Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Email, also known as electronic mail, refers to a digital means of communication between multiple individuals. To compose an email, the sender utilizes a keyboard or sometimes voice input on devices such as smartphones, tablets or computers. These messages are then digitally transmitted to the intended recipients by clicking on the program’s Send button or icon.
- What is Email ?
- Email, also known as electronic mail, is one of the most widely used services on the internet. It allows users to send formatted messages containing not only text but also images, audio and video data to recipients anywhere in the world. Similar to traditional postal mail, the sender is the person who sends the email, while the recipient is the person who receives it. The key components of an email system include a User Agent (UA), Message Transfer Agent (MTA), Mailbox and Spool file.
- User Agent (UA) :
- Technical problems, like when servers go down, can cause interruptions in email service. It’s crucial to use email responsibly and efficiently. This includes keeping the subject line clear and brief, following proper etiquette and guarding against security risks. The User Agent (UA) is typically a software program that handles sending and receiving emails. It provides various commands for composing, receiving, replying to messages, as well as managing mailboxes.
- Message Transfer Agent (MTA) :
- A Message Transfer Agent (MTA) is responsible for transferring mail from one system to another. In order to send a mail, both the client MTA and system MTA must be present on the system. If the recipients mailboxes are on the same machine, the MTA transfers the mail directly to their mailboxes. However, if the destination mailbox is on a different machine, the MTA delivers it to a peer MTA using Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.
- Mailbox :
- A mailbox is essentially a file stored on a local hard drive that collects all incoming mails. Once delivered, these mails can be read or deleted by the owner of the mailbox according to their needs. Every user of an email system must have their own mailbox and only they have access to it.
- Spool file :
- The spool file contains outgoing mails that are waiting to be sent. The user agent appends these mails in this file using SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol). The MTA extracts pending mails from this spool file for delivery purposes.
- In an email system, there is also something called a mailing list which allows one name or alias to represent multiple email addresses. When sending a message, the system checks if there is an alias defined for the recipient’s name in its database. If there is a mailing list associated with that alias, separate messages need to be prepared and handed over to the MTA. One message for each entry in the list.
- If there is no existing mailing list associated with the provided alias, the alias itself is used as the recipient’s address and a single message is sent to the mail transfer entity.
- How do Email Work
- Type of Email
- Different Types of Emails;
- Newsletters:
- Newsletters are a common form of email communication that businesses regularly send to their mailing list subscribers. These emails, whether sent daily, weekly or monthly, often contain a mix of content from the businesss blog or website, curated links from other sources and selected company updates. Typically sent on a consistent schedule, newsletters allow businesses to share important information with their clients through a single channel. They may also include details about upcoming events, webinars or other relevant updates.
- Lead Nurturing:
- Lead nurturing involves sending a series of related emails to guide potential customers on a journey that can influence their purchasing decisions. These emails are usually spread out over several days or weeks and serve as trigger campaigns aimed at converting prospects into actual buyers while educating them about the company’s offerings. Apart from increasing conversion rates, lead nurturing emails also help drive engagement. They are typically initiated when potential buyers take specific actions like clicking links in promotional emails or downloading free samples.
- Promotional emails:
- Promotional emails are widely used in B2B communication to notify your email subscribers about new or existing products and services. Such emails aim to attract new customers, facilitate the purchasing process or motivate recipients to take specific actions.
- Standalone Emails;
- These emails are similar to newsletters but have a drawback. If you include multiple links or blurbs in your email, your main call to action may lose its impact. Subscribers might skip the email after clicking on the first one or two links without returning to the others.
- Onboarding Emails;
- Onboarding emails aim to build customer loyalty and are sent after a user subscribes or makes a purchase. They help familiarize and educate buyers about effectively using a product. Additionally, these emails assist clients in implementing large scale service deployments by facilitating user adoption.
