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Subject line study
9 ways to boost internal comms open rates
An analysis of 69,000+ emails sent to employees — and their average open rates — to find what works
1. Stick to 3–6 words
What you say matters most, but how you say it has a big impact, too. Focus on what’s viewable on mobile, and you’ll have the best shot at grabbing a reader’s attention no matter where they are. A length of 31–49 characters helps you optimize even more.
→ We share the exceptions — by industry, author, and reader, and what best practices will help you engage each.
2. Avoid question marks
Tell your readers what you want them to know. Across all the subject lines we studied, numbers and dashes were the most common characters used, but their presence or absence had little effect on open rates overall. The absence of a question mark, though, did make a statistical difference.
→ We share before and after examples of each best practice in action.
...plus 7 more tips
Successful sends come from studying your audience — knowing what they value, when they’re available, and how much and how often they need to hear from you to be successful in their role.
→ We end this report with a guide to other organizations, advice to lead with empathy, and former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki's "what to do if you get it wrong" action plan.
