How do I use the preview text?

The preview text is an addition to your subject. A good preview text increases the chances of your subscriber opening and reading the newsletter, and it can thus boost your open ratio.

Where do my subscribers see the preview text?

Many email clients show an extra line of text, before the email is opened, either under or next to the subject line. Most smartphone email software show the preview text with the sender and subject. In the overview of all of those emails, your subscriber must choose which ones get opened now, later, or not at all.

So, the preview text is an addition to the subject of your email; think of it as an opening line for your newsletter. The text allows you to convince your subscriber to read your newsletter, and it gives your subscriber a better idea of what to expect in your newsletter.

Where do I enter the preview text?

You enter the preview text with the basic details in step 1.

You can personalise the preview text (just like the subject line).
You can add emoticons.
The amount of characters in your preview text is displayed in the right side of the bar.

Some suggestions for using the preview text:

Put your most important call to action here, that invites subscribers to open your newsletter.
Personalise your preheader, for example by addressing your subscribers by their first name.
Use the preview text as an addition to your subject line, for instance by continuing your line in the preview text, or by giving the first answer to a question you ask in the subject line.
Make it brief. Keep in mind that the overview of an email programme is much smaller on a smartphone than on a desktop, allowing your subscriber to read even less text. A powerful preview text is between 20 and 40 characters. In any case, try to avoid making your preview text longer than 100 characters.
If you have absolutely no inspiration for a preview text whatsoever, you can also use your slogan, brand, or product name, for example to increase your brand recognition.

The difference between the preview text and the preheader

You put the preview text next to the subject, and it is shown in the overview of your subscriber's email client.

The preheader is shown above the newsletter itself. This means that your subscriber will only see the preheader if they open the newsletter. The preheader consists of two parts:

a link to the web-version of your newsletter.
a text you can enter while filling out your template (step 4).

You can for example use a preheader to personalise your newsletter, to mention the edition of your newsletter, or for a call to action. You can also repeat the preview text in your preheader.