How long should your email subject lines be?

People like me open only relevant mails- the ones we think are actually important. It’s mainly because you get spammed a lot by irrelevant ads etc. So, how do we decide whether to open a particular mail or not? By the subject line. Hence, subject lines must be concise and to the point. The context should be clear by the subject line itself, or at least it should give a clear hint about the subject. Also, a clear subject line makes it easier to fliter out or search mails when needed.

I usually go for 6-10 words in the subject line. Too short a subject is confusing. and too long subject might get truncated. I usually try to provide enough context in the subject line so that the reader / recipient knows what it is about, without adding too much text Some examples of bad and good subject lines in my opinion 1. "Updates" (bad) vs "Status of X project - Delay Alert" (better subject) 2. "Meeting request" (bad) vs "Connect with ABC on Project X timelines" (better subject) 3. "Access Needed" (bad) vs "Need read-only access to Jira Project ABC" (better subject)

The subject line should always be precise and short enough to give the recipient an idea of what the email would be about. Too much detail and the receiver (especially when advertising) gets discouraged from even opening the email and not enough context pushes a user to be disinterested. Also, if urgent make that clear so the receiver knows to open upon receipt.

You can't control where or how your message will be accessed. But you can control the order of your words, their tone, and which words you choose. So whatever your subject line, the first words are the ones that will certainly show up for all platforms. Try this technique - what information will readers gain from reading your mail? That's a good place to start.

Start your subject with what is the intent of the email for example Action, Inform and then key aspect as example: Action: Request for approval of contract

As I mentioned earlier, I prefer 6-10 words in the subject. Sometimes, there are cases when lesser length suffices, and sometimes a longer subject length is needed. But those are exceptions and should be used that way Some people tend to use NNTO (No Need to Open). They basically convey all the information in a few sentences in the subject itself, so that the recipient need not open the email. But such a subject becomes too long and I generally advise against that

The ideal length of an email subject line depends on various factors - Audience preferences: Understanding your target audience is key. Analyzing past email campaign performance and conducting audience surveys can provide valuable insights. Content relevance: The ideal length should also align with the content of your email. A concise and impactful subject line that accurately reflects the email’s content is more likely to generate interest and engagement. Email platform limitations: Different email platforms may have character limitations for subject lines, especially on mobile devices. Testing and optimization: Test different lengths, analyze the results, and iterate to optimize your subject lines for maximum impact.

Keep it short. Aim for a subject line that is clear and concise. I normally prefer to use 5-7 words. Also, I usually add my company name in the subject line, so the recipient will easily understand what the email is about and from which company.

Subject should be clear, precise, easy to understand and lastly as brief as possible. Maximum of 3 or 4 lines. On seeing the subject, one should be able to know the content, urgency or importance or seriousness of the subject.

The question I ask myself when writing effective subject lines is "Would I open this message?" If not, what would make me want to open it? So often, I see communicators and entrepreneurs complicating writing unnecessarily by trying to optimise every single detail, such as the length of the subject line / personalisation or not / emojis or not.... Effective communication doesn't need to be complicated. It starts with serving the reader/listener/audience and putting yourself in their shoes.

If you're buried in emails, you probably rely on search to find things. To save time, write your subject lines like a synopsis of the email’s story: Use the project name, intent, and a brief description (e.g. "Project Trust - Fuel Consumption Reports") If you need action, state your intent clearly: "Project Trust - Your Report Needed." Keep it short and sweet to avoid confusion, but not so vague that it gets ignored. Quick, clear, and effective!

Ask yourself, "How will this subject line show up in an inbox?" Oftentimes, how users customize their inbox appearance - whether that be through Outlook, Google, or another email service provider - will determine how emails actually appear in one's inbox, which means that your subject may be cut off or condensed. You want to make sure that the most important information comes first in the subject line, and that the subject is concise so that every word counts. Then, you can always send a test email to yourself to see how it appears in your own inbox. Try customizing your own settings to see how subject lines may appear and change based on those settings.

I have already added a few sample subjects that I use, in the first section above Basically the subject line should convey some information on what are the contents of the email. And what action is needed. That way, someone should be able to gauge the urgency and effort needed to 'handle' the email.

I mostly deal with C-suites and admins for my SaaS-based clients and at the same time, I also get to deal with E-commerce end customers like us all. The key to writing effective subject lines, as per my understanding is to "Gauge Your Customer's Need". WHY should the user click the sub line? Once you answer that question in your own head, half your job is done to perfection.

The structure of your subject line depends on the purpose of the email. Business emails to our customers are always extremely succinct and are descending order of importance. In other words, if there's a sale or new product, we announce that in the first two words with details following in case the subject line gets cut off. When emailing a business contact ensure you have the project or topic clearly marked. Reply to the latest email in the project so the thread is searchable by subject. If you're branching out into another topic, start a new email thread or update the subject line. Subject lines are commonly used to find emails, to group them and prioritize. You're helping yourself and your audience when you use it wisely.

Do NOT make the subject line too revealing. Since we all tend to share our screens a lot, it might happen that someone accidentally looks at your Inbox, and some critical information gets leaked. For instance, do NOT use the subject lines as 'My Resignation' or 'I received a bonus of X lakhs', or 'Regarding my last day with X org' etc. All these subject lines are too revealing, and someone else might get this confidential information. For such cases, try to use generic subject lines like 'Important regarding my salary' or just 'Discussion needed'.

Always A/B test your Email Subject Lines. You aren't the expert until your client says so! For example, Flipkart, before the big billion days releases a lot of mails for their top buyers with offers beyond the regular ones. EARLY ACCESS is one of them. While I start writing the Sub line, the first hit of a keyword is "Early access" If I just write a sub line like: "Get EARLY ACCESS to BIG BILLION DAYS" This communicates my main purpose of the mail. But doesn't serve any purpose to the client. For them, it's just another mail. "BBD Early Access: EXTRA 15% OFF. Shop Now" Might be better. But to guage which performs better, we need A/B testing. While the 1st can be a short and crisp direct approach, the 2nd has an amazing offer.

Clearly define what you want to achieve with your email campaign. I want you to know that knowing your goals will guide your testing strategy.

Don't be vague. "Come see me?" or "Need to chat" are not only ambiguous, but they produce anxiety in the recipient. Email subject lines don't need to tell the entire story, but they must be specific enough to know what's in the corresponding message. Clear and concise - you can't go wrong.