How to Send Error-Free Emails

Use these tips to avoid being embarrassed by mistakes in your emails

Have you ever been embarrassed by a mistake in an email you sent?

Whether you’re creating marketing emails that go out to thousands of people, writing business emails that go individually or in small groups to colleagues and clients, or just emailing to your family and friends, accuracy and clarity are essential for effective communication.

Here’s a list of issues to check when you’re proofing your email messages:

Subject line

Be sure it makes sense, reflects the actual content of your message, has no errors, and that any placeholder text has been replaced with the actual information.

If you’re replying to an email but changing the topic, change the subject line so recipients realize you’re discussing something new.

Sender

The sender should be a name that will be recognized by recipients — typically an individual’s name, a company name, or a combination.

Body

Check all the text for spelling, grammar, and clarity. Use a quality grammar and spellchecker (I use Grammarly) but remember that a human review is still necessary.

Short paragraphs work best for email, so consider breaking apart any paragraphs longer than four or five lines.

Check all links (text and images) to be sure they work.

Check images; be sure they display correctly and include alt text in case there’s an issue on the recipient’s end.

Be sure any placeholder text has been replaced with the correct information. Don’t make the mistake the email marketer made in the image below:

Check for accuracy — confirm statistics, quotes, the spelling of names, and so on.

If you said you’d cover five points or provide a list of seven items, be sure your content matches what you promised.

Closing

The closing should be appropriate for the message. For example, if the email is written in the first person, it should include a signature block from that person.

The block should contain the name, title, website, phone, email address, and other appropriate information.

The sign-off line (yours, regards, sincerely, cordially, etc.) should reflect the personality of the sender and the relationship between the sender and recipient.

If you included a P.S., review it the same way you did the main body.

Footer

If you’re using an email service (such as MailerLite, MailChimp, AWeber, Constant Contact), check the footer — even if you’ve already set up a template. Be sure the content is accurate, up-to-date, and compliant with both best practices and legal requirements.

As with the rest of the email, be sure to replace any placeholder text in the footer with actual information. Test all links to be sure they work.

Will mistakes still get through?

Probably. There’s no way to eliminate the risk of errors. Still, you can drastically reduce the chances an embarrassing mistake will land in your audience’s inboxes by taking a little extra time for proofreading and fact-checking.

A version of this article was originally published on my site at CreateTeachInspire.com. You can reach me there or email me at [email protected].

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