Deleted scenes

Just because the P.S. in your emails isn’t the Thor’s hammer of persuasion that some seem to think, doesn’t mean you should never include one.

There are two ways that I regularly use a P.S.:

  • For “deleted scenes.” An email really should be about ONE thing. Tell one story to make one point. Sometimes though there’s a related but tangential point I can’t resist including, or a hilarious zinger of an anecdote that didn’t make the body of the email. This is good fodder for a P.S.
  • To recap the offer in uber-short deadline reminder emails. I find that super short emails are effective as a deadline draws nigh. Usually these are just a couple of lines with the title of the offer, the deadline and a link. In these emails I’ll often copy/paste a summary of the offer into the P.S. in case some subscribers missed the earlier announcement. These emails are so short that the P.S. actually falls “above the fold,” and it supplies context for those who need it.

The important thing to keep in mind is the audience for the P.S.

Only your most engaged readers are likely to see it—so reward them for their interest.