The success of a webinar is dependent upon many factors, such as valuable content and an engaging speaker. But above all of those things your webinar will not succeed if it is missing one key aspect: the audience. Without the audience your message has no meaning and your speaker has no reason to speak.
So, how do you get that audience?
An e-mail campaign is a great method available for audience recruitment. However, to get those people attend you need to get their attention and have them open the e-mail. The Epsilon Global Consumer Email Study, conducted by Thane Stallings, Director, Strategic & Analytic Consulting Group, Epsilon, tackled that issue and shares tips that will help you achieve a better open rate. Part one of the study looks at testing and why it is important part of the process when developing the campaign.
Listed below are the 11 steps in and some excerpts from that study.
1. Plan ahead. Incorporate subject line design and testing into the deployment process.
The fact is that marketers who make the time for subject line testing outperform their peers. Also, companies that are consistent testers are those that have integrated it into their deployment process. Make it a part of your campaign calendar. Learn the ropes and have subject line testing down to a science. Marketers need to raise the bar. It can’t just be about deploying the campaign by the deadline; it has to be about deploying a campaign that achieves the desired objective. And testing is critical for meeting this goal.
2. Introduce a new concept of testing.
Subject line tests should focus on a common theme, such as length, topic, or offer. If subject lines vary too much from one another, you won’t know why one won over the other(s). When setting up your tests, if you can’t narrow down what you’re testing to a single question, the test may not be specific enough.
3. Create Test Cells
You know what principle you want to test and you’re ready to deploy, but you’re not sure what audience to target. First off, you need to understand that the test is done in two parts. In the first part, you’ll be testing the principle to a small sample of your list. Then, when you know which version is the best performer, you’ll send that to everyone else, called the “hold-out group.”
4. Deploy test
Send all test versions out at the same time and via the same IP address. Subject line tests should be deployed at the same time of day you plan to send the actual message. The thinking here is that you want to make all test versions as similar as possible except for the subject line. Doing so will allow you to confidently state that the difference in subject line led to any difference in performance.
5. Pick the winner
Leave the subject line test open for a pre-determined period of time, such as 24 hours, or long enough to capture enough of the response to comfortably declare a winner. A few days after the test, go back and ensure that the subject line you selected is still the champion. The chance exists that a subject line may surge initially and drop after a competitor takes over. Don’t fret. While you have likely already deployed to the hold-out group, the new information will help you change future strategies.
6. Roll-out: Deploy champion to remainder of file (hold-out group)
Once you have determined the winning subject line test, send it out to the rest of the group.
How soon should you run a test before you deploy your campaign? That depends on how quickly you can perform one and how fast you receive the results. Things like creative and setting up the campaign could delay the timing of a test. Also, ensure you have enough response to call the test (see Step #5). If you call a test too soon, you could make the wrong decision.
7. Document findings
An often missed step by marketers is to not document the testing findings. Do so by tracking the date, the actual subject lines tested and metrics (such as delivery rate, open rate, click rate and conversion rate), what won, and a summary of what you learned. Consistency here is important.
8. Track metrics over time to document success
To take measurements a step further, document your metrics over time. This shows your progress and measures whether you made the right decision or not. If you can prove that subject line testing has a good result, you can become the hero. Don’t be afraid to publicize it within your company.
9. Cross-apply findings
Share your learning’s with co-workers who manage other brands or customer segments. One learning from a given situation may work well in another, or at least provide a good starting point.
10. Retest concepts at regular intervals
Retesting subject lines is an important part of the process. Just because you tested something a year ago, doesn’t mean it is necessarily relevant today. The general rule is you should re-test subject line concepts depending on the frequency you send emails and how much your consumer base changes.
11. Don’t get discouraged
Develop a test methodology that is both beneficial and manageable. Good subject line testing offers marginal improvements over time (1% here, 2% there). You’re not going to achieve much if you’re not consistent in your testing.
Read the full study at the Email Institute blog.