25 Email Preview Text Examples to Skyrocket Your Open Rates

You‘ve spent hours crafting the perfect email copy. You‘ve agonized over the subject line. But there‘s one tiny element you may be neglecting that could make or break your email open rates: the preview text.

According to a study by Litmus, 24% of respondents look at the preview text first when deciding whether to open an email. That‘s right – almost a quarter of your recipients are basing their decision on that little snippet of copy that appears below the subject line.

So how do you make sure your preview text is working hard to get those opens? We‘ve compiled 25 amazing examples across industries, along with some data-driven tips to help you craft your own irresistible previews.

Anatomy of High-Performing Preview Text

Before we dive into the examples, let‘s break down the key components of preview text that gets clicks:

1. Specificity: Vague, generic language won‘t cut it. The best preview text is laser-focused and relevant to the recipient. Mention a specific offer, benefit, or piece of content to set clear expectations.

2. Brevity: Keep it snappy. Most email clients display between 40-130 characters of preview text. Frontload the most important info and compelling language. Every character counts!

3. Curiosity: Great preview text piques the recipient‘s interest without giving away the whole story. Tease just enough to make them want to learn more. Provoke their curiosity.

4. Urgency: Is your offer time-sensitive? Do you have limited stock? Communicate urgency in the preview text to encourage immediate action. Deadlines and scarcity are powerful motivators.

5. Personalization: Customizing your preview text with the recipient‘s name, location, past behavior, or other data can be the difference between an open and an ignore. Just keep it subtle and relevant.

6. Emojis: When used sparingly and strategically, emojis in preview text can help your message stand out visually. In fact, one A/B test found that emojis in preview text increased unique opens by 7%. Choose emojis that complement your copy and align with your brand voice.

Now that you know the formula for high-performing preview text, let‘s see it in action with some real-world examples.

25 Preview Text Examples to Inspire You

We‘ve organized these examples into four categories based on the primary preview text technique they showcase. While most use a combination of techniques, this framework will help you identify different approaches you can test for your own audience.

The Curiosity Creator

1. Trello: "The 10th tip might surprise you 😮"
2. Dropbox: "Did you know Dropbox could do this?"
3. LinkedIn: "Not every post needs to be perfect…"
4. Headspace: "There‘s still time to join the challenge everyone‘s talking about"
5. Groupon: "We found something spooky in your town 👻"
6. REI: "This one feature makes all the difference…"

The Value Proposer

7. Warby Parker: "Sneak a peek at our brand-new frames (plus some old favorites)"
8. Bloomingdale‘s: "Take $25 off every $100 you spend on a large selection of items!"
9. Moo: "It‘s new, it‘s improved, it‘s 25% off!"
10. Litmus: "Everything you need to know about email client market share in 2024"
11. Udemy: "Learn the top 10 skills for 2024 from real-world experts"
12. Grubhub: "Your favorite [cuisine] is 20% off this week!"

The Urgency Amplifier

13. Grammarly: "Your writing stats are expiring soon!"
14. J.Crew: "You‘re going to miss it…"
15. JetBlue: "There‘s only one day left to book your spring getaway!"
16. Kate Spade: "Act fast: this sale ends at midnight"
17. Ticketmaster: "Don‘t miss out on these [artist] tickets 🎟️"
18. Sephora: "Last chance for 20% off! Use code SPRING20"

The Personalization Pro

19. Airbnb: "[Guest Name], you‘re invited to become a Host on Airbnb"
20. Lyft: "Check out your 2024 ride recap inside!"
21. Spotify: "[Your Name], here‘s some music for your [Day of Week] afternoon"
22. Netflix: "Recommendations for [Your Name]"
23. Strava: "[Name], you‘re in the top 5% of runners in [City]!"
24. Chase: "Your monthly account summary is ready, [Name]"

These brands understand how to use preview text to stand out in a crowded inbox. Whether it‘s Headspace creating FOMO about a trending challenge, Moo emphasizing multiple benefits, JetBlue adding urgency with a deadline, or Spotify using personal data to curate content – these previews all give the recipient a compelling reason to open.

