Best Practices for Controlling Email Previews

Apple and Android are shaking up email marketing with the introduction of AI-generated email summaries, transforming how emails appear in inboxes. With Apple Intelligence and Android AI crafting customized summaries before and after emails are opened, marketers must adapt to a new era where preheader text and subject lines may lose their traditional influence. Here’s what’s changing: 🔹 Pre-Open Summaries: These AI-driven overviews replace preview text, summarizing emails in 1-2 lines based on content relevance. To stay effective, as email marketers, we now have to write concise, compelling subject lines and prioritize clear text that highlights core messages. Vague or overly clever subject lines are at risk of losing impact. 🔹 Post-Open Summaries: Optional summaries appear after an email is opened, offering quick takeaways but pushing visuals and additional content further down. While less disruptive, this underscores the importance of well-organized content. The Challenges: AI-generated previews ignore text on images and even alt text, making image-heavy designs less effective. Instead, AI thrives on clean, accessible HTML and prioritizes upfront content. This shift demands a stronger focus on creating emails with a clear, information-rich structure. Currently, this technology is limited to cutting-edge devices like the iPhone 15 Pro and Google Pixel 8. However, with adoption expected to grow, marketers have about three years to prepare for broader implementation. How to Stay Ahead: ✅ Craft subject lines that are clear, engaging, and self-explanatory. ✅ Maximize text for improved summaries and better accessibility. ✅ Structure content with a strong hierarchy—place the most critical details at the top. The rise of AI-powered email summaries signals a shift toward greater control by inbox providers, challenging marketers to evolve their strategies. What’s your perspective? Are AI-generated previews a roadblock or an opportunity to refine email marketing practices? Let’s discuss! 💡

More than 50% of users now read emails in dark mode, yet most dispensaries don’t optimize for it. That means emails with bright backgrounds, illegible text, or broken images could be hurting engagement without you realizing it. → Where Most Dispensaries Get It Wrong X Ignoring Dark Mode Completely: Many email templates are designed for light mode only, making them hard to read in dark mode. X Using Images with White Backgrounds: A logo or product image with a white box around it looks amateur in a dark inbox. X Not Testing for Accessibility: If your emails are hard to read, customers won’t engage, especially those with visual impairments (hey that's slowly becoming me...) →How to Optimize for Dark Mode & Accessibility 1. Use Transparent PNGs for Logos & Images ✅ Upload logos and icons with transparent backgrounds so they blend seamlessly in both light and dark mode. 🚫 Avoid using solid white or black backgrounds that look bad when inverted. 2. Choose Colors That Adapt to Both Modes ✅ Stick with neutral colors (grays, blues, muted tones) that work in both settings. 🚫 Avoid pure black text on white backgrounds—it turns into blinding white on black when inverted. 3. Increase Contrast for Readability ✅ Use off-white text (#F5F5F5 instead of pure white) for better readability in dark mode. 🚫 Don’t rely on color alone for emphasis > Bold key points for better visibility. 4. Test Emails in Dark Mode Before Sending ✅ Use tools like Litmus or Email on Acid to preview your emails in different inbox settings. 🚫 Never assume your email looks the same everywhere > test it across various devices. → Try This & See the Difference Send a test email to your own Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail accounts. Check how it looks in both light and dark mode. If your branding, readability, or layout breaks, it’s time for a fix. Let’s make sure your emails work for every customer.

