Find out how to Write a Memo [Template, Examples & HubSpotter Tips]

Memos are shared to tell readers about new data and have purposes for various communities and companies.

Communities can use memos to inform individuals inside it about public security pointers, promote numerous occasions, and lift consciousness on topics that have an effect on their lives.

Companies can use memos to relay data involving newly up to date insurance policies, adjustments in process, essential milestones, or obligatory worker actions, corresponding to attending an upcoming assembly or conference.

I usually discover myself writing memos when there are vital adjustments to my program at HubSpot. Maybe we’re implementing a brand new workflow, reorganizing the construction of our staff, or sharing insights from a mission we simply accomplished. Memos denote significance, so I solely write them when I’ve essential updates to share that impression a number of stakeholders.

Under, we’ll discover when memos are obligatory. However first, let’s talk about easy methods to write a memo.

You possibly can put collectively a memo in a couple of quick steps. To provide you an concept of how every step is formatted, I’ll write an instance memo and break it down for every step. My instance memo will probably be an inner announcement for a writing coaching session.

1. Write a heading.

It doesn’t matter what type of memo you’re writing, you’ll want to incorporate a heading. This part ought to embrace who the memo is for (whether or not a person or division), the date, who the memo is from, and a topic line.

Your topic line needs to be quick, attention-grabbing, and provides readers a normal concept of what the memo is about.

“The headings you utilize needs to be descriptive sufficient that your readers can infer what they’re going to get in every part,” suggests Kaitlin Milliken, senior program supervisor at HubSpot. “Minimize the lovable language and hold your headings very tactical.”

Ensure the tone of your title matches the seriousness of the subject material and your group’s communication type. A witty opener received’t be proper for each memo.

Testing It Out

Right here’s how this is able to search for my instance memo a couple of writing coaching session:

2. Write an introduction.

Keep in mind, you need your memo to be transient and information-packed. Your introduction needs to be an environment friendly use of house. It ought to spotlight the difficulty or drawback and the answer you determined to maneuver ahead with.

“The start of any memo ought to state a transparent objective of what the memo will cowl,” says Karla Hesterberg, director of content material advertising and marketing at HubSpot. “Relying on the topic, this could possibly be so simple as an outline of a press release that establishes the necessity for a brand new funding. The extra easy and simple, the higher.”

That’s a actuality that I personally battle with. As a author, I wish to embrace these eloquent phrases and considerate transitions that sound nice when learn aloud. Nonetheless, I must take a distinct strategy to writing memos.

My introduction ought to simply summarize the aim of the memo in two to 3 sentences.

Testing It Out

Utilizing Hesterberg’s tip, right here’s how I’d write the introduction for my memo:

3. Present background on the difficulty.

Keep in mind, memos exit to a large group of staff. Not everybody studying your memo may have the identical background that you simply do as a author. You’ll want a bit to elucidate any obligatory context that people must know earlier than going ahead.

So, what do you set in? I requested Basha Coleman, the most effective memo writers on my staff. Coleman is a principal advertising and marketing supervisor on HubSpot’s viewers growth staff.

Coleman says she features a part on the high of her memos that cowl the next:

• The scenario
• The impression of the scenario
• Really helpful options

“This provides stakeholders the need-to-know data immediately in case they don’t have time to learn the entire memo directly,” Coleman says.

Past that, I wish to hyperlink to different essential paperwork that present context on a subject.

That could possibly be a associated memo from a distinct staff with extra data, a information article that you simply’re instantly responding to, or a related dashboard that showcases the difficulty.

You don’t need this part to be lengthy. Nonetheless, if of us are taken with studying extra, you’ve simply given them the facility to take action.

Testing It Out

4. Define motion gadgets and timeline (non-obligatory).

Relying on the aim of your memo, you could have motion gadgets for workers to finish or present a timeline of when adjustments will happen.

For instance, they might want to finish a activity or present data by a sure deadline.

This part ought to embrace the next:

• When staff can anticipate adjustments to enter impact.
• What adjustments have already been made and what to anticipate sooner or later.
• Deadlines they should adhere to.

When growing a timeline, keep away from simply making a paragraph with dates interspersed all through.

“Don’t be afraid to make use of visible cues in your memo, like tables, heading colours to show hierarchy of knowledge, charts, and graphs. These can hold a memo transient and skimmable,” suggests Coleman.

Milliken agrees. In a current memo on constructing a thought management program, she included tables that laid out every step her staff would take, extra particulars about what was wanted, and when it could happen.

“I additionally included an infographic of a pipeline to indicate the levels of the mission and the way lengthy every would take proportionally,” she says. “This makes it simpler to visualise a timetable than simply skimming chunks of textual content.”

