E-Mail Testing Crib Sheet
Don’t let e-mail testing make you testy. These tips from Kristen Gregory, e-mail marketing strategist at Bronto Software, should make it easier to ace your tests going forward:
STICK TO ONE TEST VARIABLE. Don’t try to test subject lines and templates and offers simultaneously. “When you test more than one element at a time, results get fuzzy, and which element really made an impact becomes more difficult to determine,” Gregory says.
ALWAYS RUN TESTS MORE THAN ONCE. “Flukes happen. You can’t try something one time and be certain of anything. I recommend running a test at least three times — if not more! — to determine an actual trend.”
MAKE SURE YOUR TEST SEGMENTS ARE LARGE ENOUGH. While there is no magic number of how many addresses is enough, “as a rule, I say go larger with test segments if the list is on the smaller side,” Gregory advises. “The larger the test segment, the more valid the results will be.”
FOCUS ON THE CORRECT DATA POINTS TO DETERMINE THE TEST WINNER. Subject line A may result in more open rates than subject line B — but if subject line B generates higher sales per e-mail sent, subject line A may not be the ultimate winner.
GIVE THE TEST ENOUGH TIME TO RUN. “If you send out test segments at 9 a.m., you probably don’t want to declare a winner by 10 a.m. and send that creative out to the remainder of your list,” Gregory says.
ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE RESULTS AND USE THEM TO MODIFY YOUR TACTICS GOING FORWARD. Otherwise, what’s the point?
Got an e-mail tip to share? Contact Sherry Chiger at [email protected]
