Best practices for writing e-mail subject lines

After taking the time to put together a quality e-newsletter or write a lead generating e-mail, it’s tempting to slap on a subject line and hit send. But after all that effort, you want to make sure someone reads your e-mail.  Writing a good subject line is a craft that should be taken seriously. Here are ten best practices for writing e-mail subject lines.

• Avoid gimmicky words (free, guaranteed), playful phrases and punctionation (!) that will trip up spam filters and/or give readers the feeling that your offer is a scam or a plea for money.
• However, do consider using dashes and colons to help break up thoughts while…
• keeping it short and sweet. Recommendations range from 50 characters or less to six words or less, so you’ll want to take advantage of tech acronyms your readers are familiar with (IDS, SAN, etc.)
• Do not use all caps.
• Double, no — triple — check your spelling.
• Use the same words your readers are searching for on Google, but keep them grammatically correct.
• Do not reuse subject lines. Use a unique subject line for each e-newsletter/e-mail blast you send out. When I worked as an editor for an IT Web site, there was one particular newsletter that performed exceedingly well just given the open source software it covered. I always started the subject line with the software name, followed by a colon and the particular topic of discussion in that newsletter.
• Don’t forget to use the From line to indicate who is sending the e-mail. This will most likely be your company or brand name. This information should complement the information in the subject line.
• Let readers know how they will benefit from opening your e-mail, while being honest about its contents.
• Do not begin your subject line with “Re:” or “FW:.” This looks bad, and you won’t be in compliance with the CAN-SPAM Act.

Finally, don’t leave the task of writing an e-mail subject line to your marketing intern or a new hire fresh out of college. Writing a subject line that will give you a high click-through rate takes practice and skill. It should be written by someone in your organization who understands your content, your technology product/services and your customers. All of this should influence the six words chosen for the subject line. Most writers will tell you that it’s harder to write short than it is to write long. The same goes for e-mail subject lines. — Crystal Bedell, Freelance Technology Writer and Content Developer