The importance of testing and iteration in email marketing

Email marketing remains a cornerstone of digital strategy, yet its true potential is only unlocked through a commitment to continuous testing and iteration. Too often, marketers adopt a "set and forget" approach, leaving valuable opportunities on the table. To truly elevate your email campaigns, you need to embed a rigorous process of experimentation, analysis, and refinement.

Why testing and iteration are non-negotiable

Marketing is constantly evolving, and so are your audience's preferences. What resonated last month might fall flat today. By consistently testing different elements of your email campaigns, you gain actionable insights that drive better performance and a stronger return on investment.

Think of it as a continuous cycle of improvement:

• Identify touchpoints and goals: Before you start, understand where a nurture campaign adds value to your business. Whether it’s an abandoned basket email or a series of emails for a whitepaper download, each campaign needs a clear, specific objective—be it branding, conversion, or something else entirely.

• Segment your audience: Divide your contacts based on their engagement, downloads, or email opens. This allows you to send more relevant information to specific audience types. Always clearly define and label your segments for future use.

• Craft engaging content: Your emails should be interesting and focused on your goal without being overly forceful. If you have an offer, include it in the subject line or pre-text to ensure visibility.

• Automate and refine: Use your automation platform to trigger nurture flows based on segmented data, sending beautifully crafted emails at regular intervals. Always consider your audience's perspective: "If you were the contact, would this annoy you?".

What to test in your email campaigns

The beauty of email marketing lies in the multitude of elements you can test:

Subject lines

Your subject line is the gatekeeper to your email's content, directly impacting your open rates.

• Conciseness: Aim for under 50 characters to ensure full visibility on mobile devices.

• Curiosity: Pique interest by hinting at valuable content inside.

• Personalisation: Include the recipient's name or other tailored information to increase relevance.

• Benefits: Clearly convey the value or benefit the reader will gain.

• Action words: Use strong verbs to create urgency or excitement.

• Spam avoidance: Steer clear of words or phrases that trigger spam filters, such as "free" or excessive punctuation.

Call to action (CTA)

This is the instruction guiding the user towards a desired action, like making a purchase or signing up for a mailing list. Test different wording, colours, sizes, and placements to see what drives the most clicks. Your CTA should be clear and directly aligned with your conversion goals.

Content

Experiment with different content formats, messaging, and visual elements. Do your recipients prefer short, punchy paragraphs or more in-depth insights? Does a particular image resonate more than another? Maintaining a 60:40 text-to-image ratio is generally a good practice, ensuring your key message is always clear and visible. However, always consider what's most appropriate for your audience—for example, a fashion brand might lean more heavily into imagery. Segment your audience based on their behaviour, interests, or purchase history to deliver highly relevant content. This deep personalisation helps build trust and increases the likelihood of engagement.

Send times and frequency

Understanding when your audience is most receptive can significantly boost engagement. Test different days and times to optimise your send schedule. Similarly, experiment with the frequency of your emails—you want to stay top-of-mind without becoming a nuisance.

The testing process: A/B testing and beyond

A/B testing is your most valuable tool here. Create two versions of an email—changing only one variable at a time—and send them to different segments of your audience. Measure performance based on your conversion rate goals.

Beyond A/B testing, regularly analyse your email insights to understand what resonates with your audience and optimise your strategy accordingly. Look at open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, and bounce rates to identify areas for improvement.

By embracing testing and iteration, you'll ensure your email marketing efforts are not just running, but consistently improving and delivering tangible results for your business.