The document outlines strategies for optimizing marketing automation programs, emphasizing the importance of testing to improve email marketing performance. It highlights the need for a structured methodology in testing various elements, including subject lines, visuals, and messaging, to enhance engagement and conversions. The document advocates for continuous learning and adjustment based on comprehensive testing metrics to achieve significant marketing gains.

1. Optimizing your marketing
automation programme for
success
By Kath Pay, CEO & Founder of Holistic Email Marketing
Copyright Holistic Email Marketing 2016

2. Quick information about the webinar
• Webinar duration: 45 minutes + Q&A
• Webinar recording will be sent to you
via email
• Hashtag #GRAutomationHub
• Got questions? Message us via chat

3. Kath Pay
Founder
Holistic Email Marketing
@kathpay
kath@holisticemail.com
www.holisticemailmarketing.com
Copyright Holistic Email Marketing
2016

6. Why test these automated
programmes?

7. Our opinions are worthless until tested!
…So are your Marketing
Director’s, and as for your
Managing Director’s…

8. Econsultancy Conversion Rate Optimization Report 2013

9. Econsultancy Conversion Rate Optimization Report 2013
Although email is the easiest channel to test only
63% are testing it

10. Econsultancy Email Marketing Census 2014

11. Econsultancy Email Marketing Census 2014
Even though Email Marketing delivers the highest
ROI

12. “Automatically triggered emails
based on lifecycle (12%) or on
customer activity (18%) together
account for £3 of every £10 in email
marketing revenue, up from 19% in
2012.”
DMA – National Client Email Report 2015

13. These programmes are ongoing…..
• Therefore it’s totally worth the investment
• Discover what makes your customers tick – as well as which
version
is best
• Set up up once as a perpetual test

14. Aggregation of marginal gains
The BG cycling team’s winning philosophy is ‘aggregation of
marginal gains’: Get a lot of small things right, put them
together, and they add up to a significant gain
www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/aug/14/olympics20
08.olypmicscycling1http://www.teamsky.com/article/0,27290,17547_5792058,00.html
“It means taking the 1% from everything
you do; finding a 1% margin for
improvement in everything you do.”

15. Create building blocks

16. Who makes up your email database?

17. Who makes up your email database?
Your Target Market!

18. Your database is your target
market! Use #email as your
primary testing tool & roll out
findings to other channels
@kathpay @getresponse
Tweet this

19. Different wording test
A [First Name] Test, track, increase your profit
– start today!
B [First Name] Start tracking and optimizing
your business today!

20. Different wording test
B had 88% higher open rate
With a 95% confidence level
A [First Name] Test, track, increase your profit
– start today!
B [First Name] Start tracking and optimizing
your business today!
Apply it to your PPC ads, Titles, Sub-headings, Banner Ads….

21. Source: Movable Ink
Test which image achieves the best conversion
– product display or model wearing garment?

22. Source: Movable Ink
Apply it to your homepage, product pages,
banner ads…..
Test which image achieves the best conversion
– product display or model wearing garment?

23. Test which Subject Line - Descriptive vs Benefit
–
is best for your product page
A Increase Customer Retention by 8% in
a Single Month
B SaaS Billing Is a Marketing Asset

24. Test which Subject Line - Descriptive vs Benefit
–
is best for your product page
Winner: Version A increased leads by 62%
A Increase Customer Retention by 8% in
a Single Month
B SaaS Billing Is a Marketing Asset
Apply it to your homepage, product pages, banner ads, PPC ads…..

25. A B
Ask your customers which they prefer!

26. A B
+72%
Apply it everywhere!…..
Ask your customers which they prefer!

27. What to test?

28. image
Brace
Yourselves!

29. • Number of emails in sequence
• Price points
• Discount in value
• Discount in %
• Free Gift/access to content
• Bundles
• From Field
• Subject line
• First 6 lines
• Latency between emails in
sequence
• Design
• Layout
• Tone of Voice
• Long/short Copy
• Personalisation
• Number of links
• Landing Page
Automated emails: what can you test?

