Here are some more tips for writing effective emails:

Use an active voice. Write your emails like you would a letter to a friend. Use “you”, “we”, and “I”. The tone should be casual and relaxed. Be careful about the use of humor. What is funny to you may be a turn off to the recipient.

Here’s a poorly written statement:

We are very happy to announce that we have added more than 30 new products available. New products are being added every day.

Better:

We’re pleased to announce the addition of 30 new products to our website this week… many not offered anywhere else. Visit our site and see what’s new – new products are being added every day.

Address their needs. A well-crafted email should address the recipient’s needs. In other words, you should solve their problems through your service or product. Think about your customer and write with their needs in mind.

An example:
As busy professionals ourselves, we know that there are times when you just can’t stay ahead of all the dirt that keeps creeping into your home. After all, there is only so much time in the day.

But we think we have the answer for you!

At Minute Maids, we are offering our special customers a Spring Cleaning package that will leave your home sparkling clean in a jiffy. We will clean your house top to bottom, including windows, sinks, laundry areas and those hard-to-reach places for just $100 (for up to four hours of Minute Maid service). Imagine! Your house is clean when you return home from work. And you don’t have to lift a finger, except of course, to dial our toll-free number.

Use white space liberally. Try to use one thought per paragraph. Use bullet points to clarify but don’t use them to communicate. Bullet points are substitutes for sentences and paragraphs. Remember that the recipient will scan the email so make sure you break up the text. Nothing is more of a put off than a sea of gray type in an email.