Testing It Out

Right here’s a pattern desk I created to reveal.

If no motion is required on the worker’s behalf, you’ll be able to go away this part out.

5. Justify any reasoning.

In case you’re speaking a request or something new that would ruffle some feathers, you may make your case by providing a rationale as to why your announcement or request is so essential.

“Take into consideration your target market and attempt to anticipate areas the place they may ask questions, have issues, or want extra readability,” says Hesterberg. “Attempt to re-read as somebody who does not have all of the context it’s a must to establish areas you could construct up.”

Keep in mind, because the memo author, you’re an professional on the topic. Chances are you’ll must ask a supervisor or a peer to evaluation your memo with a skeptical eye. The place have they got questions? What wants further justification?

From there, you’ll be able to strengthen your case. This usually consists of that includes statistics as to why it’s essential and pressing to make a change.

“Needless to say information is tremendous highly effective however have to be introduced in a means that enhances the narrative reasonably than complicated it,” says Amanda Sellers, a weblog technique supervisor at HubSpot.

For instance, the phrase “58.97% met the benchmark and 10.26% far exceeded the benchmark” is clunky. As a substitute, Sellers suggests writing,”Our technique is working almost 70% of the time.”

The primary instance is unwieldy, Sellers notes, referring to a strategy {that a} broader viewers is much less more likely to care about.

In the meantime, “the second viewers demonstrates the extra essential factor: why that methodology was essential and what you’ll be able to take from it,” Sellers explains.

Testing It Out

To justify the significance of the quarterly writing coaching session, particularly along side AI instruments, I’d add this information level in my memo:

6. Soften any blows (non-obligatory).

In case you’re making an enormous change that could possibly be seen as controversial or making daring statements the place individuals may really feel slighted, you’ll be able to soften this with a well-placed caveat.

For instance, with the rise of AI, you could be speaking a brand new firm coverage associated to utilizing AI.

You would soften the blow by sharing that it hasn’t been a problem for most individuals, nevertheless it’s essential to have a transparent coverage in place for dealing with it.

Testing It Out

Let’s say my memo took a distinct place relating to AI for writing. Right here’s how I’d format my memo to melt the blow:

7. Embody a closing assertion.

Your closing assertion will embrace any data you’d like to strengthen. Are there any particular contacts readers ought to attain out to for questions? In that case, embrace them right here.

“A conclusion that simply reiterates your details is boring and more likely to be skipped,” Milliken says. “Finish in your most compelling factors. You possibly can both reassert urgency or talk about the sources you could achieve success.”

Milliken usually closes on the assist her staff requires to seek out success. That could possibly be further monetary sources, a champion inside management, or extra time to ascertain the change.

Testing It Out

8. Evaluate and proofread earlier than sending

This step could appear to be a no brainer, nevertheless it‘s essential to evaluation your doc earlier than sending it out. Memos are supposed to inform readers of upcoming adjustments and relay essential data.

You don’t wish to threat inflicting confusion with a typo or misstatement.

“Memos usually have a broad viewers, so you may wish to craft a story that’s simply understood irrespective of who’s studying it,” says Sellers. “Which means telling a persuasive story, attending to the purpose rapidly, anticipating questions, and chopping jargon to seek out the only means of claiming one thing.”

Testing It Out

Ask a coworker to evaluation your memo or use an modifying software like Grammarly or Hemingway to evaluation and proofread.

Right here’s an instance of Grammarly modifying my memo and making recommendations for enchancment:

9. Create any audio or video aids,

As soon as the memo is written, I like to provide it one final go. What would make the message much more clear? Ought to I work with artistic to construct an infographic? Ought to I amplify the doc over our e mail channels?

Now that I’ve invested the time, I wish to make sure that my message is heard.

Coleman usually creates a recording with a deck, highlighting crucial factors within the doc.

“Together with video summaries of my memos with Loom is useful for accessibility and busy stakeholders who wish to take heed to updates whereas engaged on different duties,” she notes.

10. Talk urgency (if obligatory).

The final essential tip? Up the urgency. In case your memo pitches one thing new or well timed, you wish to clarify why the change is pressing and the significance of transferring now.

“The easiest way to do that is to elucidate what we’re prone to dropping if we don’t take motion right here,” says Hesterberg.

For pitch memos, Hesterberg suggests telling readers why this drawback is essential and why individuals ought to care. For explanatory memos, she recommends explaining what the data within the memo will probably be used for.

Testing It Out

Right here’s how I’d add urgency to my memo in regards to the coaching session:

Varieties of Memos

Now you understand how to jot down a memo, however earlier than you begin banging away at your keyboard, it’s useful to know the forms of memos which might be on the market.

