It’s probably safe to assume that in one eight hour period you send more emails than you speak words. If you have a regular office job, you probably use email all day, every day. Sad, but true.
But because of this, it’s important to know the dos and don’ts of proper email etiquette. You don’t want to be giving off the wrong impression, do you?
This is a bizarre one. In the past, absolutely no way. Now, however, things are a little different. Emoticons add a personal touch to emails and they can also help in your efforts to be humorous. If used correctly, an emoticon can make a detached email seem friendly or help soften an otherwise harsh body of text.
Writing is a funny thing because one sentence can be read a million different ways. One person may interpret something completely differently than you did based on how they read it, their education level, their personal experiences and the way the wind blew ever so gently that day.
This means you should always be careful when you use humor, especially in a professional context. What you find hilarious may come off as rude and belittling to someone else.
When you capitalize complete words or sentences, people tend to feel threatened. They automatically think, “Is he/she angry with me?” Or they think you’re too incompetent to use a computer properly. Do you not know where the caps lock button is? Either way the cookie crumbles, it’s not good.
The lines are so blurred nowadays that you finish emails through text messages and end a phone call when you physically walk up to the person you’re speaking to—however, this doesn’t give you the right to use bad grammar and spell words incorrectly.
Spellcheck your email and always make sure you use complete words. In emails, do not use: cuz, k, y? or ya. Save that for your texts, and even then, only with close friends and family. Your boss or manager likely won’t be impressed with poor English skills.
Let’s face it. We don’t like big globs of text (take note of what you’re reading right now). It’s intimidating. If we receive an email with a massive amount of text, we glance through it (missing important information) or save it for later (and never come back to it).
When you write an email, keep it short. Break up your information and highlight key information (bold your font or use the highlighter function). If you can’t get your point across with limited text, then you’re better off picking up the phone so you can go in-depth and maintain their attention.
You wouldn’t begin a conversation with someone you just met or barely know without a greeting. You also wouldn’t walk away from a conversation without ending it with a suitable goodbye. That’s just rude… and weird.
If you’re speaking with a client or a partner, always greet them properly: Hello, Hi there, How’s it going, Good morning. And, before you send your email, wrap it up with a goodbye: Thanks for your time, Talk to you later, Let me know if you have any questions.
Regardless of how you feel about email, if you use it on a daily basis, it would behoove you to polish up your etiquette so you make a great electronic impression.
With the recent Equifax data breach, you’re probably wondering how to tell if a thief is using your stolen information, and how. Unfortunately, there are a number of nefarious activities to watch out for when your Social Security number has been compromised.
Opening a fake account is the most common thing someone will do with your Social Security number, but it’s one of the least damaging things they can do. Criminals can literally take over your identity and use it to steal medical goods, commit serious crimes, file false tax returns, create fake children to go with the identity, and even create problems with mortgages and home deeds. Not good.
So what do you do about this whole data breach?
First, check the potential impact at Equifax’s TrustedID website. You’ll have to enter the last 6-digits of your Social Security number and your last name, and the site will tell you if there’s reason to believe your information has been stolen. Don’t worry, the site is completely secure. Asking for 6 digits is a little unusual but it helps to ensure the data is accurate.
The site will tell you instantly how likely it is you’ve been hacked. Equifax is offering complimentary credit reports, 3 bureau credit file monitoring, credit report lock, social security number monitoring, and $1 million identity theft insurance to consumers for free to make up for their blunder.
Second, and most importantly, monitor your credit report on your own. You can use a credit monitoring service like Equifax’s TrustedID (which they’re offering for free—obviously), but it’s probably best if you also check your credit reports regularly yourself. You’re entitled to a free copy of your report from each of the three major bureaus each year (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) and you can grab your copy at Annual Credit Report.
If anyone has opened a line of credit in your name, it will show up on your report and you’ll have to dispute it. If there’s fraudulent activity, you should contact each of the three credit reporting agencies to dispute the inaccurate item(s). We hope you never have to, but here’s the contact info for all three bureaus:
Equifax Alerts
(888) 766-0008
Equifax Consumer Fraud Division, PO Box 740256,
Atlanta, GA 30374
Experian Fraud Center
(888) 397-3742
Experian
P.O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013
Transunion Fraud Alert
(888) 909-8872
TransUnion Fraud Victim Assistance Department,
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016
Finally, consider putting a freeze and a fraud alert on all three of your credit reports if your data has likely been stolen. Some states may impose a fee for this, but Equifax is waiving that charge right now.
