What is Split Testing?
Often we hear the term ‘split testing’ thrown around and we have found that most people do not know what they are doing and why they are doing it. Split testing, also known as variant or A/B testing, is simply testing different things or variables in the same condition or environment and then seeing which one performs better. Simples?!
Now that you know what split testing actually means, the next question is WHEN should you be split testing?
You may be tempted to split test everything but you have to keep in mind that split testing is a numbers game. If you don’t have the numbers, it won’t work. You should only split test when you have the volume that warrants it.
What does this actually mean? It means that you should hold your horses and avoid testing 20 different landing page variations if your landing page isn’t getting more than 100 clicks per day. Another benchmark is ad expenditure. If you are spending $100-500 on ads per day, then that would warrant split testing. If you are spending $20 a day on ads and you have one landing page that gets 10 clicks a day, you should NOT be split testing as you won’t have enough traffic to provide significant data. Split testing works when you have the data to warrant the tests.
So HOW do you actually split test?
Just like in our NOC Method (if you have been following us for a while, you should know what this stands for?), when it comes to split testing you should start with your audience. Ask yourself if you are using the following:
- Lookalike audiences
- Facebook’s Inclusion and Exclusion Targeting
If you are not using either one or both, we highly recommend you start doing so asap! Facebook’s lookalike audience feature enables you to find Facebook users that are extremely similar to individuals from your already existing database (how good is that?!!). Inclusion and exclusion targeting allows you to get really specific in terms of who you want to view your ad. This is particularly helpful if you have different audiences as you can group them into buckets and really refine their characteristics. When split testing your audience, another useful tip is separating males and females. Try to make a landing page specifically edited for each gender and then compare the results.
In the long run, split testing your audience first will make your life so much easier when you have to move on to the next step, split testing your ads. Speaking from experience, the easiest and fastest way to split test your ads is to test Image vs. Video. This simply means leaving your copy and headline intact, but trying out a still image then a video and seeing what works better.
Before you move on to split testing the copy, you should split test your placement! This would involve comparing how your ads perform based on where they are placed. Ads can be placed on Instagram stories or Instagram feeds, Facebook’s right column, newsfeed, or messenger. Once you are done with all the previous split testing then you can finally move onto split testing your landing page and its elements, such as the copy and headlines.
So in summary, if you are thinking of split testing you have to look at where you’re currently standing in terms of traffic and ad budget. Once you have figured out if should be split testing, you should then stick to the following process:
Step 1: Split test your Audience
Step 2: Split test your Image vs Video
Step 3: Split test your Placement
Step 4: Split test your Landing Page
If you’re split testing and your ads still seem to not be providing the results you wanted then don’t hesitate to message us! We’re always happy to help as usual. 🙂