A/B testing is the best option if you're looking for a way to improve the efficacy of your SMS campaigns. You will get access to data-driven insights to enhance campaign outcomes and ensure that your marketing messages are understood by conducting these controlled tests.

To begin SMS A/B testing, let's go over what you need to know, starting with what to test, how to create the test, and how to evaluate the results.

What is SMS A/B testing?

SMS A/B testing is a type of controlled experiment that evaluates multiple iterations of an SMS marketing campaign to ascertain how various elements impact its effectiveness. A/B testing, sometimes referred to as split testing, assists in determining which version performs best depending on data such as click-throughs, sign-ups, or converted sales. The goal of these tests is to optimize campaigns by removing any uncertainty.

All things considered, A/B testing provides product teams and marketers with the information they require to enhance outcomes. It's been proven to be an effective strategy that translates to an enhanced user experience, customer satisfaction, engagement, revenue, and more.

20 ideas for A/B testing SMS campaigns

What aspects of SMS marketing can you test to understand what A/B testing is? Let's explore 20 SMS A/B testing ideas.

Message content

Analyzing the impact of various messaging content is one of the best uses of A/B testing. Here are some additional tests to think about while experimenting with different types of SMS content.

Call-to-action.

The call to action (CTA) is one of the most important elements of marketing communication. To determine whether a particular CTA performs better than the others, run an A/B test. You can compare the results of "Shop now" against "Shop new catalog," for instance.

Personalization.

Check to see whether personalization such as adding a customer's first name performs better than a generic one. Does "Hi Andrew" outperform "Hello!" or instance?

Message length.

Text message length is an additional SMS text message attribute to evaluate. You can determine whether a more succinct, evocative, or brief content was more effective. Keep in mind that a normal SMS message is 160 characters long.

Message tone.

You can also try to figure out how your SMS text's tone affects things. You can, for instance, compare a more informal and a more friendly tone.

Spacing.

You can also check to see if engagement is impacted by the distance between your text and call to action.

Copy changes.

To find out if one version of your message is more appealing to your audience than another, you can also test the actual wording of your text.

Emojis.

Check to see whether including an emoji in your SMS message enhances the outcome. Compare a message with and without an emoji using an A/B test.

Offers and rewards

Knowing how your audience responds to incentives and offers is another key aspect of SMS A/B testing. These are some concepts you could try:

Discount amount.

Use SMS A/B testing to see if varying the amount of the discount produces better outcomes. Does 10%, 20%, or 30% off, for instance, result in higher sales and conversions?

Limited-time deals.

Comparing short timeframes might also help you determine whether campaign performance is impacted by imminency. Determine whether a 2-day or a 3-day sale produces better results, for instance.

Exclusive offers.

You can also check to see whether adding information about special offers enhances the outcome. A company might, for instance, contrast a message with a unique language that gives SMS users a special discount with one that does not.

Interactive variations

Evaluating the impact of various graphics and interactive components on performance is another excellent A/B testing concept. To compare, here are a few variations.

Image vs. text.

Check to see whether adding an image to your text, referred to as MMS, improves the outcome. In certain situations, a normal text-only message might also be preferable.

GIF vs. still picture.

You can experiment to see if using a moving image, such as a GIF animation, increases interaction more than using a still image.

Interactive elements.

Examine whether additional interactive components, such as trivia or an emoji quiz, enhance outcomes as compared to a typical text message.

Link location and destination.

Check to see whether placing the link at the beginning, middle, or end of your text affects conversions. You can also check if sending recipients to different landing pages yields better outcomes.

Timing and frequency of SMS texts

Your SMS use case, business vertical, and contact preferences will all influence the best time to send an SMS text. To find the time that best suits your particular business requirements, run an A/B test. Here are some time and frequency-related split test suggestions.

Time of day.

To find out if the send time matters run an A/B test. You can check which timing works best for a particular customer segment by texting your contacts in bulk at different times of the day.

Day of the week.

Check to determine if a campaign that is launched on a specific day of the week generates the most buzz. An SMS sent on a weekday, for instance, can have a higher open rate than one sent on the weekend or holidays.

