If people only remember one thing from our Effective E-Mail workshop, they usually remember our tips and tools for crafting effective subject lines – that’s how importantthey are to effectively communicating with e-mail.There’s a great article onMarketing Profs’ siteabout subject lines. Iagree with some of the comments that open rates sometimesbuck logic. Here are Write It Well’s guidelines for writing effective subject lines:

1. Make them descriptive – general subject lines like “follow up” or “meeting” won’t get your boss’ attention.
2. Make them specific – again, include the relevant details. “List of supplies needed for tomorrow” instead of “supplies” will help your reader.
3. Make them concise and clear – same thing here. “thx 4 yr help -I missed the bus” is neither concise or clear.
4. Change the subject line with the subject changes. If the subject changes, summarize the thread and re-name the e-mail.