AB testing is carried out to improve the effectiveness of advertising distribution and websites, but it is also effective for
e-mail newsletter
measures. This time, we will introduce verification points and points to be aware of regarding AB testing in e-mail newsletter measures.
What is AB testing?
AB testing is a test that prepares two patterns, A and B, and compares them under the same conditions, and is a method often used in
web marketing
. By conducting AB tests, you can increase profits without any cost or effort, and you can also accumulate knowledge.
Various measures are used, such as testing the main visual of
a homepage
, verifying the click-through rate of different creatives in Internet advertising, preparing two LPs and comparing each site.
AB testing involves comparing two different things and choosing the one that produces results. In order to collect more accurate data, by keeping conditions other than the comparison target the same, if there is a difference in effectiveness, you can identify the changed part as the cause.
AB test in email newsletter
For e-mail newsletters, we conduct AB tests on the subject line, sender, delivery timing, and body text. The shortcut to improving the results of your email newsletter is to formulate a hypothesis, verify it with AB testing, and repeatedly improve it.
In reality, we randomly divide the list to be sent into two groups, send different emails to Pattern A and Pattern B, and verify which emails are most effective. Except for the parts to be compared, the delivery conditions (subject, sender, delivery timing, body text) will be the same.
Through AB testing, you can find and improve issues such as whether the content of your e-mail newsletter meets the needs of your readers, and whether the frequency and timing of your e-mail newsletter is optimal. By looking at the reactions to which email is better, you can get hints from your readers about how to improve your results.
How to do an AB test with your email newsletter
We will introduce how to perform AB testing on each subject, sender, delivery timing, and body (first view). You can improve it efficiently by first addressing the factors that affect the open rate, and then the factors that affect the click rate and
.
subject
We perform AB testing on email newsletter subject lines to improve the open rate. Readers see the subject line in their inbox and decide whether to open it or not. Find a subject line that will interest your readers, such as using numerical values to make it more specific, reducing the number of characters, or putting keywords at the beginning.
Sender name
Just like the subject line, the sender name of an email newsletter has an impact on the open rate, and the sender name can create a sense of security and trust among readers. Avoid using English as much as possible, and use well-known company and brand names. Furthermore, adding a personal name changes the impression of the email to be more like a personal letter.
Delivery timing
By testing the delivery frequency and date and time to see if it is the most likely time to read it, you will be able to improve your open rate and click-through rate. If it’s BtoB, you check your emails during work, so it’s easy to fix the timing when they’re most likely to be read, and it’s easy to find them.
Main text (first view)
The body of your email affects your click-through rate and subsequent conversion rate. In particular, the first view is the part that people see the moment they open an email, so it is easy to make an impact if you focus on improving it.
The first view compares various elements such as the company logo, product logo, eye-catching image, opening text, and CTA (transition link, click button), so be sure to narrow down the elements and conduct AB tests carefully.
Points to note when doing AB testing with email newsletters
One comparison target, easy to understand
First, when conducting an AB test, limit the comparison to one thing. If you test two or more, it will be difficult to identify the factors that caused the difference in effectiveness.
Also, make sure that you can clearly see the differences between the comparison items. If the difference is difficult to understand, you won’t be able to see the difference in the numerical values of the distribution results, and it will be difficult to judge whether it is an effect of the AB test or a margin of error.
Tested several times
Also, instead of drawing a conclusion based on one test, try testing several times to verify. If it’s your first time, you tend to get a good response to a new email.
Always look back
Be sure to review after performing an AB test. Creating a hypothesis based on the issue, considering and implementing a test plan, reviewing the distribution results, and deciding on the next action. Repeating this process is extremely important to improving the effectiveness of your email newsletter.
summary
We introduced AB testing methods and points to keep in mind to increase the effectiveness of your email newsletter. Since e-mail newsletters have multiple improvement factors for multiple indicators, it is necessary to test them many times rather than just once.
SwitchPlus has a template function that allows you to easily create two test emails and easily review the delivery results. In order to go through the PDCA cycle quickly, it is a good idea to actively utilize tools that allow you to work efficiently.