may involve sharing personal updates, photos, or anecdotes. There may be less emphasis on strict formatting and subject lines.
Email Etiquette in the Workplace
Correct email etiquette for professional emails is demanding; it requires a structured approach. Senders must use using clear and concise language, a respectful tone, and proper grammar and spelling.
Proper business email etiquette requires subject lines to be informative and the message content to focus on business-related topics. This can include work assignments, inquiries, or collaborations. Follow work email etiquette by addressing recipients with appropriate titles and maintaining a professional signature.
Email Etiquette Rules for Marketing Emails
Etiquette for marketing emails involves:
- Crafting attention-grabbing subject lines,
- Delivering engaging email content,
- Complying with email unsubscribe laws by including a one-click unsubscribe option.
Marketers often use persuasive language, visuals, and catchy email CTAs to encourage recipients to take specific actions, like buying a product or signing up for an email marketing newsletter. Timing and frequency of marketing emails are also critical considerations to avoid overwhelming subscribers.
The key differences in email etiquette for personal, professional, and marketing emails lie in their tone, content, formality, and the specific goals they aim to achieve.
Email Etiquette for Senders: The Basics
Before we get into detailed sections about email etiquette, let’s talk about the basics.
Below are the basic rules of email etiquette you need to get right.
- Don’t use incorrect names: Avoid addressing your customer by the wrong name in a marketing email at all costs; it undermines email personalization and damages your relationship with the customer. It will affect your email engagement rates and may even lead to spikes in email unsubscribe rates.
- Greet correctly: Get your salutation right. It sets a positive tone for your email. Depending on the content of the email and your brand tone, choose between formal and casual greetings.
- Get right down to business: Starting with the core message or offer ensures your primary value proposition is front and center.
- Correct grammar and punctuation: Using perfect grammar and punctuation conveys professionalism and directly impacts the clarity and effectiveness of your message.
Email Ethics are a Part of Email Etiquette
Email ethics goes beyond simply following the rules for email etiquette. While etiquette focuses on the “how” of email communication such as formatting, tone, and style, ethics addresses the moral principles that guide our email behavior.
Email etiquette provides the framework, while ethics dictates the content and intent within that framework.
Follow these ethical principles in email communication:
- Represent yourself and your intentions truthfully.
- Do not share confidential information without proper authorization.
- Take responsibility for your email communications.
- Maintain a professional demeanor in all email communications, even in informal exchanges.
- Be transparent about your intentions and affiliations.
- Respect intellectual property rights.
The recent cases of Beehiiv spam would be an example of email ethics gone awry.
With these basics in place, let’s move on to other must-dos you should follow to nail email etiquette.
Avoid Poor Email Etiquette By Proofreading Emails
Proofreading is a habit you must build as an email marketer — no two ways about it.
When you send thousands of emails at once, you have to be extra cautious to keep your copy error-free — it’s considered a serious email marketing mistake.
First and foremost, it ensures your message is free from embarrassing and potentially costly errors, such as typos, grammatical mistakes, or incorrect information. An email devoid of errors conveys professionalism and attention to detail, which can positively influence your brand perception.
It also helps you maintain clarity and coherence, ensuring your marketing message is easily understood and persuasive. Another benefit is that well-written and error-free emails are more likely to be opened and read by your recipients.
Email branding is another factor you should consider — ensure it is non-intrusive and aesthetic.
While proofreading has clear benefits, not proofreading can lead to just as many issues. Errors tend to stick out like a sore thumb and create a negative perception of your brand.
Get Email Introduction Etiquette Right With a Good Subject Line
47% of recipients open emails based on how convincing the subject line is. A great subject line compels readers to read your message and learn about your offers.
From an etiquette perspective, writing a clear and concise subject line in your emails is crucial because it respects your reader’s time and attention. A well-crafted subject line provides transparency, enabling your recipient to quickly understand the email’s content and purpose.
Always keep your subject lines clear and to the point — for example, don’t use Valentine’s Day email subject lines and then write a completely unrelated message body.
Correct etiquette creates a positive perception of your brand and its communications. Whenever possible, personalize your subject lines by using the recipient’s name or other relevant information.
Use a Professional Email ID
This one’s important! Always use a professional email address and allow your readers to reply to you. Funny email addresses Send the wrong message to recipients.
Using a professional address and email domain name has many advantages; let’s look at the biggest ones below.
