You’ve been doing everything right.

You picked and customized the perfect template. You came up with an exciting piece of content and added an effective call to action. You even did some testing to find the best time of day to send your email and the right formula for your email subject line.

Still, something keeps going wrong! Your open rates have flat-lined and it’s starting to feel like some people never open your emails.

Why is this happening?!?! The answer might be simpler than you think.

Are you making it easy for people to recognize you?

One reason people might not open your emails is because they aren’t recognizing you or your business in their inbox.

Most people (as you’ll probably agree) don’t like to open emails from people they do not know or trust.

That’s part of the reason why “Junk” or “Spam” folders exist. The last thing you want is for people to mistake your email for one of those unwanted messages.

So, what can you do to combat this problem? Here are 3 tips that will help.

1. Choose the right “From Name”

The easiest way to decide what your “From Name” should be is to answer the following question: “How will people quickly and easily recognize my business or organization?”

For some, it will be the name of your brand. For example, if Patty Smith owns a bakery with a strong local following, she should opt for Patty’s Bakery.

But if Patty is better known by her clients for her individual specialty cake services, she may want to use Patty Smith so that her clients will know it’s coming from her.

2. Choose the right “From Email Address”

The email address you decided to use when you first set up your email marketing account may not be the same email address that you want to use today.

While it may seem like a small detail, for 68 percent of consumers, familiarity with the person sending the email is the top reason why they decide to open.

If you’re still using a personal email address ([email protected]) instead of your branded business email ([email protected]), you could be missing out on another way to make your emails instantly recognizable.

3. Brand your subject lines when appropriate

While you may not always have room to inject your brand name into your subject line (the most effective subject lines are between 5-7 word or 30 characters or less), it might be worth trying if you think people are having trouble recognizing your emails.

Here are a few simple ways to do it:

• [Patty’s Bakery] Pumpkin Muffins are Back!
• Pumpkin Muffins are Back at Patty’s Bakery!
• Patty’s Pumpkin Muffins are Back at the Bakery!

Get recognized!

When it comes to getting recognized in the inbox, small improvements can make a BIG difference.

This is especially important with the introduction of the new Gmail tabs. With the new tabs layout, your emails will be competing directly with other brand updates and promotions.

The best way to stand out is to make sure the people who already know, like, and trust your business can recognize you right away!

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