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6 Steps for Powerful Business Email Communication

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6 Steps for Powerful Business Email Communication

While modern business platforms such as Slack, MS Teams, and chat apps such as Viber and Whatsapp are useful, email remains the primary business communication method.

While you can replace a part of internal communication with Slack, collaborating with clients or partners who are not a part of your workplace will still go through email.

Our inboxes are flooded with newsletters, email promotions, offers, memos, and updates that aren’t too important. Even worse, emails are often sent to people who don’t need to see them due to CC misuse, which creates an unnecessary energy drain across the whole organization.

While quick fixes such as adding a professional email signature can help you stand out instantly, if you really want to transform your business communication, you will need to do more. Our 6 steps for powerful email communication will ensure all your emails count and that you never end up in the spam folder or ignored.

Step #1: Ask yourself, “Do I need to send this email to this person?”

“Our policy is to never use emails for intra-team communication Using Slack speeds up the working process, as we have everything pre-set, with each team using their own channel” – Armand Ciuleanu – CEO/Founder at RebelDot

If you can take only one tip from this whole article, this should be it:

Before sending anything, ask yourself is emailing the best way to communicate right now and are you sending the email to the right person.

Answering the first part of the question can save you an enormous amount of time. First, if you want to type an email to your coworker, maybe it’s a better option to ask them if they are around or to send them a Slack message. Both ways will get you an answer faster.

If it’s not a person from your organization, a phone call might be a better option than emailing. That way, you will get a response in a matter of minutes, instead of waiting for hours or days. Even if it’s not urgent, if you can solve a problem in five minutes, there’s no reason for it to end up on your to-do list.

Answering the second part of the question will make you think about who you are sending the email to. While the primary recipient is necessary, don’t automatically put everyone else in CC. Even if you are unsure, you can always forward the whole communication to the right person later, which is a much better option than starting a spam chain for no reason.

Here are some situations when emailing is a good option:

  • You need a written record of the whole correspondence with the person
  • You are not sending time-sensitive information
  • You have to contact or notify several people at the same time
  • You have to share important files

Step #2: Think through your subject lines

Before anyone reads the body of your email, they are faced with its subject line. While subject lines are much more important in sales and cold pitching than business correspondence, they still require your attention.

If possible, the subject line should communicate the main point of the email and should never be generic. For example, “a short note” “a quick memo” are not very informative. Descriptive subject lines will make your emails much easier to find later, in case the recipient forgets to label it or mark it with a star.

Therefore, if you want to notify your coworkers about an upcoming important meeting, then you should write:

“Important: sales team Zoom meeting, Thu, 26th, 2 PM.”

The body should contain the description and the topic of the meeting so people can prepare, and an invitation link – but the subject line tells them all they need to know.

One more subject line tip: don’t abuse the word “important” or the exclamation point in your email client. While there are important things, if you mark everything as important and urgent, even if it’s not, people will stop paying attention, which will affect your credibility.

Step #3: Highlight the reason why you are sending the email first

In most cases, the most important thing your email contains should be mentioned in the subject line. But, even if that is the case, after an appropriate greeting, state it again.

Nonetheless, the most important part of the email should always be at the top. That will not only make it hard to miss, but it will also make it more likely for people to read the rest of the email if it grabs their attention.

If it’s something super important such as a meeting date, a security update, or a change in shift schedule, use bold text or write in UPPER CASE letters. But, use these formatting tools in moderation, or else they will have no effect.

Also, try to keep the highlighted information in up to two sentences. The goal is to make people read the highlighted text – if they do only that, the whole email achieves its purpose. That’s why it shouldn’t be buried near the bottom but at the beginning of your email.

Step #4: Keep it short and easy to read

Our Step #1 will cull a good portion of unnecessary emails, which is good. Now, if you have to send an email, make sure it only contains information it has to and make it as easy to read as possible.

A good rule of thumb is always to remember that you are sending business emails. In business, time is money, and you don’t want to waste the time of your colleagues, partners, or clients.

