Here’s how to craft the perfect email — and 29 greetings that experts say you should avoid

• The perfect way to start an email, especially when writing to a stranger, is to keep it simple.
• Staying authentic and conversational can help you write more quickly.
• Here’s how to start an email the right way.

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Figuring out how to start an email or instant message — especially when you’re writing to someone you don’t know very well — can be a challenge.

Is “Hey” too casual? Is “Dear” overly formal? Is “Morning!” too cheery?

“Many people have strong feelings about what you do to their names and how you address them,” Barbara Pachter, a business-etiquette expert, told Insider. “If you offend someone in the salutation, that person may not read any further. It may also affect that person’s opinion of you.”

Madison McIlwain, a partner at the venture capital firm Defy Partners, sends hundreds of emails per week ranging from friendly to formal correspondences. McIlwain believes it’s better to be authentic than not in online communication. She told Insider — by email, of course — that she usually writes an initial draft in a conversational tone and then self-edits. 

“This often means I go back and edit for brevity and exclamation points after, but I believe it contributes to a more natural final product,” McIlwain wrote. The process helps her write emails faster. 

Of course, the perfect way to start an email will depend on who you’re writing to, but in general when you’re writing a business email to someone you don’t know well or at all, they said there’s one safe choice — and a bunch you should usually avoid.

We asked Pachter and Will Schwalbe, who co-authored “Send: Why People Email So Badly and How to Do It Better” with David Shipley, to weigh in on a handful of common email greetings.