How do you test your promotion messages?

Building a target segment in LinkedIn Ads Manager that fits your ideal customer profile and running a handful of different messages side by side to observe which resonate most and which fall flat is a great place to start. For example, you might run a one-minute video-based ad that shows one of your technical experts comparing two products and talking about when product A makes sense (vs product B). Then, you can observe over the course of a few weeks how your audience responds. Are they watching the video for six seconds on average and then dropping off? Or watching for 55 seconds on average? Run that same test with other messaging and compare results. Double down where you're winning, pull back (or refine and retest) where you're not.

When initially developing a strategy, most people, in my opinion, tend to view their reasoning through rose-tinted glasses. you cannot fully anticipate the outcomes until you test your strategy. Firstly, define your ideal outcomes: leads, brand awareness, and sales whatever it may be. Build your promotional messaging around your goal. Consider the mediums through which your target audience will engage the most effectively. Next, you need to test your promotional messaging. You can launch multiple promotional messages and track various metrics to determine which performs the best. Evaluating these metrics enables you to further refine your messaging.

Narrowing down your target audience is harder than it seems. 99% of marketers are targeting the top 10% crowd to get premium results. To overcome this, you really have to be specific. When I ventured out to international clients, I thoroughly researched my TG's location, their audience, their business goals, their competitions, and their language, and then hit send on my campaign. The message was something along the lines of: "If LinkedIn is a FOMO for you; I can help" And I got a response of 68% percent. 6 hours of market research and audience breakdown gave me a tremendous ROI. My product in action: LinkedIn Profile Optimization

To test promotion messages, define clear goals first. Then, conduct A/B testing with different messages on your target audience. Measure metrics like engagement, conversion rates, and brand recall to evaluate effectiveness. Adjust based on results for optimal performance.

A/B testing is a fundamental technique where different versions of a message are tested to see which performs better in key metrics like click-through rates and conversions. This can be complemented with focus groups, where target customers provide qualitative insights into message preferences. Surveys and feedback forms post-campaign also offer direct audience feedback.

When testing promotion messages, choose methods based on your budget, time, and resources. A/B testing compares two versions of a message with one variable changed, like the headline or call to action. Multivariate testing compares multiple versions with more changes, like layout or color. Surveys gather feedback from your target audience, while interviews offer insights through one-on-one or group discussions. These methods help measure which version or combination performs best according to your goals.

When setting goals, it is better to specify the customer segment or audience that is the target of the advertising campaign. In some campaigns, we need to define the target audience segment. For example, when our goal is to provide a service or product to a certain group of audience such as people who are studying, we should consider our segment as students. But in some campaigns, we specify the target according to the segment. For example, if the audience of our business is people studying, we cannot define a goal for ourselves that is not related to this statistical population.

You can experiment with your promotion messages across different formats to find out which resonates the most with your audience. For instance, suppose you're organizing a spring sale on your online store, offering a 25% discount on all clothing items. To ensure maximum impact, you decide to conduct an A/B test on different email subject lines. In this scenario, you're aiming to determine which subject line generates a higher open rate. You randomly divide your email list into these two groups, track the open rates for both emails over a specific period, and analyze the results. The subject line that garners the higher open rate is deemed the winner, which you can then utilize for future email campaigns.

Imagine you're a chef in a bustling restaurant, and you're convinced your new pasta dish will be a hit. You decide to run some tests during a less busy hour. For the A/B test, you prepare one dish with olive oil and another with butter, serving them to different tables. You take note of customer reactions. Next, you do a multivariate test, altering not only the oil but also the mix of herbs and types of cheese. Again, you check customer reactions. Now you take a more direct approach: you go out and ask diners what they thought and what they'd change. Each step helps you refine that dish until it's menu-ready and primed to become a crowd-pleaser.

When testing messaging, A/B testing can be invaluable. In addition, surveys, interviews or focus groups allows for qualitative feedback. Incorporating both qualitative and quantitative data will help you to get to messaging that will resonate with your target audience.

Here's an example of how you can evaluate the outcomes of your promotion message tests. Conduct an A/B test using different spring sale email subject lines. Analyze metrics like Open Rate and Click-Through Rate (CTR) on the "Shop Now" button. Suppose Group A had a 20% open rate and a 5% CTR, while Group B had a 15% open rate and a 7% CTR. Despite Group A having a higher open rate, Group B achieved a higher CTR, indicating that more recipients who opened the email clicked through to shop. If your main aim was to maximize clicks and potential sales, Group B's subject line might be deemed the winner despite its lower open rate.

