Preheader, preheader text or snippet text: improve your email marketing

The preheader of emails, also called preheader text or snippet text, is a valuable tool that you can make use of to improve the opening rates of your email marketing campaigns and newsletter shipments.

The relationship between time invested and opening improvement is such that once you try to use a pre-header text and see how the results improve: you will not send an email marketing campaign again without a properly worked pre-header. In short, what I intend to teach you.

1.- What is a pre-header text?

It is a complement to the subject of the email itself, which is used to enhance the opening of emails and basically offers additional information that anticipates what we will find in the email if we finally open it. If we are not careful, they will always be the first characters we place in the newsletter.

A clear symptom of not using pre-headers worked in emails is when we find pre-headers of the type: "If you can not view the email correctly, click here", "View in the browser", "If you do not want to receive more communications click here ”,« Click to see with images «, etc. It is very common for these phrases to appear in the first line of an email and if we do not remedy it…. they will be taken as precabera.

What will bring you more openings?

The first topic and pre-header or the second topic and pre-header:

1.- Tricks for your mobile phone. If you cannot view the email correctly, click here.

2.- Tricks for your mobile phone. Power your mobile at no cost with 20 free apps.

Definitely the second, right?

Well, let's see how to take advantage of the email preview in the most used email managers.

2.- Insert a pre-header or snippet text

Creating a pre-header does not really offer any complication, it is about adding a hidden text in the HMTL to the beginning of the newsletter that does not appear when the user opens the email, it is hidden when the newsletter is opened, but if it is interpreted and displayed by the email client. For example:

The pre-header text in preview but not when opening the email

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This is enough, it is not a major problem (if you do not want to complicate it) and well used it will allow you to improve the opening rates of your emails without the slightest type of doubt. I have been seeing first-hand how it happens for years.

You can also add it with CSS (you can define the same font color as the background of the newsletter, so that it is not shown if an email manager insists on showing it):

The pre-header text in preview but not when opening the email

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Generally, it must have an extension of between 40 and 75 characters maximum, approximately (but it depends on the email manager that does the preview).

3.- In which managers does the pre-header work?

The trend is for it to be correctly interpreted by all of them (there are always exceptions) but what sets the trends in the case of Gmail, Yahoo! and Outlook support it. So you already have most of your contacts ready to "be impressed" by your email pre-headers. I briefly describe based on whether they are mobile apps, desktop managers or webmails:

Virtually all email managers under Android and iOS support the display of the pre-header, in the case of Yahoo !, Gmail or the native apps for Android and iOS email.

In the case of desktop mail managers, it is supported by: Apple Mail and in all versions of Outlook higher than 2013.

It is also supported by the most used webmails: Yahoo !, Gmail, AOL and Outlook.com, without any problem.

4.- Tips and examples

Make use of these tips and if the slightest doubt, I have verified it on countless occasions, the opening rate of your email marketing campaigns will improve:

1.- A quality preheader must complement the main subject and always offer important information to the receiver. Consider it the direct object of the matter.

Example: "If you find it cheaper, we will refund your money" and "Improve your SEO effortlessly."

2.- The pre-header of the email must be honest. That is to say: do not create false expectations ... because if you deceive the recipient, in that email you will have achieved an opening but you will end up losing a subscriber.

3.- Do not use very long pre-headers and with a lot of information, you run the risk of not giving a clear message and it will cease to be effective (not to mention that in many email managers it will not be shown completely if it is very long).

4.- The preheader must have a call to action (CTA) in order to benefit from the curiosity of the receiver and encourage the opening of the email.

Examples: "Download it in just two clicks" and "Out of stock, you can't miss it"

5.- Consider using, depending on the type of emails you send, pre-headers that encourage a feeling of exclusivity, scarcity and / or expiration but remember point 2 (Be honest).

Examples: "Only for blog subscribers", "Limited to 200 units" and "50% discount only until the end of the month"

6.- You can consider it as a subtitle that complements the main topic, if that is easier for you. Use it to show what you have not been able to include in your own subject as it was in a very extensive subject.

7.- Do not settle. Create a totally new and personalized pre-header with respect to the previous shipments you have made. It is a very common mistake to create a pre-header and use it by default in all emails. Since you do not always communicate the same, you have to create a new pre-header for each communication.

8.- Personalize the pre-header or the subject with the name of the recipient, this personalization makes the email more personal and will help improve the open rate.

9.- Carry out an A / B test of pre-headers, to send the bulk of your communication to the pre-header that helps you obtain the most openings. If you already do A / B test of senders, issues, etc ... you will know how important this aspect is.

10.- Try to be a bit aggressive and daring, even thug if your audience allows it, only you know your audience and therefore you know what you can offer them and they may find it in bad taste.

Examples: "Open this super email or I'll whip you mercilessly", "I'm irresistible and opening this email is too" or "Open me ... you're very lost and you know it!"