# Short vs long newsletter copy: no difference in unique clicks

- Outcome: Flat / inconclusive
- Page type: Email (Lead-gen)
- Elements: Copy length
- Date shared: 2011-09
- Test run by: [MarketingExperiments](https://liftarchive.com/practitioners/marketingexperiments/)
- Commentary by: LiftArchive (our analysis, not theirs)
- Original source: https://marketingexperiments.com/a-b-testing/email-test-shorter-copy
- Page: https://liftarchive.com/test/marketingsherpa-newsletter-short-vs-long-copy/

Cutting a newsletter announcement down to its key points made no significant difference to unique clicks, so we treat this test as flat. MarketingExperiments (MECLABS) ran it on a MarketingSherpa newsletter. The short version did get exactly twice as many total clicks, but that came largely from secondary headline links, not the main call to action.

## Result

**no difference in unique clicks**

- Unique clicks: no significant difference. This is the main result, and it is flat.
- Total clicks: exactly 2x for the short version, but much of this came from the 'More Recent MarketingSherpa Headlines' links at the bottom.
- Link spread: in the long email only about half the links got clicked; in the short one every link got at least six clicks.
- Clicks on the awards entry link itself were not reported as a clear win.

## Control

A long newsletter item announcing the call for entries to MarketingSherpa's Email Marketing Awards, covering the grand prize, the free entry and other details before the call-to-action link.

## Variant

A short version that hit the main points, added an 'And so much more' line and then gave the call-to-action link.

## Why it likely came out this way (our reading)

- Readers who wanted to enter clicked either way, so length did not change the main action.
- A shorter main item left more attention for the other links in the email.
- Total clicks can be inflated by a few eager readers, which is why unique clicks are the safer measure.

## Caveats

The headline unique-click result was a tie; the 2x figure is total clicks, driven mostly by secondary links. Sample size was not shared and the test is from 2011.

## How to run this test

- Hypothesis: If we shorten the main item in our newsletter, then unique clicks on its call to action will rise because readers reach the link faster.
- Primary metric: Unique clicks on the main call-to-action link
- Guardrail: Total clicks across all links
- Guardrail: Unsubscribe rate
- Guardrail: Downstream conversions from the main link
- Who should test it: Lead-gen and B2B marketers sending multi-item newsletters. Short copy may not help when readers need the details, like rules or prizes, before they act.

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Credit: MarketingExperiments ran this test and owns the result. Summary and commentary by LiftArchive (https://liftarchive.com/test/marketingsherpa-newsletter-short-vs-long-copy/).
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.