Don’t Hit Send Yet! How Adding a P.S. in Email Can Keep Your Customers Interested
In historical usage, a postscript (P.S.) allowed the writer to add more information to the letter without changing the entire message. Even if they forgot to add critical information, a simple P.S. at the end did the job.
With the growth of digital communication, P.S. in email emphasizes a point and draws attention to a specific message. It’s usually placed after the closing line or email signature to add a personal touch and encourage more participation from the readers.
The humble postscript might be two letters, but it presents opportunities to increase customer interest, personalize emails, and drive conversions.
We’ll explore the power of the P.S. and how to use it to keep customers engaged.
What is P.S. in Email?
P.S. stands for postscript or “Written after” in Latin. It’s used in letters and emails to highlight a separate thought.
It is typically used to add brief information that does not belong in the email content. Using a P.S. in email can help you send reminders, special offers, or encourage action from readers. For example, “P.S. Don’t forget to bring the documents to the meeting tomorrow.”
The P.S. in email is one of the critical elements in an email. If you want to learn more about crafting the perfect email, review our detailed guides on:
Where Does P.S. Go in an Email?
In letters, it’s usually placed after the signature. As people started using emails, the P.S. was placed after the email sign-offs to make the message more prominent.
Here’s the standard structure of an email containing P.S. at the end:
- Main body: This space contains the primary content of the email.
- Closing line: It’s a polite way to end an email and show appreciation, such as “Best regards” or “Sincerely.”
- Signature: A sign-off usually contains your name and contact information, including company details and email.
- P.S. in email: This comes after the signature and serves as an additional reminder or note.
A succinct and personalized postscript can encourage readers to take immediate action. It helps your information stand out from the rest of the email and capture attention.
Why Readers Pay Attention to the P.S. in Email?
Most readers pay attention to the P.S. in emails for a couple of reasons:
- It gives a feeling of exclusivity: The P.S. section feels like an afterthought or extra information just for the recipient. This gives them the feeling of getting something special like insider tidbits not included in the main message.
- It increases curiosity: Since the P.S. comes at the end, it can act as a teaser for something new. For example, you can introduce a fresh email marketing newsletter series to keep the readers glued to your content.
- It’s a visual break: Because the P.S. is separate from the email body, it gives a visual break, drawing customer attention to the specific message.
- It enhances psychological impact: The serial position effect suggests that people remember the first and last items in the email. It can be a great way to make the P.S. section more memorable.
- It carries a conversational tone: The P.S. is often more friendly and conversational, helping recipients feel close to your brand.
- It emphasizes important information: You can use P.S. to write critical reminders, and offers, or include compelling call-to-actions.
Using P.S. appropriately and professionally can get more eyes on the email, even if people skim through it. Make sure it’s formatted well and is the right length.
Let’s learn how to use P.S. in email to help you achieve that.
When to Use P.S. in an Email?
While a postscript can accentuate information, using it in every email can overwhelm the readers and lose value. Include P.S. to highlight essential information such as exclusive offers or reminders.
Here’s a table demonstrating when to use a P.S. and when not to.
| Use P.S. For | Avoid P.S. For |
|---|---|
| Brief, non-essential information | A critical and lengthy message |
| To rekindle customer interest | To replace key information from the main body |
| Highlighting an offer or discount | Essential details the recipient needs upfront |
| Adding a personal touch | Unprofessional or informal remarks |
| To share a relevant tip or bonus content | Information that should be in the main body |
As you research about using P.S. in emails, you may encounter different punctuation, such as ‘PS’ or ‘P.S.’ Both are correct; however, ‘P.S.’ is more common in emails in the United States. Stay consistent with punctuation to avoid confusing readers and grab their attention.
5 Ways to Use the P.S. to Grab Customer Attention
A well-crafted P.S. sparks curiosity, encouraging readers to learn more about your brand. You can use the postscript section to offer a surprise deal, add a casual remark, or boost urgency using time-sensitive offers.
Read along for more ideas on using P.S. in emails.
1. Emphasize the Main Selling Point
The body copy of your email may contain all essential information about your value proposition and selling point. But what if the reader scrolls down to the last text without reading them?
Re-iterating the selling point in the P.S. section will help recipients immediately understand your offers and benefits. However, don’t just repeat the same sentence. Instead, show how your product or service can help them from a different angle.
You can also include real-life examples in a sentence or two. For example, “P.S. [Your client name] used [Product Name] to decrease their email unsubscribe rates. Learn how to do it here [Include a link].”
