How do you A/B test and refine your follow up email templates for sales?

1 Why A/B test your follow up emails?

A/B testing your follow up emails can help you optimize your email strategy and increase your sales results. By testing different elements of your email, such as subject lines, opening lines, call to action, tone, length, and timing, you can identify what works best for your target audience and your goals. A/B testing can also help you avoid common email mistakes, such as sending too many or too few emails, using generic or irrelevant content, or sounding too pushy or too passive.

2 How to set up your A/B test?

Before you start your A/B test, you need to define your hypothesis, your variables, your sample size, and your success criteria. Your hypothesis is what you expect to happen when you change one element of your email, such as "Using a question in the subject line will increase the open rate". Your variables are the elements that you want to test, such as subject line, opening line, etc. Your sample size is the number of contacts that you want to include in your test, and it should be large enough to ensure statistical significance. Your success criteria are the metrics that you want to measure, such as open rate, reply rate, click-through rate, or conversion rate.

3 How to run your A/B test?

To run your A/B test, you need to split your sample into two or more groups, and send each group a different version of your email. You can use an email marketing tool or a CRM software to automate this process and track your results. You should also make sure that you control for other factors that might affect your results, such as the time of day, the day of the week, the sender name, or the email domain. You should run your test for a sufficient period of time, depending on your sales cycle and your email frequency.

4 How to analyze your A/B test results?

After you run your A/B test, you need to compare the performance of each version of your email based on your success criteria. You can use a statistical calculator or an online tool to determine if the difference between the versions is significant or not. You should also look for any trends or patterns that might explain your results, such as the preferences, behaviors, or characteristics of your contacts. You should also consider the impact of your email on your overall sales funnel, such as how many leads moved to the next stage or closed a deal.

5 How to refine your follow up email templates?

Based on your A/B test results, you can refine your follow up email templates by implementing the changes that proved to be more effective and eliminating the ones that didn't. You can also test new variations of your email to further optimize your performance and discover new insights. You should also monitor your email metrics over time and adjust your templates accordingly. You should also seek feedback from your prospects and customers, and use their input to improve your email content and value proposition.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?