Test-driven marketing - a method of tests and conclusions

Think about the goal you would like to achieve for your business. Do you see him already? Then think about how you could achieve it - if you have an idea, try to test it based on it. When it brings the desired results, turn the test into a real action. If not, try again with minor modifications. This simple principle is the mechanism used in test-driven marketing!

Test-driven marketing - what is it?

Test-driven marketing, i.e. test-driven marketing, is a relatively new method in the world of marketing. It was taken over from the field of computer science, and more specifically programming, where test-driven development (TDD) functions. This is because the developer prepares the test first, and then the actual solution he planned at the beginning. Test-driven marketing is more or less the same - creating tests that will allow you to verify the effectiveness of specific methods.

How to prepare for the tests?

Test-driven marketing can advertise with the slogan “You are probably wrong. Try another way. " This type of marketing clearly shows that you cannot completely believe in the effectiveness of ready-made methods of achieving certain results and they should all be tested. You know very well what role the word responsibility plays in your marketing activities. Tests allow you to verify incorrect assumptions and avoid being made responsible for a spectacular failure.

At the very beginning, make a specific hypothesis regarding the marketing activity. Suppose you run an interesting business blog on the web. He has many subscribers as well as fans on his fan page on Facebook. You find this an opportunity to make a profit - and you just have the opportunity to make cheap mugs with your blog's logo or with interesting quotes to read on them. You hypothesize that you will earn about PLN 10,000 per year from selling mugs.

Test-driven marketing - once you make a hypothesis ...

After making a hypothesis, you need to take into account all the data you need for the test. First, determine how much you will pay for creating a single mug with your logo - you have a familiar graphic design, so one mug with the inscription (material + labor costs) is 8 zlotys. You plan to sell them for 30 zlotys - adding the costs associated with the delivery and delivery of parcels to the post office, your profit from one cup is 12 zlotys. This means that you would have to sell almost 840 mugs in a year to get PLN 10,000. You set your test to last two weeks - divide the number of mugs needed to sell by the number of weeks in a year. Turns out you should sell 33 cups over the course of a two-week test.

The right test

Now it's time for you to act. Place on your fan page information about accepting orders for dedicated mugs and start collecting your first orders - during the test, not profit counts for you, but the number of accepted orders. If it was 33 or higher, the test was successful and you can start fulfilling orders. If not, don't give up - especially since you want to profit?

Evaluation - test-driven marketing

Summarizing the test results is extremely important in test-driven marketing. If the test is successful, you can implement your project without worrying about its possible failure. Test-driven marketing allows for a low cost - related only to conducting a test - to verify the effectiveness of the planned marketing activities. However, what happens if the test fails?

You will then only lose the small financial outlay of the test - a big saving compared to what you would lose by a missed investment. Failure of the test generates another test - you have to analyze what other methods are available for the annual profit of PLN 10,000. The example we cited was for a simple test - a lot of additional conclusions can be drawn from more complex models. They can be useful when planning your next marketing activities.

The overriding principle in test-driven marketing may be one that says not to spend a lot of money on a marketing campaign until you are convinced that it will definitely bring positive results. The test results may encourage you to invest even more in an effective campaign, which may bring much higher than forecast profits.