Facebook A/B Testing is the process of changing different variables of an ad campaign and sharing with a similar audience to gauge which is more successful.
Facebook A/B Testing: Everything You Need to Know
Facebook A/B testing is one of the best ways for businesses to optimize their marketing endeavors. It’s a central component of any successful paid social strategy, yet many businesses don’t know where to start. Here, we give you a complete breakdown.
What is A/B Testing on Facebook?
In digital marketing, A/B testing is the process of showing two different versions of a website element to different segments of consumers at the same time. Then, you compare each version’s success rate at any given metric (time spent, conversion, engagement, etc).
On Facebook, A/B testing follows a similar format. It is focused on changing different variables of your campaign in order to gauge success. You can test various ad creatives, such as headlines, calls to action, images, or a combination of them all. You also have the ability to choose different target audiences and alter ad placement in order to determine which specific ad type is best for your campaign.
Why is Facebook A/B Testing Important?
Facebook A/B testing is one of the best ways to guide your decision-making process. Here’s why:
- You aren’t working blindly. Without A/B testing, businesses are making key campaign decisions without knowing which type of ad is optimized for success. A/B testing shines a guiding light on which choices are best for each ad element.
- Ease of analysis. A/B testing makes it quick and straightforward to determine which variation of your ad performed better. This means you can easily make the right changes, and test again to iterate your success.
- Increase in metrics. You choose the ad elements that produce results. That’s the primary goal of any social campaign, right? With A/B testing, you’ll be able to test different ad formats and commit to the ones that yield more engagement, more conversion, and promote your business best.
How to Run A/B Testing
Using the Toolbar
When you enter the Facebook Ads Manager, find the “Campaigns” tab. Under that tab, you’ll see an option for A/B testing. Then, you’ll want to select which campaign you’d like to test.
After that, you will be directed to select which variable you’d like to experiment with. You can play with the audience, UX elements, placements, and many more variables.
Once you’ve chosen your test type, your experiment is ready to begin! You can check the status of your test in the Ads Manager, and also select how long you’d like the test to run for.
Using Duplication
With this option, you can test two nearly identical ad campaigns with one variable changed. Keep in mind that this is for existing ad campaigns only.
First, you’ll want to navigate to the “Campaigns” tab in the Ads Manager. Here, you can select which ad you’d like to use for duplication. Once you select the ad, you’ll see the “duplicate” option. Choose “Create a Duplicate to A/B Test.”
Next, you’ll need to select a variable to change. Facebook will offer a list of recommended variables to choose from. You can then proceed with the test.
Facebook A/B Testing Best Practices
When A/B testing on Facebook, there are some ways that you can increase your chances of success. Consider these best practices:
- Use tracking spreadsheets- The best tracking can be done by analyzing results in Ads Manager. You should have your KPIs in place and a budget that allows for testing. For instance, trying to run an A/B test on a $5/day budget won't do much.
- Choose one variable- Consider rapid-fire testing audiences first, then we move on to testing variables on creatives.
- Use an ideal timeframe- Giving ads time is even more important after the IOS changes. Seven days is ideal.
- Select an ideal audience- You should select an audience large enough to support your test, and it shouldn’t overlap with any other campaigns you’re running. This can contaminate your results.
Let the Experts Do It For You
Facebook A/B testing can be a complicated and taxing process. It takes key expertise to make the right changes, and further requires daily check-ins to track progress. That’s why you might consider letting us help.
We are Social Ktchn–a small team of Facebook and Instagram experts that love partnering with businesses to help them achieve their goals. We whole-heartedly believe in the importance of A/B testing and use it to ensure we’re getting the ROI you need.
We work closely with you in understanding your goals, then report back with key insights and recommendations on what works and what doesn’t. Running ad campaigns on social media is hugely beneficial, but only if it’s done right. We pride ourselves on providing quality, transparent guidance and would love to become your partner.