If you have ever sent an email, you must have seen the CC and BCC sections in your main workspace. CC and BCC are common terms that you hear when people are talking about email communication and etiquette, but what do CC and BCC mean in email, and when is the best time to use them?
You will get the answers to those questions shortly, but first, let us start by understanding what an email is, thereafter we will go further to understand what CC and BCC mean in email.
What is an Email?
Email is a means of communication. The word “Email” is a combination of “Electronic” and “Mail”. Hence the origin of email is “Electronic Mail”.
Email is an effective way of communicating with people and corporate entities. It is safe, cheap, and straightforward.
What Do The CC and BCC Mean in Email?
CC is a communication term that stands for “Carbon Copy”. CCing a mail simply means that you are sending the same message to more than one person.
When you CC a mail, you create duplicates of the message you are writing to different recipients. Your recipients will have full access to your message and they will also be able to see the other people that you sent the mail to.
When Should You Use a CC?
Here are 5 situations when you should use the CC (Carbon Copy) field in an email:
- Informational Purposes: When you want to inform multiple recipients about the same information, but don’t require direct action or response from all of them.
- Transparency: When you want to be transparent with recipients about who else is receiving the email. This can build trust and avoid misunderstandings.
- Internal Communication: When sharing information within a team or department, CCing relevant colleagues can keep everyone informed.
- External Collaboration: When collaborating with external parties, ‘CCing’ relevant internal stakeholders can ensure everyone is aware of the communication and progress.
- Legal or Compliance Requirements: In some cases, CCing certain individuals may be required for legal or compliance purposes.
Instances When You Can Use Email CC
- When you’re sending the same information to your boss at work and members of your team.
- When you’re sending a job application email and the job advert provides 2 or more email addresses.
What is BCC in Email?
BCC means “Blind Carbon Copy”. BCC is a way of carbon copying your written mail to different people at the same time while securing their identity.
When Should You Use BCC?
BCC is best when you create a copy of your mail and send it to more people without letting them know that it was also sent to other people.
What’s the Difference Between CC and BCC in an Email?
- Trust and Transparency: Apply CC when you want to keep communication positive and build trust and transparency amongst peers.
- Privacy and Safety: Use BCC if you want to keep the identity of your recipients private. In CC, the emails of the recipients are visible to others, but in a BCC, the mail addresses are not exposed. This also helps you maintain the safety of your receivers as you don’t want anyone to just have access to your other recipients’ details without their permission.
- Uniqueness/Neatness: BCC emails are unique because they appear as a personal message sent to just one person. They are also void of the list of emails that appear with a CC email which sometimes is not attractive to the eye.
- Large Group/Avoid Spam: Using a BCC is best for sending emails to large groups because it keeps your mail neat and prevents mail servers from flagging your mail as spam. This is why it is best to always limit the numbers you use for a CC email.
Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding the functions of CC (Carbon Copy) and BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) is essential for effective email communication. CC allows you to keep others informed and included in the conversation, while BCC provides a layer of privacy for recipients by preventing them from seeing each other’s email addresses.
Utilizing these features appropriately can enhance clarity, maintain professionalism, and streamline communication. Also, mastering the use of CC and BCC helps you ensure that your emails are not only informative but also respectful of recipients’ privacy and time.
