Red Hatters receive a LOT of emails. It is the only means of communication that can directly reach every single associate at Red Hat. Whether the associate opens and/or reads that email is a different story.

• Use the right distribution list

  • Make sure you use the right email distribution list. The more targeted you can get about who needs to receive the message you're sending, the more likely the audience is to engage with it.

• Include a "Summary (TL;DR)". In your email, use a brief, to-the-point summary and offer a link to additional details. TL;DR is an industry term that stands for "too long; didn’t read" and is a helpful tool to increase message retention.

• Subject lines matter (People pay attention to calls-to-action like "Action Required.")

  • But don’t let the call to action (CTA) take up the entire subject line. Keep it brief so people can see what the message is about. Avoid "Please read" as a CTA. Include deadlines. "By Nov. 4: Sign up for benefits"  or "Act by Friday: Join the Roller Derby team"

• Make sure emails are formatted and quality-checked for mobile and alternative operating systems.

  • Many associates are reading your email on their mobile device so be sure to check the links on mobile.