- Transactional Emails;
- These emails pertain to account activity or commercial transactions and are sent from one sender to one recipient. Examples include purchase confirmations, password reminders and personalized product notifications. Transactional emails have significantly higher open rates and click through rates compared to other types of emails.
- Plain-Text Emails:
- Plain Text EmailsIt’s a basic email without any pictures or visuals and there’s no fancy formatting either. It only consists of plain text. Sending such emails can be worthwhile if you usually opt for simple, text based messages instead of ones with elaborate designs. As per HubSpot, while people generally prefer emails that are well designed and include images,
- Welcome emails:
- Services provided by E-mail system :
- The email system offers various services, including composition, transfer, reporting, displaying and disposition.
- Composition refers to the process of creating messages and responses using any text editor.
- Transfer – Transfer involves sending emails from the sender to the recipient.
- Reporting – Reporting provides confirmation of mail delivery, allowing users to check if their mail was delivered, lost or rejected.
- Displaying – Displaying involves presenting emails in a format that users can understand.
- Disposition – Disposition focuses on what recipients do with received mail—whether they save it, delete it before reading or delete it after reading.
- Advantages of email:
- Disadvantages of email:
- What is Required to Send an Email?
- In order to send or receive an email message, you need a unique email address associated with your account. Additionally, you’ll require an internet based application or a specific program installed on your computer to access and store these emails.
- The first recorded instance of sending an email was credited to Ray Tomlinson in late 1971. Although the exact content has been lost over time, it is believed that this email included instructions regarding the usage of the “@” character in email addresses.
- Every email typically includes several key components;
- A “To” section indicating recipients.
- A “Send” button.
- A subject line.
- Additional options such as CC (carbon copy), BCC (blind carbon copy) and Send All.
Introduction
Email, also known as electronic mail, refers to a digital means of communication between multiple individuals. To compose an email, the sender utilizes a keyboard or sometimes voice input on devices such as smartphones, tablets or computers. These messages are then digitally transmitted to the intended recipients by clicking on the program’s Send button or icon.
What is Email ?
Email, also known as electronic mail, is one of the most widely used services on the internet. It allows users to send formatted messages containing not only text but also images, audio and video data to recipients anywhere in the world. Similar to traditional postal mail, the sender is the person who sends the email, while the recipient is the person who receives it. The key components of an email system include a User Agent (UA), Message Transfer Agent (MTA), Mailbox and Spool file.
User Agent (UA) :
Technical problems, like when servers go down, can cause interruptions in email service. It’s crucial to use email responsibly and efficiently. This includes keeping the subject line clear and brief, following proper etiquette and guarding against security risks. The User Agent (UA) is typically a software program that handles sending and receiving emails. It provides various commands for composing, receiving, replying to messages, as well as managing mailboxes.
Message Transfer Agent (MTA) :
A Message Transfer Agent (MTA) is responsible for transferring mail from one system to another. In order to send a mail, both the client MTA and system MTA must be present on the system. If the recipients mailboxes are on the same machine, the MTA transfers the mail directly to their mailboxes. However, if the destination mailbox is on a different machine, the MTA delivers it to a peer MTA using Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.
Mailbox :
A mailbox is essentially a file stored on a local hard drive that collects all incoming mails. Once delivered, these mails can be read or deleted by the owner of the mailbox according to their needs. Every user of an email system must have their own mailbox and only they have access to it.
Spool file :
The spool file contains outgoing mails that are waiting to be sent. The user agent appends these mails in this file using SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol). The MTA extracts pending mails from this spool file for delivery purposes.
In an email system, there is also something called a mailing list which allows one name or alias to represent multiple email addresses. When sending a message, the system checks if there is an alias defined for the recipient’s name in its database. If there is a mailing list associated with that alias, separate messages need to be prepared and handed over to the MTA. One message for each entry in the list.
If there is no existing mailing list associated with the provided alias, the alias itself is used as the recipient’s address and a single message is sent to the mail transfer entity.
How do Email Work