1. Request Memo

In a nutshell, request memos are precisely what they sound like: memos which might be designed to make a request and get a optimistic response.

When writing request memos, deal with utilizing persuasive language and, the place doable, stats or numbers to focus on why a “sure” is the correct reply.

Some pattern makes use of of request memos could be to request a brand new buy out of your firm or authorization for skilled studying or volunteer alternatives.

When writing request memos, be clear in your request, state any prices, share why it’s essential, and hold emotion and private emotions out of the request.

2. Informative Memo

You may see these known as announcement memos as properly, they usually make up the majority of most memos I’ve seen. The purpose of informative memos is to speak new data to your viewers.

Pattern makes use of of informative memos may embrace adjustments in coverage, firm information, new processes, and even new workers members.

Finally, you’ll be able to consider an informative memo as a transparent, concise option to share bulletins together with your viewers and supply any justification obligatory for the brand new data.

3. Affirmation Memo

You possibly can consider affirmation memos as a paper path to verify key stakeholders have a file of discussions.

Pattern makes use of of affirmation memos are documenting conversations, so you might have justification ought to it ever be known as into query, clarifying something that has ambiguity to keep away from misunderstanding down the highway.

When writing affirmation memos, specificity and readability needs to be your primary purpose.

4. Directive Memo

Directive memos are largely self-explanatory. When you could talk easy methods to do one thing to your viewers, you may write a directive memo providing detailed directions which might be straightforward to observe.

Pattern makes use of of directive memos embrace sharing easy methods to implement a brand new course of, adjust to new necessities, and even full obligatory duties.

When to Write a Memo

As you’ve seen with the forms of memos above, most memos are designed to speak new data. Nonetheless, memo functions stretch far and extensive.

“Memos serve a wide range of functions, however typically talking, they both pitch or suggest one thing new, consolidate data into one place for the sake of alignment, or clarify or make clear details about a mission or program,” says Hesterberg.

You may write a memo within the following eventualities:

• You’ve gotten a brand new coverage, and you could clarify it to your viewers.
• Sharing essential firm updates and knowledge.
• Asserting new workers members or promotions.
• Confirming particulars of a dialogue to get everybody on the identical web page and create a paper path.
• Educate or inform individuals easy methods to do one thing.
• Requesting one thing and justifying why it issues.

There are many potentialities on the market. In a nutshell, when you have one thing you could share, a memo could be the reply.

Finest Practices for Formatting a Memo

Now that you already know when to jot down a memo, what forms of memos there are, and what components to incorporate in your memo, I’ve a couple of parting suggestions. To sum it up, listed here are a couple of finest practices for formatting a memo.

Cater to your viewers.

Earlier than you begin writing your memo, contemplate who your viewers is. Understanding who will learn your memo will assist you to tailor your message, tone, and CTA for that viewers.

Pamela Bump, head of content material progress at HubSpot, suggests contemplating the next questions.

“Are the leaders you are writing for busy executives who need a fast one-pager centered on essentially the most need-to-know data?” she says. “Or are the readers extra inquisitive and taken with soaking in all the data they’ll get?”

Make it skimmable.

HubSpot’s Kaitlin Milliken remembers a time when she wrote a memo that wasn’t skimmable.

“Once I was requested to jot down my first memo, I created a doc with enormous partitions of textual content,” she says. “My supervisor gave me nice suggestions, encouraging me to make use of charts and graphs all through the doc. That makes whole sense to me now. Nobody needs to learn an enormous string of prolonged paragraphs, however they’re going to undoubtedly skim a desk.”

To make your memo simpler to learn, use headings and separate paragraphs to interrupt up new ideas or speaking factors. You too can add tables and graphs to create a visible break when it is sensible.

Milliken provides, “Bullet factors are your good friend. They create breaking factors all through your doc and hold data straightforward to digest.”

Be conscious of size.

The size of your memo will depend on the sort you’re writing. Typically talking, a memo is one or two paragraphs lengthy. However the size can range if you happen to’re writing an informative memo versus a request memo.

In case your viewers is taken with studying, an informative memo can present extra element, whereas a request memo needs to be transient and to the purpose.

“In case you’re uncertain, go for a shorter 1-2 web page doc, however hyperlink it to a different web page or dashboard with additional information, context, or data that they’ll dig into in the event that they select,” Bump suggests.

Now that you simply’ve discovered what goes right into a memo, this is an easy-to-follow enterprise memo template with examples of easy methods to use them to serve completely different wants as steerage.

Enterprise Memo Template

MEMORANDUM

TO:

FROM:

DATE:

SUBJECT:

I am writing to tell you that [reason for writing memo].