It’s absolutely critical to review your credit report regularly, not just right now in the wake of the data breach. Stay smart and be proactive about your sensitive information, and you’ll avoid the headache of identity theft.
Whether you check social media, read email, or do most anything online, your internet behavior can put you at risk. Hackers and scammers take advantage of your online movements to get your financial data and other sensitive information to use for their gain, at your pain. To stay safe and protect your identity, make sure you avoid these everyday habits that leave you vulnerable online.
You already know that your passwords should be strong, duh. But besides using long combinations of random numbers, letters, and symbols, you should also make each password you use unique to that account. If you use the same password for multiple accounts, a hacker who gains access to one account also has access to your other accounts. So keep separate passwords and change them every few months. Sound like too much to remember? Some great options include LastPass or Dashlane.
It’s easier than ever to share details of your life, but all that social media sharing can leave you vulnerable to identity thieves, who can piece together information you share to crack your passwords and answers to security questions. Disable location sharing, don’t reveal your birthday or the first concert you attended, and give a second thought to telling the world you’re on vacation. It’s always better to post after you’ve returned! There’s nothing worse than advertising that your home is unattended from this date to that date.
Although you may enjoy setting up a makeshift office in a coffee shop equipped with Wi-Fi, tread very carefully. Public Wi-Fi networks make it easy for hackers to see everything you do while you use the connection. If you must use public Wi-Fi, never log into banks or social media accounts, and consider using a virtual private network (VPN) to protect your sensitive data. VPNs act like a tunnel around your information so potential thieves cannot see all your data.
If you don’t think twice before opening an email (or attachment) from an unfamiliar sender, you put yourself at serious risk of phishing. Phishers are scammers who send emails containing links or attachments that, once you click on them, can trick you into revealing your login information or infect your computer with malware or ransomware.
Be mindful before opening any unusual emails, and pause before clicking on links or attachments that seem suspect. Before you click on a link that appears to be from your bank, for example, go directly to your bank’s website or call your bank to determine if the email is legitimate.
Or, if you’re using a desktop computer, hover your pointer over the link and see where it really redirects to.
Although online platforms offer legitimate professional networking opportunities, be wary of impulsively accepting invitations and requests from strangers. Cyberstalkers can use social networks to gain information on potential victims and send unwanted messages. Before you add a stranger to your social networks, take a good look at his or her profile and consider the risk. It can be easy to assume you’ve simply forgotten that person from a brief interaction at a networking event, but that’s why looking closely at their profile will help you weed out the scammers from the real people.
When you’re logging in to an account or doing online shopping, autofill and autocomplete features can save a ton of time. But storing your data makes it seriously vulnerable to cybercriminals. Make sure you disable autofill on your browser, and take the extra time to manually type in your credit card number each time you buy something. It may seem like a hassle now, but it’s a breeze compared to dealing with identity theft. Trust us.
Whether you have to create a username and password to read a random article or try a yoga class at a new studio, it’s easy to rack up a large number of online accounts. But having your personal information stored on multiple unused accounts can put your data at risk. Keep track of every new online account you open, and delete any accounts you no longer use. Doing so will ensure that only the companies and platforms that you’re active on will have access to your data.
Some criminals are more low-tech. If you regularly leave your computer, phone, or tablet unattended, you put your information at risk. Even leaving your devices unattended while you go to the restroom or get coffee can leave you vulnerable. The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) recommends you lock your computer any time you’re away from it. Protect your devices with a password that you must enter each time, and close your laptop’s lid (or put it to sleep) when you step away from it.
When it comes to your workforce, you want things to click for them all day, every day. Unfortunately though, things don’t always work this way. Why? Well, they’re human of course. They want to talk, eat food, go to the bathroom, watch a funny cat video and stare off into nothingness for five minutes straight. But all these “extracurricular” activities during the work day make for a highly unproductive staff.
Obviously.
