A/B testing can be used to optimize email marketing campaigns by testing different subject lines, content, call-to-actions, and offer types to see which perform best for key metrics like open and click-through rates. The document recommends testing different offer types, age groups, and geographies to better understand what resonates most with different audience segments. It also suggests making emails stand out in inboxes, giving subscribers control, easing them in with a welcome series, understanding why people unsubscribe, and analyzing campaign performance by acquisition source.
24. 24
• Find ways to stand out
in the inbox
• Let consumers control their
subscriptions and frequency
• Ease subscribers in with a
welcome stream of emails
• Find out why users
unsubscribe from your list
• Monitor acquisition sources
and analyze subscriber
performance per source
• A|B test different offer types
Consumers love discounts. Experiment to find what types of offers best resonate with your audience. (Be sure to take their age into consideration, as it affects the types of coupons to which they respond and the type of offers they want. If your subscribers are generally between 25 and 45, now may be the time to start testing Passbook.)
To keep consumers from unsubscribing, marketers continue to need to find the right frequency of emails to send. (Segmentation and targeting can help keep content relevant, and ensure readers are engaged. )
Leverage your consumer community by putting an emphasis on product reviews. (Over 10% submitted their comments just because the retailer asked, and consumers are nearly three times more likely to post a positive review than a negative one.)
If you aren’t taking a mobile-first approach, you are missing and possibly losing a large percentage of your audience. (The proliferation of smart phones has made email more accessible than ever before, and consumers see it as a core function of the device, along with making calls, text messaging, and accessing the internet. You only get one shot for someone to read your email, and it’s more likely than ever before that the opportunity will take place on a smart phone. For marketers, this means that if you aren’t taking a mobile-first approach, you are missing and possibly losing a large percentage of your audience.)
Your subscriber list is filled with people, not just email addresses. (Treat them with respect, listen to their wants, provide content that meets their needs and you will both gain from the relationship.)