Open with a greeting Include your friend’s name followed by a comma before starting a new line. “Hey Nicole, How are you doing?” Use the subject line appropriately Be brief and relevant to the point. “Australian vacation” Include the reason you’re emailing Start the body of the email with the reason you are writing. “I heard you are moving upstate for a new position and wanted to say congratulations!” Break up big paragraphs into smaller sections Creating smaller sections (by subject or tone) will make it easier to read. Emphasize the most important parts Use underlining or bold text to highlight the main ideas. “I wanted to invite you to a dinner party I’m hosting on October 6. We plan to sit down around 7:30 but feel free to join us at 6:00 for wine and tapas. No need to bring anything but yourself!” Ask questions This will show your friend that you’re interested in their opinions related to the subject of the email. “Your due date is April 5th, right? That’s so exciting! What’s the color scheme for the nursery?” Close your email End the email with a simple salutation and your name. “Hugs and love, Jenna” Don’t use all caps Caps are akin to shouting and can come off abrasive or silly. Don’t use hard-to-read colors and fonts Feel free to play around with color and different fonts (as long as they’re readable). If the subject of the email is more serious, stick to basic black font. Don’t overdo emoticons Depending on your relationship, you might want to use some emojis. However, avoid overdoing it as that can come off as cheesy and immature. Don’t send multiple emails Avoid flooding their inbox. Proofread your finished email and if you’ve left anything out, send it in the reply line with an apology. “Sorry, I forgot to mention: don’t forget to bring snacks and lots of water to the concert next week!” Don’t take a long time to respond If you’re emailing back and forth or if they have questions they need answered, get back to them as soon as possible to show that they’re a priority (1 or 2 days later is okay for less pressing matters).