When the Testing Well Runs Dry
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Feeling like you’re out of testing ideas? We’ve all been there at some point and know the struggle is real! But we’ve got a few tips and tricks for you that will hopefully jumpstart the testing-idea-generation process!
Let Your Program Be Your Guide
In our first blog post in this series, Test Like You Mean It, we talked about designing tests around program-level objectives and the metrics you want to impact. Sometimes we find ourselves “out” of testing ideas when we feel like we’ve tried all the interesting tactics we’ve seen other organizations use. This is an inevitable place to land when looking for inspiration from outside sources.
But there’s always more to find when looking for inspiration inside your own program – essentially starting with your objectives, the KPIs you want to impact, what you know about your donors, what has/has not resonated in the past, etc.
Bonus: Program-focused test design is ultimately better for your program because you’re homing in on what you need a test to do and merging that with insights you already have to help refine your direction.
The program-focused testing path also fuels strategic testing approaches, as opposed to purely tactical ones. When looking to tactics that you’ve seen used elsewhere for your testing inspiration, you can overlook testing paths that:
You can’t see represented in these tactics, such as potentially valuable audience tests that reflect YOUR audiences
Aren’t “shiny new objects,” but might be both relevant to your program and effective
If you haven’t read the first blog post in this series, head over there now to read through the “Identify the Tests that Matter and Make Sense for Your Program” section and use the thoughts and questions there as your guide to narrowing down what you need your next test to do and what you already know can help refine that testing path.
Write It Down
Sometimes, even as trivial as it might seem, “getting it out on paper” (or on a whiteboard or electronically) can get the ideas flowing in a way that just thinking through them alone cannot. You’re able to flesh out thoughts that you didn’t realize weren’t fully formed or bring to light insights which may have been simmering below the surface. And writing these things down gives you content that’s ready to later polish and drop into a testing plan or strategy document.
Choose whatever format helps you best organize your thoughts – bullets, a narrative, a Q&A list, a table, a diagram, etc. – to get down your notes and ideas. And since knowing where you shouldn’t go can often help focus you on the path you should take, don’t be afraid to note any nonstarters as well – approaches that haven’t worked (and why!) or paths that you’re unable to take due to budget or quantity limitations, organizational directives, etc.
Phone a Friend
Sometimes being so close to something limits our perspective. If you’re in “test design purgatory,” don’t be afraid to ask a colleague who’s not as close to the project as you what they think. Asking for fresh perspective might seem like a no-brainer, but this is good advice we don’t always take when we’re deep in thought trying to figure something out or we feel like we’re “almost there” with an idea. So, call, video chat or walk over to the office of a colleague and use the written notes you made to give them a primer for the test goals and other relevant information. Even if you’ve arrived at what you want to test, this is a great process to do as a gut check, or, for those more complicated tests, to smooth out the bumps or work out the mechanics.
Sort Your “Ideas File” Like a Pro
Many fundraisers save files of direct mail pieces, emails or digital ads they come across that inspire them, but often these files are organized (if they are organized at all!) by vertical, organization, format or type of communication (acknowledgement, welcome, renewal, reactivation, acquisition, stewardship, etc.). However, when you go back to search through these files, you’re often looking for a specific tactic or approach. So, instead consider sorting your files by what drew you to the particular piece – if possible, sorting by interesting element(s) and potential performance impact(s). Was it an eye-catching outer envelope effect that you thought might lift response? A unique ask string approach that you thought might improve average gift? A creative subject line that helped the email stand out in your inbox and would potentially lift open rate? A bold or interesting take on messaging that might boost performance overall? Organizing your files like this will ensure you not only find the inspiration you’re looking for when the need arises, but also that your files will inspire you in ways that help support your testing goals.
We know continually finding meaningful and impactful tests for your program can be challenging at times, but ongoing testing is essential to program growth and it keeps your communications fresh and relevant for your donors. So, we hope we’ve given you the tools you need to overcome moments when you feel that the testing ideas well might have run dry!