Writing The Perfect Email Subject Line

I'm in the midst of developing an email campaign for my business, Synthesis Communications. When it came to developing the email, the message flowed fairly easily. I knew what I wanted to say and communicated it effectively. I was quite proud of myself until I became stumped by the subject line.

The subject line for an email is the first thing a reciever sees, so it's important that it stands out.

Some stats first:

• According to a study by the American Management Association, U.S.workers spend an average of 1 hour and 47 minutes per day dealing withemail.Eight percent spent more than four hours a day dealing with email.
• Average attention span for internet users is 9 seconds.
• There are billions of emails sent every day.

So how do you stand out from the rest? One way is by creating an enticing subject line. There are a few types of subject lines that you can use.

The first is the Direct Subject Line. These subject lines tell you exactly what the email contains, whether it's for you to sign up for something or an annoucement.

Examples: Romeo and Juliet Advance Three-Day Seat Sale, Today's WeatherDirect Forecast for Toronto

Another is the Advertising Subject Line. These subject lines are used to entice you to buy. Often they have exclamation points and promise exciting things within the email.

Examples: F-R-E-E!, And the Winner is...Lindsey, It’s not too late to voice your opinion!

The last type is the Question Subject Line. This is when you pose a question in order to get people interested in what you have to say. Creating a question that makes people think gives them all the more reason to click on your email.

Examples: Still waiting to connect?, Is your funding plan recession proof?

Whatever subject line you choose, make sure it fits your email content. Brainstorm with others to get ideas about what it should include. Keep it short and simple and avoid industry-specific words.




Reference: http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=287573