I learned something important about testing affiliate marketing ads.
I had an ad that was doing okay, but I thought I could improve it. So I changed the image, rewrote the headline, changed the description, and adjusted the call to action.
The new ad did better.
At first, I was happy. More clicks meant I had improved the ad.
But then I realized I had a problem.
I had no idea what actually made it better
Was it the new image? The headline? The description? The call to action?
For all I knew, the image may have been responsible for the entire improvement while one of the other changes actually made the ad worse.
I had created a better ad, but I hadn't learned anything I could confidently repeat.
What I do now
That changed the way I test ads.
Now, whenever possible, I change one thing at a time. If I change the image and the clicks go up, I know the image made the difference. Then I can test the headline. Then the description.
It may take a little longer, but every test teaches me something.
Changing four things and getting better results tells me I won.
👉 Changing one thing and getting better results tells me why I won.
And knowing why is what helps me build the next winner.
Give it a month
I used to give something about two weeks. If it didn't pay, I moved on.
That's not long enough.
Give a change at least a month before you decide whether it worked.
Where to start
If you're not sure what to change first, start with the headline.
Changing the headline usually has the biggest impact.
Not running ads yet? It works the same way for a post, an email or the first line of your profile.
Your turn
What's the one thing you'll change this week?
Hit reply and tell me. Even one word is enough.
— Bob