How to Write Email Preheader Text That Drives Higher Open Rates

Although it may seem like a minor detail, an email preheader has a substantial impact on your email campaign. Not only does it make your email stand out in a crowded inbox, but it also boosts your open rates. The preview text, as it’s called, might not seem specifically crucial. However, it’s one of the first things readers observe when they direct their attention to your emails. After all, it’s what drives people to open your email.

The email preheader is a crucial element that greets the recipient, and it has a substantial impact on the email’s performance. It also affects the recipient’s perception. Also known as a “preview text,” it is the small line of text that appears next to the subject line in your recipient’s inbox. Your email preheader text often seems more attention-grabbing than the subject line itself. And effective preheaders are known to drive higher open rates.   

More and more people spend their valuable time online these days. This indicates that their inboxes are crammed with emails. Your subscribers have to be particular about which email they open. So, you must give them a convincing reason to open your email in the preview text. 

Let us discuss what an email preheader is and explore ways to integrate it with your subject lines. This will help you understand how to write preheader text that boosts your open rates.

What is an Email Preheader Text?

Also referred to as the “Johnson Box,” an email preheader text is the line of text a recipient sees next to or below the subject line of an email in their inbox. However, it depends on which email client and inbox view the recipient is using. Also, it depends on whether the recipient checks their emails on a mobile device or a desktop.

A preheader text swiftly summarises the email. It is also used to spark curiosity, giving the recipient a compelling, engaging reason to click. Hence, it improves the chances that the recipient will open the email. This is the reason why they are also called “email preview texts.”

Listed below are some of the most common use cases for preheader text:

• To give a quick summary of the email’s content
• To preview a discount or offer
• To create excitement & attract the recipient to open the email

Keep in mind that some email clients will display only the first few lines of an email as the preheader text. As a result, it restricts the available text. This is why keeping it short is a good idea.

What is the Ideal Email Preheader Length?

The preheader length of your email must be between 40 and 100 characters. This is necessary to ensure this text appears properly in desktop and mobile email clients. Because every email client displays preheaders differently, there is no perfect length for email preheader text. 

Mobile clients are likely to have a lower character limit for preheader text than desktop clients. If you use a longer subject line, not many characters of your preview text will be shown. So, consider those vital things as well.

However, you can optimise your email preheader text. Send a test email to yourself to experiment with it. Now, check the same across the well-known email clients and on different devices: mobile and desktop.

What is the Importance of the Preheader?

The only messages people will see include the preheader and subject line. They are what determine whether the recipient chooses to open or ignore your email. Thus, a robust, effective preheader plays an indispensable role in your email strategy.

What does a good preheader do?

It… 

• Strengthens the subject line’s message.
• Boosts open rates.
• Results in more engagement, clicks, and conversions.
• Has greater reachability, and hence lower chances of landing in the spam folder,

Why Email Preheaders Influence Email Open Rates

Anybody receiving an email is bound to see the subject line and preheader text. What you mention in your email will determine whether the recipient will give you an “open” or simply pass you by. 

Nowadays, the email inbox is nothing but a wild mix of brands competing to stand out. And despite having subscribed to your monthly newsletter, your readers must sift through an innumerable number of emails daily. They decide within seconds whether your email is worth their time. 

Considering the make-or-break situation, you must do everything you can to remind people why they should read your email. No doubt, an email preheader gives you a competitive edge over others. Our research shows that more than 80% of all campaigns sent from TrueSend don’t use a customised preheader.

This signifies that you can grab an opportunity to set yourself apart from the competition. Give a compelling reason to your readers that it’s worth opening your email.

How to Write an Effective Email Preheader – 10 Best Practices to Follow

There’s almost no difference between following the practices for writing good email preheaders and email subject lines. These practices revolve around factors such as customisation, relevance, and the ability to experiment and enhance.

To begin with, you must focus on analysing your email content to identify the most intriguing or crucial pieces. How can you wrap your email content in under 200 characters (including the subject line and email preheader)?

Your preview text and subject line must make it clear to the reader exactly what to expect from your email. However, only being descriptive won’t yield results. Make sure your subject line and preheader combination is captivating enough.

Listed below are 10 ways to write compelling preheaders:

1. Focus on Your Email’s Value Proposition

All the emails you deliver must share a similar goal. Some emails sell products or promote exclusive offers. Others share content or news. So, what value are you offering to your reader?

Convey the email’s most significant advantage in your preheader. Highlight that one thing that led you to draft the email in the first place and give your readers a viable reason to open your email.

Communicate to subscribers what’s in the email for them. Because once you do that, they are more likely to click.

2. Add a Call to Action

As obvious as it may sound, you want people to open your email. So, it is as easy as asking them with confidence. That’s why you must add a clear, effective CTA (call-to-action) to your preheader text. Let people know it will be beneficial for them to open your email.

Try to go beyond the usual CTA. Avoid using “Learn more” or “Read now!” Instead, focus on crafting text that provides a directive and a compelling reason to open your email.

