When it comes to email, you hear a lot about the importance of subject lines. And, sure, subject lines are important, but they’re not meant to completely eclipse the preheader.
The preheader is that little snippet of text that shows up in many email clients immediately after the subject line. It’s the third thing they see when users view your email in their inbox (after the from name and subject line), so it can go a long way toward creating a good subscriber experience and making an excellent first impression. After all, human beings are going to read this email, and you want it to be interesting to them.
It’s also worth noting that Litmus reported a preheader A/B test in which better preheader text increased click-through rates over 30%.
Now that you’re fired up about preheaders, take a look at some beginner’s tips for writing better preheaders:
• Write a preheader. Yes, the perfect preheader begins with taking a stab at writing one. One of the biggest mistakes people make is not writing a preheader at all instead of taking the opportunity to communicate something creative, useful or helpful.
• Include a call to action. A strong call to action is great way to get your subscriber’s attention. It tells them immediately what’s in it for them and can increase urgency.
• Do not repeat the subject line. Do not repeat the subject line. (See how disappointed you were to find that there was no new information in that next sentence.) You want to add value to every inch of your email so that your subscribers will want to open them.
• Make it clickable. A clickable preheader gives eager subscribers an early opportunity to go visit your site.
• Grab some attention. Be funny. Be cute. Be something other than repetitive and unhelpful. If you’re going for clever, you might also write a preheader that is a continuation from the subject line. Or use the preheader as a place to remind customers about when your sale ends or to give inspiring information about special deals. Whatever you do, be sure to deliver on any expectations you set up within the body of your email.
• Don’t exceed 85 characters. A good general rule for any writing for the web is to keep it succinct. Plus, if you’ve got a smart preheader, you want your subscribers to see it. Gmail shows about 100 characters for both the subject line and preheader text. If you have a long subject line, your preheader text will not display. The iPhone displays about 140 characters regardless of subject length.
Take a look at some examples and see the difference for yourself:
Bad preheaders: (Bolded text below represents the subject line.)
You Are Connected For Exclusive Savings! – Having trouble viewing this email?
Hit refresh: up to 30% off new arrivals & free shipping! – View this email on a mobile device.
50% off: Midday Dash – Midday Dash
Weekend Reads from PEN America – Weekend Reads from PEN American Center.
Welcome GIFT! Just for you + FREE SHIPPING – To ensure delivery to your inbox, please add neimanmar
Black Friday starts tonight. Doors open at 8pm! – Black Friday is here. Insert triumphant music.
Black Friday Sneak Peak. Nudge Nudge. Wink Wink. – Click once for the Black Friday leak. Tell no one.
Cannonball! Dive in to kids’ swimwear. – Deck them out & save big.
Wear-to-work pieces with serious polish. – Rock the office with these wear-to-work looks.
Furniture update? Perfect timing for a sale. – Save up to 25% on select furniture.
Preheaders work best when they give your subscribers a concise, compelling reason to read your email. As you’re fine-tuning your preheaders, you might even A/B test different preheaders yourself to see what is most effective for your brand and your recipients.
What are some of the best preheaders you’ve seen? Share them along with their subject lines and what you liked best about them in the comments section.
Contact Filament if you’d like more information about how we can help you craft winning email campaigns.
