It’s all about your subject line
Even the most compelling email content is worthless if it’s never opened. Mastering the art of the subject line is crucial for ensuring your messages don’t end up in the dreaded Trash folder before they are read.
When deciding whether to open emails, readers look first at the sender. We all have people whose emails we will open no matter what is in their subject line. But the subject line determines whether the vast majority of emails will be opened or ignored. To get decision-makers, clients, and colleagues to actually read your messages, here are five tips for writing gripping subject lines.
- Use meaningful keywords for search and filtering.
Be cautious about using generic phrases like “following up,” which is too vague for most business communications. Ask yourself: Following up on what? What about it?
Most professionals file or archive their emails. When they want to examine the history of a matter or transaction, they start by searching subject lines for relevant keywords. If the subject lines rely on stale terms such as “Meeting follow-up” or “Touching base,” the searcher is lost.
Business writers should include enough relevant keywords in the subject line to distinguish the email from the hundreds of other emails the reader receives.
- Keep the subject line pithy.
Your subject line should be 45 characters or fewer (six to eight words): long enough to hook your reader’s attention, but short enough that it does not get cut off on mobile devices. Doing this fulfills two functions:
First, it makes the subject line readable on a mobile device. Think about the tiny space allotted to subject lines on your phone. Are you likely to scroll down to read all of a long subject line? Didn’t think so.
Second, it hooks your readers’ attention. Your business contacts need the subject line to tell them instantly whether the message matters to them. For example, I received an email from a financial institution today that fit the bill. It said, “Act now to avoid a fee.” I opened it right away.
- If you have a request, say so.
Do you always read to the end of every email? Of course not. Your clients and colleagues don’t always read to the end either. If your email contains a request for action or a response, place the request in the first two lines of the email or your reader might never see it.
For example, a hotel client’s general manager once wrote to all property managers asking them to submit a certain report. The request appeared at the end of a long, convoluted email. Not surprisingly, none of the managers turned in the report: They hadn’t read far enough into the missive to see what their boss wanted them to do.
Give the reader a heads-up that the message contains a request by mentioning it at the beginning. They will pay closer attention to the message, making you more likely to get your desired response. For example: “Q4 Report: Signoff Required by Friday” is more likely to get a response than “Q4 Report.”
- State your deadline.
In my Worktalk writing training, I advise participants never to write “as soon as possible.” Using this phrase gives power to the reader. Maybe as soon as possible for him is next February. When you write “as soon as possible,” you usually have a time in mind. Tell the reader your deadline, and they will likely focus more on responding to you. Even if you do not have a fixed deadline, you can add urgency to your message by including a deadline.
- Proofread carefully.
The subject line is the first thing your business contacts see — don’t mess it up. Spell-check does not work in subject lines, which makes it all the more crucial to check it slowly and carefully yourself. If you stay up until 2:00 a.m. working on an important document and then send the client an email with the subject line, “Please sing the atached document,” the client will doubt the accuracy of all your work. Stop, take a breath, and read every subject line slowly. In the business world, you do not have room for error.
Unless the reader opens your email, your message is lost. These principles will help you win the war against unopened emails.
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