Time lapsed.

You may have configured text automation, such as reminders for appointments. Check to see if the length of time that has passed has an impact. Does it make a difference, for instance, whether an appointment reminder text on a previous day or 3 days before the appointment

Frequency.

Split testing can also be used to determine whether varied message frequencies result in higher conversion rates. Compare the outcomes of sending four versus five SMS messages each month, for instance.

Sender information

To determine if it enhances your SMS stats, you can also test for sender information.

Sender name.

Test to see whether adding your sender name at the beginning, middle, or end of your message enhances your SMS campaign outcomes. You may also check to see whether the open rate is impacted by placing your business name and logo at the beginning of the text.

Short code vs. long code.

Try sending your SMS campaign from a local number, like a 10DLC, to see if it increases the open rate more than using a short code.

Tips for building the SMS A/B test

Here are some essential tips and considerations for creating a successful SMS A/B test.

Select a single variable.

The secret to a good A/B test is to select only one variable at a time, even if you may want to compare a lot of them. To make sure that any statistically significant outcomes are attributable to that variable, you should pick an isolated variable.

Decide on a metric.

Select the exact metric you wish to monitor before executing a test. For instance, would you like to evaluate the conversions, click-through rate, or open rate? Even though you can monitor each of them, you should focus on one in order to make inferences.

Create two variants of the message.

For comparison, you should draft two different versions of your SMS message. One will act as the challenger, and the other as the control message.

Establish appropriate test parameters.

Make sure your sample size and duration are established before starting your test. Make two equal subscriber segments to ensure accurate findings. Send the challenger SMS to one group and the control SMS to the other so that the outcomes may be compared. Additionally, you should make sure that you are testing it for a sufficient amount of time and on a reasonably large sample.

Best practices for SMS A/B testing

When doing your SMS A/B testing, bear these pointers in mind.

Give your test enough time.

Allow adequate time for your test. Make sure your test is running long enough to give accurate results over a large data set. While there is no set amount of time, you should make sure that enough individuals have had time to respond to your SMS in order to provide reliable data.

When testing the variations, pay attention.

To avoid other variables like timing, you should make sure that you are testing two different versions of the content simultaneously if you are testing multiple versions. Send it at the same time of the day if you're testing for a particular day of the week. This will ensure that time of day isn't a factor. Just one variable at a time is being tested, so keep that in mind.

Monitor in real-time.

Monitoring progress in real-time is key to ensuring your A/B testing is functioning correctly. For instance, to determine whether one version is working better than the other, you can view the number of people who clicked on a link.

Analyzing A/B testing results and implementing insights

Here are some pointers for evaluating SMS A/B test results which will enable you to make the necessary adjustments.

Focus on your key metric.

Despite monitoring a variety of data, keep your north star in mind. For instance, you can end up sending a version that has few click-throughs but more conversions compared to the one that has more click-throughs but fewer conversions.

Determine statistical significance.

Additionally, you should ascertain whether your findings are statistically significant. This entails calculating the likelihood that the change you're observing in the results is the cause of the difference rather than error or chance.

Apply results.

Send the campaign to the rest of your subscriber list after you've decided your results are noteworthy and made the necessary changes to the copy, timing, etc.

Consistently strive for improvement.

The most successful marketers test often and base their choices on evidence. Your company should already be thinking about which factor to test next after finishing one A/B test. This can assist you in focusing on what is particularly effective for your company.

Make A/B testing campaigns a breeze with GirikSMS.

A/B testing powers data-driven campaign optimization. To find out what appeals to your contacts the most, you can do an SMS A/B test.

Use a tool like GirikSMS, a market-leading Salesforce SMS app, to streamline A/B testing for your company. Teams can assess performance and scale with the support of GirikSMS's secure SMS for Salesforce platform. Businesses can use the platform's integrated metrics to monitor outcomes and make well-informed decisions.

Are you eager to learn how GirikSMS can help you maximize your SMS efforts? Contact the GirikSMS team to schedule a demo today.