A/B testing for marketing comparison using OpenAI ChatGPT

This article is an excerpt from the book, Modern Generative AI with ChatGPT and OpenAI Models, by Valentina Alto. This book will help harness the power of AI with innovative, real-world applications, and unprecedented productivity boosts, powered by the latest advancements in AI technology like ChatGPT and OpenAI.

A/B testing in marketing is a method of comparing two different versions of a marketing campaign, advertisement, or website to determine which one performs better. In A/B testing, two variations of the same campaign or element are created, with only one variable changed between the two versions. The goal is to see which version generates more clicks, conversions, or other desired outcomes.

An example of A/B testing might be testing two versions of an email campaign, using different subject lines, or testing two versions of a website landing page, with different call-to-action buttons. By measuring the response rate of each version, marketers can determine which version performs better and make data-driven decisions about which version to use going forward. A/B testing allows marketers to optimize their campaigns and elements for maximum effectiveness, leading to better results and a higher return on investment.

Since this method involves the process of generating many variations of the same content, the generative power of ChatGPT can definitely assist in that.

Let’s consider the following example. I’m promoting a new product I developed: a new, light and thin climbing harness for speed climbers. I’ve already done some market research and I know my niche audience. I also know that one great channel of communication for that audience is publishing on an online climbing blog, of which most climbing gyms’ members are fellow readers.

My goal is to create an outstanding blog post to share the launch of this new harness, and I want to test two different versions of it in two groups. The blog post I’m about to publish and that I want to be the object of my A/B testing is the following:

Figure 1– An example of a blog post to launch climbing gear

Here, ChatGPT can help us on two levels:

• The first level is that of rewording the article, using different keywords or different attention-grabbing slogans. To do so, once this post is provided as context, we can ask ChatGPT to work on the article and slightly change some elements:

Figure 2 – New version of the blog post generated by ChatGPT

 As per my request, ChatGPT was able to regenerate only those elements I asked for (title, subtitle, and closing sentence) so that I can monitor the effectiveness of those elements by monitoring the reaction of the two audience groups.

• The second level is working on the design of the web page, namely, changing the collocation of the image rather than the position of the buttons. For this purpose, I created a simple web page for the blog post published in the climbing blog (you can find the code in the book’s GitHub repository at https://github.com/PacktPublishing/The-Ultimate-Guide- to-ChatGPT-and-OpenAI/tree/main/Chapter%207%20-%20ChatGPT%20 for%20Marketers/Code):

Figure 3 – Sample blog post published on the climbing blog

We can directly feed ChatGPT with the HTML code and ask it to change some layout elements, such as the position of the buttons or their wording. For example, rather than Buy Now, a reader might be more gripped by an I want one! button.

So, let's feed ChatGPT with the HTML source code:

Figure 4 – ChatGPT changing HTML code

 Let’s see what the output looks like:

Figure 5 – New version of the website

As you can see, ChatGPT only intervened at the button level, slightly changing their layout, position, color, and wording.

Indeed, inspecting the source code of the two versions of the web pages, we can see how it differs in the button sections:

Figure 6 – Comparison between the source code of the two versions of the website

Conclusion

In conclusion, ChatGPT is a valuable tool for A/B testing in marketing. Its ability to quickly generate different versions of the same content can reduce the time to market of new campaigns. By utilizing ChatGPT for A/B testing, you can optimize your marketing strategies and ultimately drive better results for your business.

Author Bio

After completing her Bachelor's degree in Finance, Valentina Alto pursued a Master's degree in Data Science in 2021. She began her professional career at Microsoft as an Azure Solution Specialist, and since 2022, she has been primarily focused on working with Data & AI solutions in the Manufacturing and Pharmaceutical industries. Valentina collaborates closely with system integrators on customer projects, with a particular emphasis on deploying cloud architectures that incorporate modern data platforms, data mesh frameworks, and applications of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. Alongside her academic journey, she has been actively writing technical articles on Statistics, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and AI for various publications, driven by her passion for AI and Python programming.

Link - Medium Modern Generative AI with ChatGPT and OpenAI Models