30. Set up permanent testing
streams
What to test?

32. How to test your automated
programmes

33. Create a methodology
How to test your automated programmes

34. 1. [Optimization Summit] 3 Days
to a Better Website ($300 Off
Coupon Inside!) – (Value
Exchange, Incentive)
2. Learn 3 tips that made 10,000
landing pages extremely
successful – (Value Exchange,
No Incentive)
3. Optimization Summit 2012 –
Speakers List Now Up! + Save
$300 Today – (Newsworthy,
Incentive)
4. Quarterbacks aren’t the only
changes being tested in
Denver. – (Curiosity)
5. A scientific way to increase
your conversions – (Benefits)
6. Do your landing pages pass
this test? – (Fear)
…testing different motivational factors
via subject lines...

35. “Fear” was the winner – 125% more
unique CTRs
Source: Marketing experiments

36. Gain more than short-term wins
by testing – use a methodology.
Find out what makes your
audience tick @kathpay
@getresponse
Tweet this

37. Remember!
What you measure is based on what you want
to achieve

38. Measure the correct metric
Subject Line Opened Clicked Converted
Win the pampering prize of a lifetime
worth $10,000
38.19% 9.35% 6.74%
Win spa breaks, a personal shopper
and more worth $10,000
35.76% 11.03% 9.19%
Win a pampered new you worth
$10,000
38.01% 15.45% 10.67%
Win a trip to Champneys and more
worth $10,000 with Veet
33.23% 16.76% 11.01%

39. Statistical Validity
http://abtestguide.com/calc/

40. Bad results?
A great learning opportunity

41. Thomas Edison
“I have not failed. I've
just found 10,000 ways
that won't work. “

42. Testing essentials

43. Adhoc testing
Definition:
Random, occasional test of a factor with the aim
of determining which version delivers the best
result.
No methodology or hypothesis is used in this
process.

44. Strategic testing
Definition:
This is a regularly-performed test using a
hypothesis and methodology with the two-fold
aim of not only finding out which version
delivers the best result, but also aims to discover
insights about the audience.

45. Have a desire to
learn about your
audience
1

46. Identify what
question are you
trying to answer?
2

47. Create a Hypothesis3

48. It needs to centre around 3 main things
1. Presumed problem
2. Proposed solution
3. Anticipated result (and reason why)

49. A Hypothesis can be proved or
disproved
A hypothesis pretty much says, “I think by making this change,
it will cause this effect.” So, based on your results, you should
be able to say “this is true” or “this is false.”….
BECAUSE.......

50. When you use a hypothesis to test
#email you’re not restricted to
testing the same element. The
hypothesis stands @kathpay
@getresponse
Tweet this

51. Let’s look at some hypotheses used in
email
Hypothesis
To be used
elsewhere?
Emotional question in Subject Line will generate more sales than a directive
statement Yes
Emotional CTA will generate more sales than a pragmatic CTA Yes
Double Loyalty points will generate more sales than 15% loyalty points Yes
5 items showing in the "You may also like" dynamic pod will generate more
sales than 3 items Yes
Emotive image of person smiling & wearing outfit will generate more sales than
image displaying outfit laid out. Yes
Image 2 (looking at CTA) will generate more sales than Image 1 (looking at copy)
Yes

52. Always be testing different streams

53. Create a test plan

54. • Total Sent
• Open Rate
• Click to Open Rate
• Products purchased
• Conversion Rate
• AOV
• Statistical Confidence
• Conclusion
• Recommendation
Metrics & Fields to include

55. Hypothesis
Test in email
Analyze & Learn
Apply to appropriate
channels
It’s a cycle of continuous learning

56. 1 Don’t test for the sake of
testing
2
Don’t just focus on one-off results – but
focus on longitudinal gains, that can
rolled out everywhere
3
Be sure the measure the
correct metric
Some rules…

57. www.holisticemailmarketing.com
hello@holisticemail.com
@holisticemail
Copyright Holistic Email Marketing 2016