In a previous lesson, we defined a memo as a piece of document that is used in written communications. It could also be defined as a short piece of text that holds important information. The term is derived from the longer form, memorandum which is taken from the Latin, memorandum est - "to be remembered."
Memo will suffice as a name in most contexts, except in very formal situations where the long form, memorandum, is used instead. The plural form of the long form is memoranda or memorandums. Either one works.
Note that memos are not as formal as letters. While there are general standards, they can vary in format depending on the organization using them.
During Lesson 1.2, we already discussed various types of memo. Here are a few more:
Request Memo
Report Memo
Confirmation Memo
Suggestive Memo
As aforementioned, memos contain important information. This is the core of its purpose. This is especially helpful in situations where emails or instant messages will not suffice.
For example, if you need a paper signed, you can create an email containing a memo informing the receiver regarding what they need to do with the document you attached.
While memos are typically used to send short messages, remember that some reports can also be sent in as memos. Memos do not need to be short, so these report memos can be as long as they need to be.
In simple terms, memos are used to:
inform readers
persuade others to take action
give feedback
react to a situation
Practically speaking, though, memos are generally used to provide basic information such as meeting dates or deadlines.