Texting and Email Etiquette: 8 Rules Everyone Should Know

Once you shoot a text or an email there is no way you can get it back, it will be read by the recipient at some point of time so you have to ensure that you Draft your text and email keeping in mind these basic Texting and Email etiquette:

Here are 8 things to keep in mind:

Choosing the right salutation:

The first step of drafting a text or an email is to choose the right salutation because how you address a person defines how formal or informal the conversation is going to be. Follow the three “H” rules, hey (informal), Hi (Semi-informal) and Hello (Formal), remember we use Dear for very formal conversations.

Don’t text too late or too early:

The time you choose to text or email someone is extremely important in a professional context. Follow the 7am - 9pm rule, you can obviously deviate from the timeline if you know the person too well.

Don’t Ghost unless necessary:

Withdrawing from a formal communication without any explanation or warning is considered quite rude and is not appreciated by many, so ensure you end a conversation properly and on a formal note like thanks, will get back to you, it was great Working with you, will see you soon, etc.

Never use Texting short forms:

Using Texting short forms like K, tmrw, kewl, knw, etc Is not just very unprofessional but also leaves a very bad impression on the recipient. Try to draft a proper text or email using proper words and proper spellings.

Never forget to proofread:

One cannot stress enough on the importance of proofreading, before you shoot your text or email please ensure that you spend some time in proofreading which includes checking for grammatical mistakes, spelling mistakes, alignment, etc. Some uncommon proofing errors include not following a consistent texting pattern, if you are writing 2nd then don’t write II, if you are using ₹ or $ then don’t write Rupee or Dollar meaning follow a uniform pattern.

Suggested Reading:

Women, Safety and The Virtual World

Use Emoticons Wisely:

Using too many emoticons while texting or emailing is not advised but if you feel the message is sounding different from what you are trying it to be then use an appropriate emoticon to put in that missing emotion but keep the usage very very minimal. However, while emailing avoid using emoticons at all.

Make sure you have a professional ID:

We often end up having quite funny email ids with funny words and lots of numbers which should not be used AT ALL to send formal or professional emails, ensure your email looks professional and speaks about the profession you are in.

Professional Picture:

It is a 100% true fact that the recipient will see your WhatsApp DP and that should speak only positively of you, so choose your DP wisely and avoid putting weird quotes as status on the number you are using for professional communication.

Apoorvaa Aagarwal is a Lawyer and Professional Coach. The views expressed are the author's own.