A lot of people talk about the importance of A/B testing, but we don't focus enough on how to analyze the results and implement the learnings. A few things to consider: → Can you draw conclusions → Are you looking at the right data points → What else could be influencing the results An A/B test is only as good as your ability to understand the results and make decisions from it.

In this chef scenario, after a night of culinary experimentation, it's time to delve into the numbers. Imagine going through feedback cards to see what pasta dishes diners were keen on. Did the olive oil version truly outperform the butter-based one? Was the Parmesan and basil combo a hit? Point-of-sale systems are your Google Analytics in this context, helping you pinpoint what clicked. With data in hand, you're ready to finalise your menu, much like you'd refine a marketing strategy after analysing your analytics.

Once the data starts rolling in, resist the urge to wing it. Carefully analyze what worked and what fell flat. Did one email subject line generate a higher open rate? Did a particular social post drive more click-throughs? The numbers tell the story. Tip: Use tools like Google Analytics or dedicated A/B testing platforms to track key metrics. Don't just focus on vanity metrics – look at metrics that align with your overall goals.

Here's how you can apply changes following the testing of your promotion messages. For example, consider A/B testing the email subject lines for a spring sale: Group A received "Limited-Time Offer: Save 25% on Spring Styles!" with a 20% open rate and 5% click-through rate (CTR), while Group B got "Spring is Here! Shop Our New Arrivals & Save!" with a 15% open rate and 7% CTR. Despite Group B's lower open rate, it boasted a higher CTR, indicating a greater likelihood of recipients clicking through after opening the email. To implement changes, use the winning subject line, "Spring is Here! Shop Our New Arrivals & Save!" for future email campaigns promoting the spring sale.

After analyzing, implement changes to enhance promotion messages. Retain successful elements; adjust or remove ineffective ones. Re-test changes to gauge improvement in outcomes. Iterate until discovering the best promotion messages for your campaign. Testing promotion messages is vital for crafting engaging campaigns tailored to your audience. It optimizes budget, time, and resources, helping achieve marketing goals effectively. Follow these steps to test promotion messages and succeed in marketing endeavors.

Conduct A/B testing by randomly assigning different promotion messages to different segments of your target audience. Measure key metrics such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and sales to determine which messages perform best.

Taking a leaf out of a chef's book, implementing the changes to your promotion messages is like tweaking a recipe. Keep the ingredients that customers loved and remove those that didn't hit the mark. It's a cycle of refinement. A chef wouldn't serve a dish before taste-testing it several times. You shouldn't launch a campaign without several tests. Each iteration gets you closer to that perfect blend of elements. Optimising both your campaign's performance and your marketing resources.

Analysis is useless without action. Based on your results, refine your promotional messages. Tweak your headlines, strengthen your CTAs, and ditch what's not working. This is an iterative process – it's about continuous improvement, not one-and-done perfection. Tip: Start with small changes based on your data, then gradually scale successful variations. Avoid overhauls unless the data clearly warrants it.

Here are some key factors to keep in mind when testing your promotion messages. First, consider your target audience and customize your test messages and metrics to appeal to their specific segment. Take into account demographics, interests, and past purchasing behavior when creating variations. For instance, if you're testing email subject lines for a back-to-school sale, Group A might receive "Get Ready for School! Save on Supplies Now!" targeting parents, while Group B could receive "Level Up Your Dorm Style! Up to 50% Off!" aimed at college students. By tailoring your messages to resonate with your audience, you can better gauge their preferences and optimize your promotional efforts accordingly.

Make sure you understand what you're looking at and the steps of the customer journey. I had a client wanting me to look at why her Facebook Ads weren't working. They were actually incredible, a 95% click through rate (CTR). I double checked Facebook Ad and Google Analytic metrics to make sure it was true! The trouble was the beautiful emotive ad landed on a very bland and logistical website landing page. She needed to continue the ad feel into the page and ease into the logistics. So the website was the problem, not the ad.

Yes customer journey is key because at the end of the day we are all solving for the customer. An emotive ad on fb should drive to a website with a consistent message for the consideration stage to conversion stage progress to happen. That’s the power of an integrated approach to marketing!

Testing promotional messages is not just about analyzing results and implementing changes. It's about understanding the narrative you're creating for your brand and ensuring it resonates with your target audience. Authenticity is key in this process. Just as a compelling story can captivate an audience, an authentic, well-crafted promotional message can engage potential customers and foster a sense of trust and reciprocation. As a consultant specializing in business storytelling, I've seen firsthand how a strong, genuine narrative can transform a brand's marketing strategy and overall customer experience.

Leveraging social media (paid and organic) can be a wonderful way to test out messaging content and creative - in real time. Don’t forget to implement social listening.