The Email Sender Hack Nobody Tells You About

The Real Secret: 50% Open Rates Under a Month

Hey Creator,

Today, I will show you why email sender name matters—and how it can jack up your open rates up to 50%.

Hitting 50% email open rates isn’t just luck.

It’s about making strategic decisions, testing relentlessly, and throwing out what “experts” told you was necessary.

Here’s the step-by-step breakdown of how:

1. Why Ignoring Your Brand Name Boosts Open Rates Instantly

Most people slap their brand name in the sender field, thinking it’ll make them look credible.

It doesn’t.

Here’s the truth: Your audience doesn’t care about your brand (yet). They care about people.

Switching my sender name from just my newsletter name to my first name caused a noticeable spike in open rates.

Why?

People are curious about people.

Sending an email from “Philip at NewsFlash” beats “NewsFlash Weekly Digest” every time.

2. The “Name Twist” Tactic That Hooks Loyal Subscribers Fast

Once you ditch the brand name, don’t settle for “just your name.”

Add a twist.

For me, it was “Philip | Creative Lab.” Simple. Descriptive. Personal.

It told subscribers two things:

1. I’m a real person.

2. I’ll deliver value specific to their interests.

Think of it as your elevator pitch—but condensed into five words.

3. Proof Personalization Beats Mass Appeal—Every Single Time

The biggest myth in email marketing? Appealing to everyone gets results.

Wrong.

Your audience doesn’t want “one-size-fits-all.” They want to feel seen.

For example, I started segmenting my audience based on their preferences:

• Writers struggling with consistency.

• Creators growing their first audience.

• Substack veterans chasing monetization.

Each segment got emails with sender names tailored to their challenges:

• “Philip | Consistency Hacks”

• “Philip | Growth Secrets”

• “Philip | Monetization Mastery”

The result? Higher relevance. Higher open rates. Happier subscribers.

4. How Testing Counterintuitive Ideas Exploded My Email Opens

What works for someone else won’t always work for you.

I tested ideas that seemed risky—sometimes even dumb:

• Using emojis in my sender name 🤯

• Experimenting with super short names (just “Philip”)

• Adding curiosity-driven phrases like “Guess What?”

Not every experiment succeeded, but the wins? Game-changing.

The emoji test alone boosted open rates by 8%.

Here’s the takeaway: Don’t assume you know what works. Test everything.

5. The Secret Rhythm for Irresistible Sender-Name Strategies

Consistency matters.

Not just in showing up—but in how you show up.

Once I found a sender-name style that worked, I stuck with it for every email.

No confusing name changes.

No more random experiments.

Subscribers knew exactly who I was and why they should open my emails.

Here’s my formula:

Sender Name = [Your Name] + [What You Do]

And once a month, I’d throw in a wildcard name for curiosity:

• “Philip | Big News Inside”

• “Philip | Don’t Miss This”

That mix kept my audience engaged and excited.

The Result

Within 30 days, I hit high open rates—and maintained them.

No tricks. No spammy tactics. Just simple, strategic changes that made my emails irresistible.

Now it’s your turn.

Your subscribers are waiting.

Here’s how to set yours:

Go to publication settings on your dashboard → click on Emails → Go to Email sender name → edit and click save

Your turn

Share your publication link in the comments below let’s see it. I will share the ones I think are relevant to my audience.

I will suggest other things you can adjust to increase your open rates too.

Until the next issue…

Chat soon.

Philip.

---

Want me to help you set up your Substack for success? Drop me a message here:

P.S. If you’ve enjoyed this, there are two ways to let me know and support my work:

1. Share this edition with a friend and inspire them to start creating the life they love today.

2. Recommend this publication, someone will thank you for it.

Here’s how to recommend.

Go to your dashboard → click on recommendation → search for my publication name→ click on recommend.

Every week, I send battle-tested frameworks that help you:

• Build a personal brand that stands out

• Create content that converts

• Design systems for steady growth

• Turn your expertise into income.

Each issue delivers:

✓ Deep-dive analysis of what actually works.

✓ Quick-win templates you can use today.

✓ Step-by-step frameworks for predictable growth.

No fluff. No theory. Just proven systems I've personally tested.

P.S.S: Join Our 100 Subscribers Weekly Challenge for FREE

The goal is to add 100 New Subscribers to each member's Substack, every week.

Click on the button below to Join for FREE:

You might also like: