Informational email templates

There are several scenarios when a company needs to email their customers or users to provide them with information without being particularly promotional. The most common examples of informational emails are brief news reports about changes in future company direction or management, etc.

Informational emails could also be about modifications to terms and conditions or other legal agreements, as well as statements to reassure subscribers in light of current developments in the industry or global events. These types of messages have been particularly common in the past few years, with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) leading to countless emails about privacy policy changes landing in our inboxes. More recently,  the current coronavirus pandemic has caused many brands to constantly update their clients via email about how they are adapting to the ever-evolving situation.

Other types of informational emails are surveys sent to customers to inform them about the possibility to take part in a questionnaire, or an invitation to let them know about a company event that will take place in the near future. In turn, the sender hopes to receive feedback about a product/service, or an RSVP for the recipient’s planned attendance.

Finally, acquisition emails inform users that they have successfully signed up for an account or subscribed to receive newsletter content. Winback messages inform existing customers that they haven’t shopped for a while and that they may be removed from the company database if they remain inactive. These two types of informational emails are slightly more promotional than the others that have been mentioned as they often include calls to action (CTAs) or offer discounts as a reward.

Sending informational emails allows you to reach your existing and potential clients to let them know about specific pieces of news that are necessary for them to read, or that you think they will find useful. Various examples of such messages have been gathered together in this article, with suggested subject lines as a bonus. 

What are the reasons for sending informative emails?

There are certain situations that every company should address (such as COVID-19). During these times it is important to let your customers and staff know how your business will continue to operate, and any changes that might happen. These emails shouldn’t contain any kind of marketing communication, but simply reassure people that their data, orders, or subscriptions, for example, are all safe. The intention of these emails is to simply wish your customers the best, without including any form of sales pitch whatsoever. In short, the point is to maintain a good relationship with the client by informing them of whatever needs to be said.

The other type of informative email focuses on company-specific news. These emails may include updates to policies, the business structure, or a change in direction. These new approaches might be a result of customer feedback, which is why your customers should be informed directly and thanked for their input via a personal message from you. This will also help build up customer loyalty and trust — by showing that your customer’s opinions are highly valued.

What are email templates?

Email templates are message frameworks that you can use as a starting point to write your own copy (simply by changing the suggested text with your own.) Email templates allow you to write emails effortlessly– simply insert images or other content and modify the style to fit your brand’s persona. 

General tips for writing better informational emails

Keep it short and informational

Informational emails aren’t called “informational” for no reason. Their main purpose is to inform the recipient about a particular action, and while being creative is always a good thing, you shouldn’t let yourself be too secretive, unclear, or mysterious at this point. Time is money, not just for you but for your email recipients as well. 

Be consistent

If there’s a pattern you follow in your informational emails, don’t change it abruptly. Your audience may be used to seeing certain elements inside your emails including subject lines, the layout, or even the time of day you send out your emails.  In essence, make sure your clients don’t mistake your emails for those of another brand. Also, send your informational emails only when it’s really necessary – don’t overuse this option and clutter your clients’ inboxes with lots of emails unless it’s something really urgent.

Care about the style

Speaking of your email layout: make sure that your email is properly formatted. It’s likely that many recipients won’t read it all – they’ll judge the content by subject lines, bold statements, or bullet points. Your formatting should speak for itself, be straight to the point, and have an appropriate tone. For example, if there’s something unpleasant to announce, it’s probably not the best idea to overdo your content with emojis or exclamation marks that may only strengthen feelings of disappointment or anger. On the other hand, when there’s something positive to announce, you may want to start your email with a pleasant greeting.

Informational email subject line examples

Below are some subject line examples for informational emails:

Company announcement email subject lines 

• Promotion Announcement – [name of employee]
• Congratulations to [name of employee] for their promotion
• Vacancy for the position of [job title]
• We are recruiting internally – apply for the role of [job title]
• New staff member – [new employee name] in the position of [job title]
• Please welcome [new employee name] to the team
• [Reason for meeting] Open Staff Meeting on [date] at [time]
• Reminder: open meeting tomorrow at [time] for all [department] employees

Email digest subject lines

• [Company name] Update [Month] [Year]
• Everything that you might’ve missed [today/this week/this month]
• We’ve been busy making some changes…
• A summary of [company]’s recent updates
• Your [daily/weekly/monthly] [activity] summary
• Here’s how you got on [today/this week/this month]
• Congratulations! You were in the top [X]% of [activity] for [today/this week/this month]
• Want to know how others are getting on?

Informative email subject lines 

• A note to the valued members of the [brand/product/service] community
• Don’t worry, we’re here for you
• Here’s how [company] is helping in times of need
• What we’re doing to carry on as normal
• Looking to the future…
• Here’s where [company name] is heading. Will you join us?
  