3. Connect Your Subject Line and Preheader

Create an engaging and effective story by blending your subject line and email preheader. You don’t need to write 2 separate lines of text for them. 

As you know, they appear together; you can come up with exciting ways for the subject line and preheader to work in your favour. Ask a question, then give its answer, or begin a sentence in the subject line and conclude the same in the preheader. 

4. Use FOMO to Create a Sense of Urgency or Scarcity

Do you know what that one robust, effective technique is to drive recipients to act quickly? It’s none other than FOMO (short for Fear of Missing Out). When you emphasise urgency, you create the impression that recipients will miss something crucial if they don’t act immediately. It could be “Only 1 hour left for this deal” or “Only 24 hours available.” This motivates recipients to open your email and take the desired action right away.

In addition, you can consider using scarcity by highlighting limited availability, including “Only 6 items left in stock” or “Best deals: don’t regret it when they’re gone.” You must know that deadlines and numbers fortify the effect and make the message actionable. Merge this with a clear CTA and customisation to enhance the impact. Also, it will help boost your email’s open rate.

5. Customise Your Email Preheader

The fact remains undeniable that email customisation boosts engagement. Readers are more likely to open your email when they come across something familiar about themselves. It could be their name, town, birthday, etc.

You can add customisation to your email preheaders in a similar manner, just as you do for your subject lines or email text. Using the recipient’s name is the most common use of customer personalization. Consider including more information about the recipient. 

6. Set Yourself Apart with Humour

If you want to set yourself apart from the crowded inbox, a jovial or unexpected tone captures the recipient’s attention and also sparks curiosity. Moreover, it increases the likelihood that recipients will open the email.

Come up with funny comments, interesting questions, astonishing twists, or wordplay. For example, “Our summer sale is hot!” We lack air conditioning. Humour creates a positive impression and makes people admire your brand.

You must ensure the humour goes well with your audience and remains appropriate to your message. Try other styles like silly shifts. This can help you see what works better for your audience. Humour can boost your email open rate and make your emails memorable.

7. Let the Advantages Speak for Themselves

Don’t only highlight features. Instead, sell the benefits or your unique value proposition (UVP) of your email. You tell the recipients the value and perform a task so you create interest and make them want to click the email.

A robust and effective email preheader shows how your offer can benefit the recipient by making their life better and easier. Consider using tangible advantages: “Save up to 20% and get free shipping” or “Boost your productivity in 3 easy steps.” Not only does this create interest, but it also shows what the recipient can get.

8. Use Numbers and Stats

Grab your recipient’s attention instantly by using numbers and stats in your preheader text. They provide measurable information that builds trust and boosts credibility. For instance, “5 simple steps to 40% higher revenue.” When you merge a specific advantage with a great number, your message becomes compelling and appropriate.

9. Ask a Question

A question piques curiosity and drives the recipient to open the email. Asking questions will work to your advantage. “How do you make the most out of your day?” “Are you geared up for the new, exciting look?” This leads to interaction and makes your reader think. However, you must ensure that your question is short and fits the email content. Don’t forget that a clever question can make a huge difference for your email opening rates.

10. Implement Social Proof

You must focus on demonstrating that others are interested in your product or service. This belief plays on the human tendency to appreciate products or services others value. Build trust with recipients through the use of satisfied clients. Consider suggesting expert products too. You might want to do this too. Use names or short customer testimonials for impact. Aside from building credibility, it increases the likelihood that your recipient will take the desired action.

How TrueSend Can Help

TrueSend is a feature-packed, all-in-one email marketing solution that takes your email campaigns to the next level. It’s about designing and optimising email preheaders. 

• Preheaders made easy: Use our responsive interface to add and edit the preheader text of your emails.

• Customise Content: Take advantage of TrueSend’s dynamic and scalable content features to customise preheaders.

• Split Test Preheaders: Try out various email preheader texts. This way, you will learn what works best for your audience. 

Concluding Remarks

Email preheaders can have a great impact on your campaign’s success. That’s because they’re a small yet powerful tool of email marketing. They enhance the content and motivate recipients to open your emails that boosts engagement and improves the experience for users.

Tools like TrueSend are live and can help you craft effective preheaders to optimize your email marketing strategy and achieve great results. Write good preheaders for your emails and watch your engagement rates skyrocket.

FAQs

1. What is an email preheader text?

It’s a small line of text that appears next to or below the subject line. summarizes your email’s content. This text summarises the content of your email.

2. What should be the ideal length of a preheader?

Try for 40 to 100 characters so it appears flawlessly on mobile screens.

3. How does preview text boost email open rates?

It serves as a second subject line, adding context and hooking the reader to click.

4. What should a preheader include?

Add a clear CTA (call to action) and offer details. Including a compelling UVP (unique value proposition) will be your best bet.

5. Is it right to repeat the subject line in the email preheader text?

No. You should use different text in your message every time you create a preheader. Doing so will boost results.