Of all forms of communication used in the business setting, email is probably the most
common. In fact, according to Wei, “Advances in information and communication technology
along with the widespread of the Internet has rapidly promoted Email as the most frequently
adopted medium for communicating purposes.” An email is comprised of several parts one of
which being the subject line.
The subject line is the third line contained in the header of the email message. The purpose of
a subject line in an email message is to make the receiver aware of the contents of the email; in
essence, it should preview what will be said in the email. Lehman, DuFrene, and Walker (2018)
state, “Additionally, a well-written subject line in an email message will help the receiver sort
through an overloaded mailbox and read messages in priority order (Lehman, DuFrene, &
Walker, 2018, p. #83).” With a couple of helpful guidelines, one can be more effective in the
writing of their subject line.
One guideline for writing an effective subject line is to be very descriptive and specific.
Lehman, et al. also state, “When writing a subject line, think of the five Ws—Who, What, When,
Where, and Why—to give you some clues for wording. For example, do not simply write the
phrase, “meeting tomorrow,” in the subject line when you can actually write what type of
meeting will be taking place and the exact time of said meeting.
Another guideline to writing an effective subject line is to write it from your receiver’s
perspective (Lehman, et al., 2018, p. #83).” If the email is one that requires an immediate
response from the receiver, include words such as urgent, critical, etc., in your subject line. Also,
keep your subject line brief. When one’s subject line is brief and therefore able to fit completely
within the preview pane, the receiver will quickly be able to judge if the email is worth opening
at that time.
In conclusion, the subject line is a very important part of an email message; and therefore,
requires careful thought in composing it.
References:
Wei, X. (2017). Analyzing thai students' email literacy at tertiary level, thailand. Review of
Integrative Business and Economics Research, 6(4), 164-179. Retrieved from
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Lehman, C., DuFrene, D., & Walker, R. (2018). BCOM (9th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
