Effective Emails Made Easy By Chelsie Kistner

Well, we don't use pigeons anymore, neither Horse n' Buggy, to send messages to other people in other regions. For that matter, we hardly use paper at all, even when you may be within the same office complex! Today, in the 21st Century, emails are the number one way of communication in the workplace. They include everything from the change of time for a meeting, down to the details of multi-million dollar construction projects. Regardless of the purpose, its crucial to deliver your message in a professional, effective way. Here are a few things I keep in mind, when sitting down to compose an email:

1. Avoid acronyms and abbreviations. Not everyone may understand what they stand for, losing some of the meaning behind your writing.

2. Get to the point, but in a gentle way. Be considerate of others time and feelings. Don't be rude or lengthy.

3.  Show some appreciation. Use words like please and thank you. From what I heard growing up, these words can take you a long way in life.

4. Check your subject line. Make sure it is the topic you are writing on. The reader should have an idea of what the email is in reference to without opening it. Avoid "Hi" or other general, uninformative subjects titles.

5. Plz prufread!...Our fingers can get ahead of us in typing and cause errors we may not have noticed. You should use spell check and make sure you are saying what you wanted to say.

Writing Advertising Copy (Sally Vale)

Writing Advertising Copy
Catching, and keeping, a reader’s attention, to the point that they are willing and ready to buy or use your product or services, can be tricky. Here I will go over some do’s and don’ts of writing ad copy.
• DO use words for embellishment: the power of dialect should never go underestimated. Words provoke a response in people, so be sure to use words that pop out at a reader.
• DO write a headline that will attract your audience to read the rest of your advertisment.
• DON’T preach to the audience. Write to them as if it’s one-on-one.
• DO use a present or active voice. Past or passive tense should only be used intentionally, and for a specific purpose.
• DON’T use clichés. Chances are, your audience is so used to the cliché that it will leave their mind as soon as they read it.
With those quick points in mind, go out and write your ad copy.
Here is a quick video to help you out, and some sites that have great information on writing effective advertisement copies:



"www.AllBusiness.com". AllBusiness. April 6 2009 .

Writing in information technology by Robert Hunley

Writing in Information technology is like any other writing. You plan, research, write, review and revise your topic.

When planning you must recognize your audience and their amount of knowledge, especially in IT Reports. One must make sure to define any technical terminology that their reader may not understand to fully build their picture.

When doing research, one should find a solid central starting point from which they can build from to complete their topic and easily work around.

While writing the paper one should make sure not to leave out any information vital to the understanding of their paper.

Depending on your audience have many people review your paper so you can see different people’s views on your paper.

Revise to correct errors and improve your paper

Writing Memo Tips (Stephen Wickens)

When beginning to write a memo, there are three main idea’s you must stay focused on in order for the memo to read and work easily.

Audience and Purpose:

• It is very important to understand who you are writing to and what the main purpose of the memo is going to be.
• Bring attention to the problem, or provide a solution to the problem at hand
• Most effective when they connect the purpose of the writer with the interests and needs of the reader
• Only send the memo to who it concerns, most effective when sent to a small or moderate amount of people to communicate company objectives

Parts of a Memo:

• Heading Segment
  - Make sure you address the reader by his or her full name and job description. In the subject line be very specific and concise.
• Opening Segment
  - The opening segment is very important, it includes the purpose of the memo, the context, the problem, and the specific assignment or tasks. Give the reader a brief overview of what the memo will be about. Remember! You want to be brief and to the point.
• Discussion Segment
  - The discussion portion is the longest part of the memo and this is where you include the details of the subject at hand. You want to begin this part with you most important information, and you want to use strong points and evidence to persuade the reader to use your recommended actions.
• Closing Segment
  - Once the reader has gone through all of your information you’ve presented, you want to end the memo with an ending that states what action you want them to take.

Format:

• Should follow the general guidelines of business writing
• 1-2 pages in length, single spaced and left justified
• No indentations for paragraphs, skip a line in between sentences
• Should be concise and easy to read
• Use headings and lists to help readers locate certain information

If you would like to view an example of a memo, click on the link below:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/590/04/

The Role of Instant Messaging in Professional Writing (Katie Donnellan)

Instant messaging was created in 1996 by Mirabalis. An Israeli startup company, calling their client ICQ Say it Out Loud was the first company to offer instant messaging for free. People all over the world were able to communicate with one another in an instant without worrying about long distance phone call costs or waiting for emails. Eventually, American Online’s AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) bought out Mirabalis and is now the most used instant messenger system.


Instant messaging is not only a tool for recreational use, but when used properly in the office, it can raise the efficiency level of workers. They are able to “instantly” contact coworkers in the office for quick questions or file transfers that if left to email, may not be answered within a few minutes or hours depending on how often an individual checks their email. According to an interviewee of Ms. Robo from Salary.com, they use instant messaging for immediate contact with their cliental that could be states away. Also, instant messaging gives the luxury of being able to take time to think about questions being asked, unlike on the telephone when put on the spot.


Unfortunately, people do abuse the service, and for that reason alone, businesses are slow in allowing their employees instant messaging usage. Individuals tend to start instant messaging their friends outside of the work place, making them unproductive. Also, hard drives and large company computer systems are more susceptible to being hacked through the instant messaging software.



http://www.boston.com/jobs/nehra/112805.shtml

http://www.salary.com/advice/layouthtmls/advl_display_nocat_Ser79_Par168.html

Jargon in professional writing

Jargon is widely used in professional writing. Definition of a jargon is language that is used by a group, profession, or culture, especially when the words and phrases are not understood or used by other people. On many occasions people think of jargon as a style that is unintelligible. Jargon is commonly used by groups that have similar interests, professions, and trades. Jargon can be used in a form of writing or communication. Which ever way it is used there will be a population of people who will either understand it or not.

Positive aspects of using jargon in writing:

Using jargon in a professional writing makes it easier for a person read through the information if he/she already has the knowledge of the topic. This makes it easier to communicate with their fellow workers and friends. People use jargon to impress other people in situations like job interviews, class discussions, and meetings. For people with the same profession it is a universal language that is used to communicate with each other.

Negative aspects of using jargon:

Jargon can make a person feel very confused on what he/she is reading if they don’t have the knowledge of the topic. It is unprofessional to write a letter using jargon when you are in a business environment. Jargon can make a person come out as lazy and unproductive in a working environment.



http://commguide.asu.edu/writing/jargon
http://www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/allam/1914-/language/jargon.htm