Best Practices for Variable Testing Success in Email Marketing

 

Are you getting the best possible results from your email marketing? Email testing of various variables (such as timing, subject line, email “from” name) is a great way to find the mix that reaches your audience most effectively.

However, it is important to keep a few best practices in mind when variable testing to ensure the results are valid. Here are our recommendations to make sure you get accurate data you can use to optimize your email campaigns:

Test One Variable at a Time:

When it comes to email testing, it is important that you only test one variable at a time so that you can get an accurate understanding of how the variable affected your email performance. For example, you can test the “from” name of your email, and gain insight into which your audience responds best to by analyzing the open rates. Once you have identified the top performing “from” name, you can apply it to future emails and in the next email test a new variable, for example the subject line. By limiting each test to one variable, you will be able to accurately assess the results of your test and fully understand how simple changes can affect your email performance.

Have a Large Enough Test Group:

In order for your test to be accurate, you must have a large enough sample size. For email testing, a sample size of 500 is a little on the low side but still a good place to start. The larger your sample size, the more likely your results will be statistically accurate. If you don’t have enough members in your database, the results you may be inaccurate and send your email marketing strategies in the wrong direction.

Randomly Select Members of Your Test Groups:

When splitting up your recipient list for email testing, do so randomly. If using an email marketing platform, it is likely it will have a random list generator function. If, on the other hand, you need to manually select members, make sure you sort them in a way that it is truly random. For example, it is not recommended that you sort by company name or titles, as you are likely to have too many similar contacts in each list. However, if you sort by email address or last name, you are more likely to have a random sample.

Track and Analyze Results:

It is important to monitor what variables you have tested and how they have changed your email marketing results. To do this, it is recommended that you keep a log of the variables you have tested for each campaign, the results you saw and any observations you have made along the way. Doing this will help you keep track of what you have tested and provide great insight into what you should test to continuously improve results.

Regular email testing is critical, as the industry changes frequently. By following the steps above, you will ensure that your email campaigns are getting the greatest ROI for your marketing team. Read more about email testing in this article.

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