But, at the same time, you are communicating with real people, and the way you communicate can make a huge difference. Here’s how to make your emails more impactful:

  • Use bullet points and numbered lists – these catch readers’ attention and make it easy to absorb the information visually.
  • Write short sentences in simple terms – while this one is sometimes hard to do in business communication, simplifying your language and sentences will make your emails more pleasant to read. Don’t use complicated terminology if you don’t have to; write as you usually speak.
  • Use proper spacing – writing short paragraphs will make your emails easy to skim. Also, if possible, widen out your line spacing, or put an extra empty row between two paragraphs. This will give readers “breathing room” and make your email messages more pleasant to read.
  • Use visuals where appropriate – using images is another good way to break the text, but you can also use them to replace the text. For example, instead of sending complex explanations, a simple screenshot can do the trick. Tools such as Lightshot will help you create actionable screenshots in minutes, saving you a lot of time you would waste on walking recipients through technical information.

Step #5: Think twice before clicking “reply” or “reply all”

While using “CC” too often is very common, the same goes for using “reply” and “reply all” buttons the wrong way.

In case you don’t know the difference – the “reply” button will mean you will send a reply only to the sender; “reply all” will send your reply to everyone who is marked in the “CC” section as well.

Even though there are many people in the CC field that doesn’t mean you should automatically click “reply all.” Whether or not you should share your answer with everyone, or just with the sender will depend on the situation, and you will have to use your best judgment. But, if your response has something to do with all other people in CC, or you have a question or a remark that might interest them, hit “reply all.”

On the other hand, if you only need to send the reply to the sender, “reply” is the only right choice.

And if you need to communicate only with certain individuals that are in the CC field, no worries – click “reply all”, but delete people who are not needed from the CC field before sending the email.

Step #6: Avoid meaningless and washed up phrases

“The nature of our business requires consistent communication with government officials and public record keepers who never have time and are flooded with emails. Therefore, we keep things short, and to the point, making sure our requests are easy to notice and understand.” – Lucie Chavez, CMO of Radaris.

Unless you work in a strictly formal environment, for example, a court, using tight phrases such as “to whom it may concern” should never be a part of email communication.

While it’s not that rigid, phrases such as “greetings” are also becoming a thing of the past. Today, even “Dear Sir/Madam” sounds inappropriate in email business communication.

If you work in a less formal, modern environment, using simple “hi” or “hello” to start your email is perfect. The same goes for the end of an email. If “cheers” is too informal for you, “thanks,” “best,” or “regards” are much better than “with best regards.”

Also, try not to use the same washed-up phrases as everyone else. It’s one thing to be polite, but writing “I hope you had a great weekend!” every single Monday may be perceived as insincere. Try something a bit more authentic.

Business emails should be, first and foremost, practical. That means they should contain only the necessary information that is actionable above all else – dates, screenshots, instructions, memos, and similar. If you stick to that rule, your business email communication will always be on a high level.

Wrapping up

Our 6 steps for powerful business email communication will not only make your emails more impactful but will also save time – not only yours but across your whole organization.

Keeping your emails short, subject lines clear, using CC and “reply all” the right way, and only sending fluff-free emails with clear intent will make you an email communication rockstar.

Even if you are not in a position to change the way your organization operates, if you start writing terrific emails, you will lead by example, and influence the email culture within your company. Before you know it, key people will notice, which will certainly positively affect your business reputation.


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Take back your ROI by owning your data

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Treasure Data 800x450

Treasure Data 800x450

Other brands can copy your style, tone and strategy — but they can’t copy your data.

Your data is your competitive advantage in an environment where enterprises are working to grab market share by designing can’t-miss, always-on customer experiences. Your marketing tech stack enables those experiences. 

Join ActionIQ and Snowplow to learn the value of composing your stack – decoupling the data collection and activation layers to drive more intelligent targeting.

Register and attend “Maximizing Marketing ROI With a Composable Stack: Separating Reality from Fallacy,” presented by Snowplow and ActionIQ.


Click here to view more MarTech webinars.


