The real deal when it comes to writing effective e-mail subject lines is personalization, and the smart entrepreneurs, business owners and e-mail marketers are the one’s who take the time to write compelling, unique and personable content before ever scheduling or hitting the send button.

Subject lines are not excluded. Following best practice when writing e-mail subject lines is as simple as 1-2-3:

1. Keep it short – If you’re over 50 characters with spaces, you’re too long.
2. Keep it targeted – In addition to keeping your subject lines short and concise (think people and short attention spans), making sure your subject lines are highly targeted to the segment of your list will help increase open rates. If you’re a retailer sending a seasonal e-mail to women promoting great specials on your swimsuit line, make sure the subject line includes your store location and references the specific product (for ecommerce without a physical location, being specific still applies). Avoid words like “free” and “percent off” in your subject line to reduce spam risk, and save promotional content for the body of the e-mail (but keep it light, remember value first!).
3. Personalize – Change parts of your subject line regularly to avoid becoming stale. If you’re sending a weekly or monthly newsletter, consider adding a content teaser to keep it fresh.

Repeat – Keep it short, keep it targeted and keep it fresh, and you’ll be well on your way to delivering more value to your audience.