Test "Creative" and "Offers" Prior to Roll-Out

The words, graphics, and photos used in your email are known as the "Creative."

The incentive for taking action is known as the "Offer." For instance, if you're trying to encourage your email subscribers to order an advocacy bumper sticker for their car, your offer might be, "As a thank you for ordering the bumper sticker, you will also receive...

This raises the question: "Which offer would motivate the highest bumper-sticker order rate? Rather than guess, the best tactic is to test each offer with a small (but statistically-valid) sample of your mailing list. Then, roll-out the best performing offer to the remainder of your email list.

The same principle applies to testing alternative creative approaches prior to roll-out.