Copper Staff
Contributors from members of the Copper team
Before you take off for the holidays, one of the most important things to remember is setting your out-of-office message.
These brief, generic messages are rarely eye-catching - but think of it this way: an out-of-office reply could be a chance to reach a large audience swiftly and automatically. Why squander that opportunity?
Your auto-reply can humanize you, entertain your reader, and generate leads. So this holiday season, consider these 8 ways to spice up your out-of-office:
Show your company spirit
Use your out-of-office message to showcase all the amazing things your company has accomplished in the past year. Link to recent good press or a relevant blog post, and, if someone is filling in for you in your absence, be sure to talk them up too. If you cheerlead for your team in your auto-reply, your audience will get just as excited.
Add a GIF
Show off your sense of humor with a GIF or video. It’s bound to capture the attention of your reader better than a text-only message, and will remind them that you are, of course, a real person.
Engage your audience
Surprise them with a Google form. They’ll feel like the two of you are connecting, even if you’re in vacation mode, and will feel like their input is valued. Keep it light - just a couple of questions, but touch on what they have gained from your company so far, and what they are hoping to gain from that relationship in the new year.
Remind them you’ve earned it
Share the journey of your recent individual accomplishments. You’ll divert their attention from your absence to all of the hard work you’ve been doing - and prove just how much you deserve that vacation time.
Give them the FAQ
Save yourself a lot of back-and-forth in the new year by providing them with your frequently asked questions before they have a chance to ask.
Speak for yourself
If you’re feeling extra creative and want to give your out-of-office a more personal touch, leave a video message instead. Bonus points if you can film it in an enviable vacation spot.
Share your New Year’s resolutions
Give them insight into your sales new year’s resolutions, tossing in a couple of not-so-serious ones as well. You can make it meta - maybe one of your resolutions is to stop answering emails on vacation. But above all, let them know how eager you are to continue your relationship with them.
Prove that words are so last year
If your message is simple, say it with emojis.
