Email Tip: Best and Worst Subject Lines

Here is a response I posted to  a LinkedIn question, posted by Jacob Tang. His question was, “What are the best and worst email subject lines?”

Here’s my response – post what you think, or go to LI and get in on the discussion.

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Hi Jacob,
First, the worst subject line is NO subject. It is actually kinda rude to NOT write a subject – makes the reader do even more work. Also, many spam filters filter (no subject) out, so your chances of your message getting through are reduced.

The next worst is a very general subject line, such as “Meeting” or “Girl Scouts.” What about ‘Meeting’ or ‘Girl Scouts?’ With people receiving an average of 80-160 emails daily, we need to help others triage their work.

I think some of the best subject lines are those that are very specific. e.g. “Please bring the attachment to our 2:00 Tues Staff Meeting” rather than “meeting.”

And the very best is when your message is short enough to BE the subject line, do it, and follow it with “eom” which means End of Message. Example: “Our Tuesday staff meeting has been moved from Room A to Room B. eom” Then the reader “gets” the message, and even knows he or she doesn’t hafta open it! How cool is that?

Happy emailing! Marsha http://InboxDetox.com