Social media marketing is one of the most powerful tools a small business owner can use. It’s a great way to reach your target audience and even discover new market opportunities.

Pulling off a successful campaign on platforms like Facebook (Meta) and Instagram isn’t as easy as it seems, even if you’re using paid ads. That’s where A/B testing comes into play, so how does that work?

What is A/B Testing and Why is it Important?

Simply put, A/B testing is when you test two different versions of an ad at the same time. By doing this, you can gather data and learn which approach connects with your audience.

Trying out different approaches may also help you reel in new and unexpected leads. This could include people you may have never thought to target in the first place.

This strategy usually results in actionable data, and constant testing helps you make the most of your ad budget. After all, why risk investing a lot of resources into a single ad if you have no idea how it might perform?

How Does A/B Testing Work on Social Media?

The social media landscape changes rapidly, so even if you find something that works today, it could very easily become irrelevant again in no time. 

On platforms like Facebook and Instagram, A/B testing can be as simple as serving two ads featuring the same image with different captions. 

For example, let’s say that you’re an e-bike dealer in Melbourne with a new product to promote. You could run two ads with very different captions. One could be a funny meme, while the other is more straightforward and highlights the bike’s specs.

From there, define a metric to track, such as engagement or click-through rate. After letting the ads run for a bit, all that’s left is to compare the results.

The Benefits of A/B Testing in Paid Social Advertising

The data you’ve gathered will usually give you important insights into what currently resonates with your audience. Here’s why that matters for your next paid social campaign:

• Allows for more informed optimisation
• Can potentially reveal new audiences to target
• Helps you achieve better results at a lower cost

Let’s take a closer look at how A/B testing can help you make the most of your budget.

Maximising Your Media Spend With A/B Testing

Media or ad spend refers to the amount of budget you’ve allocated for your campaigns. With the help of A/B testing, you can maximise your media spend and boost ROI by focusing your money and efforts on proven strategies.

This is applicable even if you’ve experienced past success that has since stagnated. Remember, social media moves fast, and it never really settles on one trend.

Minimising Wasted Ad Budget

In the same vein, you’ll waste fewer resources since this method helps you identify underperforming ads. 

Going back to our earlier example, say for instance that you’ve been getting a lot of engagement by inserting your new bike in a viral meme and boosting it on social media.

Sure, it’s getting more likes than usual, but are people just pressing the laugh react and moving on? A/B testing could help you pinpoint the issue. 

Maybe your ad just needed a more engaging call-to-action, or you might be targeting too broad of an audience.

What to Test in Your Paid Social Media Campaigns

Now that you have a general idea of how it works, what exactly should you be running through A/B testing anyway? Well, that part is highly dependent on your business, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.

Also, keep in mind that you should only test a single variable at a time for more accurate results. For instance, if you’re going to try two different calls-to-action, make sure that everything else in the ad is the exact same.

Below are a few suggestions that you could try testing in your paid ads:

1. Visuals and Copy
   

   One of the first things you could try to test is the actual media that you’ll be sharing. Using our e-bike example, let’s take a closer look at some options.

   You could try A/B testing by advertising the new bike using a static graphic of the product itself. You can then run this against the same ad copy, but with an image of somebody actually using it on the road instead.

   On that note, the copy itself is another element that you could test. Using the same example, you could try to advertise the bike by flaunting its specs. In the other version, you can switch it up by just saying that it’s road-ready and compliant with local regulations.

2. Audience and Location Targeting

   Most social media platforms provide the means to manually define your target audience based on demographic info or even their location. Using tools like these, you can determine whether casting a wide net or targeting specific groups or neighbourhoods drives better results.

3. Calls-to-Action

   You can also experiment with different calls-to-action or placements for them in your ads. Does putting a “Learn More” button at the bottom of your post drive more clicks than “Buy Now”? Maybe your audience responds better to “reach out today” instead of “contact us now”?

4. How to Start A/B Testing on Social Media

   just hop into social media and start aimlessly changing things. Before you give A/B testing a shot, try to follow these steps first:

   Identify Your Goals
   First of all, you need to define the objectives of your paid social campaigns. Whether it’s attracting more eyes to your brand or funnelling people to your digital storefront, you’ll need to set a concrete goal before you can start testing.
   
   Choose an Element to Test

   Once you have a goal in mind, it’s time to choose what element of your ads to make variations of. Again, focus on a single element at a time for the best results.

   If you’ve already tried paid ads in the past, their results can help you determine what may or may not work. Look for any patterns in your previous campaigns and build off of that.
   
   Let the Campaign Run and Gather Data
   When your variations are ready to post, start setting up your ad campaigns. It should go without saying, but make sure to set the same budget for both before you launch them.

   Once your paid ads are live, just leave them be for a while. It takes a week or two to produce any significant results, and making a hasty conclusion could work against you.
   
   Analyse the Results to Find the Winning Formula
   After the campaigns have run their course, all that’s left for you to do is to compare their results.

   Did one campaign perform exceptionally well compared to the other? Good. Take note of what you changed and use that knowledge to optimise your next social campaign.

   If the results were inconclusive, it’s not the end of the world. Not all A/B tests will end with a clear winner, and that’s completely normal. You can always take a step back and test another variation or re-evaluate your goals.

Final Thoughts: Smart A/B Testing Can Lead to Better Social Results

To sum it all up, A/B testing is a great tool for finding the best way to reach your audience on social media. With a clear goal in mind, even an inconclusive result can provide helpful insights that can guide your paid social media campaigns.

If you’re a small business looking to improve your reach on social media, A/B testing may be your key to success.

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