2. Add a Personal Note
P.S. is also a great way to build personal connections with the customers. You can reference past interactions or include specific information to paint a cheerful scenario. For example, including a note about the weather in a city the recipient will soon travel to shows you pay attention to their needs.
Whether it’s order updates or a friendly email to a new connection, the postscript can spice up the conversation and help you build deeper connections.
For example,
“P.S. it was great meeting you at the conference last week. Let me know if I can help with the [Topic] we discussed.”
Surf through more ideas to use P.S. to strengthen personal relationships:
- P.S. Did you see the new [Movie name] recently? I thought of you since you’re a big fan.
- P.S. My pet just ate the earphones again. The situation is out of control.
- P.S. I wish you the happiest and safest birthday!
Using humor is another strategy for connecting with someone. However, understand your recipient’s sense of humor to avoid seeming clumsy. If you’re doubtful, avoid using humor and simply — be friendly.
3. Promote Urgency
Your readers are more likely to notice the P.S. section in your email marketing campaigns since most skim through them. Including time-sensitive offers, exclusive access, or gifts can help improve your email marketing conversion rate quickly.
Here are examples of different urgency techniques:
- Direct and clear: “P.S. Hurry, this offer ends at midnight.”
- Create scarcity: “P.S. Only 5 spots left for the webinar.”
- Countdown: “P.S. Our flash sale ends in 10 hours.”
- Create fear of missing out: “P.S. Less than 10 items remaining in this size.”
- Highlight intrigue: “P.S. Unlock exclusive benefits by signing up now.”
- Create desire: “P.S. Be one of the first to try our new product.”
- Give a gift: “P.S. Get a free gift with your purchase today.”
- Direct CTA: “P.S. Click here to claim your discount now.”
- Create anticipation: “P.S. Ready to transform [Customer problem]. Start your free trial today.”
Make sure to match your urgency with the entire tone of your email. Regularly test different approaches to see what works best for your audience.
4. Congratulate your Colleagues or Acquaintances
Maybe you found that your colleague just got a promotion, or the person you met last week started their own company. A postscript can be a friendly way to pass your wishes to them and add a personal and memorable touch to your emails.
For example, “P.S. I recently heard you started your dream company. I’m so proud and wish you the best.”
You can also include positive reinforcements at work, encouraging further success. For instance, “P.S. Great job on the presentation last week. Your hard work really paid.”
5. Introduce New Products and Services
If you’re introducing a product, adding a P.S. section can help turn more eyes on the message. For example, “P.S. Click here to know more about our new products and offers.”
To make it more effective, follow the strategies below:
- Tease the new offers: Introduce the latest addition to your product line to increase curiosity and gain attention. Example — “P.S. Have you heard about our new product line? It’s coming soon, and it will change the game.”
- Highlight a unique benefit: Address how your product or service solves customers’ pain points. For example, “P.S. Our [Product Name] can solve [Challenge] through [Benefits]. Stay tuned for more information.”
- Offer a limited-time incentive: Creating urgency can make people take action swiftly. Integrate a discount or an email coupon and a deadline to boost curiosity.
Remember, your P.S. should complement the main email copy without overwhelming it. If you haven’t used P.S. in email before, consider the best practices in the following section to help you stay in line.
Tips to Perfect the P.S. in Email
Before including a P.S. in an email, consider why you want it there. What do you intend to achieve with it?:
Do you want to:
- Remind the recipient about the deadline?
- Offer an incentive?
- Elaborate on your main message?
- Personalize your message and build connections.
Best Practices for Crafting the Perfect P.S. in Email
Once you’ve decided the reason, follow the best practices below:
- Review the purpose and placement: Be mindful of your purpose and always place the P.S. after the signature.
- Align the content and style: Keep the P.S. under two sentences and ensure relevancy to the main email message. Additionally, maintain a consistent brand voice and tone.
- Implement visual appeal: Consider using bold text or a different format to draw attention to your P.S. section. You may also want to use the best email font to increase legibility.
- Regularly test and analyze: Experiment with different P.S. approaches and track your email performance to understand what works with your audience.
- Add value: Emphasize crucial information you want the reader to remember.
- Be direct: Use direct language such as “Click on the link” or “Sign up for the event.”
- Make it personal: Use the recipient’s name or refer to a previous interaction.
- Use authentic tone: Avoid sounding salesy or too forced. Keep the message and tone authentic to build credibility.
- Test different P.S. messages: Monitor each message and A/B test them to determine which version performs better.
Perfecting your P.S. section is just one element of effective communication. To maximize the value of your email campaigns, opt for a user-friendly and reliable email marketing platform like Campaign Refinery.
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