# 8 Types Of Email Titles That Often Get Ignored That You Should Know **URL:** \ **Category:** Tutorials & Methods\ **Tags:** piracy, networking, tips-tricks\ **Created:** [November 13, 2021, 9:18am UTC](https://onehack.st/t/8-types-of-email-titles-that-often-get-ignored-that-you-should-know/206772 "2021-11-13T09:18:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WhiteHat](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/whitehat/32/162514_2.png) [@WhiteHat](https://onehack.st/u/WhiteHat)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2021, 9:18am UTC](https://onehack.st/t/8-types-of-email-titles-that-often-get-ignored-that-you-should-know/206772/1 "2021-11-13T09:18:15Z")
When **an e-mail pops up** in your inbox, **what do you usually do** with it? Do you open it, ignore it, or shoot it straight into the “Trash” bin? It depends, right? It depends on what’s written in the **subject line**. See, the subject line tells you, at a glance, whether the sender’s message – or, more accurately, the sender’s **purpose** – is worth your attention. As a sender, you can either write the subject line right, or you can do one of the following things, which will definitely get your email pushed aside. #### 1. Get Too “Cutesy” ##### Example: _"Bet you won’t be able to resist opening this e-mail! "_ ##### Why it doesn’t work: It’s one thing to be witty. It’s another to **come across as trying too hard** , which is exactly the impression you’ll get from the sample e-mail above. When you’re in doubt about how to write your subject line, remember this: **Clarity trumps cleverness**. You can combine both, of course, but that takes some practice. ##### What can work: _“This e-mail will help you today”_ #### 2. Type in ALL CAPS ##### Example: _" VERY IMPORTANT E-MAIL"_ ##### Why it doesn’t work: Your e-mail may be the most urgent in the history of urgent e-mails, but if your subject line looks like the online equivalent of shouting, it’ll still get ignored. **Use the “CAPS LOCK” button only when necessary** (e.g. proper nouns like John Doe, Empire State Building, World Cup). ##### What can work: _“Very Important E-mail”_ #### 3. (Ab)use Punctuation Marks ##### Example: _" Please, Please, PLEASE open this e-mail!!!"_ ##### Why it doesn’t work: **Punctuation marks have their place** , yes, but as with the “CAPS LOCK” button, that place isn’t the subject line (most of the time). Besides, a subject line that looks as though it was written by a drunk 15-year-old at 3 AM doesn’t exactly earn you points in the professionalism department. ##### What can work: _“Please open this e-mail”_ #### 4. Promote, Promote, and Do Nothing But Promote ##### Example: _" Random Product for Sale!"_ ##### Why it doesn’t work: Your recipient may be stingier than Ebenezer Scrooge, but if you at least **specify a benefit in your subject line** – rather than being a little too blatant in your attempt to part your recipient with their money – you’ll get a better response. ##### What can work: _“Don’t Miss This 50% Discount on [Insert Product Here]”_ #### 5. Be Vague ##### Example: _" E-mail "_ ##### Why it doesn’t work: Okay, I know it’s an e-mail (thanks, Captain Obvious!), but **what kind of e-mail is it**? Is it an uplifting message about getting through another boring day at the office? Or is it an ongoing promo about a product I’ve been dying to buy for the past few months? C’mon, **don’t make me waste my next few seconds figuring that out** for myself! ##### What can work: _"A message about "_ #### 6. Be Generic ##### Example: _" News Alerts from The Daily News Deliverer"_ ##### Why it doesn’t work: This one may be slightly more descriptive than a vague subject line, but it’s no better. Why? Because it **doesn’t give the recipient an urgent reason to open your e-mail** other than: “Hey there! We hope you’re willing to waste a few precious minutes trying to find something interesting in here!” ##### What can work: _“Breaking News: ‘Daily News Deliverer’ Figures Out How to Write Subject Lines”_ #### 7. Write Kilometric Subject Lines ##### Example: _" This e-mail will help you ditch that soul-sucking corporate job, find a beautiful wife, buy an equally beautiful house in a swanky neighborhood…"_ ##### Why it doesn’t work: Yes, your subject line should be descriptive, but not to the point that it’s longer than the entire border of Russia. In fact, [a study](http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2014/24517/the-most-effective-length-for-email-subject-lines) found that **e-mails with 6-10 word subject lines are more likely to be opened** than e-mails with 11-15 word subject lines. (Fun Fact: Most marketers are used to doing the latter.) ##### What can work: _“This e-mail will help you live your dream life”_ #### 8. Write Nothing ##### Example: _" [no subject] "_ ##### Why it doesn’t work: If there’s **nothing written** in an e-mail’s subject line, it’s reasonable for the recipient to **assume that there’s nothing worth reading** in the e-mail either. That said, if the reason you don’t have a subject line is an honest mistake (e.g. you clicked the “Send” button too soon), you can always resend your e-mail, along with a sincere apology and a polite request to disregard the previous e-mail. ##### What can work: “” #### A (parting) reminder on how to get it right Okay, we’re finally done with how _not_ to write e-mail subject lines. Now what? We start writing them right, of course. We start writing subject lines that: - **stand out, in a good way** , from the usual drivel that clogs up people’s inboxes - **concisely describe the e-mail’s contents** , and - **clearly spell out to the recipient what they’ll gain** from opening the e-mail. If you don’t want to bother with subject lines, you can always communicate with others the old-fashioned way: either through snail mail, or through face-to-face conversations. `(Source: hongkiat)` **Happy learning!** ---
**Author:** ![nabiscojones](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/nabiscojones/32/80526_2.png) [@nabiscojones](https://onehack.st/u/nabiscojones)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2021, 12:42am UTC](https://onehack.st/t/8-types-of-email-titles-that-often-get-ignored-that-you-should-know/206772/2 "2021-11-15T00:42:52Z")
Surprisingly aLtErNaTiNg CaPs didn’t make the list.