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Tips On Effective Email Writing: Difference between Formal and Informal Situations

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Published: 06Nov2009
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When writing an e-mail, it is very important that you know the appropriate words to use. For instance, if you are making a business e-mail, it is natural that you use formal words and phrases because it will make you appear more professional. If it is an e-mail for friends and family members, then using informal wordings is allowed. But how can you really distinguish the difference between formal and informal when composing your business e-mail?

- Standard English terms are used for formal e-mail writing. Informal writing allows the use of colloquial words and expressions. Though colloquial words are commonly used nowadays, they are not yet considered formal.

- Always keep in mind that when you are using contractions, write them in their complete form like will not, have not, do not, should not, does not, can not, etc. People often make the mistake of using won't, can't, don't, shouldn't, doesn't, haven't, etc.

- Using clichés like vast majority of, each individual child, utilization of resources, etc. when writing an e-mail is also not considered formal. You can use terms such as preferred like most, each child, the use of, and others instead.

- You should also be cautious when using abbreviations in your e-mails. Keep in mind that you should never use shortened form of words such as tv, digicam, aircon, pro, photo, etc. Instead, you should use television, digital camera, air conditioner, professional, photograph, etc.

- When writing a formal e-mail, you should always use the passive voice while active voice is for informal writing.

A business letter is always written in a formal way. It uses a formal tone to make it more professional. But when it comes to e-mail marketing, marketers have found that using a more informal tone makes their communications have a friendlier tone. This generates more positive responses from prospective customers.

Let us enumerate the differences between formal and informal e-mail writing when it comes to email marketing.

Use proper opening and closing salutations. It is very important that you maintain civility when writing your salutations. Using Mr., Mrs., Madam, etc is still the best way to address your recipient. Addressing your recipients by their first names or nicknames is only used when you are writing an informal e-mail. Also, do not forget to say "Thank You" to show appreciation that they spent time in opening and reading your letter.

Do not use smileys. Even if you want to show emotions through your e-mail, never use smileys. Although it is an informal tone you are using when writing the business e-mail, it is still inappropriate to use smileys.

Check your grammar and spelling. How would you feel if you received an e-mail that is supposedly for business purposes and the grammar is really bad or there are lots of misspelled words? This is why it is important to proofread your message before hitting the "Send" button. Make sure that you use the correct form of the words, phrases and sentences. Check if there are typographical errors and if you have used the correct punctuation marks.

Do not use all caps. Readers often feel that the sender of the e-mail is somehow shouting or yelling at them when they see capitalized letters. That is why you should avoid capitalizing all the letters of a word or words when writing a formal e-mail. You can either italicize the word or put an asterisk before it to show emphasis.

Observe correct capitalization. Whether it is a formal or informal e-mail writing, always bear in mind that proper capitalization is very important. The first letter of the first word in your sentences should be capitalized. Proper nouns should also be capitalized.

Luie De Von is a marketing consultant with Easypostcard Marketing and has been providing consumers and business owners with marketing strategies. For years he has helped businesses to have more and growing clients through Postcard Advertising.

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