Brands can use A/B SMS testing to gain valuable insights into their customers and gather marketing data they can use during their next text message marketing campaign.
But SMS A/B test campaigns aren’t only useful for testing purposes. Even variants of the control message get your brand name in front of consumers: the primary goal of many marketing campaigns.
How can brands use A/B testing in SMS marketing to their advantage, and how can they build A/B tests that deliver valuable data?
This guide breaks down everything brands need to know about A/B testing in text messaging marketing to help you get started.
Table of Contents
The benefits of A/B SMS testing
Analyzing and interpreting your results
A/B SMS testing benefits brands in various ways:
Arguably the most important factor, A/B testing is a tool you can use to learn more about your target segments. Testing can empower your marketing team to create evidence-based, cost-effective campaigns that produce results.
How do brands set up SMS A/B test campaigns? Let’s detail a typical testing procedure to help lay the groundwork for your first experiment.
For your first test, we recommend keeping it simple: select one target segment to study. When choosing a segment, consider one of two approaches:
Once you choose a segment, it’s time to write your A/B messages.
Again, if this is your first test, we recommend simplicity. Test one variable, like the tone of your messages. For instance, if you’re preparing the first message in a summer-themed campaign, you might create the following messages to test different tones:
These two texts use slightly different messaging: Text A could get recipients pumped for summer, but Text B uses scarcity messaging and a little more description to motivate recipients to convert.
After you create your test copy, determine which key performance indicators (KPIs) you’d like to examine during A/B testing. Some examples include:
While we recommend keeping it simple when choosing your first test’s customer segment and variables, we suggest tracking as many KPIs as possible during this first experiment. Collecting data will increase your campaign efficiency (even if you’re only testing one variable).
Once you build up a substantial sample size of KPI data, it’s time to analyze the results. Start with straightforward observations like:
Depending on the depth of your data, you can then draw further conclusions about your campaign. For instance, given the above hypothetical data, you could assume that scarcity messaging:
This is data you can use for the rest of your drip campaign or while making plans for next season’s marketing push.
A/B SMS testing can help your brand find out which tactics produce the best customer responses—information you can use to modify a current campaign or shape a future one.
But to run sophisticated, insightful A/B tests, you need an SMS platform that effectively manages the test and collects KPIs at peak efficiency. When it’s time to test your next text message marketing campaign, turn to Texting Base.
Our all-in-one platform for business texting is straightforward, user-friendly and powerful. More than 13,000 brands rely on Texting Base for all of their SMS marketing needs.
And you can start texting your clients for free today.
Sources:
Oracle. What Is A/B Testing?. https://www.oracle.com/cx/marketing/what-is-ab-testing/