No A/B testing yet?
Applying A/B testing is vital to increase your click-through rate and decrease your unsubscribe rate. It is the easiest and most reliable method to evaluate the design and content of your messages, as well as the sending tactics, to detect what generates the best results.
In simple terms, it involves testing two different versions of the same communication, sending each one to a small portion of your contact list (ideally, 10% and 10%) and waiting to see which one was better received, to be finally sent to the rest of the contacts on the list (80%).
This is what the A/B Testing functionality of MasterBase® does automatically.
TargetDetermining which elements of a message should be changed to obtain better results.
1. Sender (name and address)
Try using two different senders: who and from where you send the messages. We recommend that when it comes to senders, be consistent in all your sendings. So take note of how the name and email address of the sender affects your open metrics, so that you can use the one that gives you the best results in the future.
2. Subject
The subject of the message is of great importance and can determine whether it is opened or discarded. With an A / B test in which you change the subject you will check this. Try with:
- Customize the subject line in one of the two versions
- Using two different lengths of text in one and the other
- Include in one a call to action and in the other not a call to action.
- Use different words and different style of language in each one.
3. Design
It is always advisable to have a template for your regular messages. You can keep it as version A and create a slightly different one that you will use as version B.
The look of your message can make a difference, so try modifying certain design elements of the original version in version B to see if this affects your click-through or unsubscribe rate. Some design elements you can toggle are:
- Bold v/s regular font
- Capitalization
- Font size and color
- Background colors
- Images
- HTML v/s plain text messages
4. Content
The content of your mailings is a great instance to test a variety of things. And there's nothing better than A/B testing to find out how this or that content is received by your audience.
- HolderIt's the first thing someone sees when they open a message. While it should be consistent with the subject line, be sure to try it. One possibility would be to make it a link.
- LayoutExperiment with changing the location of the content. But, be careful: you should always put the most important thing at the beginning of the message.
- Call to actionTest with different calls to action in your two versions of the message to determine how they impact conversion or click-through rate. The call to action should be closely aligned to the subject line.
- Type of contentEvery message you send should have an objective so that you can measure what worked and what didn't work. Give the content different approaches and evaluate.
- Links to social networksPlace the social network icons at the top of the message in one version, and in the other, place them at the bottom. Then, pay attention to which one of the two motivated more clicks.
- Number of linksIf your submissions get a good click-through rate, try to increase the number of links in one of the two versions. Always include a link in the first or second paragraph of the message body.
- Message lengthTest different text lengths to determine how much content or information your audience receives best. If you notice that recipients click only on the first link, it's a sign that you should shorten your communications.
5. Timing and frequency of shipment
This is the easiest aspect to test. It is not necessary to change anything in the message itself, but only in the days and times of sending.
You can always help yourself by surveying recipients about when and at what time they prefer to receive communications from your company. But when it comes to A/B testing, the two main factors you can evaluate by sending the same content with the same design, subject line and sender are the day of the week and the time of day you send them.
Another possible element to test with this functionality is the number of mailings your contacts are willing to receive within a week or a month. In other words, frequency. According to several studies, increasing or decreasing the frequency of communication has a significant impact on click-through and unsubscribe rates.
