Get Your Emails in Shape with Multivariate Testing

Both multivariate testing and A/B testing are methods to improve your email marketing, but they serve different purposes. A/B testing compares two versions of a single element (e.g., two subject lines) to see which performs better. Multivariate testing, on the other hand, examines multiple elements simultaneously to find the best combination.

Why Should I Use Multivariate Testing in My Email Marketing?

Multivariate testing can significantly enhance your email marketing by identifying the optimal combination of elements such as images, calls to action (CTAs), and subject lines. This helps you create more effective emails and improve engagement rates.

How Do I Conduct Multivariate Testing?

Imagine Katie owns Kangaroo Kickboxing, offering martial arts and self-defense classes. She has built a large email list from her customers and interested parties. To attract more clients to her new studio across town, she plans to use email marketing.

Katie brainstorms different email content ideas, including various images and CTAs. Unsure which combination will work best, she decides to conduct multivariate testing.

Steps to Conduct Multivariate Testing

1. Choose Your Variables: Select the elements you want to test. For Katie, it’s 2 CTAs and 4 images.
2. Create Combinations: Multivariate testing allows you to test all combinations of these elements simultaneously. In Katie’s case, she will test 8 versions of her email (2 CTAs x 4 images).
3. Set Up the Test: Use an email marketing service like MailChimp, which supports multivariate testing. These services typically allow you to test up to 8 versions of your emails.
4. Define Your Goals: Determine what you want to measure—open rates, click-through rates, or purchase conversions.
5. Run the Test: Ensure you have a sufficiently large sample size and run the test for an adequate period. Tools like Optimizely and Qubit offer sample size calculators; a general rule is to run the test for at least 4 hours.
6. Analyze Results: Look at the effectiveness of each combination and understand which elements contribute most to your email’s success. Check both combination results and individual variable impacts.

Benefits of Multivariate Testing

• Find Trends: Discover preferences such as whether your audience prefers illustrations over photographs.
• Optimize Content: Continuously improve your email content based on testing insights.
• Stay Focused: Conduct intentional tests based on clear hypotheses.

Example Hypothesis

Katie might hypothesize: “I think customers will respond better to direct commands versus gentle suggestions.” She can test a direct, assertive subject line against a softer, more enticing one.

Tips for Effective Testing

• Creative Testing: Test various elements like send times, content, subject lines, sender names, background colors, and product images.
• Interpret Results: Understand what the data tells you. For instance, a 20-30% open rate is generally a good benchmark, but click rates are crucial if you’re focusing on content effectiveness.

Conclusion

Multivariate testing is a powerful tool for refining your email marketing strategy. It helps you understand what resonates with your audience, leading to more effective and engaging emails. While it requires a thoughtful approach and adequate sample sizes, the insights gained are invaluable for future email campaigns.