If you’re sending outbound messages—emails, texts, push notifications—guesswork gets expensive fast. That’s why you’re thinking about A/B testing. This guide is for folks who want to set up real experiments in Drippi, make sense of the results, and actually learn something useful. If you’re looking for fluff or magic “hacks,” you’re in the wrong place. Let’s get to it.
Why Bother With A/B Testing in Outbound Messaging?
Here’s the thing: most of what “works” in messaging is highly specific to your audience, your product, and your timing. Copy-pasting “best practices” from blogs or competitors is a good way to waste time or, worse, annoy your users. A/B testing is about getting your data so you can make your decisions, not relying on someone else’s guesses.
Drippi makes it easy to run these tests inside your outbound campaigns. But “easy” doesn’t mean “foolproof.” Tools help, but only if you use them right.
Step 1: Get Clear on What You’re Testing—And Why
Don’t just test for the sake of testing. Before you even log in to Drippi, ask yourself:
- What’s the goal? More clicks? More replies? Fewer unsubscribes?
- What’s the one thing you want to change? Subject line? Message body? Send time?
- Is the change big enough to matter? Testing two nearly identical subject lines is a waste unless you’re sending millions of messages.
Pro tip: Write down your hypothesis. “Changing the subject line to include the recipient’s first name will increase open rates by at least 10%.” If you can’t write a sentence like that, you’re not ready to test.
Step 2: Set Up Your A/B Test in Drippi
Once you know what you’re after, setting up a test in Drippi is pretty straightforward:
1. Create a New Campaign
- Log in and go to “Outbound Campaigns.”
- Click “Create Campaign.” Pick your message type (email, SMS, etc.).
- Name your campaign something clear—like “Welcome Email Subject Line Test”—so you’ll actually remember it later.
2. Define Your Audience
- Choose who will get these messages. If you’re testing something important, use a segment that matters (e.g., new users in the last 30 days).
- Don’t test on your whole list, unless you’re confident. Start smaller if you’re not sure.
3. Add Your Variations
- Drippi calls these “Variants.”
- Version A: Your current message (the “control”).
- Version B: The new version you want to try.
- You can add more variants (“multivariate” testing), but unless you have a lot of users, stick to A vs. B.
What to test:
- Subject lines—make them meaningfully different.
- Call to action (button wording, link placement).
- Message body—keep it short vs. long, formal vs. casual.
4. Set the Split
- Drippi defaults to a 50/50 split, which is fine for most cases.
- If you have a small audience, consider a 70/30 split (more users see the control) to reduce risk.
5. Schedule and Launch
- You can send immediately or schedule for later.
- Double-check everything—wrong segments or typos mean bad data.
- Hit “Start Test.”
Step 3: Let It Run (No Peeking)
Here’s where most people screw up: they peek at early results and declare a winner after 50 opens. Don’t do this.
- Give it enough time. A week is good for most outbound campaigns, unless you have a giant audience.
- Don’t call it early. Early results bounce around. Let the data settle.
- Don’t “optimize” mid-test. Changing variants halfway through means your results are junk.
If you’re worried about performance (e.g., a test variant is tanking open rates), pause the test. Don’t just swap in new copy and keep going.
Step 4: Analyze the Results (Without Fooling Yourself)
This part isn’t complicated, but it’s easy to overthink. Here’s what to look for in Drippi’s reporting:
1. Key Metrics
- Open Rate: Did more people actually open Variant B?
- Click Rate: Did more people click your link or button?
- Reply/Conversion Rate: Did you get more of what you actually wanted?
- Unsubscribes/Spam Reports: If one version annoyed people, take note.
2. Statistical Significance (But Don’t Obsess)
Drippi will show you if the difference is “statistically significant.” This is good, but don’t let math jargon distract you:
- If you have thousands of results and see a big difference, you’re probably safe.
- If your test was tiny (a few hundred sends), treat the result as a hint—not gospel.
- Ignore decimal differences. A 0.2% increase in open rate is probably noise unless you’re sending at huge scale.
Honest take: If your results are “not significant,” that’s a result too. It means your change didn’t matter—or your sample was too small.
3. Look for Surprises
Sometimes the “loser” variant reveals something unexpected. Maybe a shorter message didn’t work, but replies shot up. Screenshot your results (Drippi lets you export reports) so you can revisit later.
Step 5: Decide What to Do Next
This is where people stall out:
- If there’s a clear winner, roll it out to your full audience.
- If there’s no difference, try a bigger change next time. Tiny tweaks rarely move the needle.
- If performance tanked, revert to the control and figure out what went wrong.
Don’t just declare victory and move on. Keep notes. What did you learn? What will you try next? The point isn’t to get a “win” every time—it’s to build up real-world knowledge.
What Actually Works—and What to Ignore
Works: - Testing meaningful changes (big swings, not tiny tweaks). - Running tests long enough to get real data. - Looking at outcomes that matter (conversions, not just opens).
Doesn’t Work: - Getting clever with too many variants. You’ll dilute your results. - Stopping early because you “feel” like you have a winner. - Obsessing over minor open rate changes—unless you’re Amazon, it won’t move the needle.
Ignore: - “Best practices” that don’t fit your audience. - Fancy AI subject line generators (unless you want to test them, too). - Anyone promising “triple your conversion overnight.”
Quick FAQ
How big does my audience need to be?
If you’re under 500 recipients per variant, results will be fuzzy. Under 100—don’t bother.
Can I test more than two variants?
Technically, yes. Realistically, stick to A/B unless you have thousands of users.
Can I reuse an old test?
Probably not. Audiences change, timing changes, everything changes. Treat each test as a fresh experiment.
Keep It Simple, Ship, and Repeat
A/B testing in Drippi isn’t rocket science, but it does take discipline. Don’t overcomplicate it. Focus on big, clear changes. Let the test run. Learn from your failures as much as your wins. Then do it again. The best teams aren’t the ones with the fanciest tools—they’re the ones who keep testing, keep learning, and keep it real.