# Long-copy white paper email vs short copy: about 3x response

- Outcome: Won
- Page type: Email (SaaS)
- Elements: Page length, Copy
- Date shared: 2003
- Test run by: [M7 Corporation](https://liftarchive.com/practitioners/m7-corporation/)
- Commentary by: LiftArchive (our analysis, not theirs)
- Original source: https://marketingsherpa.com/article/case-study/classic-3step-email-campaign-generates-more
- Page: https://liftarchive.com/test/m7-long-vs-short-copy-lead-email/

A long-copy version of a first-touch white paper email, including a table of contents for the paper, was about three times more effective than the short-copy version. M7 Corporation, an enterprise software startup, ran this test in 2003 on rented email lists, and it was published as a MarketingSherpa case study. The company warned that its audience of developers liked to read, so the result may not carry over.

## Result

**about 3x response**

- Response (white paper registrations): long copy was roughly 3x more effective than short copy.
- Both versions went to rented lists, with 5,000 names drawn from five lists in the test.
- The exact response rates for each version were not broken out.

## Control

A short-copy first-touch email offering a free white paper to enterprise software prospects.

## Variant

A long-copy version of the same email that spelled out the white paper's contents with an explicit table of contents.

## Why it likely won (our reading)

- The audience were enterprise developers who seek out information, so more detail gave them reasons to want the paper.
- A table of contents shows exactly what the reader gets, which lowers the risk of handing over contact details.
- M7 was an unknown brand, and longer copy gave it room to show expertise before asking for anything.

## Caveats

This test is from 2003 and the audience was technical readers; the company itself said long copy may not win for other audiences. Per-version response rates and significance were not shared.

## How to run this test

- Hypothesis: If we expand our content-offer email to describe what's inside, including a table of contents, then more prospects will register because they can judge the value before they sign up.
- Primary metric: Registrations per email sent
- Guardrail: Lead quality or sales acceptance rate
- Guardrail: Unsubscribe rate
- Guardrail: Click-through rate
- Who should test it: B2B SaaS and lead-gen teams offering gated content to technical or research-minded buyers. It is less likely to win with busy, low-involvement audiences or mobile-heavy lists where long emails get skimmed.

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Credit: M7 Corporation ran this test and owns the result. Summary and commentary by LiftArchive (https://liftarchive.com/test/m7-long-vs-short-copy-lead-email/).
Usage: Free to use, quote and build on, with credit and a link: name the practitioner or organization that ran the test and link to its LiftArchive page. The results belong to the practitioners who ran and shared them; the summaries and commentary are LiftArchive's.