Benchmark Email Bulletin - Volume 25
 
Preview Pane:
5 Tips On Using The Preview Window To Your Advantage
Many email marketers, in their ongoing quest to make their emails dynamic and appealing, forget about the preview pane. Recent studies show that not only do most email marketers use that tiny window to decide whether to open their emails, but that email marketers must adjust to a growing number of recipients who never open emails and use the preview pane exclusively.
Here are five tips to help you take advantage of that small email window:
1. Compensate for blocked images
Many popular email clients like Microsoft's Outlook, Outlook Express and Lotus Notes block images in incoming email. Thanks to this issue, you must adjust your email campaigns accordingly, using dynamic text and appealing copy to conquer this obstacle. Instead of hoping that your email images won't be blocked, design your emails as if they will.
2. Call your clients by name
Although many spammers use this technique to get people to open their emails, personalization, such as calling a recipient by name, is one of the most important things email readers look for when they use the preview window. Studies show that readers are more likely to open a personalized email if they can see that info in the preview pane.
3. Think about size
Though vertical preview panes are falling in popularity, horizontal preview panes are more popular than ever. The most common amount of space a customer sees in a horizontal preview pane is between 2 and 5 inches from top to bottom. Put your best foot forward by creating your emails with this size in mind.
4. Put your best stuff above the fold
Create your email campaigns with newspapers in mind. Do you see how newspapers put their best stuff “above the fold”? Do the same. Put your best stuff at the top of your email and save the other info for the middle and the bottom.
5. Be cautious when analyzing open rates
When recipients view your email in the preview pane, that counts as an open. Think about this when you analyze your data. If you have many opens but not too many sales or other actions, re-think your campaign's effectiveness and adjust accordingly.

For more info, please contact Jennifer Perez, Benchmark's PR and marketing director, at jennifer@bmesrv.com.