How to write a subject-line: Difference between revisions
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Poor subject-lines on email can hurt productivity and make people either open a message that is useless or skip opening a message that would be useful. | The subject-line of an email should let the reader know the topic(s) of the email to the point of differentiating it from other emails. | ||
Poor subject-lines on email can hurt productivity and make people either open a message that is useless or skip opening a message that would be useful. Poor subject-lines may make recipients reject the email, thinking it is from a spammer. | |||
==Examples of poor subject lines== | ==Examples of poor subject lines== | ||
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;Does anyone have this book I can borrow?:OMG, put the title in! | ;Does anyone have this book I can borrow?:OMG, put the title in! | ||
;Lab report:Yeah, what about it? | ;Lab report:Yeah, what about it? | ||
===Subjects that could apply to any message=== | |||
;This is interesting:If it wasn't interesting why would you send it? | |||
===Subjects that simply mean reply or forward=== | |||
;Reply:Reply to what, or what is the gist of your reply? | |||
;Follow-up | |||
;FWD | |||
;Re:your message | |||
;I got your message:This would be acceptable only if that was the only thing "you" wanted to know. | |||
===Meaningless combinations=== | |||
;re:FWD | |||
;FWD:re | |||
[[Category:Internet]] | [[Category:Internet]] | ||
[[Category:How-to]] | [[Category:How-to]] | ||
Revision as of 10:03, 6 September 2015
The subject-line of an email should let the reader know the topic(s) of the email to the point of differentiating it from other emails.
Poor subject-lines on email can hurt productivity and make people either open a message that is useless or skip opening a message that would be useful. Poor subject-lines may make recipients reject the email, thinking it is from a spammer.
Examples of poor subject lines
Here we list poor subject lines and possible fixes.
Vague subjects
- Question about Rosetta Stone
- This line isn't as bad as "Question," but why not include a short version of the question itself?
- Does anyone have this book I can borrow?
- OMG, put the title in!
- Lab report
- Yeah, what about it?
Subjects that could apply to any message
- This is interesting
- If it wasn't interesting why would you send it?
Subjects that simply mean reply or forward
- Reply
- Reply to what, or what is the gist of your reply?
- Follow-up
- FWD
- Re
- your message
- I got your message
- This would be acceptable only if that was the only thing "you" wanted to know.
Meaningless combinations
- re
- FWD
- FWD
- re
