You’ve been lied to about the P.S. in an email. The so-called gurus say it’s an outdated habit from when people wrote letters by hand. They’re wrong. The P.S. is the most valuable piece of real estate in your entire email, and most marketers are wasting it.
The Real Reason the P.S. Works
It’s not about tradition; it’s about human behavior. We live in a world of skimmers. Your readers aren't hanging on your every word. Their eyes dart from the subject line, to the first sentence, and then straight to the bottom. They want the gist, and they want it now. This is where the P.S. becomes your secret weapon.
This isn’t a new discovery. This is a core principle of direct response that has made people millions for decades. Legendary copywriter Gary Halbert knew the P.S. was often the first thing people read after the headline. It stands out visually, breaking the pattern of the rest of the email and screaming, “Hey, look here, this is important.”
The P.S. isn’t an afterthought. It's your last chance to hook the reader. It’s where you land the final punch, restate your offer, or add a personal touch that makes someone feel like they’re hearing from a human, not a corporation.
The P.S. works because it hijacks the reader’s attention. It’s a direct line to both the people who read your entire email and the people who just skimmed to the end.
The numbers back this up. A well-placed P.S. isn't just fluff; it's a measurable performance booster.
This isn’t just theory. Data from across the industry proves the strategic value of a well-executed P.S.
The Strategic Value of a P.S. Section
| Metric | Observed Uplift with P.S. | Data Source (Year) |
|---|---|---|
| Click-Through Rate (CTR) | Up to 28% higher when CTA is in the P.S. | Direct Marketing Association (2022) |
| Reader Engagement | 81% of email readers are scanners who look at the P.S. | Nielsen Norman Group (2023) |
| Conversion Rate | Average 12% lift on secondary offers | Campaign Monitor Study (2026) |
| Brand Recall | Improved by 9% when a personal note is added | MailerLite Insights (2026) |
But here’s the catch: the most brilliant P.S. in the world is useless if your email lands in the spam folder. Before you send anything, you need to know if it will even get delivered. Run a free email spam test on the MailGenius homepage to make sure your message actually gets seen.
When to Use a P.S. and When to Shut Up
The power of the P.S. comes from using it strategically, not slapping it on every email you send. If you use it all the time, you’re training your audience to ignore it. It becomes more noise. Think of it as your ace in the hole—you only play it when you need to win the hand.
The real skill isn't just how to write a ps in an email, it's knowing when to deploy it for maximum impact.
When to Absolutely Use a P.S.
The P.S. is your final sales pitch. Use it when you have a clear, specific goal.
- Restate Your Main Offer: Your reader skimmed to the bottom. Don't make them scroll back up. Put the call to action right in their face.
- Example:
P.S. Don’t forget, you can grab your 50% discount right here. It expires tonight.
- Example:
- Introduce a Secondary Offer: They might not be ready for your main offer. Give them an easier "yes."
- Example:
P.S. Not ready for the full course? No problem. Grab my free 5-day email marketing crash course here instead.
- Example:
- Inject Scarcity or Urgency: This is the perfect spot for a final nudge.
- Example:
P.S. There are only 3 spots left for the workshop. Once they're gone, they're gone.
- Example:
- Add a Human Touch: This is where you break the fourth wall and connect as a real person.
- Example:
P.S. Heading to that conference in Austin next week. Hope to see you there! Let me know if you want to grab a coffee.
- Example:
A P.S. shouldn’t save a bad email. It should amplify a good one. It's the exclamation point on a strong message, not a Hail Mary for a weak one.
When do you skip it? Transactional emails like receipts or shipping notices don't need one. Super formal corporate announcements are another place to hold back. If it feels forced, leave it out.
And remember, the best P.S. is worthless if it lands in spam. Before you hit send, run a free email spam test on the MailGenius homepage to make sure your message is deliverable.
