A/B Testing Approaches to Personalization in Email Marketing

Liam Taylor

July 25, 2024
10 min read

We all love to see our name signed on paper or in a digital message, don’t we? But do you know that a personalized email can dramatically raise engagement and revenue compared to a non-personalized one? According to an analytical company, Experian, personalized subject lines can generate six times higher transaction rates than generic ones.

Personalization can make your email marketing work much better. Here’s some stats: email subject lines with personalization lead to a 27% higher unique click rate and an 11% higher click-to-open rate. Skeptics may say it sounds like sci-fi. Yet, we are talking about science here. These fascinating stats underscore the importance of personalization in your email marketing success.

And you need proper A/B testing to determine which personalized email works better.

The McKinsey’s Next in Personalization 2021 Report reveals that 71% of consumers expect personalized communication, and 76% get frustrated when they don’t have it. What does that mean? Simply put, subscribers are humans just like us; they are not mere numbers. We strongly advise you to take this into account.

From this review, you will learn how to get personalization in email marketing to the next level with the help of A/B testing approaches. You will be able to optimize your email marketing campaigns for maximum engagement and conversion.

What is Personalization in Email Marketing?

Let’s come to terms: definition of email personalization

It is a marketing tool that uses subscribers’ personal data to create an individual approach in emails. Email personalization can dramatically increase marketing metrics. Personal information includes the subscriber’s behavioral patterns and demographics. As a result, properly developed email personalization is the key to more relevant marketing campaigns.

Overview

A/B testing is in high demand in email marketing. It is a tool for optimizing personalized email campaigns. By using it, you can compare different versions of an email and determine which performs more efficiently for the target audience. Split testing in email personalization helps implement more targeted communication.

Types of personalization

All types of email marketing personalization intend to get to the target audience as close as possible.

Demographic: This is the basics of personalization. It is about the essential criteria, such as the subscriber’s age, gender, occupation, location, and other facts. If, for example, you sell parkas, you must consider the customer’s geography and current season in your email content.
Behavioral: This is about making content personalized based on the subscriber-company communication. This can be their purchase history and email engagement. For example, if the consumer has bought Puma sneakers in the past, it would be useful to mention this in the email and offer to look at the brand’s new collection. According to Omnisend, when a product or service is offered based on the consumer’s purchase history, they are 2.6x more likely to purchase.
Psychographic: Wow! At this point, we’re talking about some really deep inside email marketing personalization. It is about tailoring messages according to customers’ values, attitudes, and personality traits such as interests and lifestyle. Example: “Hello, Bob! We have noticed you love adventures and are an expert in outdoor gear. What if you look at an all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee, as it would underline your status and drive your aspirations?”

A/B Testing Approaches for Email Personalization

Email personalization split testing relates to different variables. It includes subject lines, content, design, send time, calls to actions (CTAs), and so on, to find out what works better. Let’s check out the most significant email marketing personalization testing topics. There are also key metrics to measure in split testing. Typically, these are open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, and engagement rates.

Before getting into details, let’s see an example of a content personalization email that targets engagement rate. This Alaska Airlines email reminds its customer, Jana, of the deals and offers she might have missed because she did not open the airliner’s messages.

Now, let’s check out various personalization approaches for A/B testing.

1. Subject line personalization

Approach: The subject line is crucial for deciding whether to open an email. Imagine the gates the consumer should open to unveil your offer; this is it. Personalizing your subject line means using information such as the subscriber’s name, product interests, or location. It can increase open rates and click-through rates.
Metrics to measure: Open rates, click-through rates.
Example: The control “Mark, see what we’ve got for you!” vs. the variation “Hey, check out our latest products!”

2. Content personalization

Approach: Test personalized content, such as product recommendations based on past purchases vs. generic content. The content is the most comprehensive part of an email; once the letter is opened, the subscriber gets the most important information.
Metrics to measure: Click-through rates, conversion rates. Conversion is very significant here: if your content works, the subscriber can make a decision to purchase.
Example: “These nice shoes for special occasions are recommended for you, Bill!” vs. “Top picks this spring!”

3. Send time personalization

Approach: It’s all about the right time at the right place! A/B testing emails are sent at personalized optimal times vs. a standard send time, which helps define the best time to send emails to the chosen recipients.
Metrics to measure: Again, open rates and click-through rates.
Example: The control would be sending at 9 AM for early birds vs. the variation—sending at a fixed time for everyone.

