When to send an invitation email?

The moment we decide to invite people for something - whether a party or just a business meeting - is when we need to make some decisions about how to do so. We have probably heard many times "the invitations are sent at least 2 weeks before" but why would anyone say such thing? And what if someone asks us today “when should I send my invites”? What does this mean then? How can one possibly answer this question without looking like an idiot?

Well, there is no perfect formula here, because everyone has their own preferences. But generally speaking, there are 3 main things which usually determine those preferences. The first one being: frequency of events held, number of attendees, etc. Secondly, there is also a more general consideration of personal comfort zone. When sending anything via email, people tend to be much more comfortable with short term commitments rather than long ones. Thirdly, there is also the timing aspect, i.e. the day itself. Some prefer Fridays while others prefer Mondays as better days. There are many other factors too, but these three are most important.

So let me try answering the last question asked by the friend who wants to set up her next event straight away...  Here are some tips on when to send an invitation email.

When to send an event invitation?

If the event occurs regularly, e.g. weekly, monthly, quarterly, biannually or annually, then its best to plan ahead and send invites well in advance. If possible, consider adding a feature where users will receive notifications whenever new events occur. This way they won't miss any upcoming meetings. Of course, if your calendar doesn't allow for this kind of functionality, don't worry! You still might find yourself in similar situation. Just remember that regular events require longer lead-time. So send them ASAP.

But what happens if you're organizing a big event? For example, a wedding reception? Well, even though weddings are considered very special occasions, the guests could still potentially be invited to another event within same company or organization. In fact, sometimes companies organize separate parties for different departments/offices separately. Or maybe it's not a work related occasion, but social gathering instead, and thus the invitees may be interested in going to both events together. It depends upon circumstances and needs. To avoid confusion, however, I'd recommend scheduling two separate events, and sending separate invites accordingly.

In case you're planning to hold multiple events in future, it's always good practice to keep track of dates beforehand. Also, take into account potential overlap. That means that if you schedule two consecutive events on weekends, ensure that neither starts during other's end. Otherwise, you'll face trouble finding spare staff members.

How far in advance should Invites go out?

I've mentioned earlier that people tend to be happier committing to shorter deadlines. Therefore, whenever you feel like inviting someone for a certain date, ask yourself how soon they expect to get back from you. Don't forget to add reasonable buffer period. People often give tentative answers based on current workloads. Ask them to put down exact deadline for reply. They'll most likely agree.

Also, if your event involves food and drinks (or any sort of entertainment), think twice before asking people to commit right now. Most people wouldn't mind signing up for free meal, but they certainly will never agree to pay money for it. Instead, split your event into smaller parts. Schedule each part individually and offer discounts on tickets until later stages.

When should you send an event email?

A lot of people believe that the lengthier the message, the easier it gets read. However, studies show that the opposite is true. Long messages actually increase reader dropout rates. On average, people spend only 7 seconds reading every email they opened. According to research conducted by Microsoft, people scan headlines and summaries for relevant information, then skim through body copy to confirm their initial thoughts, and finally start formulating opinions towards conclusion. By doing so, they save themselves valuable minutes and energy. As a result, shorter emails attract readers' attention faster and gain higher open and clickthrough rates.

One more point worth mentioning is that people hate spamming and unwanted solicitations. Make sure that your emails contain nothing irrelevant to scheduled topics. Even worse, include links inside your message which redirect to unrelated websites. Those types of emails are known as SPAM, and are considered abusive by law enforcement agencies worldwide.

What is the best time to send an email invitation?

It really isn't easy to tell. First off, we must understand that people use email differently. While one person checks his inbox once per week, another reads hers 10 times per year. Obviously, if you look at your stats, you'll see that Tuesdays and Wednesdays turn out to be pretty popular. Another interesting observation is that Friday tends to be favorite among women, whereas men love Mondays.

Personally, I'm a fan of Sundays. Not because I personally enjoy attending events on Sunday, but simply due to sheer laziness. Plus, nobody likes Monday mornings anyway. Right? :)

Anyway, whatever suits you best, there are several tools available online which help you analyze user behavior statistics. A few examples are Clicktale Email Measurement & Analysis Tool, GetResponse B2B Marketing Software, MailChimp Analytics Dashboard, Constant Contact Insights Manager, etc. These tools basically collect data regarding clicks, opens, unsubscribes, bounces, demographics, behavioral patterns, etc., and provide deep insight into customer behavior.

Do you run your own marketing agency and manage client relations? Then you definitely owe it to yourself to check out Hiverous tool. With it, you can create attractive newsletters and gather feedback from customers automatically. All you have to do is enter contact details and schedule publishing dates. Your clients will instantly receive personalized newsletter updates according to their interests.

Hiverous has been used successfully by top brands like Google, Twitter, Instagram, Netflix, Spotify, Uber, etc.

Have fun experimenting with various options! Nowadays, technology allows to test almost everything, including mail delivery methods, subject lines, frequencies of emails, lengths of texts, etc. Be creative! Try out different combinations. See what works best for your audience and what results in greater response. After all, testing makes perfect!

