Use active voice!

Academics use a lot of passive voice. It's a hard habit to break! Active voice is usually simpler, clearer, and more interesting to read. Here's an anonymous example from someone at SIH:

As part of this process we will be starting to offer options for in-person workshops

Why not just say

We're offering in-person workshops

Use calls to action

Think about what you want the reader to do after reading your story. Stories about interesting projects are great, but do you just want them to sit and think about the mysteries of the universe? Every marketing email you get from a charity, business, political party will include a clear call to action, a prompt to actually do something with the information. If you just want people to read the article, that's great! Other good prompts can include:

• Apply online
• Contact us
• Tell us your thoughts

Be a bit less formal

Stick to conversational, informal language in emails. That means using real words like "Professor" instead of abbreviations like "Assoc. Prof.", and "Doctor Y and her team" rather than "Y et al."