You know how James Bond's watch can turn into a camera, a buzzsaw, or a rapel line? That's your email preheader... It's small and unassuming, but can be incredibly effective when used the right way. It's a secret weapon hiding in plain sight. Never heard of a preheader before? You're not alone. It's the preview text that appears right next to the subject line when an email lands in your inbox. Most ESPs treat preheaders like an afterthought, simply pulling the first few words from the body of your email. But they get a TON of attention due to their placement in the inbox, and getting them dialed in can dramatically improve your open rates and conversions. Here's how to create customized preheaders that get better results: 1. Keep it concise – Aim for 55 characters or less to ensure it displays properly on mobile devices. 2. Support the subject line –Your preheader should complement and expand on your subject line, not repeat it. Use it to provide additional context or create open loops. 3. Build curiosity – Ask a provocative question, tease an exciting offer, or hint at valuable information inside the email. Give people a compelling reason to click. 4. Personalize when appropriate – Occasionally use the recipient's name or reference their specific interests/behaviors to grab attention. Just don't overdo it. Most marketers know that the postscript (aka the p.s.) is prime real estate for CTAs. But not many take advantage of the preheader, which gets just as much attention. With a bit of creativity, you can craft preheaders that complement your subject lines and amplify your engagement. So, here are two things you should do today... 1. Add "optimize preheader" to your checklist for every new marketing email 2. Test at least one of these preheader frameworks before the end of the month Ask an intriguing question: "Want to know the #1 factor holding back your email performance?" Tease exclusive content: "Inside: Our step-by-step blueprint for 10x-ing your open rates" Create urgency: "Limited time: Get 50% off our most popular course (ends tonight)" When you do, keep an eye on those open rates. I bet they're significantly higher than your 6-month average.

Here's a screenshot of my junk folder right now + 5 cold email subject line and preview text mistakes we can avoid. #1: "Open me to see a pitch!" subject lines. "Clone trending ads in mins" = pitching a solution for ads "Struggling with outreach" = pitching solution for leads Don't need to open the email to know it's a cold email. The subject line tells us. The only one that stood out was "Idea for Demandjen". It made me think the sender looked at my company and had an idea (not a product pitch) for me. I like ideas. So do your prospects. #2: Preview text screams "this email was sent to 1000 people". "Most companies" and "Many companies" language suggests we couldn't be bothered to research their company. Your reader is selfish. They use preview text to determine if this is a message written for them. Instead, get to the point about something you read/heard/saw that prompted you to reach out now. This shouldn't be a random fun fact. It should establish the logic for the problem you think they might be up against. (This is where the "Idea for Demandjen" email fell apart. Subject built curiosity, but preview text screamed cold email.) #3: "Thoughts & Threats" It's not the last follow-up. It never is. Build urgency by making the note relevant to something critical happening in their business, not by making empty threats. I haven't met a single person who fears being removed from someone's cold email cadence. #4: "Sending one more note" Maybe it's just me - but when I read lines like this in preview text - I assume I've already seen their other notes and decided it wasn't worth replying. #5: First name in the subject line 7 years ago, first names in the subject line was the move to show you wrote a personalized email. Then, Marketing automation made it easy for vendors to add the <first name> tag. Now, it screams "you're on a list". (Keep in mind - I'm a nobody. I'm not a CXO. DemandJen isn't a big company. So, if my junk mail looks like this - you can only imagine how your prospect's inbox looks.)

iOS 18.3 is using AI to summarize your emails before people even open them. And it does NOT read image only emails... Apple’s new system now rewrites notification previews using its own summaries. This can be helpful for people who want a clean inbox. But it’s not great if your email relies on images to get attention: • The AI reads HTML text only. ALT text is invisible. • Bad summaries = instant swipe away. Apple even disabled it for news apps after backlash. Fix list: 1. Lead with 120 chars of raw copy before any banner. 2. Put your hook in an `<h1>` not an image. 3. Front load benefit → brand (AI truncates after ~80 words). 4. Test summaries: send yourself a build, long‑press the lock screen card. You worked hard on your subject line. Don’t let a clumsy AI mess it up.

I opened my inbox and saw this: “View this email in your browser.” Not exactly compelling, right? That little gray line under the subject line - your preview text - can make or break the open. One client of mine was struggling with low open rates. Their subject lines were solid, but something was missing. When we looked closer, every preview line said: “Hi [FNAME], unsubscribe here.” No wonder. We swapped in custom preview text - short, curiosity-driven, and relevant. The result? Their open rate jumped almost 20% in the next campaign. And they’re not alone. 🔹42% of people check the sender first 🔹 34% look at the subject line 🔹 24% look at the preview text But here’s the kicker: customized preview text can lift open rates by 7%–30%. That small line of gray text is actually prime real estate in the inbox. Ignore it, and you waste your chance. Use it wisely, and you pull more people into the conversation. Want more details on how to make preview text work for you? Make sure you’re signed up for my email list - my full breakdown is going out tomorrow.