We are bombarded with invitations every single day. We receive texts from friends asking us if we can join them for dinner or drinks, we get notification about new posts on social media, etc... But how many times have you been invited to events but never got back to these people who sent you those invites in order to reciprocate? Or maybe they forgot to mention when exactly you need to be at their place/event?

And there's another thing - most of us don't even remember the exact date of birthdays! It doesn't help that not everyone has birthday calendars hanging up by their phone either... I personally use Google Calendar to remind me of my upcoming birthday so I won't miss any other important dates too.

So why does sending out event invitations seem like such a hard task? Is it because we're just busy trying to catch up on everything else going on in our lives? Well, yes it might be true that life gets hectic sometimes and that's why it takes us some extra minutes to reply to an invitation. However, as much as possible make sure you give yourself enough time to respond to incoming requests. And here comes one more reason to prioritize your replies - according to research conducted by MailerLite, 25-44 year olds spend only 6 seconds reading each message before deciding whether to click "Delete". In addition, this group spends 12 seconds looking into the next e-mail while 44+ years old spend almost double amount of time checking messages - 20 seconds per mail!

Now let's focus on the topic at hand. What is the best way to go about inviting others to attend your event or party? Should you wait until the last minute or should you try to plan ahead and set things straight?  Here are few tips to consider when sending out invitations.

What is the best day and time to send an email blast?

The general rule for sending out invitations says that you shouldn't keep your recipients waiting longer than 2 days. The reason being that once you've made plans with someone, you wouldn't want to change your mind due to lack of communication. According to Mailchimp, 48 hours would probably be safe since most people would check their email inboxes within 24 hours. If you really need to extend this period, then ask permission first.

If you're planning to host your own event, try setting aside 3 weeks prior to its actual date. This way you'll avoid missing anyone's birthday!

However, if you are hosting multiple parties, you may want to take advantage of seasonal sales and discounts offered by retailers during holiday seasons. For example, Amazon offers 50% off for Black Friday deals.

Also, think of using technology to bring together your guests. You could create a Facebook Event where your attendees will find information about your event including address, maps, directions, and contact numbers. Don't forget to share the link with your audience via both personal and public mailing lists. Also, encourage your participants to register themselves through Facebook Events rather than adding your page as their individual profile.

But if you'd prefer to stick with paper invitations, opt for post cards instead. Postcard marketing companies usually offer great deals on bulk orders, especially during holidays and special occasions. Plus, postcards look classy without feeling stiff or overdone.

Does it matter what time you send a professional email?

Yes, it absolutely matters when you schedule meetings, presentations, and appointments.  According to Harvard Business Review, employees often leave early or stay late simply because of poor work scheduling. So be certain to include proper timing in your appointment request.

For business purposes, better yet, consider using tools that allow users to book online appointments directly from email correspondence. These services also come with features which automatically notify clients whenever you reach capacity. Some examples of such apps include Zoho Meeting, Cozi, Doodle, Calendly, etc.

In terms of personal communications, however, experts recommend keeping the length of meeting slots short. For example, say no to 10, 15, 30, 60 minutes long meetings. Instead, break down large tasks into smaller chunks so that everybody feels satisfied with their allotted time slot.

How to send an invitation email?

While crafting your email content, always bear in mind that you want your recipient to read your entire message carefully as opposed to skimming over it. Keep paragraphs short and sentences brief. Avoid lengthy introductions unless necessary. Be careful of wordy metaphors and similes. Use simple language and clear sentence structure. As far as images are concerned, keep file sizes small.

You can attach relevant documents to your message. Try avoiding attachments completely if you can though. Attachments consume additional bandwidth and storage space, slowing down download speeds. Although attachment size limit differs across email providers, Gmail tends to cap files at 100MB. To protect yourself against potential data breaches, try encrypting sensitive materials before attaching them.

Here are few guidelines to follow when writing email subject lines:

Use active voice and present tense ("I'm running a workshop")

Avoid vague subjects ("Anybody interested?")

Give specific instructions ("Attending RSVP required").

Be honest and upfront with your readers. Don't omit key details.

Ask for feedback ("Please fill in the survey form.")

Try to convey urgency.

Don't write long emails. Limit them to 500 words maximum.

Keep your tone warm and friendly.

Always end with salutation.

Reiterating again, it's extremely vital to communicate clearly and concisely. Remember to provide ample context around your message. Make sure to answer questions related to your invitation right away. Follow up with a polite thank you note acknowledging receipt of your response.

How do you professionally invite someone?

It's easy to fall victim to impulsive acts and lose track of manners. However, taking a little bit of time to prepare formal invitations goes a long way towards making your interactions pleasant and stress free. Once you've decided upon the format, adhere strictly to the rules. Your goal is to preserve the integrity of the event itself.

To recap, here are a couple of steps to follow when preparing official invitations:

Make sure to inform your invitees about the number attending, location, duration, cost, dress code, etc.

Send reminders if needed.

Provide detailed directions.

Let your invitees know that RSVPs are expected.

Do NOT expect immediate responses.

Choose appropriate fonts and colors.

Have fun creating and designing your invitations!