As our firm continues to develop … [evidence or reason to support your opening paragraph].

Please let me know when you have any questions. Within the meantime, I might respect your cooperation as [official business information] takes place.

Enterprise Memo Template Format

The enterprise memo template format is designed to successfully talk your message. A memo ought to disseminate the required data in a means that’s straightforward for a mass variety of staff to digest.

An correct topic line will alert them that this memo is related to them particularly. And starting with an government abstract permits recipients to grasp the overall message earlier than they dive deeper into the main points.

The background data provides context to the message, and the overview and timeline ought to reply questions which might be more likely to come up.

Header

In your header, you‘ll wish to clearly label your content material “Memorandum” so your readers know precisely what they’re receiving. As beforehand talked about, you‘ll wish to embrace “TO”, “FROM”, “DATE”, and “SUBJECT.”

This data is related for offering content material, like who you’re addressing and why.

Paragraph One

Within the first paragraph, you‘ll wish to rapidly and clearly state the aim of your memo. You may start your sentence with the phrase, “I’m writing to tell you … “ or ”I am writing to request … ”

A memo is supposed to be quick, clear, and to the purpose. You will wish to ship your most important data upfront after which use subsequent paragraphs as alternatives to dive into extra element.

Paragraph Two

Within the second paragraph, you‘ll wish to present context or supporting proof. For example, let’s say your memo informs the corporate of an inner reorganization.

If that is so, paragraph two ought to say one thing like, “As our firm continues to develop, we have determined it makes extra sense to separate our video manufacturing staff from our content material staff.

This manner, these groups can focus extra on their particular person objectives.”

Paragraph Three

Within the third paragraph, you‘ll wish to embrace your particular request of every worker — if you happen to’re planning a staff outing, that is the house you’d embrace, “Please RSVP with dietary restrictions,” or “Please e mail me with questions.”

Quite the opposite, if you happen to‘re informing workers of upcoming building to the constructing, you may say, “I’d respect your cooperation throughout this time.”

Even if you happen to do not anticipate any particular motion from staff, it’s useful to incorporate the way you hope they’re going to deal with the information and whether or not you anticipate them to do one thing in response to the memo.

Downloadable Memo Template

Memo Examples

Totally different industries or conditions would require barely completely different memos. Sure ones will have to be longer or shorter, others could not have a timeline, and a few may have in depth background data.

The format of your memo ought to change to suit the message you need your staff to obtain.

Launch Delay Memo

The target of this memo is to announce that the launch of a product will probably be delayed. The introduction consists of the brand new date, so a timeline or lengthy overview isn’t obligatory.

This format of this memo could possibly be utilized to different conditions the place a easy, however essential, change is happening.

What I Like: The launch memo offers readers with perception into product launch delays, which may alleviate some frustration that clients or staff could in any other case really feel in the event that they weren’t knowledgeable.

Different date adjustments, promotions, milestones, or product bulletins may additionally make the most of this format.

Constructing Replace Memo

There are logistical facets of a enterprise that concern your staff however don’t essentially contain their work. This memo depicts an instance of a kitchen rework within the workplace. It’s a little bit of an inconvenience however not one of a big magnitude.

What I Like: This memo demonstrates a enterprise’s understanding of the impression that renovations can have on staff and reveals respect and consideration for his or her wants.

This memo format could possibly be utilized to different constructing updates, work-from-home days, or different widespread however minor bulletins.

Group Memo

Celebrations, occasions, theme days, or different enjoyable issues in your staff will also be communicated by means of memos. Group memos like this instance are typically shorter as a result of they don’t require a lot background data or many particulars.

What I Like: This memo has clear instructions on the place to seek out the occasion happening, one thing which might’ve been much less efficient if it solely included the ground quantity.

Memos of this nature ought to embrace a abstract, date, and placement at a minimal.

Persuasion Memo

Persuasion memos are used to encourage readers to take motion relating to an occasion or proposition, like voting or petitioning.

What We Like: This persuasion memo prioritizes giving the reader data to be taught on their very own and decide based mostly on their findings.

The principle parts of the persuasion memo ought to embrace an outline of the duty at hand, context to be taught extra about it, and a name to motion that emphasizes the impression the reader can probably make.

Write Your Memos To the Level

The principle distinction between a memo and simply an e mail is just not the extent of complexity. It’s the scale of the viewers.

A memo might be easy or intricate so long as it successfully communicates your message and is related to the receiving group of staff. And, the message itself needs to be clear and concise, irrespective of which memo format you utilize.

Editor’s be aware: This put up was initially printed in October 2018 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.