How do you test your copy for different audiences?

1 Define your audience segments

Before you test your copy, you need to define who your audience is, and how they differ from each other. You can use various criteria to segment your audience, such as demographics, psychographics, behavior, or goals. For example, you can segment your audience by age, gender, location, interests, values, pain points, or actions.

The more specific you are, the better. You can create personas or profiles for each segment, and use them to guide your copywriting process. You can also use tools like Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, or surveys to collect data about your audience segments.

2 Choose your testing method

Testing your copy for different audiences is a great way to ensure that it resonates with them, depending on your goals, resources, and timeline. A/B testing involves creating multiple versions of your copy and measuring which one performs better on a specific metric such as clicks, sign-ups, or sales. Usability testing allows you to observe how your audience interacts with your copy and how they complete a task or achieve a goal. Feedback testing involves asking your audience for their opinions, suggestions, or ratings on your copy. There are several tools available to help you run these tests, such as Google Optimize, Optimizely, Unbounce, UserTesting, Hotjar, Crazy Egg, SurveyMonkey, Typeform, and Qualaroo.

3 Analyze your results

Once you have collected enough data from your testing method, you need to analyze your results and draw conclusions. Look for patterns, trends, or differences among your audience segments, and consider the validity, reliability, and significance of your results. It's also important to avoid biases or errors. Ask yourself questions such as: what did your audience like or dislike about your copy? How did it affect their behavior, emotions, or decisions? How did it match or mismatch their expectations, needs, or goals? How did it differ from competitors' or industry's copy? And how can you improve your copy based on these results?

4 Apply your learnings

The final step is to apply your learnings from your testing results to your copy. You should prioritize the most important or impactful changes first and test them again. Additionally, use clear and consistent language, and incorporate emotional triggers, benefits, or stories. Furthermore, utilize active and positive voice while avoiding passive and negative voice. Finally, aim for short and simple sentences instead of long and complex ones. After making these changes, measure the impact on your copy's performance.

5 Keep testing and learning

Testing your copy for different audiences is not a one-time event, but a continuous process. You need to keep testing and learning from your audience, as they may change over time, or as new trends, challenges, or opportunities emerge. You also need to keep experimenting and innovating with your copy, as you may discover new ways to connect, persuade, or delight your audience.

Testing your copy for different audiences is a powerful way to improve your copywriting skills, and to create copy that resonates, converts, or entertains your audience. By following these steps, you can test your copy effectively, and use the feedback to optimize your copy for different audiences.

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?