Needless to say, following these simple etiquette guidelines will surely increase chances of your invitation getting accepted. Nowadays, it seems easier than ever to organize and run successful events thanks to technological advancements and innovations. Take advantage of these opportunities and start organizing exciting gatherings today!

If you are organizing or attending any kind of event in which people will most likely have their smartphones with them (and if they don't, they certainly use apps for checking messages), then sending out invitations via text message can save you some money on postage costs. The downside of this method is that there's no way for guests to say "no" without being rude—they're forced to respond immediately.

In order to avoid awkward situations later on when someone says he was too busy to answer his phone but didn't get your invite right away, here are several guidelines for choosing the appropriate time to reach out directly to potential attendees.

How long before a party should an RSVP be by?

The first thing you need to consider is how much notice you'll give each guest about the event itself. If the event is taking place at 5pm tomorrow, you probably won't bother trying to contact everyone who hasn't responded yet. However, if the party is set up as an online webinar, there may not even be enough time to collect those responses. In these cases, you might opt to follow up with one reminder email instead of waiting until the last minute to try to gather RSVPS.

For parties where you plan to meet face-to-face, however, wait at least 24 hours between contacting people and asking for their RSVPs. You should also make sure you provide plenty of information about what happens next — such as whether registration requires payment, whether food/beverages must be brought or preordered, etc. These things could affect how many people show up.

Also note that unless you've already confirmed attendance, guests shouldn't feel obligated to attend simply because you asked them to. They may still decide to come if they like the idea of hanging around with other people interested in the same topic, but otherwise they should politely decline.

When to send an important email?

Once you've decided when to ask for an RSVP, you'll have to figure out exactly when to send your initial invitation. There are two main factors to keep in mind: timing and importance.

Timing would include days of the week, times of the day (such as during work hours) and specific dates. So, for example, you wouldn't send an invitation for a dinner date at 6pm Monday through Friday. Instead, you'd pick Thursday evening since that gives everyone more flexibility. Similarly, you wouldn't schedule something Sunday night since almost nobody has plans then anyway.  You might find that scheduling an event for Wednesday evenings works well so that folks aren't tempted to go out on Tuesday nights. Another option is to offer people multiple choices for responding, e.g., Saturday morning, afternoon, or lunchtime. Of course, you can always just say "RSVP ASAP," if desired.

Importance refers to the level of formality and general interest of the invite. For instance, if you're having a casual backyard barbecue, you might send an invitation early in the day while giving people the chance to RSVP late. But if you're hosting a very formal cocktail reception, it makes sense to send out a request closer to the actual event. Otherwise, you run the risk of annoying people with lots going on and making an extra trip into inboxes. It's also good practice to let guests know ahead of time if they need to bring anything along with their response card. This way, you minimize the number of duplicate items received by hosts.

On average, people tend to read their invites within 2 minutes of arriving in their inbox. Therefore, you should aim to put yourself in position to receive a timely reply from anyone who receives your invite. That means providing clear instructions regarding dress code, details about parking and directions, and offering options for how quickly people can expect to hear back from you.

What is the best day of the week to send an important email?

A recent study found that Mondays were the worst day of the week to send an email. People are often tired on Monday mornings and prefer to check their emails later in the day rather than earlier. Also, it seems that Tuesdays are better suited for sending urgent requests due to fewer meetings scheduled on that day. Fridays, meanwhile, are usually reserved for personal correspondence and other tasks unrelated to business-related activities. Sundays are great for inviting people to events as most people are free to spend their weekend as they please.

That said, you should take additional steps to ensure that your RSVP deadline isn't extended beyond its allotted time. One easy way to do that is to add a comment section to your invite. Include a short message reminding people that RSVPs must arrive by X date. Then, change the default delivery settings on the subject line so that replies only appear once they've been opened. Make sure to turn off auto-responders that automatically send confirmations to new contacts!

Another trick involves using Google Calendar reminders to notify people about upcoming deadlines. On top of that, adding recurring appointments to your calendar could help remind people to submit their RSVPs sooner. Lastly, you can create custom Gmail filters to flag incoming messages containing certain words ("invite", "event") so that you see them instantly. This lets you stay aware of overdue RSVPs throughout the entire process.

How do you indicate important email?

There are three basic ways to convey urgency in your email:  1) bold typefaces, 2) underlining, and 3) italics. Bolded fonts typically mean "this matter needs immediate attention." Underlined texts suggest actionable links, whereas italicized phrases inform readers that an item is "important".

But remember that different types of recipients will interpret this differently. An outgoing boss might appreciate seeing urgency conveyed with a bold font, but coworkers might think it looks childish. Men over 40 might be annoyed by underline usage, but women younger than 35 could miss the significance entirely. And older adults might mistake italicization for sarcasm, especially in English versus Spanish dialects. Keep that in mind before sending out your invitations.

Overall, the key to successful hostessing lies in striking a balance between timeliness and politeness. A quick note sent early in the morning will get prompt attention, but may annoy others who had more pressing matters to deal with. Sending a second notification after noon, though, doesn't guarantee a quicker return. Plus, it might cause unnecessary stress for both you and your guests.

Try experimenting with various methods of communication till you find the perfect approach for your particular situation. Good luck!