Email marketing can feel restrictive. We are governed by statistics. There’s a 5% advantage in doing A, so there’s no decision to make; A it is. This is the sensible option. However, it is not the only way to go.

Gut reaction, intuition or instinct, call it what you wish, means you believe something without evidence. How pre-email marketing software is that? Don’t all the commentators say that any way but via the returns lies failure? 

Let’s not go silly. I’m not suggesting you should abandon caution and ignore experience, just that you can challenge one or two accepted truths, although with care. Take having a reason for changing a factor when A/B testing. Most commentators state that you should have some justification for thinking a new method might be an improvement. It is good advice as it is more likely to succeed and you don’t want waste.

However, there are distinct advantages to trying something completely off the wall. For instance, you might be promoting holidays on sun-drenched Pacific islands. The images are stunning. You’d be silly to include one of a rainy day in London, probably a February afternoon. 

However, it might just work. The comparison might be persuasive. It’s unlikely but that doesn’t mean it won’t. If it does then it could give you a real advantage against your competitors.

Another homily, supported by me, is to believe the returns. This is more or less universal advice in email marketing. If the stats show a 2% drop on completions then whatever the idea was, you’ve just proved it was rubbish, or at least that is what you are told, and by the likes of me.

But what if it was a change in the overall design of the email. You like the new design and are surprised that others don’t. Yet most people feel reassured by the traditional. Perhaps if you try it a second time with the same segmented email marketing list they might appreciate the style.

There are no authorities in email marketing. If you have a gut feeling then give it a go. You won’t know if it’ll work unless you try.