How do I write a good preheader for marketing emails?
Write the preheader as a second line of the subject: a short, specific sentence that adds new information rather than repeating it. Set it deliberately, since otherwise inboxes pull in stray text from the email body.
The preheader is the preview text shown beside or beneath the subject line in most inboxes. It is valuable space, so use it to add a benefit, a deadline or a detail the subject left out.
Keep it concise so it is not cut off on phones, and avoid placeholder text such as view in browser. Test how it reads next to the subject on a mobile device.
Some inboxes pad the preview with hidden characters, so check that nothing odd leaks into it.
In practice.
A subject line reads that the new autumn collection has landed. The preheader adds that the three most popular jackets are back in stock in all sizes. Together they tell the reader why to open without repeating each other.
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