Do you want more people to open, click, and buy from your emails? 

This week, the spotlight is on A/B testing and how we can use it to improve our open rates, clicks and conversions so that we can maximise the sales from our email marketing.

Let’s do this!

Want to get more sales from your email marketing?

Before we get started with today’s episode, we’ve put a little something together for you.

It's really cool and it's FREE (yes, it's cool and free – we're nice like that). We all know that subject lines are important to get right and are a leading measure of your open and click rates – but writing them can be a challenge.

That's why Kennedy has spent months training an AI to write powerful subject lines that is beating top copywriters' subject lines 80% of the time in A/B tests – and you can get access to it here.

(More on this in today's episode)

What is A/B testing? Why does it work?

A/B testing is when you try two versions of your email.

You send each one to a small part of your list. Then, you see which version works better and the one that wins gets sent to the rest of your list.

This isn’t about guessing what might work. It’s about using real numbers to drive data-driven results. A/B testing lets you see what your audience likes, so you can do more of that!

Why Test Subject Lines?

Subject lines are the most important part of your email. 

If no one opens your email, they’ll never see your message or your offer. That’s why testing subject lines gives the biggest results.

Other things you can test:

• Adding or removing an image
• Changing the opening line
• Including or skipping your logo

But start with subject lines. They make the biggest difference.

(Plus, they're usually also the easiest to test too!)

A Simple A/B Testing Plan

Here’s how to test your emails step by step:

1. Write Your Email First

Write your email before you think about the subject line. The email content should guide what the subject line says. If you pick a subject line first, it might not match your message and you’ll be stuck in writers-block trying to write an email that just won’t fit properly.

2. Make Two Subject Lines

Write one subject line yourself. Then, use an AI tool to help create more. You can try this free tool here. It gives you five options and you can choose the best one to test against your own.

3. Test on 20% of Your List

Send Subject Line A to 10% of your email list. Send Subject Line B to another 10%. Let the test run for four hours.

4. Send the Winner to the Rest

Check the results after four hours. The better-performing subject line gets sent to the other 80% of your list.

Tips for Picking a Winner

When choosing a winner, think about your goal.

• If the email has a call-to-action (like “click here”), choose the winner based on click-through rate.
• If the email is just for sharing information, choose the winner based on open rate.

Sometimes, emails with more opens don’t get as many clicks. Testing helps you find out what really works.

Split Your List for Better Results

Divide your list into two groups:

1. Engaged Subscribers: These people opened an email in the last seven days. Test your subject lines with them.
2. Less-Engaged Subscribers: These people haven’t opened an email in more than seven days. Once you know the winning subject line, send it to this group.

Why split the list? 

Engaged people are more likely to open emails. Testing with them first helps you choose the best subject line and that way the less-engaged subscribers get the better option later.

That way you’re getting more impact from each of your email tests.

A/B Testing in Action

Here’s an example:

• Write your email about a new webinar.
• Create two subject lines:
  1. “Join Us: 5 Secrets to Boost Sales”
  2. “Live Webinar: Unlock Your Sales Potential”
• Test both on 20% of your list.
• After four hours, see which gets more clicks.
• Send the winning subject line to the rest of your list.

It’s that simple!

Subject line of the week

This week's winning subject line was “70 Billion Views 🤯”

Why did it win?

• The big number grabs attention.
• The shocked emoji adds emotion.
• It makes people curious: “70 billion of what?”

CONTEXT: The email was about YouTube Shorts. They get 70 billion views a day!

The subject line was clear, exciting, and made people want to know more.

Useful Episode Resources

Related episodes

How Do You Get Your Customers To Buy And Buy Again? 

How To Get Back On The Email Wagon When You Fall Off (Back To School Edition)

How Can I Personalise My Emails To Increase Conversions?

FREE list of the top 10 books to improve your email marketing

If you want to write better emails, come up with better content, and move your readers to click and buy, here's how. We put together this list of our Top 10 most highly recommended books that will improve all areas of your email marketing (including some underground treasures that we happened upon, which have been game-changing for us). Grab your FREE list here. 

Join our FREE Facebook group

If you want to chat about how you can maximise the value of your email list and make more money from every subscriber, we can help! We know your business is different, so come and hang out in our FREE Facebook group, the Email Marketing Show Community for Course Creators and Coaches. We share a lot of training and resources, and you can talk about what you're up to.

Try ResponseSuite for $1

This week's episode is sponsored by ResponseSuite.com, the survey quiz and application form tool that we created specifically for small businesses like you to integrate with your marketing systems to segment your subscribers and make more sales. Try it out for 14 days for just $1.

Grab The Email Hero Blueprint

Want more? Let's say you're a course creator, membership site owner, coach, author, or expert and want to learn about the ethical psychology-based email marketing that turns 60-80% more of your newsletter subscribers into customers (within 60 days).

If that's you, then The Email Hero Blueprint is for you.

This is hands down the most predictable, plug-and-play way to double your earnings per email subscriber. It allows you to generate a consistent sales flow without launching another product, service, or offer. Best news yet? You won't have to rely on copywriting, slimy persuasion, NLP, or ‘better' subject lines.

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