Getting engaged with customers through email marketing is an effective strategy for businesses to market their products or services. But now, with millions of emails sent daily, it is difficult for marketers to distinguish their emails from those flooding the inbox. One of the biggest things that influences email open rates is the content of the preheader.
The preheader text is the short paragraph that appears after the email’s subject line in the preview. It provides an introduction to the email’s contents and encourages the recipients to open it. Though it is very important, marketers make many mistakes when designing preheader text that will impact the number of opens in the email. Today, we’ll look at 9 common preheader typos that will dramatically reduce your email open rates.
Neglecting the Preheader Text
The most common (if not the first) mistake that marketers make is to completely ignore the preheader. Some think that a good subject line can be enough to attract a recipient’s attention. But that’s a lost opportunity. A good preheader text can set things in perspective-one that will possibly insert a few complementary hooks to the subject line to give it more punch and therefore encourage people to open the email.
If your subject line is, for instance, “50% Off Sale,” then you can do a preheader that reads, “This weekend only-don’t pass it up! This creates an extra sense of urgency and importance.
Use the Same Preheader in Each Email.
The other big general mistake people make is that they repeat the same preheader message across hundreds of emails. This standard-issue methodology saps the potential of your campaigns by making your communications unintelligent and generic. Preheader text should stand in line with the subject line to provide individualized information for the message contained in an email.
Customization of preheader messages allows businesses to display the right information that would make sense to recipients. For example, if it is a summer sale email, the preheader should be related to the sale, and not the text copy of winter promo. It is about keeping your readers interested and making them want to take action.
Too Long Preheader Text
The proverbial rule when it comes to preheader text is, don’t say too much. Too many advertisers write too long preheaders, going above and beyond the character count, and thus defeating the goal of their message. Research says the recommended preheader length should be 40-50 characters. Anything more will be interrupted in the email previews and, as a result, will not work.
In this case, reducing the preheader text to one line will communicate the message in the most rapid and clear way possible, which is especially vital in this digital age and our current pace.
Poor Mobile Device Optimizing
And believe it or not, over half of all emails today are opened from mobile devices. This, among others, demands massive optimisation of preheader content for mobile devices. In this respect, many marketers live in constant dread of the failed adaptation, which leads to frustrating user experiences where text gets cut off due to screen resolution.
Text shouldn’t be complex enough to make the preheader text readable from a smartphone; users might get confused by awkward sentences or terminology on a smaller screen. Better to use a larger font and a legible typeface, for better readability on mobile phones.
Not Using Action-Oriented Language
Lastly, and by no means least: passive sentences in the preheader diminish their influence. Action words can elicit a kind of urgency, a need to do something. Exclamations such as “Don’t miss out” or “Limited time offer” are intrusive and will cause the recipient to open the email to read more.
Conversely, passive or nonspecific sentences will frighten recipients and reduce engagement. If you’re writing your preheader text, ask yourself what your reader is going to do and structure your text accordingly.
Not Including a Call-to-Action
An explicit CTA in the preheader copy can show the recipient what to do next. It might as well be “Buy Now” or “Check It Out”.
Using Too Many Emojis
Emojis can give your preheader text a playful, eye-catching look. But over-emoji usage can have the opposite effect. Filling the preheader with too many emojis makes it seem spammy, inconspicuous, or unreadable and lowers the email’s credibility and open rates. Furthermore, not all email clients support emojis which may cause display problems and recipient confusion. Businesses should refrain from such mistakes by employing emojis in moderation and moderation while matching the tone, message, and intent of the email. Companies can also test out alternative emoji sets and track open rates in order to ensure the right balance is being struck and engagement is getting the most out of it.
Not Testing the Preheader Text
Preheader text testing is a crucial component of email marketing that most businesses do not take seriously. Testing ensures that the preheader is displayed correctly across email clients, devices, and screens. Besides, it allows businesses to test out different formats, lengths, and styles of preheader text to find out what’s most effective for their audience. Failure to validate the preheader copy can cause display issues and a blurry or ambiguous message that can disincentivize visitors. By designing a crisp, concise, and engaging preheader text, testing can remove these problems and improve the email open rates.
Don’t Make It Accessible: Accessibility is one of the major focuses of email marketing. By skipping accessibility in preheader text, you could lock out a segment of the target audience and get them to click away. Preheader text should be short, simple, and readable. By using all caps or lots of punctuation, you risk the preheader text being too hard to comprehend. What’s more, using illuminating or culturally offensive language may turn off a subset of the audience. Making preheader text accessible to all recipients increases open rates and increases the effectiveness of email campaigns.
Conclusion:
Overall, Preheader text is an essential part of email marketing that can greatly affect email open rates. Email opens are better when we don’t skip preheader text mistakes such as ignoring it, the same font for every email, making it too long, and not optimizing for mobile. You should also use action-oriented terms, like an obvious CTA, try the preheader text, and make it accessible. By knowing how to write preheader text effectively, marketers can open emails at higher levels and hence increase conversions.
