Have you received an email with an empty subject line or one that says “hi,” “urgent,” or “request”? It must have taken you quite some time to figure out the purpose of the email. The subject line is the key to writing an effective email. An email with a well written subject line is discerned and replied to three times more often than a badly written one. Think about the letters in your mailbox. You figure out whether it is a bill, an invitation, a personal letter, or advertisement by looking at the envelope. Similarly, a well written subject line reveals the content of the message to the other party. The recipient quickly grasps what to do and take faster action.

So, how can we write an effective subject line? Pay attention to these key points:

One: Use the word, category. Assume that you received an email with the subject line “ACME Contract.” It is not possible to figure out what is asked of you in this email. Are you supposed to do a job, is the other party giving you information, or is it something pending for approval? You could explain your intention by adding a single word to the beginning of the subject line. Begin your message with words such as “Action, “Request,” “Info” or “Confirm.” "Action" means "I am asking you to do something" - "Confirm” means "I am waiting for confirmation on this issue" - "Info" means "There is nothing to do or confirm, I am just informing you".

Two: Be specific. Words such as "budget," "fax" or "report" will not make any sense to the other person. "Software Update Project Report" or "ABC Company Loan Approval".... It must be this specific... It makes it easier to find the email when you are looking for it later on. On the other hand, make sure not go over the screen with a long subject line. Take newspaper headlines as an example. Between four and six words are ideal. It is easy to read and understand the issue with a subject line this long.

Let's finish up with a couple of good examples. You are asking your team to do something: "Action: Please send Field Sales Reports." A specific and simple message to a colleague: "Lunch tomorrow?" A clear headline that your manager can understand instantly: "Information: Productivity Project launch put off to June 6."

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