Using video as a marketing tool is one of the most significant advances in business today. It goes without saying that the popularity of videos has skyrocketed (and continues to climb) on all social media platforms. That said, videos are without question one of the most effective additions to the marketer’s toolbox.

While marketing through videos is globally renowned as an efficacious strategy when it comes to online advertising, did you know that there is a highly underrated way to maximizing your video marketing success? This method is called A/B Testing.

This process may ring a bell to individuals who have spent years in the digital marketing industry, however, it may be a brand new concept to those who haven’t yet been exposed to it. To help you understand the importance of A/B testing in video marketing, we’ve created a brief overview of its benefits and role in the video marketing spectrum below:

A/B Testing in a Nutshell

A/B testing is a method of contrasting two variants of an application, web page, or video against each other to identify which one performs better. Each variant is tested based on a given goal or objective. When conducting A/B testing, the two variants are each randomly distributed to half of your target audience. This is to ensure that the outcome of the experiment is fair and unbiased.

A/B Testing in Video Marketing

While A/B testing is most commonly utilized in web development and design, using it to help optimize a marketing video is proven to be effective. Moreover, employing the test in videos will require you to set it up with different variables. Unlike the conventional way of testing the effectiveness of landing pages, CTA buttons, and webpage layouts, using A/B testing in video marketing requires one to utilize a different approach. We won’t get into the “how-to” aspects of setting up an A/B test, but rather focus on best practices.

Here are some important points to cover when A/B testing a marketing video:

1. Test what video length is effective

If you’re not sure whether your target audience loves longer or shorter-form videos, then A/B testing them is your best bet to find out by the numbers what works best.

Experiment with various video lengths. For instance, post a video with its designated caption as you normally would — this original post serves as your control variable. Then, reduce its length by 30 seconds, but keep its contents and caption the same. Post it with all other settings as is and compare how well it does as opposed to your first post. From this point onwards you can then determine your succeeding videos’ ideal lengths using the results of this test as a reference.

It’s worth noting that your audience may choose whether or not to watch a video based on its duration alone. Moreover, the best video length varies among niches and video types. Don’t be afraid to test longer videos out, too!

2. Test your video titles

One of the attention-driving elements of a video is its title. If you’re torn between two catchy titles, testing them is one of the most effective ways to come up with a decision. When testing titles, try to play with their tone. Is casual better than formal? Would a clickbait statement make the video more enticing? Imagine yourself in your target viewers’ shoes – what kinds of titles would they click on?

Make it a point to choose your words wisely. Remember, the appropriate language you should use may depend on a variety of factors – this includes your target viewers’ age bracket, cultural background, and location, among other things. And just like testing the actual video’s length, conduct tests on the length of your titles, as well.

You can even take advantage of this opportunity to discover the impacts of having your brand’s name in the title. Does including it lure more viewers in, put them off, or impact the number of views you gain at all?

3. Test the thumbnails

A video thumbnail is a top factor to consider when conducting an A/B test on your video. A thumbnail is the primary component that informs a potential viewer whether your video is worth clicking or not. When testing thumbnails, try to incorporate different graphics and images and check which one resonates best with your audience.

When testing thumbnails, try to incorporate different graphics and images and check which one resonates best with your audience. Changing the color palette and theme you use may even produce better results. Moreover, conduct tests on thumbnails to spot the effects of altering the fonts you used to incorporate the text in them (if you’ve decided to add any after A/B testing, of course).

You can also test to see the effects of adding your brand’s logo in the thumbnail. When you’ve decided to keep it there, take it a step further and test whether its size or placement matters.

In some industries, it may be more beneficial for companies to include a human’s face in the thumbnail. Take this opportunity to build connections between your content and your viewers. Keep in mind that results may also vary depending on the facial expressions you present and how exaggerated they are.

Here are some good examples to refer to if you want to take advantage of A/B testing for your marketing videos.

• A/B Testing for Video: What Variations to Test

• Video Thumbnails: How to Select Effective YouTube Thumbnails

• A/B Testing With Online Video Ads

Putting it all Together

A/B testing requires patience. Most importantly, while the experiment is running, it is important to keep track of the results. You will notice constant changes in the performance of each variant tested and to acquire the most accurate results, wait for the “experiment” to fully run its course to get solid answers.

While there are many metrics and techniques one can incorporate into their video marketing strategies, A/B testing is one that is not to be overlooked and, in fact, should be given stronger consideration.