About the author

Cynthia RamsaranCynthia Ramsaran

Cynthia Ramsaran is director of custom content at Third Door Media, publishers of Search Engine Land and MarTech. A multi-channel storyteller with over two decades of editorial/content marketing experience, Cynthia’s expertise spans the marketing, technology, finance, manufacturing and gaming industries. She was a writer/producer for CNBC.com and produced thought leadership for KPMG. Cynthia hails from Queens, NY and earned her Bachelor’s and MBA from St. John’s University.

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Revolutionizing Auto Retail: The Game-Changing Partnership Between Amazon and Hyundai

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Revolutionizing Auto Retail: The Game-Changing Partnership Between Amazon and Hyundai

Revolutionizing Auto Retail The Game Changing Partnership Between Amazon and Hyundai

In a groundbreaking alliance, Amazon and Hyundai have joined forces to reshape the automotive landscape, promising a revolutionary shift in how we buy, drive, and experience cars.

Imagine browsing for your dream car on Amazon, with the option to seamlessly purchase, pick up, or have it delivered—all within the familiar confines of the world’s largest online marketplace. Buckle up as we explore the potential impact of this monumental partnership and the transformation it heralds for the future of auto retail.

Driving Change Through Amazon’s Auto Revolution

Consider “Josh”, a tech-savvy professional with an affinity for efficiency. Faced with the tedious process of purchasing a new car, he stumbled upon Amazon’s automotive section. Intrigued by the prospect of a one-stop shopping experience, Josh decided to explore the Amazon-Hyundai collaboration.

The result?

A hassle-free online car purchase, personalized to his preferences, and delivered to his doorstep. Josh’s story is just a glimpse into the real-world impact of this game-changing partnership.

Bridging the Gap Between Convenience and Complexity

Traditional car buying is often marred by complexities, from navigating dealership lots to negotiating prices. The disconnect between the convenience consumers seek and the cumbersome process they endure has long been a pain point in the automotive industry. The need for a streamlined, customer-centric solution has never been more pressing.

1701235578 44 Revolutionizing Auto Retail The Game Changing Partnership Between Amazon and Hyundai1701235578 44 Revolutionizing Auto Retail The Game Changing Partnership Between Amazon and Hyundai

Ecommerce Partnership Reshaping Auto Retail Dynamics

Enter Amazon and Hyundai’s new strategic partnership coming in 2024—an innovative solution poised to redefine the car-buying experience. The trio of key developments—Amazon becoming a virtual showroom, Hyundai embracing AWS for a digital makeover, and the integration of Alexa into next-gen vehicles—addresses the pain points with a holistic approach.

In 2024, auto dealers for the first time will be able to sell vehicles in Amazon’s U.S. store, and Hyundai will be the first brand available for customers to purchase.

Amazon and Hyundai launch a broad, strategic partnership—including vehicle sales on Amazon.com in 2024 – Amazon Staff

This collaboration promises not just a transaction but a transformation in the way customers interact with, purchase, and engage with their vehicles.

Pedal to the Metal

Seamless Online Purchase:

  • Complete the entire transaction within the trusted Amazon platform.
  • Utilize familiar payment and financing options.
  • Opt for convenient pick-up or doorstep delivery.
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Hyundai’s Cloud-First Transformation:

  • Experience a data-driven organization powered by AWS.
  • Benefit from enhanced production optimization, cost reduction, and improved security.

Alexa Integration in Next-Gen Vehicles:

  • Enjoy a hands-free, voice-controlled experience in Hyundai vehicles.
  • Access music, podcasts, reminders, and smart home controls effortlessly.
  • Stay connected with up-to-date traffic and weather information.

Driving into the Future

The Amazon-Hyundai collaboration is not just a partnership; it’s a revolution in motion. As we witness the fusion of e-commerce giant Amazon with automotive prowess of Hyundai, the potential impact on customer behavior is staggering.

The age-old challenges of car buying are met with a forward-thinking, customer-centric solution, paving the way for a new era in auto retail. From the comfort of your home to the driver’s seat, this partnership is set to redefine every step of the journey, promising a future where buying a car is as easy as ordering a package online.

Embrace the change, and witness the evolution of auto retail unfold before your eyes.


