Do You Know My Name?

When preparing email campaigns, you might spend a lot of time refining the copy in your subject line. But have you given much thought to the from line—the name that appears in a recipient's inbox?

According to Mark Brownlow, the most important factor in choosing your from line is recognition. You have six basic options: brand name, publication name, product name, service name, business name or real name. Emails from the first five categories are most likely to be recognized at a glance. But unless you're a celebrity or well-known within the community you're targeting, your real name is going to be viewed with suspicion. "Email from strangers carries the scent of spam," he writes.

Brownlow says your subject and from lines, working in concert, need to achieve three things:

Spark recognition. Exactly why people decide to open or delete emails is an inexact science. The more familiar you seem, the better.

Provide a compelling reason to open the email. The recipient should be curious enough to open your message.

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