Poorly written subject lines are one of my pet peeves. These subject line tips apply to messages sent by email, Facebook, LinkedIn, or other messaging systems with subject lines.
- Always write a subject line. Don’t leave it blank!
- Don’t use the subject line to start a conversation, with lines such as "hi" or "what’s up?".
- Hint at the message’s importance, with words such as "urgent" or "no rush". Not every messaging program has priority flags.
- Hint at the message’s relevance to the reader. Example: "8 management tips for supervisors".
- Summarize the message in the subject line. Write it like a headline. Example: "Sales up 35% due to Chinese demand".
