When an email hits an inbox, there are two elements that are integral to the email being opened:
1. A compelling subject line.
2. A trustworthy from address.
Subject lines get a lot of attention in the world of digital marketing, but the “from” field is just as important in getting your marketing email from “sent” to “opened.” Have you ever received an email that looked like a garbled mess of letters and numbers, or a suspicious sounding domain? A from address like that automatically signals to you, “SPAM” and “DELETE.”
If you want to stay out of the virtual trash bin, it’s worth taking a few moments to ask yourself five important questions about your from address before launching your next marketing email.
Is the From Name Friendly?
Every email address has a human-friendly name that lets the recipient know who the email is from, like “ABC Company” or “Jane Smith.”
While this may seem like a no-brainer, it’s worth taking a minute to check the name associated with your email address. For example, if all of your prospecting emails come from a sales person’s email address, using their name instead of your company name might be a friendlier way to reach potential customers.
Is the From Address Familiar?
Every email address is made up of a username and a domain name: user@domain.extension.
This is the format we expect, and a garbled username or uncommon extension is all it takes set of our internal “spam” alarm.
Keep your from address clean, simple and legit. “firstname.lastname@companyurl” always works, as does something specific like “deals@companyurl” or “updates@companyurl.”
Is the From Address Professional?
If you’re still sending email from an @yahoo.com, @gmail.com or @aol.com email address, it’s time to think about investing in your own domain. Any reputable business should have their own domain name and business email, and it isn’t difficult to secure one.
Check out these resources if you need to purchase your own domain:
Is the From Address DMARC Compatible?
Not only does owning your own domain increase your credibility, but now it may be essential for getting your emails to reach prospect and customer inboxes.
DMARC stands for “Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance” and is a policy that is being implemented globally on the good ol’ world wide web to reduce spam and phishing schemes. In order to reduce spam and email abuse, soon all the major ISPs (internet service providers) will stop delivering emails from aol.com, yahoo.com, gmail.com and other free domain email addresses unless they are sent directly from an AOL, Yahoo, or Gmail account.
This means that if you send emails through an email marketing tool, those emails will be blocked or bounced by most major ISPs, like Gmail or Outlook.com.
Is the From Address Recognizable?
When sending email marketing messages, you want to be recognizable and known. That’s why opting prospects in to your email list is important. This confirms that your prospects want to hear from you and will engage with your emails, increasing your overall email deliverability.
Does your From Address shout, “Open Me, I’m Important!” or does it scream, “Proceed with Caution!”? It’s worth taking a second glance to make sure that your emails are delivered and opened.