An effective email preheader helps boost email open rates. When written well, this short line of copy helps entice the reader to click on the campaign and read further. Research shows that effective email preheaders can lead to up to 7% higher open rates.
Email preheaders can also improve your email campaign’s engagement. Often, this is because they add further context to the subject line. Readers can see what the email is about at a glance. This will encourage them to engage with your email content.
Preheaders are especially important with the rise of mobile devices. According to a recent study, mobile clients account for 41.6% of email opens. Optimized preheader copy is crucial to catching attention on smaller screens.
Email preheader best practices
To help set your campaigns up for success, we’ve gathered some email preheader best practices. Here’s how to craft preheader text that yields results:
1. Complement the email subject line
Link the preheader text with the subject line. Ideally, the subject line should flow into the preheader text.
example of a preheader complementing the subject line
It’s better to use the preheader to complement the subject line’s text, rather than complete it. This is because not all email clients display the preheader text, so some subscribers might not see it.
Nonetheless, it’s good practice to always include a preheader. This will Chinese Overseas Africa Phone Number Data keep useless text, like a repeated subject line or unsubscribe link, from occupying vital real estate.
Good preheaders don’t merely repeat information from the subject line — they provide further context to engage the reader. A great use of preheader text is to summarize the email content. This way, the reader knows what the email is about from the very first line.
2.
Due to character restrictions, the preheader text should be concise. The email preheader should not be so short that it fails to share valuable information with the reader. But if the preheader is too long, it may lose its impact.
The right preheader length is key to grabbing the reader’s attention.
You may want to include additional details in the preheader while keeping the text to the point (for instance, a short summary of the campaign’s content). In other cases, it’s beneficial to use very short email preheaders. It all depends on the message you wish to share!
3. Personalize the preheader text
When it comes to the email preheader, a human touch can go a long way in making your campaign stand out.
All you need is to add personalization to the preheader text. This helps draw the reader in. Most email marketing software uses automation to fill in the subscriber’s first name either in the subject line or email preheader.
A personalized preheader is likely to catch the reader’s eye, making your campaign stand out among the many marketing emails that land in their inbox every day.
