Email marketing is a go-to tool for many businesses and organizations to connect with current and potential customers. However, why do some emails hit the mark while others miss the target? You might have spent hours crafting the perfect message with eye-catching graphics only to find the results fall short of your expectations.
The great news is that there is a way to figure out which email elements truly resonate with your audience and drive the desired responses and revenue. It is called A/B testing.
A/B testing lets you create two versions of your email campaign and send each one to a random segment of your audience. This helps you see which version performs better. Popular email marketing platforms like Mailchimp and Constant Contact have built-in A/B testing tools that handle the sorting and sending for you. While many marketers focus on open and click-through rates, these are not always the best indicators of success, especially for fundraising and nonprofits.
In the nonprofit world, the donor conversion rate is what matters most. An email campaign might have high open and click-through rates but low conversion to actual donations. A/B testing can help you pinpoint which aspects of your emails either encourage or discourage donations.
What variables can you test?
You can experiment with:
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Subject lines
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Email body content
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Creative elements
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Call-to-action (CTA) buttons
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Send times
Keep in mind that some platforms might limit which variables you can test, so check your platform’s capabilities. For instance, you could design version A with static text, images, and a simple CTA for donations, while version B includes a GIF in the CTA. A/B testing will reveal if dynamic imagery leads to more conversions compared to a traditional “Click here to donate” link.
Remember, it is essential to test only one variable at a time to see clear differences in how your audience interacts with each version. This way, you can understand what works best and refine your strategy accordingly.
A/B testing can significantly improve your email marketing efforts, helping you boost your return on investment over time. Give it a try, and let the results guide you to more effective campaigns!
Let Inspire Media Group help you build an effective email marketing strategy with A/B testing. CLICK HERE.
Article courtesy of Infinity Concepts