How to promote business growth by A/B testing your marketing copy
Digital marketing is constantly evolving. It seems like there are always new methods to the madness that promise to get you the results you’ve been looking for to help your business thrive. But often overlooked is a super easy trick that can help you figure out the truth about your copywriting and marketing strategy: either it works or it doesn’t.
A/B testing can give entrepreneurs and marketers valuable insights and a better overall understanding of what their marketing campaigns are doing for them.
And the good news? You don’t need to spend a dime.
Here are some reasons why you absolutely should conduct A/B testing in today’s competitive market, and six simple steps showing you how!
What is A/B testing?
A/B testing (also called split testing) involves comparing two versions of a webpage, email, ad, or any other marketing collateral—version A being the control and version B being the variant—to determine which performs better. This method allows marketers to test different elements like headlines, call-to-actions (CTAs), images, or content variations to get a sense of what resonates best with your audience.
Tailoring the message to your target market’s preferences
Every audience is unique, with varying preferences, behaviours, and responses to messaging. A/B testing copy can help your business and marketing strategy by fine-tuning communication to suit your audience's preferences. By experimenting with different tones, language styles, or content structures, marketers and entrepreneurs can better identify the most effective messaging that engages and resonates with their target demographic.
Numbers never lie
Peter Drucker’s famous quote still stands strong: what gets measured gets managed. The great advantage of A/B testing your written copy is that you can get the answers you’re looking for through empirical data and little to no guesswork. It can also help provide entrepreneurs with concrete insights into what works best for their business. With these actually measurable results, your business can make more informed marketing decisions based on quantitative data rather than subjective opinions and assumptions.
Get those conversions!
Let’s cut to the chase: your ultimate goal when publishing any marketing initiative is to drive those conversions. Whether you want your target market to click on your ad, download your content, buy your product, or schedule a service, A/B testing can allow your business to optimize its copy to help maximize those conversion rates. Small efforts, like tweaking a headline, adjusting a CTA, or changing up product or service descriptions can help yield significant improvements in conversion metrics.
User experience is everything
A positive user experience can play a pivotal role in customer engagement and retention. A/B testing your marketing copy can help refine the user experience by identifying elements that resonate better with your target audience. If you optimize copy to be more user-friendly and compelling, you can improve engagement, reduce bounce rates, and even foster stronger connections with your dream clients.
A marketing strategy that won’t bankrupt you
Making changes to marketing campaigns or collaterals can take up a significant amount of time and money. Fortunately, A/B testing copy is one of the best ways entrepreneurs and marketers can make cost-effective decisions. It can also help you minimize risks by testing changes on a smaller scale before implementing them on a larger one and optimizing marketing efforts without having to spend substantially.
A method that teaches you how to improve
A/B testing fosters a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. It encourages businesses to constantly refine their marketing strategies based on real-time data and insights. A/B testing encourages you to adopt a more consistent and iterative approach, which can inspire you to be more agile, adapt to market trends where needed, and stay ahead of the competition.
Less uncertainty means your future self will thank you
Launching a new marketing campaign or making big changes to an existing one can be risky. By A/B testing copy, you can mitigate these risks by providing concrete evidence before implementing larger-scale changes. It allows your business to validate ideas and strategies before committing time and resources, ultimately minimizing the uncertainty associated with marketing initiatives.
Here’s how to do it:
Set your objectives: Define specific marketing goals, whether it's increasing click-through rates, improving conversions, or enhancing engagement metrics. Establishing these goals will help you better understand why your marketing copy is or isn’t working, as well as track the appropriate KPIs.
Identify your variables: Choose the elements you want to test, whether it's headlines, CTAs, visuals, or content variations.
Create your two versions: Develop distinct versions for your A/B test. The trick here is to make sure they differ in one specific aspect to measure its impact accurately.
Run your test: Implement the A/B test by presenting both versions to a segmented audience and tracking performance metrics. The time your test should be running depends on your goals and the variables you’re testing, but you should give it a minimum of 2 weeks to be able to see a difference in the metrics for each version.
Analyze your results: Assess the data collected to determine which version performs better based on the predefined objectives. You can do this through platforms like Google Analytics (free) or other helpful platforms.
Implement changes: Implement the winning version and continue refining based on ongoing testing and insights. Repeat where and when necessary!
Embracing A/B testing copy not only refines marketing strategies but can also properly tailor messaging, optimize conversions, enhance user experiences, and drive substantial business growth. Remember the golden rule: copy that pops, sells.