(this story is provided by Constant Contact)

by Julie Niehoff, Constant Contact Regional Development Director, Texas

This morning when you opened your email inbox, did you notice that some emails immediately jumped off the page at you, demanding your attention? Maybe there was a message from your boss, something from a coworker or a key customer that needed your assistance, or a newsletter from a store that you love.

Some emails get your immediate attention, while others are flagged for later or go relatively untouched. A compelling subject line can make all the difference.

Most of us just don't have time to get to every email message. We all live in this reality. We all play the same game of managing our inboxes and flagging emails that we'll "get to later" -- I call this the battle of priorities. We all play it, and as a marketer, you can win that battle.

When someone first gets your email, you have on average three seconds to get them to open it. The first second is spent on the From line, recognizing who sent the message. From there, you have just two more seconds to compel them to open your message with your subject line. That is why I came up the 2-2-2 Principle:

• You have 2 seconds.
• The first 2 words matter the most.
• Answer the question "Why does this matter today?"

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