7 Valentine's Day E-mail Etiquette Tips

Now that technology has saturated our lives, e-mail many times is being used carelessly to save time and effort. E-mail is not meant to replace every other form of communication and when it comes to Valentine's Day, there is nothing like receiving that handpicked, hand addressed, signed card in your mailbox to you let you know someone cares.

Unfortunately, there are those who choose to take the easy, inexpensive way out by thinking that e-mail can be used for all occasions without further thought. Not on Valentine's Day! Why is it so many senders do not realize that they could be making a serious e-mail faux pas? Because they prefer to take the path of least resistance and effort by replacing traditional hard-copy greetings with e-mails or e-cards because that is what is easiest for them.

Valentine's Day is not the time to look for shortcuts or take the easy way out. As with any other day of the year and particularly on special occasions, how you choose to use e-mail can and will say how you truly feel simply by the effort and/or cost you are willing to incur to relay your thoughts and feelings.

Here are some tips for Valentine's Day that you want to consider before clicking Send:

1. Make sure the message of the e-card or e-mail that you are sending is apropos to the environment in which you know the recipient. Especially in a business environment, Valentine's Day e-cards should be used sparingly, if at all, and with the highest level of discretion.
2. Hard-copy cards, gifts and flowers never go out of style! However, for your virtual relationships try sending cards that you know are specifically apropos to the person you are sending to. For example, if you have someone who loves kittens, send a card with kittens on it. If they don't care for kittens, find another card to send to them that is geared towards what they like. At the very least, show you put some thought into your e-card selections.
3. There are great e-card pay services online that send above average, unique and classy e-cards. Use them in lieu of the no effort, no cost, and generic e-cards available to the masses to reflect your true sincerity.
4. Be sure the name of those you are sending to is properly spelled and capitalized.
5. Be sure your name is displayed with proper spelling and capitalization as well.
6. Do not send the same e-card or e-mail to numerous people at once (Cc: or BCc). On Valentine's Day you want to make people feel special. Take the time to send them each a unique and separate greeting.
7. Make the time to ensure your e-greeting is reflective of your true feelings and thoughts and that you use proper grammar and spell-check your message. By not making this effort your message may be viewed as insincere or even sarcastic.

Valentine's Day is one of those holidays where the sending of e-cards is my last choice. I plan accordingly to ensure I have the time to choose my hard-copy cards and gifts to allow enough time for the USPS to hand deliver them to their intended parties. Those I send to know I am sincere while I know I am putting a smile on their face by making these extra efforts to show how much I truly care.

If I do send e-cards, they are carefully chosen and the person who I send them to knows exactly why I made that choice to send that particular greeting to them. On Valentine's Day it's all about those you are sending to. If you use e-cards, take the extra time to reflect that you cared enough to make these extra efforts.