Most business communications are in fact “informative” messages. An informative message in the workplace is simply the sharing of meaningful information between people in an unbiased and professional manner. Informative messages can be short or long, formal or casual in tone, internal or external in focus, and direct or indirect in structure, depending on the situation. Like all forms of communication, the purpose of informative messages is to promote understanding, encourage action, stimulate thinking, or promote ideas.

Since informative messages are so prevalent in business communication, there are too many examples and use cases to mention in this brief module. Simple, informative messages can be used to let employees know of an upcoming IT system maintenance, a new break room cleanliness policy, or a new all-hands meeting time. They can be used to announce a significant company win over a competitor, a new product launch delay, or the creation of a new division within the company. As the subject becomes more important and complex, informative messages can enlighten employees about quarterly financial results, acquisitions, and plans to take the company public.

Informative messages can take on almost any form of electronic communication: IMs, chats, emails, presentations, memos, blogs, podcasts, press releases, and reports. As was stated earlier in this module, the situation at hand will dictate how the message is crafted and how it is sent. Despite the variety of informative messages and how they can be sent, there are some guidelines that pertain to all effective business communication.

1. Get to the main idea as quickly as possible.
2. Use a greeting to identify the audience.
3. Be clear and concise with the presentation of information.
4. Check your message for grammatical errors.
5. Include a call to action.