Subject lines and preview text, done right

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• Which channels to prioritize and in what order (and why most people get this wrong)

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• How to set up tracking so your AI bidding actually optimizes for pipeline, not just clicks

• The top gotchas on Google and LinkedIn that quietly kill performance

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Today's Email: Subject lines and preview text, done right

The inbox is only getting more crowded. AI summaries, priority tabs, smart filters — more signals, more competition, less room for the average email to break through.

Which means the subject line matters more than ever. So does the preview text.

There's no secret formula for writing these. No word that guarantees opens. No length that always wins. But there are good practices, and most teams ignore half of them.

Here's what actually works:

Subject and preview are one unit

Most people write them as two separate tasks. They're not.

The subject line gets the open. The preview text closes it. Together they're the headline and deck of your email.

Which brings us to the most common mistake of repetitive preview text.

For example,

Subject: New arrivals just dropped

Preview: New arrivals just dropped, shop now

You just used 100+ characters to say the same thing twice.

Preview text should extend, not echo.

Subject: New arrivals just dropped

Preview: Three pieces we think will sell out first.

Now the preview adds information. It gives someone a reason to open.

Length

Subject line: 30-50 characters. On iPhone Mail, anything past 41 characters gets cut off. Android and Gmail are slightly more generous. Write for the shortest window and you'll be fine everywhere.

Preview text: 40-90 characters. Apple Mail shows up to 90 on iPhone, Gmail shows about 110 on desktop and 40 on mobile. The first 40 characters do the work.

If your subject line is long, shorten it. If your preview text runs past 90, you're writing for nobody.

Front-load the specific

First two words do the heavy lifting. Put the most concrete, specific thing there.

Weak: Don't miss our summer sale

Strong: 40% off ends tonight

Weak: A quick update on your account

Strong: Your renewal posts Friday

Specificity earns the open. Vagueness gets archived.

What to cut

1. Emojis in subject lines rarely help and often hurt deliverability at Gmail.

2. "Re:" and "Fwd:" fakeouts work once. Then people feel tricked and mark you as spam.

3. ALL CAPS and multiple exclamation points read as promotions at best, spam at worst.

Write three, pick one

Write a subject line. Then write two more.

If you can't tell the difference between the three, you haven't written three. You've written one three times.

Write again. Pick the one that's most specific.

Best,
Alec

P.S. Have a topic you’d like us to cover in the next edition? Reply to this email and let us know! We're always eager to address.