06/23/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/23/2021 11:22
A/B tests and surveys are extremely useful for collecting user feedback. Many newsrooms use A/B testing to gather data on headlines that work-for the Boston Globe, the removal of the word 'bad' in one headline led to 12% more clicks. The Huffington Post has used A/B testing to determine where to place social share buttons and Vox used A/B testing on their StoryStream feature, which collects articles on a topic, to distinguish read and unread articles as a method of promoting engagement.
There's plenty to test. But first, it's important to make sure you're asking the right questions and optimizing for the right thing. (In other words: it's not always about click-through rate.)
Sophie Ho and Angela Wong, who both worked at the Washington Post, led an ONA17 session about how to make the most of A/B testing:
Dig deeper: For more on the joys of testing, check out How To Grow Your Reader Revenue by Testing Faster and Better: Lessons from the Facebook Accelerator - one-hour recording from ONA20
Featured experts: Duc Luu, Sonya Quick
Takeaway: Case studies from the Facebook Accelerator's Membership community show that small publishers can use nimble testing to achieve steady growth without expensive technology.
We're always on the lookout for helpful resources and tips. If you have other examples to share, please reply directly to this email.