How to Write a Memo

First, you need to consider the purpose and audience of your memo.  Memos are pieces of professional writing that may serve a multitude of purposes; therefore, it is imperative to know what purpose your memo will serve.  Knowing the audience your memo will be sent to is equally important in order to establish the right tone.  Ask yourself, “What am I trying to tell this person?”   Also ask, “What voice would best convey my purpose?”  Memos are most commonly used when writing the following pieces:

·         Informal reports “describe specific incidents, note the progress of ongoing activities or projects, or summarize the results of a completed project or investigation” (Olieu, Brusaw, and Alred 358).  Follow-up work may also be recommended (Olieu, Brusaw, and Alred 358).  Types of informal reports include progress reports, periodic reports, investigative reports, trouble reports, trip reports and test reports (Olieu, Brusaw, and Alred 361). 

·         Internal proposals “suggest a change or an improvement within an organization” (Olieu, Brusaw, and Alred 454).  Proposals are sent to superiors in the organization who can either approve or disapprove of the suggested actions (Olieu, Brusaw, and Alred 454).  When writing internal reports, ask yourself if you need to write a “routine internal report” or a “formal internal report” (Olieu, Brusaw, and Alred 454) . 

Second, you should begin to consider the format of your memo.  Most memos include some type of letterhead to make the document look official.  All memos include a general heading with four important pieces of information including:

·         The “to” line gives the name of the memo recipient and his/her title.

·         The “from” line gives the name of the memo writer and his/her title.  This line often includes the writer’s handwritten initials for authenticity.

·         The “date” line gives the day, month and/or year/season the memo is written.

·         The “subject” or “Re” line gives the recipient the first chance to see what the memo is about; thus, it must preview the purpose and tone of your memo.  This line can draw the recipient in, so use it strategically.

Next, you need an introduction to preview the main points of your memo.  In the introduction, you should inform readers of your topic, findings and/or conclusions in either a sentence or short paragraph. 

As you begin writing your body paragraphs, consider using headers to organize and group similar content.  The recipient of the memo will thank you. 

Body paragraphs should be short, focused and single-spaced.  No indention is needed with these paragraphs; however, you should separate them with a blank line (block format).  Bulleted lists may be appropriate and beneficial for some content but make sure the bullets are consistent in grammatical structure.

Finally, you want to consider the writing style you adapt for the memo.  Be clear, straightforward and specific in your wording in order to effectively connect with your audience regarding the purpose of your memo.  Always use active voice. 

Here are two categories of words you should avoid when writing your memo because they are meaningless and hinder your efforts to convey your purpose:

·         Throw-away words such as this, that, very, just and the.

·         Do-little verbs such as be, am, is, are, was, were and been.

As always, with any piece of professional writing, remember to proofread your memo to avoid any embarrassing errors ending up on your superiors’ desk.  Happy writing!

Sources Cited in “How to Write a Memo”

Oliu, Walter E., Brusaw, Charles T., Alread, Gerald J.  Writing That Work:

            Communicating Effectively on the Job (Tenth Edition).  Boston:

            Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010.  Print.