Why an email isn't just an email...

When sending an email to a journalist, how much thought do you put into what sort of email you're sending?  That's not quite as random a question as it might sound. Because not all emails are created equal, my friends.

Surfing through some journo blogs last night, I came across a site that spells out some remarkably specific  requirements when it comes to email from PR types. For example (and this isn't an exhaustive list):

1. Only use plain text, and absolutely no HTML content at all
2. Use one specific variation of the recipient's email address for press releases, another for invitations and another for miscellaneous content
3. Send no attachments, especially if they're not asked for
4. If you must send an attachment, only use PDF or another non-vectored format
5. Don't use Word under any circumstances, send text as a rich text file

Blimey, and all of this is before we even come to the matter of whether the content of the email is any good.

Let's face it, there are certain things that PR types do that are dumb beyond belief - sending enormous picture attachments, accidentally including the email addresses of 400 people in the cc field, forgetting the basics of the English language.

I do expect PRs to abide by basic business email etiquette when contacting me. I reckon pitches should be easy to scan, easy to understand, and easy to search through. Basically, that means keeping it short, using plain English and not relying on fancy graphics or attachments. But asking PRs to learn what a non-vectored format is before you deign to read their emails? I suggest someone is taking themselves a wee bit too seriously there...

Comments

[Chris Green]

Good grief - and I thought I was picky expecting people to get my name right :)

[Tetsou]

Crumbs, just when we thought we have mastered email basics, along comes a list like this! It must have been written by their local tech.

There are good reasons why some organisations don't like word (can be a carrier of macro viruses) but I wonder how many folks can easily convert to pdf?

Tetsou
http://www.tetsou.co.uk