Sending Broadcast E-mail Messages
If you need to communicate a message to a broad Yale audience (e.g. all staff or faculty) regarding information regarding human resources, please follow the steps below:
- Complete the Message Request Form before you develop a draft of your message. Note: your message may not be distributed without its completion.
- Create a draft of your message.
- Forward the Message Request Form and a draft of your message to brenda.naegel@yale.edu.
Planning Your Communications Strategy
Sending an e-mail message is not the only channel of communication with your intended audience, especially if it is part of a planned communication strategy. When you determine a need to communicate via e-mail, it is important to ask yourself this question, “What other options besides email do I have to communicate my message?” The answer may identify more effective channels of communication and help reduce the volume of daily email.
The following steps describe the process of developing and sending e-mail messages to broad audiences at Yale. Work through your campus communications liaison to make your message clear, concise and easy for your intended audience to act upon.
1. Determine Requirements: First Things First
First, complete the broadcast e-mail message form and forward to the Campus Communications contact listed above. This form captures most of the steps outlined in this document.
Ask yourself this question, “What other options besides e-mail do I have to communicate my message?”
2. Develop Your Message
Be sure that your message is clear about what you want people to know (believe or remember), what you want people to do (and when) and how you want them to feel about your message.
Use the inverted pyramid style of writing when drafting general messages
Refer to the Communication 5 W’s and an H (who, what, when, where, why, how) to craft your email message.
3. Draft and Approve…Again
Assure that process owners, project managers/sponsors and other stakeholders have reviewed content for factual accuracy; secure approval for publishing.
Edit message for grammar and style.
Review content of message for accuracy.
4. Provide “Heads-up” Notification
If necessary, notify identified stakeholder groups (pre-determine point person) of intent to issue e-mail message.
Groups may have different requirements for lead time; build “heads-up” notification into timeline.
5. Campus Communications Approval and Distribution
This step is necessary only if the message is owned by an individual or department outside of Human Resources.
Refer message (after approval) to ITS for publishing.
6. Publish Email Message
Confirm message distribution list.
Send test message(s) to identified process owner/requestor.
Upon approval, issue email message to target audience(s).