- Credibility and trust: A professional email address (for example, yourname@yourcompany.com) reassures recipients that they are receiving communication from a legitimate and reputable source.
- Branding: Witty email addresses were cool in school, but a custom email address that includes your company’s domain reinforces your brand identity.
- Consistency: Using a professional email address aligns with your brand’s image. For example, referring a customer to an email address on a different domain just makes your business look bad.
- Deliverability: Emails sent from generic or unprofessional email addresses may be more likely to end up in spam folders. A professional email address can improve email deliverability, ensuring your messages reach recipients’ inboxes.
- Legal compliance: Using a professional email address helps you comply with email marketing laws and regulations such as CAN-SPAM and GDPR, as it provides a clear and traceable email sender name.
Using a professional email address is not just great etiquette, it’s also the logical choice.
Careful With the Humor
Your friends might love your sarcastic jokes and your social circle may think of you as an extremely witty person, but email marketing is where you let that funny side go.
Because the last thing you want as a sender is to wake up one morning and see your company trending on X (formerly Twitter) for a joke made in poor taste!
But this is an extreme scenario; let’s look at why good email etiquette dictates you be cautious with humor.
Firstly, your email recipients come from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives, making it essential to recognize that what’s funny to one person may not be to another. Inappropriate or offensive humor can alienate or even offend some recipients, potentially leading to negative perceptions of your brand.
Moreover, humor can be easily misinterpreted in written form, as jokes, sarcasm, or wordplay may not come across as intended, resulting in confusion or undesirable reactions. If you use funny subject lines for emails, be cautious.
Secondly, it’s critical to consider your brand image and values when incorporating humor in mass email marketing. Humor that doesn’t align with your brand’s identity can harm your image and create inconsistencies in your messaging.
Additionally, there are legal and ethical concerns to navigate, as humor that inadvertently crosses boundaries or makes questionable claims can lead to complications. A bit of light-hearted humor is always welcome — for example, using puns for Halloween email marketing.
While humor can engage and entertain, it’s imperative to use it thoughtfully, ensuring it enhances your message without overshadowing it or causing unintended consequences.
The Biggest Error in Email Etiquette: Reply-All
Ah, this email feature has a long history of getting people in trouble! But here’s why using the reply-all can be a significant mistake in email marketing.
Firstly, it poses a privacy risk as it exposes the email addresses of all recipients to one another. This violation of privacy can erode trust and lead to concerns about data security. Recipients may perceive it as a breach of their personal information and be wary of further communications. Also, it means your email list is now accessible to a lot of people — that is years of effort someone could steal.
Misuse of reply-all can also lead to a loss of control over your marketing message. These messages can easily veer off-topic or drift into discussions unrelated to your campaign, diminishing the clarity and effectiveness of your original message. Additionally, reply-all messages can be highly disruptive, especially in large email campaigns, cluttering recipients’ inboxes and potentially causing frustration.
Beyond these concerns, reply-all messages also require time and resources to manage, diverting your attention and efforts from more essential tasks; this makes it the biggest mistake to avoid as an email marketer!
Learn more about the topic by reading up on what ‘re’ means in email.
Poor Design or Formatting
Email language etiquette demands your email be readable, as a bare minimum. And if you don’t use fonts sensibly and format your emails correctly, it can be a messy affair for your readers.
Let’s talk about your email’s visual appeal. Aesthetically pleasing emails with well-chosen fonts and organized formatting are more likely to capture your recipient’s attention, inviting them to delve into your content.
Consistency in font and formatting also reinforces your brand identity, allowing recipients to instantly recognize your brand. Use the best fonts for email marketing and appropriate text sizes. This enhances readability, ensuring the content is easily consumed without causing strain.
Font and formatting create a hierarchy and emphasize key elements, helping direct the recipient’s attention to essential information and CTAs. Structured formatting, including headings, bullet points, and spacing, contributes to message clarity and enables your recipients to quickly grasp the main points.
Additionally, stay on point with mobile email marketing. Ensuring mobile responsiveness, where the email adapts to various devices and screen sizes, is imperative in reaching a diverse audience. And lastly, ensure email accessibility.
To conclude — the right design, readable fonts, and correct formatting in marketing emails tell your customers you care about getting the message across efficiently. That’s etiquette!
What Are the Basic Rules When Including Attachments in Your Email?
