Glossary

Email Preheader


When you get an email from a business, what convinces you to open it? Many people think the subject line is the only determining factor in whether or not someone opens the email, but there’s another piece of text that can motivate people to open emails. It’s called an email preheader, and it’s just as important as the subject line. 

The text preheader in email marketing is the short bit of text that appears under the subject line. Like the subject line, the email preheader can be seen without the email being opened. The right email preheader text can convince potential customers to open your email and view the contents of your marketing materials or special offer. 

In the article below, you’ll find more information about how to write good email preheaders. Read on so you know how to write this important piece of marketing copy.

The Email Preheader Should Pique the Reader’s Interest

You can think of the email preheader as a short preview of the contents of the email. If the email is a blockbuster movie, the email preheader is the movie trailer.

You don’t want to give everything away in the movie trailer, but you do want to capture the audience’s attention and convince them that the movie is worth checking out. The same is true for email preheaders. Use your email preheader to tease the contents of the email without giving away your main point. 

If your email contains a surprising statistic, you can mention it in your email preheader but cut off the text before you reveal the statistic. Cutting off the text mid-sentence is a great way to convince people to open your email.

Use Different Strategies for the Subject Line and Preheader

The subject line and preheader are two tools that you can use to get a better email open rate. If you use the same approach or wording for both the subject line and preheader, you’re missing an opportunity to use a different approach that may work. 

If your subject line has a call-to-action, use your preheader to provide some details about how the reader can benefit from your email offer. If the subject line presents some of the benefits of your offer, you can use the email preheader to give the reader a call to action. 

It’s also important to remember that the email preheader can be longer than the subject line. With that in mind, you may want to use email preheaders to provide details that you can’t fit in the subject line.

You’re Ready To Use Email Preheaders for Your Business

Now that you’re familiar with some of the recommended strategies for an email preheader, you’re ready to use them in email marketing software. Be sure to test different email preheaders against one another to see which one leads to a higher open rate. When you’re ready to start using email marketing for your business, contact the email marketing experts at ActiveTrail.