Slide deck used for Massimo's presentation on A/B testing at Email World 2013 in San Diego. The main point of the presentatio is that A/B testing requires an extra effort, but it's well worth it. And with mobile opens growing, a new variable to test is the message "preheader". Contact us if you want to discuss any of these topics!

1. Improving Email Campaign
Results with A/B Testing
Massimo Arrigoni, CEO, MailUp Inc.

2. A/B testing is like flossing
 Takes additional time
 Pain in the neck
 … but it’s worth it!
Improving email campaign
results with A/B testing

3. Worth $200,000,000(*)
Improving email campaign
results with A/B testing
(*) Amount attributed to the use of A/B testing
during the Obama for America fundraising
campaign.

4. We just don’t know…
Improving email campaign
results with A/B testing
…what works best.
• Avoid costly assumptions
• Learn more about your customers
• Deliver better results over time

5. What we do know: it works
Improving email campaign
results with A/B testing
At MailUp we looked at several hundred A/B tests
carried out between 2012 and 2013. On average:
+ 18% in the Open Rate
+ 22% in the Click Rate

6. One GOAL
What’s the goal of the campaign?
Make sure to
track the right
metric.
Improving email campaign
results with A/B testing
GOAL METRIC TO TRACK
Increase awareness OPEN RATE
Trigger click action (visit) CLICK RATE
Trigger additional action CONVERSION RATE

7. Improving email campaign
results with A/B testing
One
VARIABL
E
Lots to
test, but
pick one

8. Subject line
+62%
Improving email campaign
results with A/B testing
A
B

9. Subject line
OR+7%
CTR +24%
Improving email campaign
results with A/B testing
Save on BrandXYZ PRO Series
Headphones and More!
BrandXYZ PRO Series Headphones
for Back to School
A
B

10. Preheader: your new friend
First line of machine-readable text
Shown in many
mobile clients.
Careful with
images!
Improving email campaign
results with A/B testing

11. Preheader: your new friend
An extension of the subject line. Don’t waste it!
Improving email campaign
results with A/B testing

12. Preheader: your new friend
Figure out how it works, then optimize it.
Improving email campaign
results with A/B testing
“See the Web
version”: not a
good preheader

13. Preheader: your new friend
Optimization rules:
1. A continuation of the subject line
2. Place it at the top of the message, hidden
with CSS, if need (see blog for how-to)
3. Customize text version (Outlook.com)
Improving email campaign
results with A/B testing

14. MAIN TAKEAWAY:
What works for you...
… may only work for you!
• Industry best practices: only a starting point
• Develop your own best practices over time
• Keep testing!
Improving email campaign
results with A/B testing

15. Make it fun
• Staff picks the message they
believe will be the winner
• Points are assigned to those
that picked the winner
• Every quarter, winner(s) get(s) a
prize and competition resets
Improving email campaign
results with A/B testing

16. More…
Download our free ebook on a/b
testing for more tips
Improving email campaign
results with A/B testing
mailup.com/abtesting