So how do you keep your staff human, yet capitalize on their most productive time periods? Simple. Keep your technology dependable and the communication flowing like the Mississippi River.
If you’re looking for a quick way to create an unproductive staff, then give them some really bad, old, and outdated technology. As a matter of fact, it doesn’t even have to be that incredibly bad. It just has to give out on them every now and then. Once you manage to do this, just sit back and watch absolutely nothing happen.
Workstation shuts off in the middle of a task Susie had been working on for an hour. She’s now done for the day.
Or Joe’s email inbox refuses to sync. Instead of trying to do other things, he’ll just click around his inbox for a few hours thinking really hard about why it isn’t working.
Too many open applications and everything suddenly becomes “unresponsive.” Prepare yourself for a sudden attack of a clicker-crazed employee, who will simply make the unresponsive even more unresponsive.
Your CRM takes an eternity to load. Mary will take this eternity and use it to check up on her kingdom in Clash of the Clans. Your database may have loaded ten minutes ago, but she’s highly invested in an all-out battle at the moment. See ya, Mary.
Strong communication builds up your competitive edge and keeps your staff on the same page. But the trick is to keep things instant and synchronized. This is where modern technology has worked its magic.
Once you start using apps like Office 365 and Dropbox, you’ll begin to wonder how you ever did anything before. Work on the same document at the same time as another staff member and see each other’s edits in real-time. Take a step away from the back-and-forth emails and start moving faster than a slug on a hot day.
Old way:
Bob sends an email to Matt. “Hey man, take a look at this attachment. I made some minor edits to the first paragraph.”
Bob sends another email to Matt. “Sorry. Forgot attachment. Here it is.”
Matt sends an email to Bob. “Took a look at your notes. Here are my changes.”
Bob sends an email to Matt. “That looks great Matt. What do you think about changing the word amazing to brilliant in that last sentence?”
Matt sends an email to Bob. “Sounds good. Any other changes? FYI, I made a few tweaks to the title.”
Nine days later and 37 emails sent, forwarded, received and read, Matt and Bob finish their one-page report.
New way:
Matt sends Bob and instant message: Hey, let’s work on that report.
They both hop on Dropbox and 15 minutes later the report is edited, approved, and sent.
Wow. So much time saved.
Love them or hate them, Facebook reactions are here to stay. And while some businesses cringe at the idea of consumers having more possibilities than the traditional “like” button, many others embrace this emotional side of social media. As should you!
For Facebook, it wasn’t just about getting more emotional. They needed a gesture-based interaction aimed at people on-the-go and using the mobile app—people who are unable to comment when a post wasn’t entirely or simply likeable. We’ve all been there: outraged by something we read or see but not having enough free time to write a proper response. So press the Angry reaction, and voila! We expressed ourselves.
So how does all this affect your business? Well for starters, it gives people the ability to interact with your company on a new level, and it gives you an excuse to explore creative marketing opportunities. Here are a few of the other ways social media interactions will change the way your company experiences social media.
Did people just “like” your posts before or did they “like” them but really love them? Or maybe they liked them because they hated them? Uh oh. Facebook reactions can clear that up. Now, you’ll know for sure whether a post angers your followers or moves them to laughter. Once you start to see a pattern, you can adjust your posts to continue receiving the appropriate emotional response.
Studies are starting to show that people are more likely to use a negative emoji rather than leave a negative comment. This is good for two reasons. One, you limit the negative comments left on your page, and two, you’ll receive an honest look into your posts, content, and business as a whole.
Through your Facebook Page, you’ll be able to view statistics on how many reactions were used on both your post and the subsequent shares. See what’s working, what’s not, and how you can improve your shared content. Metrics and feedback are critical parts of sustaining a successful marketing campaign.
Before it was just ‘like,’ now it’s a range of emotions. This means you can connect with your audience on an even deeper level by knowing what makes them laugh, what makes them cry, and everything in between. You’ll get to see what posts elicit what responses and go forward from there.
You can use these new emojis to your advantage with creative posts like “sharing the love,” which are helpful in terms of engagement. For example, “Share the love and click the heart to be entered into a contest to a win a new iPhone.” You can easily see who used what reaction, so it’s a fun way to have your followers feel more involved in your posts.
