Rethinking Preview Text

Give readers another reason to open the message

Some email marketers are overlooking a glorious opportunity to ramp up open rates. And here's the kicker: that opportunity is literally in front of them. Of course, I'm talking about the preview text that displays in an email inbox. 

For many people (like me), the inbox looks messy. At a glance, it's hard to see the order and assess the potential value of any one message. Very few people read every word in every line, which highlights the importance of preview text.

That's the tiny bit of copy that comes after the subject line. The challenge for email marketers is to squeeze value into that tight spot and inspire a reader to click. L.L.Bean Canada (and others) do a good of that, as shown in the screenshot below.

Preview text is more than value

There are other reasons to improve preview text copy.

• Make a statement - It's the second thing readers see after the subject line, so preview text helps build trust and demonstrate credibility.
• Inform - Use preview text to explain or amplify what's in the subject line.
• Avoid spam - Some spam algorithms use preview text as a decision input. If the preview text smells spammy, the email client might move your messages into the spam folder, a nasty fate that could negatively impact email deliverability.
• Be mobile aware - Paradoxically, some email clients display more preview text on mobile screens than on desktop monitors. That means marketers should consider tailoring preview text for phones and tablets to increase open rates.

A final word on email preview text

Tailored preview text is a line item that email marketers need to add to their pre-send checklist. Back in the good ole days, email marketing gurus told us a killer subject line drives open rates. Today, that's still true, but the game has changed. We need to go beyond the subject line and write killer preview text.