Overview
A/B tests allow you to create multiple versions of an email template in a sequence step to determine which message resonates more with prospects. With more than one email template, you can refine messaging and communication over time to book more meetings and close more deals.
Did you know? The more A/B tests a sequence has, the better for your sender reputation and deliverability score. Varied messages tend to indicate authenticity instead of spam. For more deliverability tips, check out Apollo's email deliverability checklist.
Check out the following sections to use A/B tests in a sequence.
Use an A/B Test in a Sequence
Access to A/B tests depends on your Apollo plan. If you need to use A/B tests, upgrade your plan. If you have questions about upgrading, reach out to the Apollo sales team.
First, create a sequence or use an existing sequence.
To add an A/B test:
- Launch Apollo and click Sequences.
- Select a sequence.
- Add an automatic or manual email step, then click Add test on the email step you want to test.
You can only A/B test email steps. It isn't possible to A/B test other sequence steps or an entire sequence flow.
- Apollo creates a new email with no subject or body.
- Edit the email template or use the AI writing assistant to generate content.
To effectively identify what is and isn't working at speed and scale, begin by A/B testing wildly different email templates. Then iterate on the templates of the best-performing messages by A/B testing more specific variables like individual subject lines or body text. Learn more in lesson 5 of Apollo's master class on building a world-class outbound program.
- When finished, toggle the email on, and click Save changes.
Apollo evenly distributes each message variant in the A/B test to different contacts in the sequence step.
You can repeat this process for additional emails and sequence steps.
If you use A/B tests in multiple sequence steps, Apollo randomly distributes message variants in each sequence step. If a contact receives version A in step 1, it doesn't necessarily mean they'll receive version A in step 2. You can't assign specific message variants to specific contacts in each step.
Over time, observe the delivery data Apollo collects for each email. When you've collected enough data, you can determine the best-performing messages and deactivate underperforming content.
In general, higher performing content will have higher delivery and interested rates, and lower spam blocked and opt out rates.
Rather than A/B test an arbitrary number like 100 or 200 delivered messages, optimize by testing an amount that is statistically significant. Online calculators can help determine statistical significance. Then, only determine an A/B test winner if you have a 90% or greater confidence interval. Learn more in lesson 5 of the Build a World Class Outbound Program master class.
Next Steps
Ready to level up your sequence testing? Check out these resources to take your A/B tests even further.
| Sequences Overview | Get to know sequences on Apollo and how to build a multichannel outreach campaign. |
|---|---|
| How to Improve Email Deliverability with Apollo | Use A/B tests in sequences to experiment with subject lines and content to boost your engagement and protect your sender reputation. |
| Use Sample Outbound Email Templates | Looking for outbound inspiration? Check out these sample outbound email templates to help you craft dynamic messages that resonate with each prospect. |
| How to Run Multichannel Outreach Sequences | Learn how to implement multichannel outreach that combines email, calls, and social touches that maximize your response rates. |
| Running Multichannel Outreach | Read Chapter 6 of Apollo's book Outbound Sales to discover sequence secrets like how to build sequences by tier and how to measure success over time. |