Forgetting email attachments in marketing can make you appear careless and can erode the credibility of your brand. It suggests your communication lacks attention to detail, which then raises doubts about the reliability of your products or services.
It can also inconvenience your recipients, as they expect to access valuable information within the attachments. Moreover, it can lead to confusion and back-and-forth emails as you rectify the omission, which can frustrate your subscribers and negatively affect their perception of your company.
Remember — large attachments can annoy readers. Compress your attachments as much as possible.
Your Signature: The Last Piece of the Puzzle
We’re now at the last step — the email sign-off.
You should always wrap up your emails with a signature, and just signing your name won’t suffice; work on your sign-off until it adds value for your reader. They will appreciate it!
Simplicity and consistency are key. Your signature should include essential contact information like your name, job title, company name, and direct contact details. Your signature should also reflect your brand’s visual identity, so it’s a good idea to add your company logo and possibly a tagline.
Including social media links in your signature can encourage your recipients to connect with your brand on different platforms. Ensure you test your email signature to verify it’s mobile-responsive and looks good on different devices.
How Campaign Refinery Helps Clients Practice Email Etiquette
As you can tell from the steps above, etiquette in email marketing is something you can only fix yourself.
But we have all the tools we offer our clients to make the task easier:
- Segmentation tools: Thanks to our powerful segmentation tools and the tag system, Campaign Refinery clients never make the mistake of accidentally sending irrelevant content to their readers. Implementing an email segmentation strategy on our platform is simple.
- Email editor: Our primary goal when creating our email editor was to keep things simple. We succeeded at doing this, which means our clients can proofread emails, make copy changes, add details, organize images and graphics, and ensure responsive design easily before they hit that send button.
- Automation and sequencing: Worried about sending too many emails or even irrelevant emails? That’s not something we are familiar with at Campaign Refinery, since our email automation tools and email sequence editor help clients create email mechanisms that are strategic and error-free. Using our platform gives them an aerial view of campaigns, ensuring they control communication with great accuracy.
- Security implementation: At Campaign Refinery, we require all our clients to use email security protocols such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC on their domains. This translates to high brand trust scores for our clients — when subscribers see their emails arrive with proper email authentication, they are more likely to trust the content and take desired actions, such as opening links or downloading attachments.
With these steps in place, we’re confident that you can build a strong and trustworthy relationship with all of your subscribers
Follow Email Etiquette When Reaching Out to New Leads
Email etiquette is crucial when reaching out to potential leads who have shown interest in your business through lead magnets.
When a user provides their email address in exchange for a lead magnet, your initial email should follow proper etiquette. This includes a polite and well-structured introduction that acknowledges the user’s interest and sets the tone for further interactions.
And if you’re wondering how to get 8X more subscribers to read your lead magnets, we’ve got a gift for you — The Lead Magnet Multiplier course.
Join the course to learn how to create irresistible incentives that captivate your target audience, boost your email list, and drive conversions. With expert guidance from our founder, Travis Ketchum, you’ll learn the art of crafting compelling lead magnets that not only attract but engage your prospects, transforming them into eager, loyal customers.
While it will turn into a paid course shortly — for now, it’s completely free. As long as you finish the course in seven days, you can retain access to it for life.
FAQ
Why is Email Etiquette Important?
Email etiquette is crucial for projecting professionalism and ensuring the building of positive relationships.
Explain Why Etiquette is Important
Etiquette is important because it establishes social norms that promote respect, understanding, and effective interactions.
What is Email Netiquette?
Email netiquette refers to the set of rules and guidelines for proper and polite behavior in email communication.
What is the Importance of Email Etiquette?
The importance of email etiquette lies in its ability to boost effectiveness in communication.
What Does Email Etiquette Mean?
Email etiquette means using proper conventions and showing respect in written electronic correspondence.
What is the Meaning of Email Etiquette?
Email etiquette refers to the accepted standards of courteous behavior in email exchanges.
Why is Email Etiquette Important in the Workplace?
In the workplace, email etiquette is vital for maintaining professionalism, avoiding misunderstandings, and building strong working relationships with colleagues.
What is Email Etiquette in Simple Words?
In simple words, email etiquette is being polite and professional when sending emails.
What is Good Email Etiquette?
Good email etiquette includes using clear subject lines, professional language, proper formatting, and respecting recipients’ time.
Why is Email Etiquette Important for Students?
For students, email etiquette is important for communicating effectively with professors, classmates, and potential employers.
