[FAQ]

Hello from Berlin,

Our marketing team is in the middle of planning our next email campaign, and we’re looking for ways to improve our open rates. We’ve spent a lot of time A/B testing subject lines, but now we’re discussing the ‘from’ name.

Currently, our emails come from just our ‘[Company Name]’. We’re wondering if changing this to something more personal, like ‘[Person’s Name] from [Company Name]’, would have a positive impact. Does the ‘from’ name actually influence whether someone opens an email? And is this a variable that’s generally worth the effort to A/B test?

Any insights would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Jeff Bullas]

That’s a fantastic question.

Short Answer: Yes, the ‘from’ name is one of the most significant factors in an email’s open rate, often more so than the subject line. It is absolutely worth A/B testing this text element to establish trust and recognition with your audience.

Before a subscriber ever reads your subject line, they see who the email is from, making it the first and most important piece of text they process.

The ‘from’ name is the primary signal of trust and recognition in a crowded inbox. People are far more likely to open an email from a sender they know and trust. Your subject line is the second thing they read, but only if the ‘from’ name passes their initial split-second test. This is why optimising this single line of text is so crucial.

The most common formats you should test are, first, just your company name, which is good for brand recognition but can feel impersonal. Second is a personal name combined with the company name, such as “Jeff from The Company,” which creates a more human connection. The only way to know which works for your audience is to run a simple A/B test. Send the same email campaign to two different segments of your list, changing only the ‘from’ name text. The version with the statistically significant higher open rate is your winner. Once you find a winning format, it is vital to be consistent, as this is how you build recognition and trust over time.

Cheers, Jeff

[Author]

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