Intro Etiquette. The word seems kind of “olden-days” doesn’t it? Do people even take etiquette classes anymore? Is that a thing? I find myself at a loss when it comes to proper etiquette because I think in someways it is a lost art, or quickly becoming one. What about on the internet? Things are even foggier there. The internet is still a relatively new presence in society, so a lot of etiquette hasn’t even been established yet. Worse yet, with the anonymity the internet provides, it is probably the most hostile environment to politeness and etiquette we have ever witnessed. By no means am I a stickler for etiquette, but having worked extensively online for the past 5 years, I know there is room for improvement in this area. I have kept a running list for these past 5 years on certain activities and actions that I believe are proper etiquette when working online. I don’t feel this way because they are “morally right”. I am not talking about morals here. I am sharing these tips, because these are all things that personally annoy me, waste my time, waste your time, have gotten me in trouble with others or have directly impacted my bottom line in a negative way. Simple as that. I know that not everyone will agree, but I also know if everyone followed these rules the online business world would be a far better place. If you follow these tips, you will build online relationships faster, network more effectively and build your brand with integrity. In order to best show why these tips are so important, I wrote this from my perspective. As if the etiquette transgressions were against me. The “I” in this guide is universal - it could be anyone’s reactions to these common etiquette problems. Introducing The Online Marketing Etiquette Manual... Email Etiquette Ahh, the mighty email. Even with text messaging, instant messaging, Facebook, Twitter, etc... Email is still widely used by just about every professional on the planet. While email use may be dipping slightly, it is still a very effective communication tool, and this is doubly true for those of us who work online. I know you are already thinking of annoying things people do with emails that crowd your inbox, or make communicating with them a chore. I hope they are addressed below. I am also sure that as you read, you will come across things that you do and might have never realized was super annoying, time consuming or confusing. Check out these email etiquette tips: ‣ Be Concise - Don’t beat around the bush. Be concise and get to your point quickly and straightforwardly. ‣ Simple Layout - Keep the layout simple. The most styling I would use would be bullet points to break down the main reasons/questions for your email. ‣ Answer All Questions - There is nothing more frustrating than emailing someone 3 questions and they email you back an answer for just one of them. ‣ Lay Off All Caps - I get it, you are excited or angry - but unfortunately I can’t tell which one and it just seems like yelling to me. Avoid it. ‣ Keep The Message Thread - If you are in a back and forth email conversation, keep the message thread in tact. This makes it easier for the person receiving. ‣ Edit Your Email - No one is going to blow a gasket over a typo, but make sure you try your best to eliminate any spelling or grammatical errors from your emails. Consistently sending someone poorly written emails, will look bad. ‣ No Chain Letters - C’mon, I am trying to work here. I go through hundreds of emails a day, I won’t even open that crap. ‣ Keep Style Simple - Oh cool you found out how to make your emails a light pink font on white background. No, not cool! Stick to black type on a white background. ‣ Chill on Attachments - Of course you can send attachments, but if you are planning on sending one large enough to clog my email up for the next decade, please warn me so I can be prepared. Limit attachments to 2 per email as well please. ‣ Compress Attachments - Use .rar or .zip to compress your files before you send them. It wIll save time, space and bandwidth. ‣ Respond in a Timely Fashion - No one expects you to be sitting refreshing your mail client, but try to respond to important emails as soon as you can. ‣ Don’t Freak Out - That said, don’t freak out if you don’t get an instant response. Don’t forget that real life exists. ‣ Don’t Reply All to a BCC - If I BCC’d you it is because I don’t want you on the list of recipients. If you reply all, you are revealed as recipient. I learned this the hard way when I did it to a friend...drama ensued. ‣ Don’t Overuse Reply All - So you just wanted to say thanks to the sender? That’s nice, but the rest of us you replied to didn’t need to see it. ‣ Introduce Yourself - If it is your first time emailing someone, introduce yourself. Don’t use this as a time to take the stage. Be quick and concise. Don’t come off as a jerk by listing 3 paragraphs of your accomplishments. ‣ Be Careful With Privacy - Don’t mention anything in an email that could get you in trouble, or embarrass someone else. Never know what will come back to haunt you. This also relates back to “reply all”, don’t reply all with private information. ‣ Don’t Be Fancy With the Subject - If you are working with a mailing list you can test different subjects to find the best open rate, but when you personally email please match the subject to the message. It allows me to quickly prioritize my inbox. ‣ Plain Text When In Doubt - Worried about what I use to receive emails? Well if so - go with plain text. Every email client and platform can handle plain text. ‣ Explain Forwards - Include your own message if you forward something. This will allow me to instantly know if it is a spam forward, or something important. Also nothing more annoying than having to read a forward 5 times to figure out what the heck it is in reference to. ‣ End With Thanks - Ever have that awkward moment when you try to decide how to end an email? Go with Thanks. ‣ Include Contact Info - If you want me to contact you, leave me your info. Easiest way to do this is with an email sig. The easier it is for me to get back to you - the more likely and quicker I will do it.

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