Crafting the Perfect P.S. for Any Email Type
There's no single "best" P.S. The right one depends entirely on your goal. Are you trying to make a sale? Get a reply? Build a relationship? Each requires a different approach.
Your P.S. is a surgical tool. You need to use it with precision. Let's break down how to do that.
Sales and Cold Outreach
In sales, the P.S. is your final hook. Assume your prospect is busy and has already decided to ignore you. The P.S. is your last shot to change their mind.
- Create Urgency:
P.S. This offer is only good for the next 24 hours. After that, the price goes back up. - Offer a Downsell:
P.S. I get it, $500 might be too steep right now. Here's a link to my $27 guide that covers the same core principles. - Handle an Objection:
P.S. Worried about the time commitment? The whole process takes less than 15 minutes to set up. I promise.
These work because they speak directly to the skimmer. They provide a clear, concise action or piece of information that cuts through the noise.
Newsletters and Marketing Emails
In a newsletter, your main content has already done the heavy lifting. The P.S. is for your secondary objective. It's your chance to get a little extra out of every email.
Your P.S. is the perfect place to move people from one platform to another. Use it to cross-promote your best content and build a true ecosystem around your brand.
- Promote Other Content:
P.S. If you liked this, you'll love my recent article on [crafting killer email CTAs](https://www.mailgenius.com/crafting-killer-email-ctas-that-demand-action-and-get-it/). - Drive Social Engagement:
P.S. I'm sharing behind-the-scenes email tips on my Twitter all week. You can follow along here.
Make it feel like a genuine "by the way" bonus, not a forced upsell.
Personal Follow-Ups and Networking
This is where the P.S. really shines. It's your chance to be a human being. It’s where you can add a personal detail that shows you were actually paying attention.
- Reference a Personal Detail:
P.S. Saw on your LinkedIn that you're a fan of the Golden State Warriors. What a game last night! - Reiterate a Compliment:
P.S. Seriously, that was one of the best presentations I've seen all year. My team is still talking about it.
This is what separates you from the 99% of people sending generic, robotic follow-ups.
Of course, a P.S. works best when the entire email is strong. For more ways to optimize your messages, you might find these actionable marketing by email tips helpful.
But before you send anything, test it. A quick email spam test on the MailGenius homepage makes sure your perfect P.S. actually lands in the inbox.
The Dos and Don'ts of Writing an Effective P.S.
Most people's P.S. lines are garbage. They're lazy, unfocused, and a complete waste of space. A great P.S. is written with the same care as a great subject line. It’s not an afterthought; it’s a strategic closing argument.
Here’s how to do it right and avoid the common mistakes that make you look like an amateur.
P.S. Best Practices: The Dos
These are the non-negotiable rules for writing a P.S. that converts.
Do Keep It Short: One or two sentences, max. The power of the P.S. is in its brevity. It needs to be a quick jab, not a long-winded monologue.
Do Have a Single Goal: Your P.S. should do one thing and one thing only. Restate the offer. Add urgency. Provide a secondary link. Pick one. Don't try to cram three different ideas into it.
Do Place It After Your Signature: The P.S. goes at the absolute bottom of your email, after your name and all contact info. This is standard formatting, and it’s what makes it stand out to skimmers.
The P.S. is literally your last word. It's your final chance to make an impression. Don't waste it.
Common P.S. Mistakes: The Don'ts
Avoid these mistakes at all costs. They will kill your conversions and make you look unprofessional.
Don't Introduce a New Idea: The P.S. is not the place to start a new conversation. It should be directly related to the main topic of the email. A random P.S. gives your reader whiplash.
Don't Apologize for a Long Email: "P.S. Sorry for the long email" is the ultimate sign of a weak writer. It screams, "I don't value your time, and I'm too lazy to edit my own work." If your email is too long, the solution is to make it shorter, not to apologize for it.
Don't Use It Every Time: If every email has a P.S., it loses all its power. It just becomes part of the template. Save it for when it really counts.
