Why AB Testing Is Critical for Any Startup’s Marketing Campaign

AB testing is one of the most important parts of any marketing campaign, especially for startups.

Marketing a startup is particularly tricky. Because you’re a new brand, you won’t have a strong reputation or a reliable customer base to start out with. Because you’re forging ahead in new territory or in an emerging industry, you don’t have a lot of data to work with or historical information to rely on for your assumptions. And because you’re probably hungry for revenue and strapped for cash, you don’t have many resources to invest into your marketing campaign.

In response, many startups elect to take one of two paths. The first is to abandon a marketing strategy all together—this is usually the route chosen by the entrepreneur who believes that marketing is an ancillary strategy. Unfortunately, this path often does more harm than good. Not investing in marketing can save you cash in the short term, but it also restricts your potential revenue growth in the long term. The second path is to plunge into marketing head first, without much of a game plan or tactical approach. I shouldn’t have to tell you why this is a bad idea too.

Where AB Testing Comes In

AB testing can be applied to virtually any marketing strategy, from Google PPC ads to social media marketing. Essentially, you’ll be creating two versions of the same ad (or two variations to the same strategy), then running them against each other in a live environment. One will inevitably outperform the other, and you’ll be able to use the experience to learn about the values, behaviors, and qualities of your target audience.

AB testing is perfect for startups:

It’s cheap, so you don’t have to worry about investing in expensive technology or burdensome resources.
It’s simple, so you can run it on the fly without spending much extra time.
It gives you data in real time, which is a precious commodity for emerging startups.
It increases the ROI of your campaign, provided you learn from your data and apply it properly.

If you’re concerned about starting a marketing campaign or you feel uncertain about the potential ROI of your approach—try AB testing. It can save you a lot of headaches and maximize your chances of success.

About the Author

Jose Vasquez is a serial entrepreneur and tech specialist dedicated to helping startup tech companies grow and succeed. As the founder of Build. Brand. Blast., Jose has worked with dozens of enterprises to find direction, gain momentum, and achieve results.