Writing teasers that drive clicks
A teaser is the short piece of text that introduces an article or content item in your email and leads readers to click through to your website. Most newsletters live or die by how well their teasers work. A teaser that doesn't create enough interest gets ignored; one that oversells the article loses reader trust. Here's how to write ones that consistently pull readers in.
The two-part structure
A good teaser consists of two elements: the hook and the read-more link. The hook creates enough curiosity or value that the reader wants to know more. The read-more link converts that interest into a click. The hook needs to do its job in 2–4 sentences. Any longer and it stops being a teaser and starts being the article itself.
What makes a good hook
Promise a specific outcome
"Three changes that reduced our email bounce rate by 40%" is more compelling than "Tips for email marketing". The more specific the promise, the more motivated the reader is to click.
Start in the middle of the story
You don't need to introduce the article, jump straight to the most interesting moment. "We spent three months rebuilding our checkout process. Here's what we found." This creates immediate investment without requiring the reader to commit to reading an introduction first.
Ask a question your reader is already thinking
If your audience regularly struggles with a specific problem, frame your teaser as the answer to that problem. "Wondering why your open rates dropped this year?" gets attention from anyone who's noticed that trend.
The read-more link
Use specific, action-oriented text rather than generic labels:
- "Read the full analysis" outperforms "Read more".
- "Download the checklist" outperforms "Click here".
- "Watch the 3-minute demo" outperforms "Learn more".
The link text should match what the contact will find after clicking. Vague link text creates a gap between expectation and reality, which reduces trust over time.
Support tip If you have multiple articles in your newsletter, write teasers in order of priority. The first article gets the most attention. Put your most important or most interesting piece first, and make its teaser your strongest one.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Writing a teaser that's too long. If your teaser runs to 6–8 sentences, you're writing the article, not introducing it. Keep it to 2–4 sentences and end at the point of maximum curiosity.
- Using generic read-more link text. "Click here" tells the reader nothing about what they're clicking to. Be specific every time.
- Overpromising and underdelivering. A teaser that promises "the most important discovery in our company's history" and links to a routine product update destroys trust. Match the teaser's energy to the article's actual content.
- Writing all your teasers in the same style. Readers notice patterns. Mix specific outcomes, questions, and mid-story openings across different articles in the same newsletter.
Next steps
- Rewrite the teasers in your next newsletter draft using one of the three hook approaches above. Compare the click rates to your previous campaign.
- Check the link tracking names in your next send, name each teaser link descriptively so you can track which article drove the most clicks.
- See "Functional vs. emotional links" for guidance on how teaser links fit into the broader link strategy of your email.