Email marketing efforts succeed or fail with first impressions. One of the most underutilized but potentially most powerful facets is the preheader. Of course, the subject line is at the forefront as the focus of reader attention, but the preheader functions in tandem with the subject line; it has a power that extends beyond the subject line to include important distinctions that could motivate a reader to open or reject the email. What motivates any reader to click? An active sense of curiosity. What ensures the email will be worth the reader's time? An associated feeling with the subject line and motivational intent of the preheader.

Preheaders boost open rates when used properly in a concise message of urgency or exclusivity. Yet so many companies neglect this feature entirely or leave a preheader ambiguous for the reader to question (think: cut-off email or misguided attempt to repeat what was just said above). Yet by acknowledging what happens to preheaders in cyberspace via email clients, and how to position them for best response, any email can dramatically increase its efficacy.

Understanding the Role of Preheaders in Email Marketing

A preheader is the line of text that appears next to (or below) the subject line in most email inboxes. It informs the recipient about the nature of the email and either tempts them to open it or allows them to skip over it. The ideal use of a preheader is to act as a follow-up to a subject line purposefully, lending either explanation, extended information, intrigue, or empowered messaging; when a recipient opens an email based on the intrigue of a preheader, which makes sense alongside the subject line, the open rates increase even more, which supports the vigor of email campaigns. Warmy.io can further enhance this strategy by helping improve inbox placement and sender reputation through automated email warm-up and deliverability optimization.

Without an intentionally crafted preheader for messaging, most email clients will pluck from the first few sentences of the email instead. These few sentences may be irrelevant to the potential recipient and come off as spammy or even worse impersonal. "View this email in your browser" or a random code placeholder something that doesn't make sense personally and renders the email awkward. An unattractive preheader allows an email to disappear into the depths of an inbox instead of rising to the top.

When marketers take notice of this extremely valuable little piece of space, the preheader becomes an enhancement that always (well, almost always) comes through and tempts the reader. The preheader can explain a vague subject line, underscore urgency, note that the information is available only within the email, or simply state a powerful benefit to give the reader an idea of what else is to be found within the email. It's a secondary appeal when so much else is already competing for attention.

Moreover, preheaders promote a better viewing experience for those reading emails on mobile. Given that more than half of all emails are opened on mobile devices, having limited character space for both subject line and preheader, and for them to complement each other, is crucial. Preheaders, in fact, hold more importance in certain mobile email sites and apps than on desktop; therefore, the relationship between subject line and preheader is a necessity for a successful mobile email experience.

Thus, the expectation of a preheader as part of the email marketing process makes companies appear more professional, allows for more effective engagement, and ultimately heightens the success of the emails. If the preheader space is left blank or ignored, companies lose out on an appeal that could have been very advantageous. Therefore, using every opportunity to fill this space with something compelling can only help increase open rates.

Crafting Preheaders That Complement Subject Lines

Essentially, the preheader should serve as an extension of the subject line, not a reiteration of it. Where the subject line is eye-catching enough, the preheader builds upon that interest and sense of purpose to compel an email read. The more the two offerings are cohesive, the more the email seems like worthwhile content.

For instance, the subject line "Don't Wait: 30% Off Sitewide For You" can have a preheader of, "This offer ends at midnight, so act fast!" It acknowledges the subject line and creates a supportive sense of urgency while also assuring the recipient that this offer is genuine and not a scam. Similarly, if the subject is "Travel Deals Just For You," the preheader can read, "See these great locations we've chosen just for you!"

Thus, when preheaders follow through on the subject line without simply reiterating it, engagement with the email is much more likely.

Using Personalization to Increase Engagement

Personalization alters the worth of the email preheader. When included, it renders the email more applicable. For instance, rather than preheaders giving a generic, universal message, the personalized subject line/message shows that this is not a one-time, mass-produced, "one size fits all" situation, but instead something generated specifically for this one reader. Therefore, it holds value beyond a mass email that people will delete without opening.

For instance, beneath the subject line "Your Exclusive Rewards Are Waiting," transformed to "John, Your Exclusive Rewards Are Waiting," the preheader can then become, "Earn double points this week on your favorite brands." This simply enhances the notion that this email is all the more worthwhile because it applies to the reader so specifically. Thus, they're more likely to open it and take action upon it.

In addition to names, marketers can customize preheaders based on actions taken, recent purchases, items browsed, loyalty club memberships. For example, someone perusing an airline's travel website looking for a roundtrip to Paris but backing out may receive a highly optimized preheader related to things viewed: "Still considering that trip to Paris? We have some airfare options for you but hurry, they're expiring soon." Such an email feels much more personalized, and people are more likely to bite.

