What’s the first thing people see when they receive your email? The subject line. It’s the make or break line that will determine when your recipient will open your email, let alone read it. Whether it’s an internal office email or an email to a potential client, your subject lines need to be eye-catching and captivating – they need to encourage your recipient to actually open your email. The type of subject line you employ can differ widely depending on the person you’re sending it to. If you’re engaging with someone new, personalising the subject line can make a difference. This doesn’t necessarily mean using their name – you could use their location or interests as a way of personalising it. This requires a bit of work, but it works a treat for online companies like Groupon.

You could try using a question in your subject line. A question immediately engages someone and encourages them to open your email to find the answer.

An emotional tactic with subject lines is to play the ‘missing out’ card. If a recipient feels like there is something they might miss out on if they don’t open this email, they’re more likely to open it.

The fail-safe rule when it comes to the subject line is to keep it simple. And never send an email with an empty subject line!