"Email is changing the way publicity managers get exposure," says Rick Frishman, president of Planned TV Arts and co-author of Guerilla Publicity. And if email works for publicity managers, it can work for financial advisors, or just about anyone who wants to reach large groups of people with targeted, well-crafted and personalized messages.

In his book, Frishman and co-authors Jill Lubin and Jay Conrad Levinson explain how to use email effectively to help gain media exposure. Here are 12 of their best tips to help you get the attention of you recipient and improve your email style and effectiveness.

To get attention

• Use email to reach head honchos. It improves your odds of getting through and getting action--particularly if your can't get through by telephone.
• State the most important information first, where it can be quickly seen and read.
  
• Put your website address up front so recipients can link to it directly.
  
• Write precise, succinct subject lines. Besides describing the content, recipients use subject lines to categorize emails, to decide whether to open email, and to find old emails when scrolling.

Before you send important emails, send them to yourself. Despite spell checkers, embarrassing typos and mistakes have a way of slipping through.

To improve your email style

• Write short paragraphs, which are easier to read. Bullet important information and keep the entire email brief.
  
• Capitalize words sparingly. Caps are considered discourteous as they're read as "shouting."
  
• Before you send important emails, send them to yourself. Despite spell checkers, embarrassing typos and mistakes have a way of slipping through. Most are easily caught when you take a fresh look.

To increase the effectiveness of your email

• Confirm or record critical information discussed in meetings or telephone conversations with emails. Include previous emails, as needed, to provide context for your new memo.
  
• Send brief query emails and provide a link back to your home page so the recipient can get additional information.
  
• Use email to make bulk distribution. It's fast, easy and saves trees.
  
• Include your contact information, website address and even sound bites as a signature file.
  
• Don't send spam or attachments you suspect might contain viruses. Sending spam is shortsighted and potentially counterproductive. Get a virus protection program.

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