The pre-header, or second subject line, critically impacts opens. Using specific continuation words like "and," "but," or "plus" at the beginning of the pre-header compels the reader to continue from the subject line, which can lift open rates by a significant margin.

Prospects often hesitate to open emails, fearing a lengthy commitment. By adding an estimated read time (e.g., '3-minute read') to your pre-header, you manage expectations, remove friction, and make it easier for them to engage, which boosts open rates.

To get objective feedback on email marketing tactics, take a screenshot of your inbox with tiny font to capture many subject lines. Upload this image to ChatGPT and ask it to identify the top five and bottom five emails most likely to be opened, along with an explanation of the tactics used in each.

AI-powered email summaries in Gmail and Apple Mail search for "signal phrases" to identify key content. Using terms like "what's included:", "offer ends:", and "action required:" at the top of your email helps the AI feature the most important information, leading to higher open rates.

Don't fear that AI summaries in Gmail and Apple Mail will kill your open rates. If your content is genuinely valuable, people will still open it to get the full experience, just as they'd watch a favorite show instead of reading a synopsis. AI simply helps users filter out the noise.

Many marketers mistakenly summarize their entire email in the subject line, removing any incentive to open it. To increase curiosity, provide only a hint or a compelling data point from the email's content. This creates an information gap that subscribers feel compelled to close by clicking.

The email preheader is crucial for engagement. Beginning this preview text with a 'continuation word' like 'and,' 'but,' or 'plus' creates a cognitive link to the subject line. This simple linguistic trick encourages the reader's eye to keep moving and significantly lifts open rates.

AI tools now summarize emails in the inbox. To earn an open, your email's core value must be immediately apparent in that summary, as generic content will be dismissed without a click. This fundamentally changes email copywriting.

The pre-header, or second subject line, has a major impact on open rates. Using continuation words like "and," "but," or "plus" at the beginning of the pre-header encourages the reader to continue from the subject line, which can result in a significant open rate lift of up to 10%.