Similarly, an online retailer can notice someone who frequently purchases sneakers and send an email with a preheader reading, "The sneakers you love so much are back in stock grab them before they sell out!" This isn't an arbitrary connection but more of a friendly reminder.
Likewise, this concept of personalization can be applied to loyalty programs and subscription services to ensure people return. A streaming application could use a preheader like, "Your next binge-worthy series is here, Jane! See what we picked for you." A credit card company might use a preheader for a personalized offer like, "You have $50 in cash back rewards, redeem it now." These personalizations help build relationships and keep the brand on the consumer's mind.

Whenever sentiment can increase open rates and a more personalized experience is welcomed to deepen engagement with an audience, it's a benefit. When companies have access to knowing who their customers are, they can genuinely appeal to the subscriber in the preheader not only to make them feel special but to enjoy their experience so much that they're motivated to engage further. When this is applied to preheader possibilities, the potential for increased engagement, loyalty, and retention is vast.

Creating a Sense of Urgency and FOMO

Yet the preheader doesn't just have to entice; it can encourage action as well, especially with urgency and FOMO (fear of missing out). When an audience feels that it's now or never to investigate what could be, they're more likely to follow suit.

For instance, if the subject line is "Last Chance: 40% Off Hat Sale," a potential preheader could be, "Offer ends tonight at 11:59 p.m. don't let it slip away!" This type of time-sensitive urgency not only matches the subject line but also provides an offer that is impossible not to open the email for in the first place.

Furthermore, preheaders that speak to limited availability do the same: "Only five spots left in our special webinar," "Your time-sensitive cart is about to clear, get your discount today!" These all encourage audiences to act before it's too late. Using time-sensitive language elevates an email's importance and increases interaction.

Keeping Preheaders Concise and Impactful

Yet while preheaders are impactful in context, they also need to be relatively short. Many email clients and devices do not render all characters of an extensive preheader. Most inboxes truncate between 40-100 characters so the shorter the better. Therefore, as long as things make sense and are still captivating, shorter is better.

Should preheaders be too long, they'll end up being cut off and pointless. It's better to select the most powerful bits and save the secondary information for the body of the email. "Your VIP Access to Early Black Friday Deals Starts Now" is better than "Your VIP Access to Early Black Friday Deals Starts Now and We're So Grateful You Chose Us" because the latter will cut off halfway through and make no sense.

Preheaders should allow for testing across email clients/devices to ensure proper rendering. But by making them short or at least shortening the end it gives marketers a better chance of getting their message across.

Avoiding Common Preheader Mistakes

Then there are common email marketing preheader blunders. For example, not personalizing the preheader and allowing the email service provider to automatically generate it from the first few sentences of the body of the email. If the automatically generated preheader is something silly, the email comes across as unprofessional with an out-of-place email teaser. Marketers use a consistent word-for-word email subject line as a teaser.

It does nothing for the experience. The subject line needs to hook a reader; the preheader should present additional information, create urgency, or titillate interest. Finally, there are marketers who believe they can overshare. They provide a preheader that fills people in on all the details. This becomes harder to process or skim. An irrelevant preheader does not encourage people to click through.

A/B Testing Preheaders for Continuous Improvement

Because different audiences respond to different messaging, A/B testing is an effective way to ensure preheaders are optimized. Once marketers discover the specific type of words, lengths, tones, and personalization that yields the highest open rates, they can take that information and apply it to future preheaders.

For example, one A/B test could feature one preheader that's straightforward" Your Exclusive Discount Ends Tonight" and one that creates intrigue "John, You're Missing Out on This Offer." After the fact and checking open rates and click-throughs marketers will not only be able to learn how to appeal to John, but to vast groups of people to create more effective messaging.

A/B testing should be done often in order to appeal to changing audience factors over time. What may be an effective statistic for one group today may be irrelevant tomorrow. Thus, constantly evaluating what's working and what's not through A/B testing will position companies for success with proper data-driven changes.

Conclusion

Email preheader optimization is an incredibly easy yet impactful way to increase open rates and enhance email marketing efforts. By strategically constructing preheaders to match subject lines, personalizing when possible, creating urgency, being concise, avoiding common mistakes with preheaders, and A/B testing for continuous improvement, businesses can increase engagement and generate better outcomes.

In the battle of whether someone will open an email or instantly delete it, a great preheader can make all the difference. If businesses treat the email preheader as part of their email marketing arsenal instead of an added nuisance, they'll capture attention and facilitate better engagement, resulting in successful outcomes.