P.S. Best Practices Cheat Sheet
Use this cheat sheet to make sure your P.S. is always on point.
| Do This | Don't Do This |
|---|---|
| Keep it to 1-2 concise sentences. | Write a long, multi-sentence paragraph. |
| Focus on a single, clear goal. | Introduce a brand-new, unrelated topic. |
| Relate it directly to the email's main point. | Use it to apologize for a lengthy email. |
| Place it after your email signature. | Include it in every single email you send. |
| Use it to add value (e.g., urgency, a link, a personal touch). | Fill it with generic or unimportant information. |
Sticking to these rules will ensure your P.S. is a powerful conversion tool, not a sloppy afterthought.
Finally, none of this matters if your email goes to spam. Before you send, run a free email spam test on the MailGenius homepage to make sure your message will actually reach the inbox.
Don't Let Your P.S. Land You in the Spam Folder
Here's the part nobody talks about: your P.S. can actually get your email flagged as spam. You spend all this time crafting the perfect line, only to have it torpedo your entire campaign.
Why? Because the P.S. is often where marketers get sloppy. They cram it with spammy trigger words ("Act NOW!", "100% FREE!"), use shady link shorteners, or create a sense of false urgency that email filters are specifically designed to catch. Your brilliant conversion booster becomes a one-way ticket to the junk folder.
How Your P.S. Impacts Deliverability
This is why you must test your emails before you send them. Not just once in a while. Every time. It’s a non-negotiable step if you’re serious about making money with email.
Great copy is useless if it doesn't get delivered. Deliverability is the foundation of all email marketing. Without it, you're just shouting into the void.
Inbox providers are getting smarter. They analyze every part of your email, from the header to the P.S. A poorly written P.S. can trigger spam filters and damage your sender reputation, making it harder for all your future emails to get delivered.
You need to know if your P.S. contains problematic words or if the link you're using is on a blacklist. A free tool like MailGenius gives you an instant deliverability report. It shows you exactly what's wrong and tells you how to fix it. This is how you learn how to stop email from going to spam in Gmail and other providers.
Don't guess if your email will get delivered. Test it. Run a free spam test on the MailGenius homepage before every send.
Answers to Your Top P.S. Questions
Still have questions? Good. It means you're thinking like a pro. Let's clear up some of the most common questions about writing a P.S. so you can use it with confidence.
Is It Unprofessional to Use a P.S. in Business Emails?
Not at all. In fact, it can make you stand out. The key is to match the tone. In a formal context, a P.S. is a great place to restate a key deadline or provide a helpful resource. Just keep the language professional.
In a less formal setting, it's your chance to add a human touch. A quick personal note can build rapport in a way that the main body of the email can't. The only time it's unprofessional is when it's sloppy, irrelevant, or overly familiar.
Should the Call-to-Action in the P.S. Be Different?
Yes, this is one of the best ways to use it. You have two primary strategies:
- Restate the Main CTA: This is for the skimmers. You put your most important link right at the bottom where they can't miss it. Example:
P.S. Here’s that link again to book your demo. - Offer a Secondary CTA (Downsell): This is for people who aren't ready for your main offer. It’s a lower-commitment alternative that keeps them in your ecosystem. Example:
P.S. Not ready for the full course? No problem. Grab my free cheat sheet here instead.
The right strategy depends on the goal of your email.
Where Does the P.S. Go and Can I Use More Than One?
The P.S. always goes at the very end, after your name and signature. Always. Its power comes from its position. Putting it anywhere else just confuses the reader and ruins the effect.
What about a P.P.S. (Post-Postscript)? Just don't. This isn't a 1990s direct mail piece. In a modern email, it looks cluttered and desperate. Stick to one, powerful P.S. Less is more.
Before you hit send on your next campaign, make sure it's deliverable. A great P.S. won't make you a dime if it lands in the spam folder. Run a free email spam test on our homepage at https://MailGenius.com/ and ensure your message gets seen.