Use an Email Template to Say “Thank You”

You don’t always need to have a special thank you email template to say “Thank you.”

What turns a regular email template into a thank you email template is what you put in it.

Now don’t get me wrong here. There are plenty of templates out there that already have images or text that say “Thank you.” My point is that you don’t have to stick to one of those to tell someone “Thank you.”

Saying “Thank you” is about what you say, and how you say it. Just like writing anything, it’s the copy (text) that matters the most.

And by the end of this blog, you’ll know how to choose the right email template, what you need to put into your next thank you email, and why.

What templates work best for thank you emails?

First, let’s take a look at the email templates in Constant Contact under the search term, “Thank you.”

Now, each of these layouts has its own purpose and each of them has some sort of placeholder copy and imagery to help you with what to write. 

But what if none of these match your purpose for a “thank you” email?

Well, that’s when knowing what you want to say, and how to say it, allows you to use any template you wish. Or even to create your own.

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What needs to go into a thank you email

It doesn’t matter if your “thank you” is going out via snail-mail or email; it still has to have a few key elements to do its job.

Your thank you email should answer the following questions:

• Who’s saying “thank you”?
• Why are they being thanked?
• What do you want them to do next?

That’s it. That’s all that has to be in a thank you message to be a proper “thank you.”

Now you’re ready to get out there and start writing your thank-you emails!

If, by chance, you’re not quite ready to start writing just yet, don’t worry — I’ve got you covered. Let’s take a look at the “why” of these three questions.

Who’s saying “thank you”?

Ever receive a thank you card in the mail and the return address and inside signature are illegible? Well, I have. At the time, I was doing a lot of things, with a lot of different people and organizations, and I had no idea who was saying “thank you.” 

In marketing, you don’t want to have any confusion about who’s connecting with your customers. So be sure you let them know who’s saying “thank you.” 

Here’s how:

• Make sure the “from” email address is one they’ll recognize as you, your company, or your organization.
• Include your logo. Just make sure it doesn’t overpower the message or you run the risk of your thank you email looking like a sales ad and not a heartfelt “Thank you.”
• Include your brand colors in the design. Along with your logo, your brand colors are a visual cue as to who the sender is.
• Think about putting your company name at the very bottom of the email. This is a good idea if you can’t find a place for your logo that doesn’t seem obtrusive.

Why are they being thanked?

It’s always nice to be thanked, but it’s best when you know what you’re being thanked for.

So, why are you sending a thank you email to your contacts anyway?

• Did they make their first purchase with you?
• Have they been a loyal customer over a period of time?
• Did they donate time or money to your cause?
• Did they attend an event of yours?
• Were they especially patient when your website went down unexpectedly? Or while your store was under construction for an emergency repair?
• Did they refer someone who also became a loyal customer?

Whatever the reason for the thank you, make sure that you are clear about why you’re sending it to that particular recipient.

What do you want them to do next?

This is something that often gets left out of a thank you email. But just like every email you send to your customers, donors, volunteers, etc., a thank you email is part of your marketing, and therefore you want to tell the reader what you’d like them to do next.

Here are some examples of CTAs (calls-to-action) that you might want to include in your next thank you email:

• Use a coupon for a discount. This can be used anytime you want to reward someone for:
  • Loyalty
  • Patience
  • Referrals
  • Being a new customer – an incentive for repeat business
  • Completing a survey for you, etc.
• Sign up for more information or to pre-register for your next event. If someone has:
  • Attended an event
  • Volunteered time to help your cause
  • Donated money
  • Become a collector of a line your store sells (e.g. Hummel figurines, Ty® Beanie Babies®, and Star Wars® paraphernalia)
• Complete a survey. Surveys are a great way to get feedback on how you’re doing. Think about asking for feedback anytime a customer:
  • Attends an event
  • Places their first online order
  • Receives your services for the first time
• Give a review. If you provide a service, and/or are a brick-n-mortar store, reviews can be hard to come by, so make sure to ask your customers to leave a review for you on Yelp, the Yellow Pages, and any other review site that may pertain to your business. And be sure to provide a direct link to leave you a review on the site of your choosing.

What thank you email template to use

Now that you know what needs to go into your thank you email, it should be easier to decide on the thank you email template you want to use. Or, whether or not you want to use another type of email template and customize it.

Whatever template you choose, make sure that your copy answers the “who,” “why,” and “what” questions that I listed above. And remember:

• Make it short and simple. Like all of the email marketing you do, be personable but don’t ramble in your thank you email. Keep it to 20 lines of text or less.
• Don’t make it too “sales-y.” This may be part of your email marketing, but this is a ‘Thank you’, not a full-page newspaper sales ad. It’s okay to offer a coupon for savings, but the actual “Thank you” should be the point of your email.
• Remember it’s a reflection of you and your brand. Again, this is a tip that applies to all of your email marketing efforts. Besides having your brand logo, colors, and visual style, your email’s copy (text) should also reflect your brand style. So if you’re a professional service, your thank-you copy may be straight forward, clean, and “all business.” However, if you own a laid-back micro-brewery or a restaurant with attitude, you might want your text to be flippant, off the cuff, or even rude — if that’s your schtick.

How do you write a ‘thank you’ email? (or “What do I say in a thank you email?”)

Before I turn you loose to write your own thank you email, I want to share a few examples that show how simple a thank you email can be, while still answering the three questions of:

• Who’s saying “Thank you”?
• Why are they being thanked?
• What do you want them to do next?

Now, not only do you know how to choose the right email template to say “thank you,” but you also know what you should include in the body of your thank you email and why.

So, take a few minutes and think about who in your contacts list deserves a “thank you,” and why. Then log in to your Constant Contact account, and let your contacts know how much you appreciate them.