Testing email approaches before fall rush

Most of the time when we say we've tested our messaging, what we mean is we ran it by the team and everyone thought it sounded good. That's not testing. That's internal consensus. And internal consensus is one of the least reliable signals about whether a message will land with the people it's meant for. Everyone in that room already knows your work, cares about your mission, and is reading with context that your actual audience doesn't have. Of course it sounds good to them. The good news is that real testing doesn't require a research budget or a lot of extra time. It just requires getting signal from outside the building before you commit at scale. Here are four ways to do it: 1. The five second test. Show someone your key message for five seconds and then take it away. Ask them what they remember and what they thought it was about. If what they say back doesn't match your intention, the message isn't doing its job yet. Fast, free, and genuinely useful. 2. The explain it back test. Share a draft with two or three people who are like your intended audience but aren't connected to your organization. Ask them to tell you in their own words what you're saying and what you're asking them to do. The places where their version diverges from yours are your editing notes, handed to you for free. 3. The small send test. If you're sending an email campaign, send two versions to a small segment of your list before sending to everyone. Different subject lines, different opening paragraphs, different calls to action. The response rates will tell you what's working before you've committed to the full send. 4. The discomfort test. Share a draft with someone who has permission to push back. Not to approve it. To tell you what's missing, what feels off, what question it leaves unanswered. That conversation is uncomfortable and almost always worth having. The organizations that communicate well aren't necessarily smarter about messaging. They're just more willing to find out when something isn't working before it costs them. That's a habit anyone can build.

I'm a firm believer that Q4 scaling starts well before Q4. Here's why. We’ve had calls where a brand approaches us and wants to “get aggressive for Black Friday,” but when we take a closer look, we find that their foundations haven’t been built. Common issues include an undersized email list, a welcome flow focused only on discounts and thank-yous, untested creative assets, and a Meta pixel missing key events. Although the offer may seem strong, shipping, discounts, and customer acquisition costs can quickly erode margins. These issues cannot be resolved during Black Friday week. Q4 performance reflects the preparation completed earlier in the year. The list built in June and July becomes your monetizable audience in November. Creative tests in August inform scalable strategies as CPMs increase. Optimized flows established before peak season help capture subscribers, browsers, cart abandoners, and first-time buyers when traffic peaks. The same principle applies to offers. Q4 is not the time to discover that your best-selling product does not support acquisition economics. While a low-ticket SKU may convert, a bundle, starter kit, or free-shipping threshold often delivers a healthier first order. These strategies should be tested before peak market activity. Accurate tracking is also essential. Effective abandoned cart and checkout retargeting requires a pixel that has been active for some time, allowing audiences to populate and the platform to receive reliable data. This is why the quiet months matter. These months should be used to build your list, test messaging, improve the website, refine tracking, model offers, review flows, and address weaknesses before increased volume exposes them. By the time Q4 starts, the brand should not be trying to build the machine. It should be ready to execute.

We generated $55M testing email campaigns for clients. Not guessing, not copying templates, actually testing what drives revenue. CTA LANGUAGE Three approaches work. Straightforward ("Shop the Sale"), humor-based ("Treat Mom - She Deserves It"), emotional ("Experience It for Yourself"). Run 3 variations at once across different segments. Track click-through AND conversion. CTA BUTTON DESIGN Shape, color, size, and placement all impact conversion. Brand colors vs high-contrast colors, large prominent buttons vs subtle inline vs multiple CTAs vs single focused. HERO IMAGES Static product shot for ecommerce. Looping GIF for lifestyle brands. Lifestyle imagery for aspirational brands. Cozy/organic for wellness brands. Glossy close-up for tech and luxury. SUBJECT LINES Emoji at beginning grabs attention, at end adds subtle emphasis, none feels professional. Short (3-5 words) vs medium (6-10 words) vs longer & personal (10+ words). PRICING DISPLAY Upfront pricing for premium products. No pricing for complex products. Range pricing for service businesses. "Starting at $99" anchors low, "Only $299" emphasizes value, "$399 $299" shows savings, "3 payments of $99" reduces barrier. REVIEWS Video testimonials drive highest trust and engagement. Text + photo drives high trust and engagement. Star ratings drive medium trust and engagement. FLOW TIMING Abandoned cart at 24 hours often performs best. People need time to process. Product-specific messaging outperforms generic messaging significantly. TESTING RESULTS Customer reviews add +23% conversion. Benefit-focused copy adds +31% conversion vs feature-focused. Strong urgency adds +18% conversion vs subtle scarcity. POP-UPS Free shipping wins on long-term value with 9.8% conversion and no AOV impact. Revenue per email is the only metric that actually matters. Everything else is just a signal. Test relentlessly, track what drives revenue, scale what works.