Legal agreement change email subject lines 

• Update of [company]’s [subscription] Terms and Conditions
• Your [subscription] T&Cs are changing
• Changes to the Privacy Policy at [company]
• It’s your data, so you’re in control.
• We’re updating our Fair Usage Policy
• [Company]’s Acceptable Use Policy is changing. Here’s what you need to know.
• We’re making changes to comply with the new GDPR guidelines
• Just another GDPR email…

Survey email subject lines 

• Save [X]% off your next purchase by sharing your feedback
• More than a penny for your thoughts 
• Help us improve [product/service] by answering one simple question
• A minute of your time is all we need to learn your opinion
• Tell us what you really think about [product/service]
• We’d love your help! Please answer a few short questions
• Your feedback was truly appreciated, and here’s why
• The results are in…

RSVP email subject lines 

• Join us at the upcoming [company] [conference/webinar]!
• Don’t miss out, RSVP for our [subject] event now
• See you at the [event name] next [week/month]?
• Everyone is talking about the [name] awards…
• Mark your calendar for the [company] team building event
• You are invited for a fun [morning/afternoon/day] off work!

Acquisition email subject lines 

• Thanks for signing up for [content]
• Success! You’ll be hearing from us soon
• Still interested in hearing from us? Here’s what we have to offer…
• A short piece of advice for our active subscribers
• We saw your post on [social media platform] and want to help
• Now that we’ve answered your question on [social media platform], how about signing up?

Winback email subject lines 

• It’s been a while! Shop with us again for a [X]% discount off everything
• Where have you been? We miss you! Come back to [company] with this great deal
• Here are [X] reasons why you should still be shopping with us
• Everyone at [company] misses you! Here are the top [X] reasons to stay on our mailing list
• Let us know if you still want to hear from us…
• Breaking up is hard, but it’s still not too late to make things right!

Informational email template ideas

Company announcement email templates

Company announcement email template 1 – promotion announcement

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Company announcement email template 2 – internal recruitment

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Company announcement email template 3 – new employee introduction

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Company announcement email template 4 – open meeting invitation

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Email digest templates

Email digest template 1 – business performance

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Email digest template 2 – company update

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Email digest template 3 – activity summary

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Email digest template 4 – comparison with others

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Informative email templates

Informative email template 1 – statement giving reassurance

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Informative email template 2 – providing an update at times of crisis

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Informative email template 3 – brief company statement

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Legal agreement change email templates

Legal agreement change email template 1 – T&Cs changes

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Legal agreement change email template 2 – privacy policy update

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Legal agreement change email template 3 – acceptable usage policy update

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Survey email templates

Survey email template 1 – offering an incentive

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Survey email template 2 – single question embedded in the copy

Survey email template 3 – product/service review

Survey email template 4 – questionnaire results

RSVP email templates

RSVP email template 1 – conference/webinar invitation

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RSVP email template 2 – awards event invitation

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RSVP email template 3 – team building event invitation

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Acquisition email templates

Acquisition email template 1 – subscription confirmation

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Acquisition email template 2 – database consolidation & actionable advice

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Winback email templates

Winback email template 1 – offering a discount

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Winback email template 2 – informing about reasons to stay

Winback email template 3 – removal from the subscription list

Informational email templates – Frequently asked questions

How do you write an informational email?

To write an informational email, you should first come up with a great subject line. Then, write the body of the email and make sure that you include a call to action.

How do you write an informational interview email?

In the email’s subject line, begin with the intent to informally network. Moreover, list the date and your name. In the first paragraph, introduce yourself, your position, and the company you work for. In the second paragraph, keep it brief and state that you want to learn more about their business. In the third paragraph, ask for a 15-minute meeting, preferably in person. Lastly, add a few closing lines.

What are the three types of emails?

You can choose between three types of emails to use for your customers: newsletter, promotional, and survey emails.

How long should an informative email be?

Informative emails should be brief statements highlighting the current situation, and how the company will handle it. Therefore, these emails should be relatively short, summarising the important details within 3 to 5 paragraphs that consist of several lines of text only. 

Should informative emails contain any marketing elements?

The short answer to this question is no. There is a time and a place for marketing, and this is definitely not one of them. If the informative email is about a crisis or difficult situation, this is especially true. Informative emails are crafted purely to reassure customers, wish them well, and let them know how any changes during uncertain times might affect them.

How often can informative emails be sent?

This really depends on how many crises or important events actually take place. If a certain situation is unfolding for a long time, the informative email could evolve into a regularly sent email with updates. Those brief statements, however, should really be reserved for the most important, rare occasions, otherwise, they will become too normalized to make the desired impact.