Three Thoughts Thursday: Email Subject Lines

Sometimes when we put together an email, the subject line is often the last thing we think about. But without an effective subject line, the chances of your email being read decreases. I’ve tried a few things over the years and here are my….

Three Random Thoughts about Email Subject Lines.

1. Get Them to Open: Your only job with an email subject line is to get your readers interest and get them to open and read the email. Think about it…does this subject line get you all warm and fuzzy or even the least bit curious to know what’s inside the email? “Newsletter Issue 8 Vol. 1 Knitting Part 2” - I don’t know about you, but that just doesn’t do it for me.

2. Vague is Okay: Even though some Internet marketers get up in arms over it, a vague subject line can work very well. No matter how much you wish it did, your email subject line doesn’t provide enough space to sell your reader on a particular subject. Therefore, instead of saying what it’s all about, I prefer to tease and capture more interest. For example, “I finally did it…” might be more interesting than, “My new product is ready.” With the second subject line, they know you’re going to sell them something and are given the chance to object before they even know what it is.

3. Don’t mislead: Vague is one thing, but misleading is a whole other thing. Mass email never qualifies for subject lines like “Personal Email from XXXX”. Nor is “Notification of Payment” appropriate, unless you’re sending a payment! I’m sure you can think of lots of other misleading subject lines you’ve seen come through your inbox, most likely from spammers.

What works for you?