Email

Email is ideal for communicating with specific groups of students or staff, when no urgent answer or action is required.

Make sure you are only emailing the people who need this particular information. If people get too many irrelevant emails they switch off and pay less attention. If they usually receive focused and specific messages that are directed to them, they will be more likely to open and read the emails they receive from Federation.

You should also ensure that you are authorised to communicate this information, particularly if it relates to academic progress or expresses an opinion on behalf of Federation.

Subject line

In a 2016 survey, many students advised they will not read an email from Federation if the subject line does not interest them.

• Short and direct (aim for 50 characters or fewer).
• Clearly introduce the topic of the email.
• Be engaging and interesting, without being obscure.
• Give the reader a reason to open the email and read more.

Content

• Discuss one idea or event.
• Target a specific group.
• Put the call to action at the top.
• Include all relevant information.

Tone

• Professional, while still being relaxed and friendly.
• Not overly casual or grammatically incorrect.
• No nicknames, slang or emoticons.

Links

• Include hyperlinks for additional or background information.
• Hyperlink words or phrases that explain what the reader will find when they click the link.
• If a link will automatically download a document, make that clear and state the file size.

Attachments

• Attachments should be as small as possible, and only be included if they are directly relevant.

Signatures

• Use your official Federation email signature with our logo and your full contact details, in line with the brand guidelines.
• Avoid generic signatures that only list a job title, department or area.