What is A/B Testing?
A/B testing is a technique used in marketing and advertising to compare two versions of a webpage, ad, or other digital asset to determine which one performs better.
In A/B testing, two variations (A and B) of the same asset are presented to randomly selected users. The performance of each variation is then measured by collecting data on each user’s actions, such as click through, conversions, and/or time spent on a specific web page. This data is then analyzed to determine which version performs better based on predefined metrics.
The goal of A/B testing is to identify the version that leads to the highest performance based on the metrics being measured. This information can then be used to improve the design and effectiveness of digital assets, such as web pages, blog posts, ads, or email/SMS campaigns.
What Should I Be Testing for My SMS Campaign?
There are a multitude of different aspects with your SMS campaigns that you can be testing, so we’ve decided to highlight some of the ones we find to be most important.
Timing of Text Messages
One of the most important factors in SMS marketing is the timing of your messages. You want to make sure that your message is being sent at a time when your audience is most likely to read it.
If you want to test timing, you can create two versions of your message and send them out at different times of the day. For example, you could send one version at 9am and the other version at 3pm. This is a great way to find out when your recipients are most responsive.
Add a Call to Action
The wording of your SMS message is one of the most critical aspects of any campaign. You want to make sure that your message is clear, concise, and compelling. A/B testing can help you determine which wording is most effective.
An example of this would be to create one version with a call to action (CTA) and another version without a call to action. Once this campaign is analyzed, you may find that your audience is more or less receptive to a call to action. It’s important to note that different calls to action may have varying results.
Length of SMS Campaign Messages
The length of your SMS message is key. If your message is too long and all over the place, it won’t be effective. The same is true if it’s too short and doesn’t have enough information to
Testing the length of campaign messages is fairly straightforward. Create two campaigns, one with 80 characters and one with 160. Whichever length gets the best response is your best bet for length.
Testing Offers in Your SMS messages
Promotions and offers in your text message can have a significant impact on the success of your SMS campaign. You want to make sure that your offer is compelling and relevant to your audience. A/B testing can help you determine the most effective offer for your SMS messages.
Creating two different offers is a great way to test what’s effective. You could create one version with a discount to a popular product and another version with a free gift. Depending on what your business is, you may find that your results vary.
Test Sender Names
The sender name in your SMS messages can be crucial. It helps create some personalization. You want to make sure that your sender name is recognizable and trustworthy. A/B testing can help you determine the most effective sender name for your SMS messages.
A great way to test this would be to create one campaign with the sender as your company name, and another with an employee’s name and position like “John, Client Success Manager”.
Closing Thoughts
A/B testing SMS campaigns can be an incredibly effective way to optimize your messaging strategy and drive better results. By using this powerful testing methodology, you can gain valuable insights into how your audience responds to different messaging approaches, and make data-driven decisions that can help you achieve your marketing goals.
This type of testing offers you the ability to identify and improve on messaging that is resonating with your audience, to hone your targeting and segmentation strategies, and to gauge the effects of various messaging variables on crucial metrics like click-through rates, conversion rates, and revenue.
Ultimately, A/B testing SMS campaigns can be a valuable tool for any business that wants to improve their messaging effectiveness and maximize the ROI of their SMS or email marketing efforts. By taking the time to carefully plan and execute your tests, you can gain valuable insights that can help you optimize your messaging strategy and achieve better results over time.
Two-Way Businesses Texting
Staying in touch with customers via SMS is one of the best ways a small business can increase brand loyalty and create repeat customers.
CloudContactAI’s easy-to-use interface keeps you in touch with all of your customers and opens the line of communication.
What Industries Can Utilize SMS Marketing?
Automotive
Banking
Debt Collection
Gyms
Healthcare
Hospitality
Political Campaigns
Real Estate
Retail
Restaurants
Sports Facilities
