Comments on: 6 Mistakes to Avoid on Email Subject Lines http://www.dailyblogtips.com/6-mistakes-to-avoid-on-email-subject-lines/ Sat, 20 Mar 2010 15:20:54 -0500 hourly 1 By: Marte Cliff http://www.dailyblogtips.com/6-mistakes-to-avoid-on-email-subject-lines/comment-page-1/#comment-1021941 Marte Cliff Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:44:42 +0000 http://www.dailyblogtips.com/?p=4816#comment-1021941 The subject line in an email is like the headline in a letter. If it grabs readers, wonderful. If it turns them away, not so wonderful! It really does deserve as much time and thought as the message below. I think one of the biggest "sins" is to be misleading. There are few things so annoying as to open an email on the promise it contains, only to find that you won't get the answer unless you send $39.95! The subject line in an email is like the headline in a letter. If it grabs readers, wonderful. If it turns them away, not so wonderful!

It really does deserve as much time and thought as the message below.

I think one of the biggest “sins” is to be misleading. There are few things so annoying as to open an email on the promise it contains, only to find that you won’t get the answer unless you send $39.95!

]]> By: Jeff Sabo http://www.dailyblogtips.com/6-mistakes-to-avoid-on-email-subject-lines/comment-page-1/#comment-1017407 Jeff Sabo Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:45:19 +0000 http://www.dailyblogtips.com/?p=4816#comment-1017407 This is a very informative post and lots of key information is presented in it. Leaving out words that are considered to be "spammy" is key. Sometimes those words leave the impression the person opening it is still going to be hit up for money or going to be led to a site in which they will be solicited. A lot of the information in this article could be utilized for job searching and networking as well. During my professional career, I have interned or worked for people who have complained and refused to open e-mails that contain one word subject lines, subjects that beg for attention, or ones that look like an automated message. With the amount of e-mails some professionals and high executives receive per day, skipping over ones that come across as Spam or money solicitations becomes a lot easier if the subject lines are not clear. Sending out the same e-mail to multiple people (e.g. sending it out the same e-mail to 30 people) will often end up in Spam folders and will never be opened. This is a very informative post and lots of key information is presented in it. Leaving out words that are considered to be “spammy” is key. Sometimes those words leave the impression the person opening it is still going to be hit up for money or going to be led to a site in which they will be solicited.

A lot of the information in this article could be utilized for job searching and networking as well. During my professional career, I have interned or worked for people who have complained and refused to open e-mails that contain one word subject lines, subjects that beg for attention, or ones that look like an automated message. With the amount of e-mails some professionals and high executives receive per day, skipping over ones that come across as Spam or money solicitations becomes a lot easier if the subject lines are not clear. Sending out the same e-mail to multiple people (e.g. sending it out the same e-mail to 30 people) will often end up in Spam folders and will never be opened.

]]> By: Tracy Needham http://www.dailyblogtips.com/6-mistakes-to-avoid-on-email-subject-lines/comment-page-1/#comment-1016339 Tracy Needham Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:36:54 +0000 http://www.dailyblogtips.com/?p=4816#comment-1016339 Great list, two more things I'd add... Someone asked how long your subject lines should be--somewhere (maybe Marketing Sherpa?) I know I picked up 35 characters is the max to shoot for With all the preview pane readers these days the first two words of your subject line have become super important. So try to avoid starting with boring words like "the," etc and make sure yours gets off to a strong start Tracy Great list, two more things I’d add…

Someone asked how long your subject lines should be–somewhere (maybe Marketing Sherpa?) I know I picked up 35 characters is the max to shoot for

With all the preview pane readers these days the first two words of your subject line have become super important. So try to avoid starting with boring words like “the,” etc and make sure yours gets off to a strong start

Tracy

]]> By: Layne http://www.dailyblogtips.com/6-mistakes-to-avoid-on-email-subject-lines/comment-page-1/#comment-1014458 Layne Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:42:21 +0000 http://www.dailyblogtips.com/?p=4816#comment-1014458 It's amazing that this needs to be written out. It would also be great to send to all the people who need the "clue," but that would be spammy now wouldn't it? I agree with all the suggestions you made as those are usually the ones that automatically hit my radar when going through email. I get quite a bit, so after a while I have gotten down a pretty good system of what to look at immediately (and hopefully quickly), what to immediately delete without opening and reading, and what to hold onto. A really bad faux pas is to have nothing at all in the Subject line. Bad, bad, bad. Last thing, if I made it past the subject line and opened the email, keep the information to the point of the subject line, concise, and with the specific information I need to get back to you. I work with one person who completely inundates her message with so much "related" stuff, by the end I don't even know they are desiring a response from me. I have a lot of work and a lot more emails to get through. If you haven't stated what you need early, I have moved on. Better yet, start with the request and then elaborate. I am more apt to read what you have to say for clarification in order to respond to your request. Nicely done, with great information. Thanks. Layne It’s amazing that this needs to be written out. It would also be great to send to all the people who need the “clue,” but that would be spammy now wouldn’t it? I agree with all the suggestions you made as those are usually the ones that automatically hit my radar when going through email. I get quite a bit, so after a while I have gotten down a pretty good system of what to look at immediately (and hopefully quickly), what to immediately delete without opening and reading, and what to hold onto. A really bad faux pas is to have nothing at all in the Subject line. Bad, bad, bad.

Last thing, if I made it past the subject line and opened the email, keep the information to the point of the subject line, concise, and with the specific information I need to get back to you. I work with one person who completely inundates her message with so much “related” stuff, by the end I don’t even know they are desiring a response from me. I have a lot of work and a lot more emails to get through. If you haven’t stated what you need early, I have moved on. Better yet, start with the request and then elaborate. I am more apt to read what you have to say for clarification in order to respond to your request.

Nicely done, with great information.
Thanks.
Layne

]]> By: Julia http://www.dailyblogtips.com/6-mistakes-to-avoid-on-email-subject-lines/comment-page-1/#comment-1013228 Julia Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:42:35 +0000 http://www.dailyblogtips.com/?p=4816#comment-1013228 What I find to be the worse subject line is when there isn't even any subject typed in. That to me ranks right up there in laziness and unimagination! What I find to be the worse subject line is when there isn’t even any subject typed in. That to me ranks right up there in laziness and unimagination!

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