A Fun & Friendly Guide to Educational Emails

Today’s world has become very transactional: discounts for clicks, promo codes for subscriptions. At this point, we don’t really expect anything refreshing or different in our inboxes. That is sad. But that is also an opportunity to stand out. And one way of standing out is by crafting an exciting educational email.

If we are being honest—there are very few emails that we actually want to open. Most we skim, ignore, or send straight to the “Promotions” tab. But every now and then, we get an email that actually teaches us something interesting—an educational email.

So, how do you write educational emails that people truly enjoy? That’s what we are about to find out in this article.

What Is an Educational Email?

Now, let’s get something straight right away: an educational email has nothing to do with your old college professor reminding you about your overdue thesis. No, email marketing for education is about brands, businesses, and marketers who have figured out how to sneak knowledge into your inbox without making it feel like school. They’re the ones sending those educational emails that explain complicated topics in a not-boring way, drop industry secrets, or make you feel like you’ve just been let in on something exclusive.

A high-quality educational email is insightful, convincing, and even magnetic. That’s why the best educational email examples aren’t just dry lectures or walls of text—their content is truly engaging, maybe even entertaining. Most importantly, they leave you just a little smarter than you were before you opened them.

Why Bother with Educational Emails?

Here is a fact: people love learning. Not in the “sit down, take notes, and get tested on this later” kind of way, but in the “wait, that’s actually interesting” way. This is the kind of learning that sneaks up on you, like when you randomly find out octopuses have three hearts or that a banana is technically a berry (yes, really). That’s when educational emails really hook you—they teach, but they don’t feel like they’re teaching.

Good educational emails do not work like promotional ones—they do not demand attention by being flashy. They are the modest ones: they casually show up in your inbox, drop a nugget of wisdom, and walk away. But they are also the ones leaving the reader thinking, “Huh. That was actually useful.”

Here’s why you should be sending more educational emails:

⚡ Trust is earned, not forced. If you’ve ever met someone who just won’t stop talking about how great they are, you know how it feels—annoying and disappointing. But when you consistently show up with insights people actually care about, you slowly gain real trust.

⚡ People stop ignoring you. Most emails get about as much attention as a terms and conditions agreement. But a good educational email can make you pause and think, “Okay, this is actually something interesting, so it’s worth my time.”

⚡ Everyone loves a “Whoa, I didn’t know that” moment. It’s addictive. That little dopamine hit when you learn something new, something you can share with your friends later? If your emails deliver that feeling, your audience will keep coming back for more.

⚡ You stay in their inbox without being a nuisance. Nobody unsubscribes from emails they enjoy. When you provide content that gives people true value without demanding anything in return, they appreciate it. And when the time comes for them to buy something, they’ll remember that feeling.

The Many Faces of Educational Emails

The teacher’s pet

Your classic school-issued email—reminders about assignments, study tips, and webinars you meant to attend. If you’ve ever ignored a Final Reminder email until the last minute, you know the type.

The friendly mentor

Sent by businesses and industry experts, these emails teach you something useful—how-to guides, expert tips, and insider knowledge, minus the boring lectures. Think How to Boost Your Email Open Rates, but with personality.

The onboarding guru

New app? New program? These emails make sure you don’t abandon it before you even start. They guide you through features, best practices, and tips—because, let’s be honest, no one reads the user manual.

The thoughtful newsletter

A regular dose of curated insights on topics you care about—tech, finance, marketing, health. Like having a well-informed friend who always has something interesting to say, without the unnecessary small talk.

The advocate

More than just information, these emails inspire action. Sent by nonprofits and advocacy groups, they highlight important causes and encourage you to do something about them—donate, sign a petition, or simply care a little more.

What Makes an Educational Email Actually Good?

Let’s talk about something unexpected. Did you know that in 1518, a mysterious event took place in Strasbourg, France—hundreds of people started dancing uncontrollably in the streets? No apparent reason or music—just days of movement without a break. Some danced until they collapsed. Historians still aren’t entirely sure why it happened, with theories ranging from mass hysteria to ergot poisoning (aka, a hallucinogenic mold that grows on damp rye—yes, medieval LSD bread).

