In 2020, over 300.4 billion emails were either sent or received every day. In our fast-paced digital world, writing emails professionally is a skill to hone and improve over your entire career.

But do you know how to make a strong professional impression? We often judge one another by written communications, taking into account things like typos and grammatical errors.

Writing great emails in your profession happens with a little know-how and practice. Read on for a few handy tips on communicating better in your industry.

1. Structure Your Emails Well

No matter what your line of work is, sloppy emails aren’t a good look. Start with a salutation, and end with a proper closing. Try to break messages into a few paragraphs instead of big blocks of text.

Make sure each paragraph has a clear transition to the next related one. Ensure your emails have clean breaks between topics.

2. Learn Your Industry’s Email Etiquette

If you work in a very casual business, you might get away with salutations like “Hey, Jessi!” and using casual language. That laid-back view on emails is the exception, not the rule.

Don’t send workplace emails that sound like your friends’ group chats. Internet slang like “LOL” and “OMG” also has no place in workplace emails.

Consider email tone when writing professional emails, too. Some cutthroat industries keep things quick, short, and cold. Workers in those businesses aren’t into shout-outs or information about after-work parties.

Other businesses are much friendlier and prefer a cheery tone in written communications. Sending emotionless emails and not socializing could cause rifts in those workplaces.

Whether and when to send a follow-up email is another must-know part of professional email etiquette. Many fast-paced lines of work expect speedy follow-ups if you don’t hear back from someone within a day, sometimes less. Others consider follow-up emails desperate, more so when sent within a few days after the first message.

3. Stay On Top of New Email Technology

Part of staying professional is being in touch with the latest in your industry. You should stay on top of all the newest professional email technology your colleagues use.

Don’t be the last one to switch if most of your industry adopts a particular email client. Straggling could mean a virtual meeting shutting you out and feeling shame while you make a new account. You also risk missing vital email security features by not paying attention.

A managed IT services company will work with you to transition workplace emails to new systems and troubleshoot them. Such a provider can also help by letting you know when new email tools appear.

4. Don’t Look Like a Spammer

Email scams are more common and dangerous than ever before. Modern spammers imitate people’s employers and contacts so well that it’s scary.

Their messages tend to have subject lines with weird typos—like a “Baenk of Ameerica” notice, for example. Proofread the subject lines on your work emails to make sure you don’t look like your fraudulent double.

Hone Skills Like Writing Emails Professionally and More

Now that you know these handy tips for writing emails professionally, you have some vital tools for workplace success. Being a good communicator will help you make connections and go far.

If you want to sharpen other work skills, you’re on the right website. Read another article to boost yourself up the corporate ladder.