A Guide on How to Use P.S. in Email Marketing

Postscripts — better known as P.S. — have been around for centuries as a simple way to add an important afterthought without rewriting your whole message. And while you might picture them on handwritten letters, the P.S. is still one of the most powerful tools in modern email.

Used well, a single P.S. line can turn an ordinary email campaign into a high-converting one. In this guide we’ll cover what P.S. actually means, why it works, how to write one (with real examples), the difference between P.S. and P.P.S., whether people still use it, and what to use instead.

What does P.S. mean in an email?

P.S. stands for “postscript,” from the Latin post scriptum, meaning “written after.” It’s a short line added after the main body — and usually after your sign-off or signature — to include or re-emphasise a point.

In the days of handwritten letters, a P.S. was where you added something you’d forgotten. In email it’s the opposite: a P.S. is almost always deliberate. You can edit an email freely, so a P.S. isn’t there by accident — it’s there to pull the reader’s eye to a specific point, offer or call to action.

It also adds a human, personal touch, signalling that a real person wrote the email rather than a faceless marketing department.

Why P.S. still works in email marketing

The short answer: people read the P.S. even when they skim everything else.

Research shows people read content online in an “F-shaped pattern,” as found in eye-tracking studies by Jakob Nielsen. Most people don’t read emails in full — they scan for the parts that matter.

“…the average time allocated to a newsletter after opening it was only 51 seconds. Participants fully read only 19% of newsletters. The predominant user behaviour was scanning.”

People focus attention on P.S. messages

Because it sits apart at the bottom, the P.S. is one of the few parts of an email that reliably gets read. Marketer Richard Hayes sent 3,000 identical emails — half with a P.S. and half without — and the version with the P.S. saw a 12.79% higher click-through rate.

Older direct-mail research by Kate Goldstone found 79% of people who open direct mail read the P.S. first. Email is a different medium, but the behaviour carries over: the P.S. gets read, and it drives clicks.

How to write a P.S. in an email

A P.S. only works when it has a clear job. Here are the best practices to get it right.

Where does the P.S. go in an email?

A P.S. goes near the bottom of your email. The only real question is whether it comes before or after your signature — and there’s no strict rule. Traditionally it followed the signature; in modern marketing emails you’ll see it both ways. Put it wherever reads naturally, as long as it’s close to the end. (This only matters if you use a signature — if you don’t, here’s our guide to email signatures.)

Include a clear call to action

Every P.S. in a marketing email should point somewhere. A call to action — ideally with a light touch of urgency, like “only a few left” or “ends tonight” — is what turns attention into clicks. The exception is when you’re using the P.S. simply to add or re-emphasise a point.

Keep it short and purposeful

The power of a P.S. is that it’s scannable. Keep it to one or two sentences and a single idea. If you’re tempted to write a paragraph, it belongs in the body, not the P.S. Always write it with a purpose in mind — re-emphasise a point, add urgency or include a CTA — not just for the sake of it.

Match your email’s style

The P.S. comes from the world of personal letters, so it works best with conversational, plain-text-style emails. That doesn’t mean it can’t work in image-rich campaigns — brands like KFC use it well — but make sure it suits your tone and your audience. If in doubt, A/B test it.

P.S. in email examples

Here are P.S. lines you can adapt for different types of email:

• Sales / promo: “P.S. Your 20% code expires at midnight — don’t let it slip away.”
• Abandoned cart: “P.S. We’ve saved your cart, but only for 24 hours. Check out before it’s gone.”
• Welcome email: “P.S. Reply and tell us your #1 goal this year — a real person reads every message.”
• Follow-up: “P.S. If now isn’t the right time, just reply and I’ll check back next quarter.”
• Event / launch: “P.S. Only 12 spots left for Thursday’s workshop — grab yours here.”
• Personal touch: “P.S. Congrats on the new store launch — it looks incredible.”

Notice the pattern: each one is short, has a single focus, and most end with a clear next step.

P.S. vs P.P.S. — what’s the difference?

If a P.S. is a postscript, a P.P.S. (post-postscript) is a second afterthought added after the P.S. You can keep going — P.P.P.S. and beyond — though it quickly looks gimmicky. In marketing emails a P.P.S. is occasionally used to stack a second hook (say, a P.S. with the main offer and a P.P.S. reinforcing the deadline). Use it sparingly: one focused P.S. almost always outperforms a stack of them.

Do people still use P.S. in emails?

Yes — especially in marketing, sales and personal emails, where the goal is to grab attention and drive action. It’s less common in formal corporate or legal correspondence, where it can read as informal. But given how much people skim, a well-placed P.S. is still one of the most reliable ways to make sure your most important line actually gets seen.

What to use instead of P.S.

If a P.S. doesn’t suit your brand voice, you can get the same “last thing they read” effect other ways:

• A bold or highlighted closing line
• A callout box or banner just above the footer
• A second, final call-to-action button
• A short lead-in like “One more thing…” or “Before you go…”

The label matters less than the job: giving your reader one final, hard-to-miss reason to act.

“P.S.” or “PS”? A quick note on formatting

Some people agonise over whether it should be “P.S.” or “PS.” There’s no single right answer. Merriam-Webster, the Chicago Manual of Style and the Purdue OWL prefer “PS” (no periods); The New York Times uses “P.S.” The Cambridge Dictionary recommends “P.S.” for American English and “PS” for British English. Pick one and stay consistent — neither performs better than the other.

Frequently asked questions

What does P.S. stand for?

P.S. stands for “postscript,” from the Latin post scriptum, meaning “written after.”

Where does the P.S. go in an email?

Near the bottom — either just before or just after your signature. There’s no strict rule; just keep it close to the end.

Is it unprofessional to use P.S. in an email?

No. Used with a clear purpose, a P.S. is a deliberate emphasis tool. It’s more common in marketing and personal emails than in formal corporate ones.

Do people still use P.S. in emails?

Yes — particularly in marketing, sales and personal emails, because it reliably gets read even when the rest is skimmed.

What can I use instead of P.S.?

A bold closing line, a callout or banner, or a final CTA button all achieve the same effect.

Conclusion

Pedantry aside, the takeaway is simple: consider adding a P.S. to your next email campaign. Done well — short, purposeful and with a clear call to action — it’s one of the easiest ways to boost engagement with your email marketing and lift click-through rates.

Just write every P.S. with a clear job in mind, so you’re never adding one for the sake of it.

P.S.

Looking for more email marketing tips like this? Check out our other guides — and if you want to learn the fundamentals, sign up for our free ecommerce email marketing course here.