4. Dynamic content blocks

Approach: In this case, we test dynamic content elements at different email segments vs. static content parts.
Metrics to measure: Engagement rates, conversion rates.
Example: Think of a dynamic banner in the email with an offer as the control vs. a static banner with the same message.

5. Personalized CTA

Approach: Test personalized call-to-actions based on user behavior vs. generic CTAs. Call-to-action devices can be the final factor driving the subscriber to accept your offer if the content message is not so convincing. Choosing the most efficient CTA is essential.
Metrics to measure: Click-through rates and conversion rates.
Example: Let’s compare the control “Complete your purchase, Susan!” vs. the variation “Buy now!”

6. Location-based personalization

Approach: In this case, you conduct split testing of location-based content in the email, such as a local boutique promotion vs. a non-location-specific message.
Metrics to measure: Engagement rates, conversion rates.
Example: “Jane, come by to our Upper West Side store!” vs. “Visit our store!”

7. Behavioral trigger emails

Approach: Testing behavioral trigger emails like cart abandonment reminders vs. typical promo emails. Trigger personalized emails can dramatically increase conversion rates. IIf a client leaves their cart, a follow-up email with a discount code or a free shipping offer can motivate them to complete the purchase.
Metrics to measure: Open rates and conversion rates.
Example: “Jeff, please check your cart—we believe you left something there!” vs. “Check out our latest offers!”

Tools and Platforms for A/B Testing Personalization

How to personalize an email? You will discover various platforms for conducting A/B testing personalization available on the market. Let’s check out some of the options we suggest:

The Popular Platforms We Recommend

Mailchimp: Known for its user-friendly interface and robust analytics, Maichimp calls itself the leading email marketing and automation platform. The company helps customers achieve better email open rates, more clicks, and higher sales. Mailchimp’s website informs that the company has 11 million users worldwide.

Also, Mailchimp claims a 22x ROI for its customers. You will enjoy the company’s website’s friendly interface. They provide a variety of customized automated email segmentation tools, such as the Customer Journey Builder. These tools help produce trigger emails based on customer behavior to generate more traffic.

The team are experts in creating personalized emails based on purchasing behavior, survey results, and even chat interactions. The ultimate goal, of course, is to drive the customer’s sales. Annually, the platform sends over 500,000 multivariate and A/B tests. This gives their customers data-driven insights into how small changes drive improved engagement.

HubSpot: This platform offers various tools and integration solutions to create the marketing, sales, and customer service triangle. The company also relies on AI-based automated solutions to increase efficiency and develop comprehensive CRM integration.

It is an all-in-one platform with insight analytics and personalization capabilities. Hubspot develops all their software in-house, including their powerful CRM solutions. The platform has several specialized hubs offering a full range of marketing services for its customers: Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, Service Hub, Content Hub, Operations Hub, and Commerce Hub.

Klaviyo: The company offers personalized customer-oriented strategies across various marketing communication channels, not just emails but also SMS and mobile push. They also develop their AI-fueled solutions. Its real-time segmentation and personalization tools allow customers to develop unique content “above the noise of basic emails.”

Klaviyo also offers a variety of effective A/B testing options. They allow testing the full circle of campaign elements, from the subject line to the content to the design, to determine the best version.

Integration with CRM

Integrating email marketing platforms with CRM systems is essential. Integration with CRM ensures that customer data is processed effectively for personalization, enhancing the relevance and impact of email marketing campaigns. Any of the above-mentioned digital marketing companies provide their own efficient and trusted CRM platforms.

Fighting the Most Common Challenges

Data quality: A personalized email that delivers must be developed based on accurate and updated data. The solution is to simply monitor your database and update it when necessary to ensure the information you have is statistically reliable.

Sample size: Your sample size must be statistically significant to draw reliable conclusions from split testing. Use specialized A/B testing calculators to determine the necessary sample size.

Personalization fatigue: Avoid too much personalization—don’t be too pushy! Balance personalized elements with generic ones to keep emails engaging without overwhelming the subscriber.

Technical limitations: You can overcome them by ensuring your email marketing tools and platforms support state-of-the-art personalization and A/B testing features. Choose trusted email marketing companies that have an impressive client database.

To Sum Up

This review covers the key aspects and different approaches to email marketing personalization and A/B testing methods. We also recommend choosing leading email marketing platforms like Hubspot, Klaviyo, and Mailchimp. These companies are experts in A/B testing and have great experience in the field. You can also learn how to deal with the most common issues that can arise in A/B testing email personalization.

As you are now familiar with tools that help optimize your campaigns, you can write your success story in personalized email marketing!