"Our old email agency didn't test anything." This statement costs DTC brands thousands every month. But the opposite approach is just as costly. Most agencies fall into two traps: → Testing NOTHING (leaving money on the table) → Testing EVERYTHING (wasting resources on low-impact changes) Here's the data-backed A/B testing framework we use to generate more revenue for our DTC clients: 1. Popup & Welcome Flow (Highest ROI) → Test offer first (% discount vs $ off vs free gift) → Then test content angles → Finally, optimize timing (95% convert within 48 hours) 2. Abandonment Flows → Start with email #1 timing (minutes vs hours) → Then test offer strategy → Last, test content that addresses specific FUDs 3. Post-Purchase Sequences → First-time vs repeat buyers need different approaches → Test immediate vs delayed upsell timing → Then optimize offer type for each segment 4. Everything Else (Lowest ROI) → Only focus here after mastering the above → Sunset flows, winbacks, etc. rarely move the needle → Be extremely selective with testing resources The dirty secret? 20% of your tests will drive 80% of your revenue gains. The best retention marketers know exactly which 20% to focus on.

A single cold email test just helped us close a $300K enterprise deal. Here's the exact framework 👇 Most founders do this backwards... They spend $50K on LinkedIn ads with messaging they've never tested. Then wonder why their CAC is through the roof and their pipeline is empty. We did the opposite. THE FRAMEWORK: Step 1: Skip the "spray and pray" approach. Instead of burning cash on unproven messaging, we started with the fastest validation method possible: cold outbound. Step 2: Launch 6 competing campaigns simultaneously - Same exact audience - 6 completely different messaging angles - Little personalization (we wanted pure message testing before we go into personalization) Clear, concise copy only Step 3: Let the data decide the winner One campaign clearly stood out from the pack: → Higher reply rates → More demos booked → Better engagement overall We had our winner. Step 4: Validate it wasn't a fluke We re-ran the winning message to the same audience. Results? Consistent performance. That's when we knew we had message-market fit. Step 5: Scale the proven winner We took that exact messaging and adapted it for LinkedIn ABM ads. The result? $300K deal TAKEAWAY: Most founders waste months and tens of thousands testing messaging on expensive channels. Smart founders test messaging with cold outbound first. I believe cold outbound is still one of the best and fastest ways to test your one-on-one messaging. (IF THEY HAVE THE PATIENCE) Once you find what resonates, THEN you scale it across every channel with confidence. The reality? Message-market fit is everything. Get it right upfront, and every dollar you spend after becomes 10x more effective.

Cold email is a black box channel. After you press "Send", you either get a bounce or a reply, but you can't be sure about what happens in between. (even if you track opens – tons of false positives) That's why, even though "lab" tests aren't always accurate, you should test your emails to help diagnose potential issues. There are three types of testing: 1. Testing your cold email setup, including email blocklist checks, validating your email authentication protocols, and your sender reputation. These are the foundations of your deliverability. (MxToolBox is awesome if you want to check your SPF/DKIM/DMARC, it can check and monitor blocklists, and more. As for sender reputation – Google Postmaster Tools if your sending volume is high enough. You can also try SenderScore) 🚨Side tip: Run these checks before you buy a domain if you plan to use it to send emails. 2. Analyzing the copy of your email to spot and remove any potentially spam-related words and phrases. While it's very rudimentary in the age of AI, it can highlight quick improvements you may have overlooked. (Hunter Campaigns has a built-in spam checker, so do many other tools) 3. Inbox placement tests: Sending test emails to specialized inboxes set up with various email providers to analyze if your emails bounce, land in spam or promotions, or the primary inbox. These tests don't 100% reflect sending to actual recipients, but they can definitely be helpful if you suspect your deliverability took a hit. (I recommend GlockApps)

5 reasons why continuous testing is non-negotiable in cold email: #1 - Spam filters are getting smarter: What slipped through yesterday might get caught tomorrow. You need to be constantly tweaking to stay ahead of the algorithms. #2 - Prospect behavior changes: Maybe everyone's sick of "quick question" subject lines this week. Maybe "Saw you on LinkedIn" is the new hot opener. You won't know unless you're testing. #3 - Market conditions shift: Economic changes, industry trends, global events - they all impact how receptive prospects are to different messages. Your campaigns need to evolve with the times. #4 - Your competition is innovating: If you're standing still, you're moving backwards. Your competitors are testing new approaches. Are you? #5 - New tools and technologies emerge: AI, automation, new data sources - the toolset for cold email is constantly expanding. Are you leveraging them? But most people suck at testing. They change five things at once and have no idea what actually moved the needle. Here's how to do it right: - Test one element at a time: Subject line, opening line, CTA - pick one and test it. Otherwise, you won't know what's actually working. - Use statistically significant sample sizes: Don't make decisions based on 10 emails. You need enough data to draw real conclusions. - Track everything: Open rates, click rates, response rates, meeting booked rates - the more data you have, the better decisions you can make. - Be patient: Good testing takes time. Don't expect overnight miracles. Give each test enough runway to show real results. - Learn from failures: A failed test isn't a waste - it's valuable data. Use it to inform your next iteration. Testing is time-consuming, tedious, and it is EASY to feel like you're not making progress. But in the world of cold email, if you're not testing, you're dying. Your competitors are out there right now, tweaking, refining, and improving their campaigns. Are you going to keep sending the same stale emails and wonder why your results are tanking? Or are you going to roll up your sleeves and start testing? Adapt or die.

