Email A/B testing (also known as email split testing), is sending 2 different versions of your email to 2 different sample groups of your email list. Select a test type, like the subject lines or email designs, create a variation and determine which variation performs better with your subscriber list.

Before you get started

• Make sure you have access to the Messaging Menu
• Please contact support@audiencerepublic.com to enable A/B testing in your account 
• Please note: HTML email is not available when testing A/B emails

Best practices for A/B testing

• Know what you're testing and why: 
  What: Increase open and click-through rates
  Why: To increase engagement
• A/B testing works best for perfecting frequently sent emails 
• Wait 4 to 5 days:  If your email has no effect after 5 days, it's not likely to ever have any meaningful difference. 4 to 5 days is a good rule; otherwise, you might destroy your experiment. 
• Check if results are statistically significant: choose which email resulted best 
• A/B test again: Customer behaviour never stops changing, and neither should your A/B tests. Ensure to thoroughly test your preview line, subject lines, email design content and images, content body, Sender name, and delivery day and time.

Getting started

• Open a new message, under 'Design Email', enable the A/B toggle to activate A/B testing for your email

Testing the Email Designs

Design test winners are determined by click-rate 

Please note: we recommend designing one email and THEN turning on A/B as it will duplicate the initial design, rather than starting blank again. 

• Select Designs and click Create
  

• Click Design Email

• In the email builder, select Version A and design the first email
• Once completed, select Version B and design the second email

• After, click Save and Exit to go back 
• Select the email version A or B that you want to send
• Ensure that the Recipients, Sender, and Message details are accurately filled out.

  *Please note: When testing the email Design, you cannot include two subject lines.

• Choose your recipient list: Please be aware that the two versions (A and B) of the email will be sent to separate groups within your selected list automatically when the A/B email is sent.

• Click Prepare to Send and Send Now
  **Important: turning off an A/B testing will retain Test A content ONLY 

Testing the Subject lines

Subject line tests are determined by open-rate

• Select Subject Lines to test your email open rates

• Fill in Subject A and Subject B
• Click Save

• Create your email and start testing!

*Tip: If you've increased your open rate with a better subject line, consider changing up the message preview.

Best practice subject lines

Good subject lines will make your open rates soar. Remember to keep it short and sweet, make it personal, and leverage FOMO.

Examples

• Join us at Awesome Event, [Customer Name]
• SPECIAL TICKET OFFER!  [Event name]
• You’ll love to be here. Here’s your invite ?
• We’re excited to announce [ event name]
• [Event name] is in [time until event]. We’re pumped!
• Final day to get your VIP Tickets.
• The Awesome Music Festival is here. Details inside
• Missed [event]? SIGN UP for the next campaign.
• The countdown begins: X days to [event name]
• Here’s your special invitation to [Event Name]
• It’s official. [Celebrity] is coming to [event]

Insights

Once sent, in the Recipients tab, it displays insights into which recipients received Email A and which received Email B:

Still need help?

Contact us at support@audiencerepublic.com