Now that technology has saturated our lives, e-mail many times is being used carelessly to save time & effort. E-mail isn’t meant to replace every other form of communication & 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 some one cares.

Unfortunately, there’re those who select to take the easy, inexpensive way out by thinking that e-mail can be often 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 & effort by replacing traditional hard-copy greetings with e-mails or e-cards because that is what’s easiest for them.

Valentine’s Day isn’t the time to look for shortcuts or take the easy way out. As with any other day of the year & particularly on special occasions, how you select to use e-mail can & will say how you truly feel simply by the effort and/or cost you’re willing to incur to relay your thoughts & 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’re 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, & with the highest level of discretion.

  2. Hard-copy cards, gifts & flowers never go out of style! However – for your virtual relationships attempt sending cards that you know are specifically apropos to the person you’re sending to. By example, if you have some one who loves kittens, send a card with kittens on it… If they do not 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’re great e-card pay services on line that send above average, completely unique & classy e-cards. Use them in lieu of the no effort, no cost, & generic e-cards available to the masses to reflect your true sincerity.

  4. Be sure the name of those you’re sending to is properly spelled & capitalized.

  5. Be sure your name is displayed with proper spelling & 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 completely unique & separate greeting.

  7. Make the time to ensure your e-greeting is reflective of your true feelings & thoughts & that you use proper grammar & 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’ve the time to select my hard-copy cards & gifts to allow enough time for the USPS to hand deliver them to their intended parties. There is more. Those I send to know I’m sincere while I know I’m 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’re carefully chosen & the person who I send them to knows exactly why I myself made that choice to send that particular greeting to them. On Valentine’s Day it is all about those you’re sending to. If you use e-cards, take the extra time to reflect that you cared enough to make these extra efforts.

About the Author: Judith Kallos is an authoritative & good-humored Technology Muse who has played @ http://www.TheIStudio.com for over a decade. Check out her popular E-mail Etiquette Web Site, Books & Free Tools @: http://www.NetManners.com