Tips for Writing Click-Worthy Preview Text

Ready to craft your own preview text that gets opens? Here are some data-driven tips to keep in mind:

• Keep it concise: Shoot for 40-130 characters. Some of the most effective examples above are under 50 characters! Litmus found that for over half of emails, the optimal preview text display cut off after about 40 characters.

• Complement, don‘t repeat: Your preview text should work in tandem with your subject line to tell a cohesive story – but not the same exact story. If your preview text is redundant, you‘ve wasted valuable character real estate.

• Prioritize action: Use language that compels the reader to take action. Start with a verb like "Get", "Discover", "Unlock", "Treat yourself", etc. In an analysis of 3.2 million emails, Campaign Monitor found that preview text containing verbs had a 22% higher open rate than those without.

• Design for mobile: Over 60% of email opens happen on mobile devices. Make sure your preview text is optimized for mobile by keeping it extra concise and frontloading the most important info/keywords. Use an email preview tool to test how it will display across devices and clients.

• Test, learn, repeat: What works for one audience may not work for another. Continuously A/B test your preview text and track results to see what drives opens for your specific subscribers. Test one variable at a time, like including an emoji vs. no emoji, so you can pinpoint what moves the needle.

• Don‘t neglect other elements: While preview text is certainly important, it‘s just one piece of your email. Make sure you‘re also optimizing your sender name, subject line, and email content for engagement. All of these elements need to work together to get opens and drive action.

Measuring Preview Text Impact

So you‘ve crafted some killer preview text using the examples and tips outlined above. How do you know if it‘s working? Here are the key metrics to track:

• Open rate: This is the most direct way to measure the impact of your preview text. A/B test two versions and see which one drives more total and unique opens. Just make sure all other elements of the email are the same for a clean comparison.

• Click-through rate: While not tied directly to preview text, CTR can give you a sense if your preview text is setting accurate expectations for what‘s inside the email. If you have high opens but low click-throughs, you may need to better align your preview (and subject line) with the content.

• Conversion rate: Ultimately, the goal of your emails is to drive a desired action, whether that‘s making a purchase, signing up for an event, or filling out a survey. Track your conversion rates to see if certain preview text approaches lead to more end actions.

• Unsubscribe rate: If your unsubscribe rate spikes after changing your preview text approach, your new copy may be missing the mark. Perhaps it‘s too salesy, not relevant enough, or setting the wrong expectations. Keep a close eye on unsubscribes and adjust accordingly.

One foolproof way to gauge the impact of preview text? Ask your subscribers! Include a one-question survey in your email asking what compelled them to open. You might be surprised by the insights you uncover.

Preview Text: Small Copy, Big Impact

We‘ve covered a lot of ground in this guide to crafting irresistible email preview text. To recap:

1. Preview text is the snippet of copy displayed below or alongside the subject line in most email clients. While often overlooked, it plays a key role in driving opens.

2. High-performing preview text is specific, concise, curiosity-inducing, urgent, personalized, and on-brand. Bonus points for a well-placed emoji.

3. We shared 25 top-notch examples of preview text across four categories: curiosity-creating, value-proposing, urgency-amplifying, and personalizing. Use these as inspiration for your own copy.

4. When writing your preview text, prioritize brevity, complement your subject line, use action-oriented language, optimize for mobile, and continuously A/B test.

5. To measure preview text success, track open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, and unsubscribe rates. Don‘t be afraid to survey your subscribers for qualitative feedback.

Now it‘s your turn. Armed with these examples and data-driven tips, you have everything you need to write preview text that boosts opens and engagement.

As with all elements of your email strategy, approach preview text with your unique subscribers in mind. What will catch their eye and convince them your email is worth opening? The answer may be different than what works for another brand.

Test, track, iterate. The beauty of email is you get near-instant feedback on what‘s resonating. See what preview text techniques work for your audience and double down on those.

Remember, in the battle for inbox attention, every character counts. Make those 40-130 characters of preview text work hard for you. It may be a small copy, but it can have a huge impact on your email marketing success.

Happy testing!