Best Practices For An Effective Sender Name To Boost Open Rates

What is the first thing email recipients observe when an email pops up on their mailbox? You guessed well. It’s the sender name, which can affect the readers’ decision on whether to open it or not.

In this quick guide, you’ll learn how to choose the appropriate email sender name for your campaigns to increase your open rates and get one step closer to conversions.

Let’s start with a brief definition and the top benefits of great sender names.

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What Is The Sender Name In Email Marketing?

A sender name – or “From name” – is the first line of text that appears on a subscriber’s mailbox, addressing the sender. It’s usually up to 30 characters, which changes based on the user’s email client, device, or browser. Here’s an example by LinkedIn Learning:

Before we move to the benefits of a successful sender’s name, it’s worth noting that it’s not the same as the sender’s email address. The latter shows the domain name and includes the well-known @ symbol.

Most marketing automation platforms and email service providers enable users to tweak the sender name in simple steps and track what works for them. For example, with Moosend, you can fill it in the form of “From Name” together with the rest of the settings.

The Perks Of Adding A Sender’s Name That Stands Out

So why should you spend valuable time minding what your sender name should look like? Let’s see the major reasons:

Open Rates

According to a Litmus-Fluent survey, 42% of email users reported that the sender name is the initial thing they look at when deciding whether to open a campaign or not, followed by the subject line (34%) and the preview text (24%). So if you want your marketing emails to convert, it’s essential to add a name that will attract your audience’s attention.

The same happens with transactional emails as they help you share important information with your subscribers, such as details about their purchase, registration, etc.

Brand Recognition

Creating consistent sender names, especially those including your company name, will enable recipients to recognize your email campaign faster. It will also help you build trustworthiness among your audience, likely to sustain a high email open rate.

Later on, we’ll discuss how to use your company or full name to build trust and keep your subscribers aboard.

Email Deliverability

Finally, an excellent open rate can secure your email deliverability. When recipients move your emails to the spam folder or hit unsubscribe, they can hurt your brand reputation and deliverability.

Plus, always remember to use your original domain address and avoid sending from personal yahoo, gmail, or AOL accounts that may confuse your subscribers. You can also enable domain authentication processes like DKIM to add an extra safety net.

Sender Name Best Practices With Examples

Ready to change your sender’s name to win more open rates? Here are some valuable tips to follow:

1. Choose the Right Format

First off, it’s essential to select which name style suits you based on your brand type or target audience. Which one will entice more readers to click on it and why? Then, choose one of the following options:

Brand Name

Many brands use the company name as a sender. When the audience is familiar with the brand name, they recognize it fast and efficiently. So if you use it consistently, it will boost brand recognition and the blessings that come with it. Here’s an example by Elfster:

Overall, we’d suggest using this option for more generic emails, especially if you communicate via email more rarely with customers.

Personal Name at Company

If you wish to add a more personal touch to your communications and make your subscribers feel like they know you well, add an employee name followed by the brand, as we do at Moosend:

Choose an employee name that makes sense based on the type of communication you have. For example, if you run a B2B organization, you can add the name of an account manager or sales agent to attract subscribers at the bottom of the email funnel.

Communication Type at Company

If your business sends different types of emails to customers, you can slightly adapt your sender name so that they grasp the reason for your outreach each time. Here’s the sender name of our newsletter at Moosend:

For instance, if you send a message from your support team, tweak the sender name and your domain address to make your communication clearer.

Personal Name

In certain cases, just adding your name is enough. For instance, if you’re an influencer or run a person-centric business, writing your full name as a sender can make subscribers add you in their address book.

In the above example by Masterclass, they chose to portray the course instructor Lewis Hamilton, a name that can motivate many people to join.

2. Leverage Segmentation

Email segmentation is one of the most powerful tools marketers have to build the so-called personalized campaigns. This practice is linked with a high conversion rate and can work wonders for your brand when done the right way.

Writing different sender names for different types of emails is simpler than you think. Clarify the goal of each campaign you craft and combine it with the appropriate sender name for each segment to yield a higher open rate. And if you’re looking for a top-tier segmentation solution, feel free to read our extensive guide.

3. Conduct A/B testing

Not sure which sender name to use to boost your campaign success? By using split testing, you can check which name variation can bring maximum results based on the goal of your email campaign.

Overall, A/B testing is a valuable marketing tool that can show you the way to your customers’ preferences to attract them faster.

4. Select a Trustworthy Domain

Last but not least, apart from a trustworthy name, you need a domain address that is likely to overcome the spam filters, with your brand name inside. For example, at Moosend, we often use the address [email protected].

Instead, avoid using personal accounts as they might hinder your brand and sender reputation down the line.

Which Sender Name Do You Prefer?

The sender name is one crucial factor that can determine whether your subscribers will give you the open rate you deserve. So make sure to change it based on your email marketing goal each time and help readers recognize the sender straight away.

On the other hand, remember that email deliverability will be at stake if subscribers start moving your emails to the spam folder or unsubscribe.

Looking for an all-in-one marketing solution enabling you to send targeted emails? Then Moosend should be on your priority list! Sign up for an account today and try our unique features!