You probably know how important email subject lines are, right? (If not, start here.) Whether you’re sending an ordinary business email or an email newsletter, the subject line announces why recipients should read your message.
Did you know you have an additional opportunity to engage recipients before they open your email?
It’s called the preheader. Most email clients display the first line of text right after the sender and subject line, like this:
In a business email, the preheader can help recipients prioritize your message.
Subject: Program descriptions for Abracadabra Foundation grant application
First line/preheader: The deadline is Thursday noon for all program descriptions….
If you put the deadline in the subject, it might be cut off. This subject line, at 65 characters, is already longer than many email inboxes will display (including my phone’s, as you see in the screenshot above).
You can get around the subject limitation by putting the deadline in the first line of text. That way, recipients will still see the deadline before they open the email.
In email newsletters, preheaders are less likely to convey information and more likely to be teasers or to make an offer. Look again at the e-letters in the screenshot. Which ones use their preheader space effectively? (See below for my answers.)
Do you want to get the most out of your email real estate? Let me help!
Effective preheaders in the screenshot
The most effective preheaders promise something recipients are likely to want. In approximate order of effectiveness, those are:
- Lands’ End
- Michael Katz
- NY Times (I signed up for headlines, and that’s what the preheader delivers)
- Your Fancy Friends at GlassRoots
- Enchantment Theater Company
Sojourners is the only sender that has neglected the preheader altogether.