Yvonne Russell rustles up a great discussion about email subject lines. Though email has become a standard tool in our communications box, I still see subject lines (or lack thereof) that could easily send a person’s email into the spam or junk folder. So here’s a list of bad subject lines (or good if you don’t want the person to read the email):

1. [blank]: Many people scan their inbox by reviewing the subject lines. Seeing nothing in the subject line doesn’t make always them more curious. Instead, they skip it because they figure it’s not important or it’s spam. Sure, they might recognize the sender’s name, but they might not look in that column first.
2. Hi, Hey, Hello, How are you?: Spammy spammy spammy. Even a catch up email needs a better subject line. Capture the main subject of the email. If it’s small talk and catch up, then use “Catch up” or “Checking in.”
3. Today: But I might not see the email until tomorrow and then I’ll be confused. This applies to “tomorrow,” “Tuesday,” “Next week.”
4. [First line of message]: Some people start their email in the subject line and finish it in the first line of the email. It doesn’t work well because they still have to look at the body of the email. Put the main point of the email for later scanning. People save emails and scan them by looking at the subject line. Who wants to open every email until finding the right one?
5. [Name of newsletter or company]: Actually, it’s good to start a newsletter or company email with the name because many people set filters to send such emails into the right folders. Don’t stop there, though. Add the topic of the email after the name (you can filter by the first part) so if someone recalls an email covering ABC and wants to find it — it’ll be in the subject line.
6. FW: Re: [Old subject line]: After a couple of back and forths about one topic, an email conversation can easily take on a new direction. I’m guilty of this when I get absorbed in the discussion, but then I catch myself and change the subject line. I don’t think it’s necessary to write “Re: [New topic] Was [old topic].”
7. Check this out, I think you’ll like this or some variation: I had to break this habit. When I find a web site to share with someone, I would put this in. But now, it’s turned into a spammy line. Instead, put the topic of the resource.

Anything else? Add yours.

Head boss of InternetVIZ, Hank Stroll, forwarded an email that was an auto reply:

Due to large amounts of spam I am receiving I have abandoned email as a means of business communications. You must contact me at the office at ###-###-#### to correspond with me.

Whoo, drastic move. Will more people do this? Yes. Will email go away. No. But it’s funny because I emailed a friend about my daughter’s lunch account in which someone was stealing her money. I stepped away from the PC (yes, I really do that) and she called a few minutes after I sent the email.

She tells Paul email is too slow and get on IM (instant messenger). She wanted to details on the theft. So people get frustrated with email because of the garbage that comes with it and because it’s too slow.

I often wonder how different my life as a teen would’ve been if email and IM were used as widely as it is today. I used email, but it was a geeks only thing at the time. What teen wants to call her friends with Mom and Dad helping her on the phone? Exactly.

From the sponsor: Rhinoplasty, better known as nose job, isn’t just for the vain.

I didn’t know about the Diamond Pet Food recall and I subscribe to enough things to know about it until I heard about it from the Publicity Hound. Apparently, Diamond Pet Foods has recalled 19 brands of dog and cat food because they have aflatoxin, a toxic chemical.

The company has taken action to address this. When you go to its home page, it redirects you straight to the recall page. So that’s one point for the company because it doesn’t bury the information and makes it obvious. Any company that tries that is going to get trampled on.

Back to the recall page. It’s simple and easy to read and understand. If you’re affected, the link to get help is also visible. The Q&A clearly answers the important questions of what to do if you have the food, if the pet ate it, and so on.
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