Revolutionizing Auto Retail The Game Changing Partnership Between Amazon and Hyundai

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How to Schedule Ad Customizers for Google RSAs [2024]

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How to Schedule Ad Customizers for Google RSAs [2024]

It’s no wonder that responsive search ads have steadily grown in popularity in recent years. Through Google’s machine learning capabilities, RSAs provide a powerful way to automate the testing of multiple headlines and descriptions to ensure a closer match to user intent. The benefits are clear: RSAs mean broader reach, better engagement, and improved performance metrics.

However, all these benefits come at a significant (but reasonable) cost – they can be extremely difficult to manage, especially when it comes to updating ad copy to promote limited time offers.

I know this firsthand – I work with several ecommerce clients with promotions that constantly change. Not too long ago, I found myself going through the consistently tedious process of updating a client’s RSA headlines and copy. As I was making the changes, I thought to myself: “There must be a better way to update this ad copy. I shouldn’t have to use find and replace so many times while pausing and enabling my ad campaigns.”

After expressing this to my colleague, Jordan Stambaugh, the two of us agreed there must be a better way. But we’d have to make it happen. A few weeks later, we put that idea into action and created a more efficient process for updating RSA ad copy on a scheduled basis. If you want to try this process for yourself, just keep reading.

Responsive Search Ad Customizers 101: Basic Options & Execution

Before diving into the process of scheduling automatic updates for your RSA customizers, it’s essential to understand some key Responsive Search Ad fundamentals.

First, you can customize three main options within RSAs: the Attribute Name, the Data Type, and the Account Value. Each of these plays a vital role in personalizing your ads:

  • Attribute Name: This is essentially the identifier for the customizer. It is how you’ll reference the specific piece of information you’re customizing within the ad. For instance, if you’re running a promotion, you might name an attribute “Promotion.”
  • Data Type: This indicates the kind of data the attribute represents and it determines how the information can be formatted and used within the ad. Common data types include Text (for plain, non-numeric text), Percent (to represent percentage discounts), Price (to denote monetary values), and Number (for any numerical value).
  • Account Value: This is the default value for the attribute that you set at the account level. It acts as a fallback if more specific values aren’t provided at the campaign or ad group level.

For example, if you wanted to promote a 10% off discount using RSAs, you’d use the “Discount” attribute, a data type of “Percent,” and an account value of “10% off.” Then, when someone is searching for products, Google would test automatically inserting a copy regarding a 10% off promotion into your ad.

Once you’ve set up the right customization options, you can start to format your RSAs with customizers.

Here’s how:

  • Start by typing in {
  • Click on Ad Customizer then select your attribute
  • Google will populate your attributes that are already uploaded
  • For a simple offer, use the “Default text” attribute as a catch-all. This will ensure your ads run smoothly if Google can’t pull the right messaging from your RSA feed

 

 

How to Schedule Your Ad Customizers with a Feed

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s cover how to schedule your ad customizers.

Just follow this three step process:

1. Create the feed

Start by creating two sheets: The Parent sheet, and the Child sheet. The “Parent” sheet will act as the primary data source, while the child sheet will pull data from the parent sheet.

We’ll start by building the parent sheet. After opening the sheet, start by renaming the active tab to “Promotions.” Don’t skip this step, it’s crucial for referencing this range in formulas later on.

In your “Promotions” tab, head to the top row and label columns A, B, and C with the headers of your ad customizer attributes. For example, you might have “BrandSaleHeadline” as your attribute in column A, “text” as the Data Type in column B, and “Shop the Collection” as the Account Value in column C.

Once your headers are in place, move to cell C2. Here, you’ll input the expression =lookup(today(),F:G,E:E). This formula will play a key role in dynamically updating your RSA customizer based on the current date.

Next, go to columns E, F, and G, which will be used to manage your scheduling. In these columns, you’ll list out the different values your chosen attribute might take, alongside their corresponding start and end dates. For example, under the “BrandSaleHeadline” attribute, you might schedule various promotional headlines to appear during different sale periods throughout the year.

