Important Rules That’ll Help you Write Text Messages that Connect
Writing a text message can be challenging, especially if you don’t know what to say. It’s also difficult because it’s a more casual medium than an email or a phone call. Most importantly, the receiver won’t see any visual cues that can help you express yourself. Everything rests on those 160 characters and how well you deliver your message.
Even so, text messages aren’t in danger of extinction just yet – at least not for millennials. Texting is still one of the most popular methods of communication among young people today. In fact, 90 percent of them send and receive text messages every day. So there must be something to this text messaging service after all…
Send Texts When you want to be Casual and Friendly
The primary purpose of a text message is to keep the conversation casual – whether you’re catching up with an old friend or trying to flirt with someone. If you’re trying to get in touch with someone for business purposes, send professional text messages. A text message is too informal for any professional communication. It’s also a good idea to keep the content light and friendly, so don’t try to discuss something serious or controversial over text.
Don’t Use All Caps When Writing a Text Message
Some people still believe that using all caps when writing a text is a good idea. However, it’s actually a sign of being overly aggressive and is more likely to annoy than to get a response. If you want to write something in all caps, first ask yourself if it’s absolutely necessary. If not, don’t do it at all. Keep in mind that most people have phones with a large font. If you write something in all caps, it will appear as though you were SHOUTING. And no one wants to be yelled at while reading their messages.
Don’t Overuse Exclamation Points Either
Exclamation marks are just as bad as all caps for expressing yourself in a text message. Most people will think that you’re being immature and desperate if you overuse them. And they will likely ignore your message if they notice a bunch of exclamation marks – even if they are your friends. Besides, it’s much more interesting to read something that’s well-written than something that’s punctuated with unnecessary exclamation marks. If you have something important to say, take the time to craft a well-written message.
Write Short, Simple Sentences
Many people tend to write long and complicated sentences when texting. However, the best way to communicate in a text message is to keep your sentences short, so the reader doesn’t get lost in the middle. When you write complicated and long sentences in a text message, it’s easy to lose your reader. You might as well not send the text at all if you don’t know how to end it. Keep in mind that your reader might be someone who’s constantly busy and can’t sit down for hours on end to read your long text messages. Or you might be texting someone who’s in another time zone, which means your message might arrive at a very inconvenient time. If you want to make sure that your message is easy to understand, keep it short and simple.
Use Emoji Correctly in a Text Message
Emoji have become a part of everyday life. If you don’t use them at all, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity. You can use emoji to add more visual interest to your messages and enhance the conversation. But you have to use them correctly – otherwise, it just makes you seem silly. If you want to use emoji in a text message, find out if the recipient’s phone supports it. Otherwise, they won’t see any visual cues and will be confused by your message. A good rule of thumb is to add emoji to the end of your message. You don’t want to put them in the middle of a sentence because they’re supposed to stand for one single thought. And also emoji characters are considered as Unicode, so your text message cost may vary.
Be Careful with Slang
Texting has changed the way people speak, and language has evolved over the years. As a result, there are a lot of slang and acronyms that you can use in a text message to make it more interesting. However, it’s a good idea to be careful with slang. You could be sending a text message to someone who isn’t as familiar with the latest lingo as you are. So it’s a good idea to use a dictionary and look up some of the most popular acronyms before sending a text. Then, you’ll know what they mean and won’t have to interrupt the conversation to ask what they stand for.
Conclusion
A text message is an easy and casual way to stay in touch with friends and loved ones. But it’s also important to remember the different tone and rules associated with the medium. After all, a poorly written message will likely go ignored or be misinterpreted. The best way to write a text message is to keep things light and friendly. And remember to use proper grammar, even if you don’t have to worry about spelling. Finally, remember that a text message is like a newspaper article – it needs to be brief and to the point, like this article that you’ve just read!
