If you’re sending LinkedIn messages for sales or recruiting, you know the drill: most people ignore you. The difference between “sure, let’s chat” and “delete” often comes down to the details in your message. That’s where testing comes in. If you’re using Zopto, you’ve probably noticed it offers A/B testing for your outreach templates—but what does that actually mean, and how can you use it without wasting time on pointless tweaks?
This guide is for anyone who wants to stop guessing and start improving: sales reps, recruiters, founders, and anyone else sending cold LinkedIn messages. No fluff, just the nuts and bolts of running real A/B tests in Zopto, figuring out what’s worth testing, and actually getting better results.
Why Bother With A/B Testing Your LinkedIn Templates?
Let’s be honest: most LinkedIn outreach is ignored or deleted because it’s generic, too long, or just feels like spam. You might think your message is great, but you’re not your prospect. A/B testing is the only way to know what actually works—no more “I have a good feeling about this one.”
What you get from A/B testing:
- Real data on what works. No more guessing.
- Better reply and connection rates. Even a small improvement adds up.
- Faster learning. Stop spinning your wheels on bad templates.
But don’t expect miracles. A/B testing won’t turn a terrible offer into a great one, and it can be a waste if you’re testing things that don’t matter. The trick is to focus on changes that actually move the needle.
Step 1: Get Set Up in Zopto
First things first—Zopto isn’t magic. It’s a tool that helps you automate and test LinkedIn outreach. Here’s what you need to do before running A/B tests:
- Connect your LinkedIn account. Make sure Zopto is properly synced.
- Define your target audience. Garbage in, garbage out. Upload a quality list or set smart LinkedIn filters.
- Create your campaign. Give it a name and basic settings.
Pro tip: Only test with audiences you actually care about. Don’t waste effort A/B testing on people who’d never reply anyway.
Step 2: Decide What to Test (and What to Ignore)
Here’s where most people get it wrong. They test stuff like “Hi John,” vs. “Hello John,” and act surprised when nothing changes. Focus on things that matter:
Worth testing: - The core value prop (what’s in it for them) - Subject line or intro hook - Message length (short vs. detailed) - Personalization (generic vs. tailored) - Call to action (coffee chat vs. quick call)
Don’t bother testing (at first): - Emojis or smileys - Tiny wording tweaks - Overly complex personalization (unless you have the data)
Keep it simple: Test one thing at a time, or you’ll never know what actually caused the result.
Step 3: Set Up Your A/B Test in Zopto
Zopto lets you create different versions of your outreach templates and splits your audience automatically. Here’s how to do it:
- Inside your campaign, go to the Message Sequences section.
- Add your first template (A). This is your current or “control” message.
- Add your second template (B). This is the new version you want to test.
You can usually add more than two (A/B/C), but don’t get greedy—stick to two at first.
Example:
- Template A: Short, direct ask for a call.
- Template B: Slightly longer, focuses on mutual interests.
Zopto will assign each template to a random chunk of your audience and track the results for you.
Step 4: Launch and Let It Run
Here’s the hard part: don’t touch anything. Let the test run until you have enough data to trust the results. If you only send 20 messages, you’re not testing—you’re flipping a coin.
How long should you run it? - At least a few hundred messages per variant, if possible. - If your audience is small, run the test for a week or two.
What to watch for: - Connection acceptance rates - Reply rates (the big one) - Quality of replies (not just quantity)
Don’t panic: Early results can be noisy. Resist the urge to declare a winner after a day.
Step 5: Review Results Honestly
Go to your Zopto dashboard and look at the stats. You’ll see which template got more replies, connections, or whatever you care about.
- If there’s a clear winner: Great—use it as your new control.
- If it’s basically a tie: That’s useful info! Maybe the thing you tested didn’t matter.
- If both stink: Time to rethink your offer or target audience, not just your wording.
Look beyond just “who won.” Sometimes a template gets fewer replies but much better-quality responses. Dig into the actual messages you get back.
Step 6: Iterate (But Don’t Overdo It)
A/B testing is a process, not a one-time thing. Once you find a winner, test it against a new challenger. But don’t fall into the trap of endless, tiny tweaks.
What actually works (in my experience): - Focus on the why—what problem are you solving for the person you’re messaging? - Keep messages short and to the point. - Personalization helps, but only if you can do it at scale. - Your offer matters more than your phrasing.
What doesn’t: - Overly clever intros (“Saw you like coffee, me too!”) - Gimmicks or fake urgency - Testing for testing’s sake
Pro Tips and Common Pitfalls
- Don’t mix up your audience. If you test two templates on totally different segments, your results will be useless.
- Don’t test too many things at once. You’ll never know what actually made the difference.
- Document what you tested. It’s easy to forget what “Template A” was a month later.
- Look for patterns. If “short and direct” keeps winning, maybe that’s your style.
- Don’t expect magic. A/B testing is about small wins over time, not overnight breakthroughs.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Keep Learning
You don’t need to be a stats nerd to use Zopto’s A/B testing for LinkedIn outreach, but you do need to be methodical. Test the stuff that matters, ignore the noise, and don’t get cute. Most importantly, keep iterating—what works this month might flop next quarter.
Start with one solid test. Learn from it. Repeat. That’s how you get ahead, one useful tweak at a time.