PR E-mail tip #2: Urgent, Return Receipt Request = annoying

Everyone has received e-mail with an "Urgent" flag, the "!" that is somehow supposed to signify that this e-mail is more important than the other 70-120 e-mail messages I have received today.

A few PR firms somehow think that flagging a message as "Urgent" will get it read faster, but they're just electronically crying wolf. The SPAM community has abused the urgent flag way to often for anyone to attribute any significance to it.

I know this comes to a shock to some PR <ahem> professionals, but a press release is not URGENT news.

URGENT news is something like, oh, I don't know. "BinLaden Captured," "My client had an auto accident, can't make the 2 PM conference call," or something equally important.

At least I can understand the logic behind putting a "Return Receipt Request" onto an e-mail message. You can go back and be assured that I have at least glanced at the message, but I just might punch "no" to the pop-up because you might actually make a follow-up call to me that I don't want because A) I might not be interested and/or B) I might not cover the topic/subject of the release.

Summary

Setting the Urgent Flag: 99.9% of the time - a waste of time.

Return receipt request: Annoying, just accept that I might not read and/or respond to the press release.