12 Ways to Write a Good Email Announcement

Shawnee Love   •  
September 26, 2013

As much as I prefer face to face communication for any big (i.e., complex, stressful, or full of information) topics, it isn’t always possible.  Businesses are far flung, operating across different time zones, and involve multiple rhythms and work styles (not to mention people in and out of offices for various reasons), so it isn’t always possible to get everyone together (in a room or the cloud) for a townhall meeting nor is it practical to deliver synchronized meetings across all locations.  In these situations, an email communication is the default.  But as you know with email, a lot is lost in translation when the body language and tones are missing especially if you don’t know the person sending the message.  As such, great care must be taken in crafting an email that is clear, concise and consistent for your employees.

If you have to write an email announcement, here are vital tips to ensure you get your message across:

  1. Be real:  Speak in language your employees will understand.  This is not a time to let your lawyer write your email for you.  If there is legalese you have to use (e.g., due to an IPO or acquisition), identify what parts your lawyer wrote and why.
  2. Be human: Big email announcements whether delivering happy or sad news often sound whitewashed because we don’t want to incite a riot or have the communication come back and bite us.  I am not advocating that you dump all your angst and emotion on your employees.  Merely that you demonstrate that you care about what you are announcing.
  3. Choose your Subject carefully: Your subject line can set the tone for the entire email. It sets expectations and also determines how quickly your email will be opened and read.  If you are going to agonize about anything, agonize about what you want your subject line to convey both of the actual event or activity you are announcing and the emotion surrounding it.
  4. Don’t forget the Greeting:  Etiquette and common courtesy should still guide our email, so remember to include a greeting to whomever the email is addressed.  “Dear team members” or “Hello colleagues” can go a long way.
  5. Start at the Beginning: Every email announcement needs an introduction which gives context and provides a high level overview of the topics of the announcement.  Again, don’t forget tips 1 & 2.
  6. Identify the Goal:  We do general announcements to get the word out to everyone, to get people on the same page and to enable them to move forward accordingly.  One way to make this happen is to clearly articulate what your end game is.  What challenge are you overcoming and where do you want to be once you are successful at it, or what accomplishment have you achieved and why is it important to the business.
  7. Share the Challenge/ Obstacle and the Implications:  Basically, you will walk people through the decision made so they arrive at the same place you are.
  8. Apologize if needed:  Don’t shirk the apology:  If an apology is required, make it.
  9. Solutions/ Steps:  Articulate the actions you are taking with milestones and committments on when next updates will be delivered.  If you have to do a big email announcement, then you need to have a plan for follow up communication as well.
  10. Call to action:  Give your employees a way to get involved.  Identify how they can help and/or what they need to do or focus on.
  11. Thanks/ Closure: Recognize and appreciate those who have got you here.  Encouraging words and some light at the end of the tunnel are good too. Sign off with good etiquette and respect.
  12. Open Door:  Always Always provide a way people can get their questions answered.

 

Once the draft is done, reread it a few times to make sure it answers questions rather than creating them and consider getting a second pair of eyes to help you out.  Spell check, sleep on it, review and edit again if needed.  Hit send.

An email announcement can be a powerful communication tool.  Craft carefully and patiently and never drink and draft.

Let us know how these tips work for you!