I A/B tested 247 different onboarding email approaches. I used to send 23 onboarding emails per user. Now I send 7. Here's the breakdown: EMAIL 1: The "Impossible Promise" Email** Subject: "Get results in [X] minutes or I'll refund you personally" Don't welcome them. SHOCK them. I tested 47 different first emails. This beat everything by 600%. The secret? Promise something that sounds impossible but deliver it immediately. EMAIL 2: The "Holy Shit" Moment" Sent [X] minutes after [Email/Action] 1. "Here's proof you just saved $2,400" Show them their exact savings. Dollar amount. Time saved. Be stupidly specific. This email has a 89% open rate because people can't believe what just happened. EMAIL 3: The "Objection Annihilator" Day 2. Here's where I broke every rule. "Why this will never work for you (and why that's perfect)" I literally told people why my product would fail for them. Conversions doubled overnight. EMAIL 4: The "Competitor Confession" Day 4. This one made my team panic. "Why [Competitor] is probably better for you" I compared myself to competitors and recommended them for specific use cases. Trust went through the roof. Upgrades followed. EMAIL 5: The "Failure Autopsy" Day 7. This email shouldn't work but destroys everything else. "Here's how 67% of users accidentally sabotage themselves" Teaching failure prevention beats teaching success by 10x. Why? Because people are terrified of screwing up. EMAIL 6: The "Secret Society" Day 14. The psychology here is dirty. "You're now in the top 5% (here's your proof)" I show them their ranking vs other users with specific metrics. Creates instant addiction to checking their progress. EMAIL 7: The "Forbidden Fruit" Day 21. The final trap. "The advanced stuff we don't advertise" I reveal "hidden" features that aren't actually hidden. Makes them feel like insiders getting secret access. The insight that broke my brain: Users don't want to use your product. They want their problem to disappear. Every email focused on problem elimination vs product education got 1,847% better results. The biggest mistake I made for 3 years? Trying to teach people my product instead of solving their problem. Your onboarding sequence should feel like magic, not homework. Most founders are building email courses. Stop asking "How do I explain my product?" Start asking "How do I change their life?"

I talk to 5-10 agency owners per week about client acquisition. >50% of them keep messing up the same thing: Cold email has gotten harder to crack. Most agencies are just blasting out their best email templates and hoping a couple land. But the truth about cold email is that you need to stack the odds in your favor. The No. 1 thing you can do to increase your odds of booking meetings: Constantly test new ways to present your offer. Here’s the testing framework: 1) Core Offer Angles You need to have a rock-solid offer in place for cold email to work. But, once that offer is dialed, you need to test the best way to present it: → Problem based (Do you struggle with X?) → Outcome based (We’ll book you 20+ demos) → System based (We’ll build your sales engine) You don’t know what your market responds best to until you TEST. 2) Pattern interrupts Simply put: your prospects are busy. Your job is to break their autopilot “Delete” reflex. Experiment with different subject lines, CTAs, etc. SUBJECT LINE EXAMPLES → thoughts, {{first_name}}? → question for {{first_name}} → {{service}} question CTA EXAMPLES → Interested? → Thoughts? → Are you open to hearing more? 3) Market Feedback Loop In order to APPLY the data you collect from testing, you must: → Track responses → Double down on what works (SL, CTA, angle) → Ruthlessly cut what doesn’t Test multiple angles at once, and pay close attention to the winners. THIS is how you successfully run a cold email campaign. The “best cold email template” could CRUSH for your competitor and bomb for you. Your perfect client might hate your current pitch, but would love a different angle on the same offer. Don’t let good prospects slip away. Test like your business depends on it… because it probably does.

Everyone tests their subject lines. But it's just one of many email marketing components you should be testing regularly. I've spent years optimizing email campaigns, and I've learned that the little details matter more than you think. Here are 6 key elements to test consistently: → Subject lines (obviously) → Preheaders → Sender name and email → Number and styling of links → CTA placement and wording → Images and colors If you're A/B testing subject lines – great! You're off to a good start. But stopping there would be a huge mistake. Your preheader can be the difference between an open and an archive/delete. Who the email is from matters too –– people are more likely to open emails from individuals than generic company accounts. And once they open? The number and placement of links, your CTA, and even the colors you use can all impact click-through rates. BOTTOM LINE: If you want to get more people from "email received" to "bought your thing," you need to be testing and optimizing every step of that experience. I've seen seemingly small tweaks lead to massive improvements in engagement and conversions. For example, one client saw a 21% increase in clicks just by changing their CTA button from green to red. (Shoutout to my high school art teacher for introducing me to color psychology!) The key is to test methodically and track your results over time. Don't just guess at what works - use data to drive your decisions. And remember: what works for one audience may not work for another. That's why we call it testing, not "blindly applying so-called best practices." It takes more work, but it's the best way to truly understand how your campaigns are performing and find the approach that gets the best results for YOUR business. Email marketing is both an art and a science, but everyone seems to focus on the art and ignore the science. Don't be afraid to put on your lab coat and test relentlessly for 3-6 months to see if it moves the needle for your marketing. I have a feeling it will become a pillar of your email marketing strategy.