A Complete Guide To Heads-Up Emails

Corporate environments are always busy, fast-paced, and somewhat frantic. One of the most effective yet underutilized tools for corporate communication and engagement is the simple heads-up email. By sending out these useful, friendly, but timely reminders of upcoming meetings or tasks, the internal communications of any office can be swiftly improved. 

To ensure you make the most of this type of corporate communication, we’re going to guide you through what heads-up emails are and provide tips for using them expertly. We’ll also explain how they can benefit internal corporate communications and enhance the performance of employee advocacy campaigns and social media initiatives going forward.

What Is a Heads-Up Email?

A heads-up email is a notification sent in advance, typically as a courtesy or to enable recipients to prepare for an upcoming event, meeting, or other important task. 

When you send a heads-up email, it reminds the recipient of their obligations or responsibilities in case they forget or need to refresh their memory. It also helps to solidify any plans you may have made with them and confirm that they will be executed shortly. 

Heads-Up emails may also serve other purposes, including notifying recipients about last-minute changes to a schedule or social media campaign, delivering important announcements, and sharing relevant news.

Giving a heads-up email is a respectful and practical way to optimize corporate communications and ensure that no task, meeting, or responsibility slips through the cracks. 

Heads-Up Email Template 

To create the most effective communication system possible, it is important to know what it might look like and how to craft a well-composed heads-up email. 

Take a look at this heads-up template for a professional but informal email:

Subject: Heads-Up: Meeting on Wednesday

 

Hi [recipient name],

 

I just wanted to give you a heads-up about the upcoming employee advocacy initiative meeting scheduled for 11:30 on Wednesday. As the date has changed a few times, I thought it best to confirm the correct details so there’s no confusion.

 

Thanks for making yourself available!

 

[Sender’s name]

Best Practices

As you can see, the sender uses informal, friendly language while still maintaining a professional stance. The message is straightforward, containing no fluff, thus allowing the recipient to gauge its information as quickly and efficiently as possible. 

Here are some best practices to follow for writing heads-up emails:

1. Be friendly yet professional

This is ultimately a respectful and helpful message to send. Keep it informal while remaining your professional corporate self. 

2. Keep it clear and concise

You want to get the message across quickly and efficiently.  

3. Express gratitude

A little appreciation goes a long way. By expressing gratitude at the end of your email, you demonstrate your respect for the other person’s input and time. 

When it comes down to it, a heads-up email is a friendly yet effective way to encourage internal communication between employees. It also promotes the highest level of productivity and ensures that every stakeholder is always on the same page. 

Our webinar on How to Measure Social Sharing and Employee Advocacy Inside Your Company tells you more.

What are Heads-Up Emails Used For?

Good communication is the lifeblood of any successful organization. A professional heads-up email helps people in leadership roles, such as marketing directors, HR managers, and employee engagement officers, sync up their schedules and maintain control as a team.

There are countless instances in which a heads-up email could be useful to corporate managers and directors. Some of the most common examples include: 

  • Announcing upcoming initiatives
  • Sharing employee success stories
  • Providing engaging content

Heads-Up emails can also be sent to customers or clients regarding upcoming payments that are due, satisfaction check-ins, and any other reminders that may be necessary at the time. 

Check out our webinar on how to Maximize Your Brand’s Share of Voice Using Social Media for more tips on communicating effectively.

The Benefits of Incorporating Heads-Up Emails into Your Internal Communication Strategy

Preemptively touching base with your colleagues while working on a big project is a highly effective and considerate way to ensure the best possible outcome is achieved. It also promotes company culture through internal communications and empowers employees to be as productive and collaborative as possible. 

Here are some more benefits of incorporating heads-up emails into your business’s internal communications system. 

1. Saves time and prevents errors 

While we all do our best to attend every meeting and cross off every item on our to-do lists, mistakes do happen, and tasks do get forgotten. Unfortunately, failing to stay on top of our schedules can lead to serious productivity issues in the workplace. 

By encouraging your employees to send each other heads-up emails when crucial tasks, projects, or meetings are coming up, you can save time and prevent productivity slumps from occurring. 

2. Promotes healthy communication

Every corporate environment needs a healthy culture of communication in order to thrive. When employees are all on the same wavelength about shared responsibilities, upcoming projects, and essential information, teams come to life with cohesion and optimal performance. 

3. Strengthens professional relationships

When you send a heads-up email to your colleague, you are communicating more than just practical information. You are also showing respect for their schedule and a desire for mutual productivity. 

This simple display of consideration can make a huge difference in the strength of professional interpersonal relationships, ultimately boosting productivity and promoting both empathy and respect for all members of the workplace. 

Watch our webinar about Successful Recruiting On Social Media so that you can build the best team.

Elevate Corporate Engagement and Push Employee Advocacy Initiatives Forward with Clearview Social 

Well-written heads-up emails can help your business improve its internal communication system, enhance professional relationships, and mitigate time wastage. Plus, they can expedite the process of strategizing and implementing employee advocacy initiatives by promoting solid back-and-forth and collaboration between employees. 

Partnering with a platform like Clearview Social can help your business further streamline communication, social media sharing, and employee advocacy efforts. 

Get a free demo from Clearview Social today to find out more about how the right software can transform your social media strategies and keep your team engaged and working together toward a common goal.