With the constant advancements of technology and AI, our methods of communication are always changing. From DMs to texts, the channels we use keep expanding. Yet, one of the most reliable and effective ways to stay in touch, both for personal and professional purposes, is email.
The fact that we use our emails for work-related matters and include them in our marketing strategiesturns each mistake we might make into a critical one. For that reason, we thought it’s important to share our list of the top 10 email mistakes you must avoid. Keep this list in mind while writing your next email newsletter, and producing a mistake-free email will be as easy as learninghow to create a website.
10 common email mistakes
Forgetting attachments
Sending to the wrong recipient
Choosing a bad subject line
Using the wrong writing tone
Sending at a bad time
Neglecting your signature
Working with too many (bad) fonts
Starting with To Whom It May Concern
Failing to review
01. Forgetting attachments
Extremely common, always embarrassing and when measured on our negative scale of errors, this one lacks any unique aspect. Fortunately for all of us, many email services have implemented a built-in forgotten attachment reminder, that scans your text for phrases like “I’ve attached,” “attached file,” etc. If an email that has one of these phrases is about to be sent without an attachment, a pop-up message will appear, asking you to confirm that your decision is final. But don’t just trust this algorithm to do your dirty work. Start attaching your files before writing the message, put a post-it note on the screen with the word “Attachment!” or schedule yourself a reminder. Oh, and don’t try to recover with a silly, worn out joke when sending the second, file-carrying email.
02. Sending to the wrong recipient
Nothing stirs the office pot better than an email sent to the wrong address. This kind of mistake holds the widest spectrum of outcomes. Read your recipients list to yourself carefully and consider adding an “Undo Send” feature, if available in your email service.
On the same note, always be sure that you spell your intended recipient’s name correctly. There is no worse faux pas than misspelling somebody’s name.
03. Choosing a bad subject line
Some emails require specificemail subject lines. For example, when you are applying to a job, or require the read to take an action. Regardless, you should keep subject lines related to the content of the email, providing a clear understanding of what’s about to come in the text. If you’re able to phrase it in a memorable way that will push the recipient to open the email – even better. Don’t pour a bucket of emojis, don’t yell at the recipient with all caps and don’t make it too boring. A strong subject line is an effective and important part of email marketingcampaigns and worth paying attention to.
04. Using the wrong writing tone
Replying to a message sent by a friendly colleague in a formal tone, might be weird. On the other hand, answering your boss’s boss with an “okay m8” message probably won’t land you the desired promotion. Not sure of the proper way to write to superiors, colleagues and customers? Take a sneak peek at long email threads sent to you and try to learn the best attitude to adopt. Additionally, you can just ask colleagues you trust and appreciate for their opinion about your text (or use our email AI tool) .
Pro tip: This is especially important when you are learning about what email marketing isand how to best utilize it.
05. Sending at a bad time
Email timing is an entire philosophy. Whether you’re sending internal company emails, communications to clients, a weekly newsletter or a big announcement, timing is everything. In fact, some say there are even specific days of the week to send emails, when people are more likely to respond, or better yet to make purchases. If you work for a global company, it’s also something to consider when your coworkers might be reading potential emails.
Try using email automationif you are sending out marketing campaigns — it helps you take the guesswork out of the timing of your emails.
06. Replying to all (all the time)
Just got an email from the CEO of your company, congratulating all the employees for the new year? Feeling the urge to say thanks? The preferable move is to not engage, but in case you insist on replying, do not choose “reply to all.” An email sent to the entire company is an extreme example, but even if fewer people are in the loop, replying to an email thread with many recipients is a big no-no. Unless there’s a clear need for everyone involved in the content you’re about to send, please spare your colleagues with a banal “Thank you!,”“Got it!” or “Amazing!” These kinds of messages normally push more people to respond and create a monstrous, Facebook styled chain of comments.
07. Neglecting your signature
Email signatures, especiallybusiness emailsignatures, usually include your full name, job title, contact information and if relevant – links to a personal website or any other social media profile page.
This is a quick and efficient way to share all this information with prospective clients or partners. Think of it like a virtual business card.
08. Working with too many (bad) fonts
Using a regular, common font is pretty basic when formulating an email. You probably know that going crazy with different fonts and colors isn’t the best way to create a good impression. However, many experienced email senders fail to notice a more sneaky culprit. While copying text from other sources, the newly pasted text could bring some new “designing styles;” a slightly bigger font size, a brighter color, an almost transparent highlight in the background. This gets worse when the new styling stays for the rest of the text written after the copied part. In order to secure a professional look, choose your style and make sure you stick with it. This is also true when you are using a website builderto create a website; make sure your fonts stay consistent throughout.
09. Starting with To Whom It May Concern
While there may be instances where this formal salutation fits the bill, finding a more tailor made greeting is much more personalized and appropriate. Depending on the context, this kind of opening emphasizes how little you invested in finding out who’s the recipient of the email. Unless they’ll notice a law firm logo above the text, most recipients will quickly jump to the next email in their inbox.
10. Failing to review
Clicking “Send” on an email you perfected for 3 days is a special moment. Don’t let it blur your judgment and turn you into one of those runners who start celebrating their victory a few steps before the finish line, and eventually stumble and lose. From the first word you write, make sure to follow the orders given to you by the built-in spell checker,Grammarly browser extensionor any other spell checker you prefer. Additionally, take a minute or two to go through the whole thing, to remove any typing error, grammar mistakes and any rewriting residue. And if you consulted with friends and colleagues, don’t leave the “So this is my final version, what do you think?” at the top of the text.
Email mistakes FAQ
What happens if you send an email to the wrong person?
If you send an email to the wrong person, you can try to undo send before it’s too late. However, this is not always possible, especially if the recipient has already opened and read the email. In this case, you can explain what happened and apologize if necessary. You may also want to offer to forward the correct email to them.