Here’s how your sheet might look:

Now look back at the first 3 columns on your sheet. They should look like this:

Now create a second sheet. We’ll call this sheet the Child sheet. It’s going to automatically pull in data from the parent sheet you just created, and will be the one you link to Google Ads later on.

Columns A, B and C will be almost identical to the child sheet, but we will be using a special formula later so we can automatically populate this. So, start by labeling Row 1 Column A “Attribute,” then the next column as “Data type,” then column C as “Account value.” 

Then go to C2 and use this expression to populate the right account value from the parent document: =importrange(“[PARENT DOCUMENT URL HERE]”,”Promotions!C2″)

Your sheet should now look like this:

We recommend adding a date range with default text for any days you’re  not running a promotion. In the example above, we have “Shop Our Collection” appearing as default text.

2. Input attributes

Once you have your feed created, the next step involves inputting your attributes into the Google Ads platform. This can be done either manually or through a bulk upload.

For the manual approach, navigate to “Tools & Settings” in your Google Ads interface, then go to ‘Setup’ followed by “Business Data.” Here, you’ll find an option for “Ad Customizer Attributes.” Click the plus sign to add your attributes. It’s crucial to use the same attribute names that you’ve established in your Parent Google Sheet template to ensure consistency and proper data synchronization.

 

 

Alternatively, if you prefer the bulk upload method, again head to “Tools & Settings.” This time, select “Bulk Actions” and then “Uploads.” For this process, you only need to upload columns A to C from your template. 

Be aware that it might take some time for your uploaded attributes to be reflected in the business data section of Google Ads.

3. Set up an automatic schedule

At this point, you’ve almost finished scheduling your ad customizers. Navigate to Tools & Settings, then Bulk Actions, then Uploads, then click the Schedules tab at the top. Select your Child Google Sheet as the data source, and share your Google Sheet with the appropriate email.

 

 

And there you have it – Google will automatically pull in the data you populated in the sheets into your RSAs.

Common Challenges When Scheduling RSA Ad Customizers

When we test these sheets with our clients in the wild, we’ve uncovered five common challenges. Be on the lookout for these issues – solving them before they happen can save you a lot of trouble down the line.

Not scheduling your upload when the site changes 

The first and most significant hurdle is the mismatch between the scheduled data upload and website content updates. For instance, if the Google Sheet is set to upload at 11 am, but the website changes occur at 3 pm, there’s going to be a discrepancy where the wrong message could be displayed for several hours, or new messaging could appear prematurely. Conversely, if the website updates happen before the scheduled sheet upload, outdated promotions might linger until the new data is imported. Synchronizing these schedules is crucial; it’s best to align them so updates occur simultaneously.

Skipping QA during a message change

Another pitfall is neglecting quality assurance (QA) during message updates. It’s vital to regularly check the business data section to verify that the correct values are in place post-update.

Issues with the IMPORTRANGE function

Then there’s the technical aspect of setting up the IMPORTRANGE function correctly in the Google Sheets template. The ‘child’ template must reliably pull data from the ‘parent’ sheet. If this function isn’t configured correctly, data won’t be imported as needed.

Not sharing access of the Google template for automatic uploads

Pay attention to your access permissions for the Google Sheets template. Google will prompt you with the email address that needs permission to access the ‘child’ sheet for automatic uploads. Overlooking the sharing of your sheet with this address will prevent the system from working.

Having date range gaps in your parent sheet

Lastly, a common oversight is leaving date range gaps in the ‘parent’ sheet. Every single date must be accounted for without overlaps. A practical tip is to have an ‘evergreen’ backup message ready, scheduled to run continuously, ideally through the end of the year, to cover any potential gaps.

Conclusion

Leveraging Google Sheets in conjunction with Google Ads to schedule RSA ad customizers is a game-changer for managing dynamic promotional content. This process not only streamlines your workflows but also ensures that your ads remain relevant and up-to-date, reflecting current promotions without the need for constant manual intervention. 

By adopting this method, you’ll save significant time and effort, allowing you to focus more on strategy and less on the minutiae of ad copy updates. Give it a try and experience a more efficient way to manage your RSAs, keeping your campaigns fresh and engaging with minimal hassle.

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