Reminder emails do a lot of logistical heavy lifting to make sure your business runs as smoothly (and profitably as possible), and they don’t always get the care and pizzazz they deserve. We’re changing that. This guide will show you how to send reminder emails that delight while they remind clients and customers about upcoming events, appointments, projects, payments, and invoices. Let’s make it beautiful. Let’s make it clear. Maybe even a little endearing. Okay, that’s a big promise for a reminder email, so we’d better get started.
Ah, the anatomy of a good reminder email. Let’s look at each of the parts and the approaches you can take to make your email stand out in a crowded inbox.
Email Subject Line: A reminder email subject line can (and should) be short and sweet. You’ll generally want to go with something like “Appointment Reminder,” “Meeting Reminder,” or “Event Reminder.” Embrace clarity and brevity. They make it easier for your email to catch the eye of a busy recipient, and engagement is the first step of an effective email reminder.
Preview text: The preview text is the text that appears after your subject line in the recipient’s inbox. This is your opportunity to provide additional context or a little witty prose to encourage a recipient to click to open your email.
Greeting: Whether you go with “Hi,” “Hey there” or “Dear,” will depend on your brand tone. Regardless of the salutation you choose, you’ll want to personalize your reminders with the email recipient’s name. This small touch can go a long way in making your reminder emails that much more effective.
Logistical Details: The logistics you need to cover in the email will vary depending on the reminder type. Appointment reminder emails will look different from payment reminders. What’s important is that you want to highlight the essential information. Typically, that will include a date. For event emails or appointments, that might also include a location, contact information, virtual meeting links, log-in info (for virtual events), etc. Payment emails or invoices might include info about whether the payment will be automatic or how the recipient can complete payment.
A Little Something Extra: Maybe it’s a pun. Maybe it’s a visual calendar graphic. Maybe it’s including your branding in a way that makes the reminder email beautiful. Maybe it’s the friendly tone you bring to a payment reminder. What separates a good reminder email from a perfect reminder email is that little extra effort to make it special.
What does a great reminder email look like in practice? We thought you’d never ask. Here are some real-life examples of client communication that knocks it out of the park. From the reminder message to the CTA to the friendly subject line, these reminder emails shine (and yours can, too).
This appointment reminder email does the logistics really well. It highlights the date and time of an upcoming meeting in a little calendar graphic. This visually signals to the email recipient that they should have the date on their calendar. TurboTax’s gentle reminder goes one step further, offering several ways the recipient can put the event on their calendar—Gmail, iOS, Outlook, Yahoo. The “on the books” accounting play on words is just the *chefs kiss* that adds a little branding spice and humor. Top notch. No notes.
This virtual event reminder includes the most important information—the name of the event and start time—in the subject line. It’s short. It’s sweet. It links to the event in the prominently displayed CTA button. The event reminder email also includes a short description of “how to join the event” below, along with the URL, which can either be clicked or copied and pasted into a browser window. This approach supports less tech-savvy attendees and preemptively offers support for event attendees who might be experiencing tech issues, which can help boost event attendance. Bonus for the email’s visually appealing colors and design.
This practice reminder from Duolingo reminds users to log in and complete their daily language practice. The progress bar really stands out with its reminder that the user is only 133 points from the next level. Plus it includes all the little branded touches we’d expect from Duolingo.
A payment reminder email has a bit of a different flavor, especially if you need to ask a customer to update or enter information. This email from Slack offers a gentle reminder that the annual subscription payment is due soon. It’s conversation and understanding (essential traits for a polite reminder email), and it also communicates the need to update payment details. The subject line is framed as a question, “Is your payment information up to date?” That strikes a friendly tone, prompts an open, and helps ensure a customer won’t be surprised by a missed deadline.
This free email template gives you all the design elements you need for an effective reminder email. Designed specifically for patient appointment reminders, this email template can easily be customized for meeting reminders, event reminders, different types of appointments, and even payments. The template design makes the reminder date the most prominent element and featured the words “Appointment reminder” in large text at the top. This makes the email easy to scan, while still leaving room for your appointment or meeting name and event details. Have more info you want your customers to know? The bullet points at the bottom are perfect for that.
Want to customize messaging for different reminder email types? Try these templatized messages.
Meeting Reminder
Hi [RECIPIENT NAME],
[I/WE] wanted to send you a quick reminder that you have a meeting scheduled with [PERSON] on [DATE] at [TIME].
[I/WE] look forward to connecting.
Appointment Reminder
Hi [RECIPIENT NAME],
Your appointment is coming up! We look forward to seeing you at [TIME] on [DATE] at [LOCATION].
Deadline Reminder
Hi [NAME],
Wanted to send a friendly reminder that the deadline for [X] is coming up. Please [TAKE REQUESTED ACTION] by [DATE].
Payment Reminder
Hi [NAME],
We’re sending you a friendly reminder of the upcoming due date for your payment. Please pay [AMOUNT] by [DATE] for [SERVICE/PRODUCT].
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