How to write an invitation email — 7 examples and a template

You’re invited to read the best invitation email guide online. RSVP if you’re interested in learning more.

In this guide on how to write invitation emails, we break down the writing process into simple steps.

Then, we provide 8 invitation email examples for information and inspiration. By the end, you’ll understand the building blocks to write the best invitation emails.

How to write an invitation email

Email marketers, event organizers, and interviewers all know that invitation emails are hard to write.

Get it right, and you’ll have a room full of happy faces. Get it wrong, and you could find yourself all alone.

We’ve written a lot about formal writing at Flowrite, but invitation emails are a chance to get creative and write compelling messages that demand a reply. It’s the best way to secure a slot in the calendar.

So, ready to get started?

What are invitation emails (and why do they matter?)

Invitation emails are, as you’d expect, used to encourage someone to do something. It could be an invite to an interview, an event, a meeting, a webinar, or a sales presentation.

In each case, the purpose of the message is to inspire action – generating attendees for your event, candidates for your interview, or meat in your meeting.

These aren’t sales emails (we’ve written about those before) but messages to someone you know (or who will know you). As such, you don’t have to go too hard on the sales and push the promo, but be clear about what you’re inviting the person to and why. 

The bottom line is to ensure every message has value to the person receiving it. 

Before we illustrate this with examples, let’s email the ideal invitation email format. 

Invitation email format

Invite emails are easy to write (if you follow this format). First, a strong, simple subject line spells out what you want.

That’s followed by a body copy that offers value and contains all the details people need (such as date, time, and location). Finally, you finish with more information on how people can sign-up and a positive sign-off. 

Let’s show you how that works… 

1. Invitation email subject line

Your subject line should get straight to the point. You’ll want to grab the reader’s attention and explain to them what the message is about (and why they should care). In the case of interviews or meetings with colleagues, the process is pretty straightforward:

• Interview Invitation – 25 Jan @ 9:00 am 
• Meeting Request – 2023 Strategy & Planning – 25 Jan @ 9:00 am 

Simple, clear, and straight to the point! That works for this type of invitation, where people will know who you are and what you’re asking. It gets a little more complicated when writing emails to people you don’t know (what marketers call cold emails).

Crafting cold emails is a big challenge, with millions of words written about how to optimize them. But it boils down to finding words that grab someone’s attention and gets them to click.

Here are a couple of examples:

• Do you want priority access to our latest event? Open your invitation here!
• We’re looking for a legend. Could you be our latest guest speaker?
• Want to play a part in our industry-leading podcast?

These examples (and millions more you can find online) attempt to hook you in with a tasty proposition.

2. Invitation email body

All email invitation body copy works similarly, with the same structure. It goes a little something like this:

• Intro to you/your business
• Explanation of why you’re emailing
• Details of the invite
• Dates, times, and attendance info

Following this format will ensure you have all the essential details in your invitation email. You don’t need to be boring; you can get creative if you want – but always include everything from the list above.

You can see how we do this below in the 8 invitation email samples.

3. How to end an invitation email

You’re inviting someone to something, right? So you’ll want them to confirm their attendance. So spell it out in a clear CTA. Something like this can work well:

• Please confirm that you can attend. You can email me at (insert address) or call me at (insert number). 

If you’re inviting someone for an interview, this will be enough. However, for an event, you may want to add an incentive or put a time limit on it.

• Sign-up today, and you’ll receive a 25% discount!
• Places are strictly limited, so sign-up today (or prepare to be disappointed).

You’ll also need to include contact details or links to an online form where people can sign-up for the event. Don’t forget to add your name, job title, and company information.

7 invitation email examples

OK, we’ve come to the part where we stop telling and start showing!

Here are 8 invitation email examples that cover some of the situations you might need to write one. We’ve got a simple invitation example, an interview email, and an invitation to an online video call, among others.

If you want to use these examples, you can cut and paste them, but always change them to suit your circumstances. 

1. Simple invitation email sample

Let’s start with a simple invitation sample. This covers the basics and is a standard and (if we’re honest) quite dry approach.

Of course, if you want, you can liven this up – but even if you use it as-is, it will get the job done.

2. Reply to the interview invitation email sample

In this reply to the interview invitation sample, we provide a ready-made template to agree to the interview time and date. Good luck!

3. Event invitation email sample

When writing an event invitation email, you’ll need to be more creative and create a compelling case for someone to attend. You should explain what your event is about and its relevance.

You should provide details of why the person should attend and, as outlined earlier, offer an incentive or introduce some peril. 

4. Meeting invitation email sample

If you’re employed anywhere, you’ll probably spend most of your life in and out of meetings (and probably get hundreds of meeting requests a year).

This meeting email invite is more than a simple placeholder; it provides information on the meeting and why someone would want to attend. Your recipients will thank you for this level of detail.

5. Zoom invitation email sample

This Zoom meeting invite is similar to the meeting request above but includes login information and tips to get the best out of a Zoom meeting.

How many Zoom meetings have you been to that don’t start on time because someone’s camera isn’t working or the sound isn’t on? Exactly. Tell people about the behaviors you want to see (and be sure to embody them!).

6. Webinar invitation email sample

Webinars are an effective way to showcase your products or services, share insights, and build an audience.

Like the event template above, you must provide reasons for someone to give up their time and attend – which we do here.

You’ll need to try and find what will motivate your audience to engage with you.

7. Guest speaker invitation email sample

Guest speakers are a great addition to your event, but how do you hook one in?

By using our guest email invite template! Anyone brave enough to stand up in front of a crowd will have an ego, so providing a few compliments alongside the context of your event is a good thing.

Set out what you want them to do and when you want an answer.

Proven invitation email template

OK, so we can’t guarantee this initiation template will work, but it follows all our rules and recommendations, so it’s about as close as you can. So fill in the gaps, and focus on providing the details, and you’ll get the results you want from every message.

Invitation email template with Flowrite

If you're still struggling to find the right words for interview invitation emails, then sign up for Flowrite – it transforms sequences of words into clear, consistent, and compelling emails, like this:

Here's another example of how Flowrite could write your event invitation email fos you:

Final words

We started by saying that writing invitation emails isn’t easy, but if you follow our advice, it is.

The crucial thing is to follow the format and ensure that you include everything – including dates, times, and essential details. Focus on cracking the structure, use the tips outlined above, and never try to be funny!

Master that, and your invitation emails will ensure you’ve got people queuing around the block for a bit of the action.