Not URLs, not responses to a previous e-mail, not to send commentary — the Subject: field is for the Subject — everything else should be typed within the body of an e-mail.
What brought this us was a kind site visitor who e-mailed me today about a person they e-mail with who puts the content of the e-mail in the Subject: field. If you open the e-mail — nothing there. What doesn’t this mean? What should we do!?
I have a few contacts who do this as well. These are onliners who have proven in the past to be lazy when it comes to their e-mail use. For them it is easier to just type their question in the Subject: field and hit Send.
Some put URLs in the Subject: with the content of the e-mail simply stating “visit this” with their default signature file — nothing more. Others take a previous e-mail and type a comment that applies to the original subject right after it.
All these instances reflect an incorrect use of the Subject: field.
All hinder clear communications.
All give less than a professional tech savvy impression.
Not to mention, (I know, I am mentioning it) that blank e-mails set off spam filtering. No one who is credible sends blank e-mails or e-mails that only contain a formatted signature file! By not using the Subject; field properly you then are also taking the risk that your e-mail will be blocked or misidentified as spam and sent right to trash.
The Subject: field should include a brief and concise description of the contents of the e-mail — not the entire message. Not a URL to visit, not an update to a previous e-mail.
sub·ject | n: that which forms a basic matter of thought, discussion, investigation, etc.: a subject of conversation.
To use the Subject: field in lieu of typing your content in the body of the e-mail where it belongs gives the perception of lazy — or not being tech savvy. Use the Subject: properly and you can avoid both of these unfavorable perceptions while sending e-mail that are clear in their purpose and meaning.
Some More Info for You:
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I think it’s also worth mentioning that the body of the email should contain all the important information you want to communicate. The subject line is not the first line of the body, and if it is it belongs in both places. Here is an example of a bad email subject and body:
Subject: Going out this Friday
Body: Hey are you available to see a movie at 8pm? Let me know.
The body here implies 8pm TODAY which may or may not be Friday, depending on when the recipient reads it.
Hey, Chuck:
Thanks for stopping by! You are correct — clarity it communications is key — especially business communications!