4 Tips for Branding Your Emails

Given the number of emails you send every day, we should all be email-writing experts, right?

There are so many bad emails (in content, tone, and messaging), I was pleased to see this simple list from David Silverman, author of "Typo: The Last American Typesetter or How I Made and Lost 4 Million Dollars."

Here are his tips for effectively differentiating yourself through branding your emails:

1. Ask for something. All business writing includes a call to action. Before you write your email, know what you're asking of your audience.
2. Say it up front. Don't bury the purpose of your email in the last paragraph. Include important information in the subject line and opening sentence.
3. Explain. Don't assume your reader knows anything. Provide all pertinent background information and avoid elusive references.
4. Tell them what you think. Don't use the dreaded "Your thoughts?" without explaining your own. Express your opinion before asking your reader to do the same.