1. Set your goal: Boost response? Reduce costs? Increase net revenue?
2. Test ONLY one element at a time
- Creative
- 4-pg. vs. 2-pg.
- Lift note
- Premiums (higher resp. rate, lower average gift, less loyalty)
- Personalization
- BRE vs. CRE
- Lists (if acquisition)
- Ask strings: most recent vs. largest gift; ascending vs. descending; number of asks
- Live stamp vs. indicia
3. Test to save costs:
- 4/color vs. 2/color
- Offset vs. coated stock
4. Nth the file for split tests (a necessary expense)
5. Should be meaningful: NOT the tilt of a stamp.
6. Results must be statistically significant: file must be large enough to be worth the test.
7. None of us has a crystal ball and results can differ from one organization to the next—this is why we test!
