In recent times, I’ve been editing/rewriting a lot of business e-mails, and writing a lot of original subject lines that seek to do one thing: get the click to open the message.
I also receive a lot of promotional and commercial e-mails, and I don’t see a lot of subject lines that make me want to reach out and make billions more electrons flow.
A still from a recent example of light writing with a human subject in frame. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Face it: we’re all jaded about e-mail subject lines. So every week I wonder, What the hell can I write?
I’ve concluded that if you want people to click the e-mail, you at least have to make them feel like they’re not doing this alone. You have to make them feel that they’ll have an instant guide who will navigate the pending experience with them.
For good or ill, I’ve settled on a temporary solution: I start the subject line with “Let’s.”
It suggests freedom of choice, but with some focus. It also implies some support: the people approaching the customer are interested in helping him or her find what he or she wants, while the recipient can assert every individual taste.
Then the rest of the subject line is on-topic (product, service, whatever): “Let’s turn heads” (fashion). “Let’s climb the mountain” (outdoors equipment). “Let’s do a burn-out” (automotive after-market).
This isn’t a perfect solution, but it has some positives: 1. The word count stays low for mobile-device screens. 2. It’s inviting, and slightly inspiring. 3. It’s on-topic, but leaves a little bit unexplained, and the curious reader/customer is a good one.
Let’s try it.
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