Out Of Office Message: 14 Game-Changing Out Of Office Examples To Copy in 2019

by Abdur RazzakOctober 28, 20190 Comments

Out Of Office Message: 14 Game-Changing Out Of Office Examples To Copy in 2019


14 Game-Changing Out Of Office Examples To Copy in 2019

Out of office messages usually go something like this:
“Hi there, I’m out of the office until DAY OF WEEK, DATE, with limited access to email. If you require immediate assistance, please email […]”
But they can be so much more. You can use them as a tool to show your personality, generate leads, and entertain your audience.

2 Out-of-Office Messages For Lead Generation

You’ve got a fifty-fifty chance that your out of office message will be read by someone who already knows you, is actively reading email, and wants something from you. Sounds like a great time to share content that helps build trust and drive more sales.

Out Of Office Message: Example #1 — Sign Up For Our Course

Below is an out of office message example from our own team, linking to our free 7-day course on sales prospecting. Unsure of what resources you should be linking to? Try checking in with your marketing team about new collateral worth highlighting.
out-of-office-email-example

Out Of Office Message: Example #2 — Working The Sales Funnel

We love this example from Upserve’s Director of Marketing, Jesse Noyes. He knows his audience, anticipates what people are emailing about, and provides lead-generating content that offers immediate answers to questions.
kapost out of office message example

Going On Vacation? Try One These Out-Of-Office Message Examples

Our brains love surprises. What’s more, research has shown that small surprises that feel like they were “just for you” can spawn some incredibly strong goodwill from the receiver.
Next time you go on vacation, try surprising your customers with an out of office message that breaks the mold. Here are four of our favorite examples for inspiration.

Out Of Office Message: Example #3 — Unleash Your Inner Poet

If you’re feeling creative, here’s a unique idea for your next out of office message.
Write a poem.
Below is an example from our Product Education Manager (Note: she truly raised the bar for writing out of office messages):
oooexample3

Out Of Office Message: Example #4 — Getting Your Point Across with a GIF

Everyone can appreciate the excitement of pushing work aside to go on vacation.
Bring this to life by linking to a GIF in your vacation responder message. Here’s an example out of office reply:
Shoot, you just missed me. I wrapped up everything at the office and am off on vacation until Monday, 12/26.
Anyway, if your question or favor can wait, great. If not, do me a favor and forward your email to marketing@yesware.com and you’ll be well-treated.
Thanks,
Not only are you giving your recipient something they can relate to with humor, but a GIF makes your message memorable. As Moz explains, “There’s an emotional component to a great GIF that mainlines sentiments straight through the cerebral cortex.”

Out Of Office Message: Example #5 — The Totally Unreachable Entertainer

When to use: If you’re absolutely unavailable but you want deliver some humor with your message.
Below is an out of office message example from our former head of marketing, for his time away at Burning Man. Notice the picture that he includes–it’s strategically placed. The picture superiority effect teaches us that including an image with text increases a person’s information recall two days later by 55%.
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We miss his humor  BTW — Like the sign-off at the end? Give your own email signature the same makeover in seconds.

Out Of Office Message: Example #6 — Adorable Animals

Research out of Hiroshima University found that looking at animal pictures actually increases focus and productivity at work. Including a photo (or two) could help create a positive attitude toward you and increase the likelihood that they remember your email.
Here is an out of office message example that our Director of Product Marketing set up before she went on vacation.
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Out Of Office Message: Example #7 — Not All Heroes Wear Capes 

Is someone covering for you while you’re gone? Acknowledge how awesome they are for helping you out. A few kind words can go a long way — especially if you receive an email from an important customer or prospect while you’re gone.
When you compliment your coworker who will receive requests in your absence,  it has a two-fold effect.
  1. It makes that person look trustworthy in the eyes of the reader (and likely strengthens your working relationship)
  2. It shows your reader that you’re kind-spirited and a team player
Here’s one such out-of-office email example (we received it from a blog subscriber in response to an email we sent):
out of office example

Out Of Office Message: Example #8 — Show Them With Emojis

What happens when you start watching a movie or you flip a station on TV that ends up being in a different language?
It’s the first thing you notice, right?
Emojis are officially a language unto themselves, and they’ll help you catch the attention of whoever has sent you an email.
out of office example with emojis

Business Trip Out of Office Message Examples

Traveling for work might be a standard part of your job, but it doesn’t mean your email can’t be unique.

Out Of Office Message: Example #9 — The Conference Connection

If you’re traveling to a conference that you expect many of your contacts to be at, too, then use your out of office message as a networking opportunity.
Here’s a great example from our Sales Consultant Blair Lineham:
out-of-office-example-12

Schedule follow up emails so they send when you want them to.

Out Of Office Message: Example #10 — The In-Cognito Cold Email Formula

Remember the AIDA cold email formula? It also works as an out-of-office reply by captivating your reader’s attention all the way through to the call to action.
Here’s a great example of how this works from Ann Handley of MarketingProfs. Ann begins with a rhetorical question that grabs her reader’s attention and builds interest with her subsequent details and fun fact. She then creates desire with the way she describes the conference and lists a call to action with the conference website and a link to her Instagram account.
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Pro tip: To make sure you don’t forget to set an OOO for your next confirmed trip(s), take 5 seconds to schedule a Send Later email to remind yourself. Schedule it for your last day of the office, and we’ll place it at the top of your inbox at the best time for you.
out-of-office-example-reminder-how-to
With a free trial of Yesware, you can also set a final reminder for one hour before you leave for your next planned vacation or work trip.

Just Plain Funny Out of Office Examples

These final examples are purely for entertainment. While a little humor can go a long way with building rapport with your network, they may not work for everyone. Use your best judgment :).

Out Of Office Message: Example #11 — The Literary Allusion

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Out Of Office Message: Example #12 — Fun Facts

Have some interesting facts up your sleeve? This one’s for you.

Out Of Office Message: Example #13 — The Danny Tanner

Remember: Images (especially those in color and with people) will make your email memorable. Our recent post on how to write a damn good email signature focused on this. So did this Danny Tanner aficionado.

Out Of Office Message: Example #14 — Robots Rule

TL;DR Robots > Humans.

Free For The Taking: 8 Out-Of-Office Email Templates

Ready to write your own, but not wanting to start from scratch? There are 8 examples to copy and paste (then customize) in this OOO template doc. Want to file more than one for the future?  Good news: you can stash them right in your Gmail or Outlook inbox.
Source: yesware.com

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