Ann Arbor Times

Crafting an effective email involves more than just content and length, according to a recent study by researchers at the University of Michigan. The study emphasizes that communication style nuances and strong social connections significantly influence the likelihood of receiving a reply.

The research points out that a compelling communication style, robust interpersonal relationships, and persuasive writing are essential for encouraging responses. These factors vary in importance depending on whether the email is aimed at a broad audience or involves a smaller group exchange.

David Jurgens, co-author of the study and associate professor at the university, noted that individuals with extensive networks tend to receive more replies when reaching out to large groups for the first time. However, he cautioned against using overly personal language as it might discourage responses. In ongoing dialogues, having a respected reputation becomes crucial, while excessive formality may not aid in maintaining conversations.

"Here, people with a respected reputation are more likely to keep getting replies, and being too formal or overly polite might not help maintain the conversation, surprisingly," Jurgens said.

Emails that evoke emotions generally receive more responses compared to those focusing solely on facts. Even technical emails benefit from emotional engagement to increase response rates. Proper grammar and avoiding casual texting habits also enhance the chances of getting replies.

The researchers analyzed 11.3 million public emails from 2009, finding that 7.46 million did not receive replies. They developed methods to control for factors such as the sender's intent and expectation of receiving a reply.

"We find email response rates are impacted, at different times and in different contexts, by these pragmatic factors," said Nancy Xu, a doctoral student involved in the study.

Future research could explore if these findings apply across various platforms, languages, and cultural contexts. Jurgens, Xu, and their colleagues believe their study offers valuable insights for professionals looking to improve their email communication effectiveness.

The findings were presented at the Proceedings of the 2025 Conference of the Nations of the Americas Chapter of the Association for Computational Linguistics: Human Language Technologies.