Now imagine that you get an email with the subject line: The Dancing Plague of 1518—And What It Teaches Us About Viral Trends. I bet you click! That’s how it works—great educational emails hook you starting with a subject line.

Next: The hook that keeps them reading

Okay, so you’ve got them to open the email to know more about this mysterious event. That’s a good start. But if the first few lines feel like a high school essay, you’ll lose them regardless of their curiosity. Instead, start with something unexpected, like a surprising fact (A city once danced itself to exhaustion) or a compelling question (What makes people follow trends—even when they don’t make sense?).

The intro needs to feel like a conversation (preferably, an exciting one). Share a story, drop a surprising insight, or make them think, “Wait, really?” Once you’ve shaped that initial excitement, they’ll keep on reading.

Make it easy to read

Nobody opens an email hoping to find something difficult to read. So, break up the text. Use short paragraphs, bold key points, and throw in some bullet points if it helps. The best educational email templates will help make your email feel effortless to engage with.

Personality matters

A little humor, a conversational tone, and maybe some well-placed emojis can go a long way in making your content feel human. People don’t just connect with information—they connect with other people and the stories behind the words. The more personality you inject into your emails, the more likely your audience is to stick around longer rather than leaving sooner.

Pro Tips to Make Your Emails Shine

Keep it short and sweet

The average attention span of a Millennial is 12 seconds; the attention span of Gen Z is 8 seconds, which is shorter than that of a goldfish. If that sounds like a joke to you—it is not. Studies have shown that people start tuning out after just a few seconds. So, unless you’re writing an epic novel (spoiler: you’re not), your email needs to get to the point fast.

That doesn’t mean your content should feel robotic or rushed; rather, every word should have a purpose. So, please avoid using “Hope this email finds you well” (spoiler: it doesn’t, and they don’t care). Instead, make sure your educational email is sharp, engaging, and worth your subscribers’ time.

Use images, GIFs, or videos

A well-placed GIF can add humor, an image can break up text, and a video can make your content even more dynamic. Think about it—would you rather read an email explaining how a concept works or watch a 10-second clip that shows it in action? Exactly.

Make it mobile-friendly

Ninety percent of people will read your email on their phone, probably while lying in bed, scrolling through their inbox half asleep. That means if your email looks like an unreadable wall of text on a tiny screen, it’s going straight to the archive folder.

To avoid this tragic fate, here’s what you do:

✅ Use short paragraphs (no one wants to pinch-zoom to read a sentence).

✅ Make sure buttons and links are tap-friendly (tiny buttons = frustration).

✅ Test your email on mobile before hitting send.

Incorporate some CTAs (because what’s the point otherwise?)

A great educational email should teach something, but it should also lead somewhere. Maybe you want people to check out a blog post, sign up for a webinar, or download a guide. Whatever the goal, make it crystal clear with a strong call to action (CTA).

Real-Life Examples of Educational Emails That Rock

Aurate

This educational email from Aurate seamlessly blends storytelling with subtle promotion. It shares the fascinating history of how the tennis bracelet got its name, capturing attention and adding value. The email then smoothly transitions from the story to a product selection, making the content feel organic. A classy design, strong visuals, and a touch of personalization come together to make it effortlessly persuasive.

Going Places

This email from Going Places is both exciting and useful. The introduction draws you in with its evocative description of Valencia’s festivals, beaches, and rich culture, making you want to keep reading. Beyond the engaging narrative, the email provides a wealth of valuable details, such as budget insights, best travel times, and even flight price history—all organized into easy-to-read blocks. This is a great example of how inspiration and information can turn wanderlust into action.

To Sum Up

So, what’s the takeaway from the Dancing Plague of 1518? Trends—whether they’re viral TikTok challenges or medieval mass hysteria—spread because people are wired to follow the crowd. The best educational emails do the same: they grab attention, spark curiosity, and leave people thinking.

They prove that marketing doesn’t have to be pushy to be powerful. Give people something they can use, something they can learn from, and something that makes them think. Do that consistently, and you won’t have to chase engagement—it’ll come to you.