- Picking the best subject line in an email can make a difference between an email getting opened, and tossed in the trash.
- Career experts told Business Insider how to communicate effectively in the workplace over email.
- If you want your email to take priority with your coworkers or boss, here's how to craft the perfect subject line.
- Click here for more BI Prime stories.
When you write an email, something as simple as the subject line could set your message apart from the rest of the inbox — or cause it to be quickly discarded.
Email subject lines can be tricky to craft. They're the first thing your recipient sees, and with more than 300 billion business emails sent every day, you want to make sure to present the best angle you can.
Amanda Augustine, a career expert and spokesperson at Talent Inc., a career services platform, said you have to be specific about what you want.
"Whenever you're asking for something, it's also about addressing their needs," Augustine said. "We know how many emails we all get a day. Being specific and clear is by far the most important thing you can do."
Here are some tips to help you write the perfect subject line.
Keep it short
A typical inbox reveals about 60 characters of an email's subject line, while a mobile phone shows just 25 to 30 characters, Augustine said.
Half of emails are now read on smartphones, said Dmitri Leonov, a vice president at email management service SaneBox. It's more important now than ever to get right to the point in about six to eight words.
Eliminate any unnecessary formalities like "hello" or "thanks," and put the most important information at the beginning, in case the subject line gets cut off.
Be clear and specific about the topic of the email
The subject line should communicate exactly what the email is about, so your coworker or boss can prioritize the email without having to open it. For example, writing "Do you have a sec?" is too vague and doesn't appropriately respect the recipient's time, since they will have to open the email or reply to figure out what you want, Augustine said.
Use logical keywords for search and filtering
Most professionals have filters and folders set up to manage their email and probably won't focus on your message when they first see it, Leonov said.
That's why it's important to include keywords related to the project or topic of the email that will make it searchable later.
Indicate if you need a response
"People want to know whether they really need to read this now and if they have to respond," Augustine said.
If you need a response, make it clear in the subject line by saying "please reply" or "thoughts needed on X topic." If not, simply start the line with "Please read," or tack on "no response needed" or "FYI" to the end.
Set a deadline in the subject line
Especially if you have a lot of information to convey in the email itself, including a deadline right in the subject line exponentially increases the odds that your coworkers will actually respond when you need them to. It also helps the reader prioritize their workload. For example, after the email's topic, you could say: "Please reply by EOD Friday."
Don't start a sentence that you finish in the email's body
If you begin a thought or question that ends in the email, then the reader is forced to open the email. It's annoying, and since clarity and being respectful of your coworker's time is the goal, it's not very helpful, Augustine said.
Consider whether an instant message through a medium like Slack or a quick in-person chat might be a better way to ask your question.
Try not to stress the reader out
"Don't create anxiety," Leonov said. Avoid using all caps, which is the digital equivalent of yelling, and categorize emails as low priority unless they're truly urgent.
Jenna Goudreau contributed to an earlier version of this post.
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