Just because email messages are sent quickly doesn’t mean they can be composed in a hurry. Sorry! You were hoping I’d say little pesky things like grammar aren’t important. But, they are.

Here are a few grammar pointers to get you started on the right track for sending proper email messages. This isn’t an exhaustive list. Entire text books are devoted to grammar. But, these few tips will be helpful.

Incorrect Modifiers Put modifiers in their proper place. Sure - as soon as I tell you what a modifier is, you can tell it where to go.

Modifiers are adjectives and adverbs. Adjectives are used to modify nouns and pronouns. Adverbs are used to modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. One way to help remember this is that most adverbs end in the letters “ly.”

Example - Using Modifiers Correctly

The following example demonstrates how to use adjectives to modify a noun and how to use adverbs to modify a verb.

When modifying a noun, use an adjective:

* He did a poor job. * She is a frequent contributor.

When modifying a verb, use an adverb:

* He did the job poorly. * She contributes frequently.

Noun/Pronoun Agreement

Another common grammar problem is when the pronoun doesn’t agree in number with its antecedent. Or, in plain English, that means incorrectly using a plural pronoun to modify a singular noun, or vice versa. The most common offender is using the plural “they,” when the sentence really calls for the singular “he” or “she.”

Example

This will become clearer when you read the following example. The illustration also offers several options for rewording these statements in order to make them correct.

Sample of Single Versus Plural Pronouns

The following statement is incorrect. The noun and pronoun do not agree.

“When a customer is upset, they need to vent.”

Here are several ways to reword the statement to make it correct:

* Rewrite it in the plural:

“When customers are upset, they need to vent.”

* Use he/she:

“When a customer is upset, he/she needs to vent.”

* Re-use the noun:

“When a customer is upset, a customer needs to vent.”

* Re-word the statement:

“An upset customer needs to vent.”

Recent Phenomenon

This specific problem is a recent phenomenon. Long ago, “he” was the standard pronoun used to refer to both sexes. In current times, we have tried to be more politically correct. This leads to the he/she issue. Errors on this issue not only lead to poor grammar, but they may offend someone.

Future Trend

Now that you’ve had a quick history lesson, let’s look to the future. In a few years, it may be acceptable to use the plural pronoun “they” with a singular antecedent.

However, those times haven’t arrived yet, despite what you may see to the contrary. So, don’t use plural pronouns with singular nouns until you receive the official memo from the Proper English Grammar Gurus.

Grammar Surprises

Here’s a final point about grammar. You may be surprised by who becomes upset if your messages aren’t grammatically correct. Your customer, colleague, or boss may use incorrect grammar all the time. However, that doesn’t mean they don’t recognize improper usage when they hear it or see it from others. In other words, they may be holding you to a higher standard. Make sure you measure up.

About the Author
Kelly J. Watkins, MBA, Louisville, KY. Visit: http://www.KeepCustomers.com to order, Email Etiquette Made Easy (a comprehensive guide filled with exercises & examples) or for tips on communication & customer service! (812) 246-2424 or kelly@keepcustomers.com.

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Having an opt-in list is not just for sending subscribers
your promotional newsletters or catalogs. Your opt-in list
should be used to build a relationship with each and every
person who joins your list, but you must do your part to
show respect to those who do decide to subscribe.

As with everything, there are numerous things you need to
consider in order to avoid some complications associated with
email marketing. While there are so many ways you can get
people to subscribe to your list, there are also a few
things you must do to avoid those same subscribers from
wanting to be removed from your list.

On top of that, you also want to avoid any problems with
the law and/or your internet service provider or ISP . There
are now quite a few laws and regulations in place that
are designed to help protect the privacy of the internet
users from spam and unwanted emails. The use of Email in
business has become extremely popular because of the low
cost and many company’s have seized the opportunity by flooding
people’s email accounts with unwanted promotional mail.

But, with an opt-in list, you don’t need to worry about
sending unwanted emails because people have chosen to subscribe
to your list; they WANT to receive the newsletters and promotional
materials from your company. They have consented to being
on the list by subscribing themselves.

There are times when an email account has been provided
by someone other than the real owner so don’t forget to
put an unsubscribe link in every email you send to your
opt-in list. This will help to avoid any confusion and offer
an easy way for your subscribers to opt-out whenever they
want.

It is important that you keep your list clean and manageable
by using the many tools provided by either your software
of choice or the email/autoresponder host (like Aweber)
you use for your opt-in list.

Don’t worry, the investment you put into your email marketing
campaigns is well worth it as you gain a much wider and
far more targeted audience that will in turn increase your
sales and bring in the profits you are looking for.

So now you need to ensure that both your business and yourself
are protected from those potential problems associated with
email marketing and stay in the good books with both the
law and your ISP . Keep your operation legitimate and clean.
Your reputation as a legitimate business person and a legitimate
website or blog depends on your being a straight and truthful
marketer.

Here are three things you MUST DO to keep your email marketing
on track and out of trouble:

1) Take notice of those unsuccessful sends. These are the
emails that bounce. Bounced emails, also known as undeliverable
messages, are those messages that, for whatever reason, were
not successfully received by the intended recipient.

There are different reasons why emails bounce. It could be
because the server was busy at the time of your send but
can still be delivered later. Or it could be due to the
recipients inbox being full. And then there are those emails
labeled “undeliverable” that are going to bounce no matter
what simply because of an invalid or misspelled email address
or because an email address was abandoned and erased already.

Manage your list by flagging those accounts that bounce.
Erase email addresses from your list so that you have an
accurate statistic and record as to how many are actually
receiving your mail. You should also check the spellings
of the email addresses in your database and watch for things
like .con instead of .com or misspelled host names like
hotmial instead of hotmail or even those addresses mixing
up the @ sign possibly with the ! or #.

Another way to avoid misspelled or incorrect addresses on
your list and ensure those that you are adding to your
list ACTUALLY subscribed themselves, is to use the Double
Opt-in method. This method sends a confirmation link out
to anyone who subscribes and will not activate their subscription
in your database until they personally have confirmed their
email address. Now you will have served two purposes…you
have double checked the email address is legitimate and ensured
that the person who subscribed truly does want to receive
your emails.

2) Always provide “unsubscribe” methods and options on your
website and include unsubscribe links in every one of your
mailings. When someone on your list sends a request to be
unsubscribed, always take it seriously and remove them immediately.
(If it’s sent personally to my main contact email, I always
email them back letting them know they have been unsubscribed
then save both theirs and my emails in case of further
dispute) . If you don’t take them off your list and you
keep sending them your emails, you are now sending them
spam mail.

When you are reported as a spammer, you and your business
can get into a lot of trouble. You can be reported to
the authorities and maybe blacklisted by many internet service
providers. You will lose a lot of subscribers this way and
many more in potential subscribers.

3) Avoid any pornographic or shocking and disturbing content
in your newsletters. You can’t know who the person reading
your email is and what may offend them. Keep your emails
clean and family friendly at all times. Controversial issues
should also be avoided. If you focus on the nature of your
business and stay clear of anything that could potentially
be considered harmful or offensive you should avoid any problems.

So, keep these 3 tips in mind when preparing your next
email. Build a strong and healthy relationship with your
readers, show them the respect they deserve and you’ll find
yourself growing a very successful opt-in list full of people
truly wanting to read your emails and purchase what you
have to offer.

————————————————————–
Toresa Slater is an established online business owner in
the areas of Web Design and Internet Marketing. She also
is co-editor of the Wealth Surge News Ezine and such blogs
as Building Wealth from Your Opt-in Email List.
————————————————————

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