Testing, Testing 1, 2, 3: Sending Test Messages

As a Bronto user, you have probably been sending test messages since your very first email send.  Without saying, this is extremely important in making sure the email message looks exactly how you want it to look before sending the message out to your lists and segments.  Let's take some time to go over some information that could further enhance your test sending and help you get the most out of those initial test sends.

Sending Text and HTML Test Messages

Bronto has an option that allows you to send both the text and HTML versions of an email message separately. If you enable sending separate text and HTML versions of a message on the General Settings page, when a test delivery is made, two different deliveries will actually get created. One delivery will have the regular (HTML) version of the message. The other delivery will be the plain text version. Each delivery will be treated separately for accounting/tracking purposes. To turn this option on, click the Home tab and choose Settings.  Click General and check the box beside the option, "Send text and HTML versions of message separately."

Differentiating Test Sends From Regular Sends

Test messages are displayed slightly differently in your account when looking at your sent list.  For instance, when you are reviewing a message and look at the recent deliveries for that message, the test sends will be indicated by a small icon with the word TEST on it. 

Additionally, when reviewing the tracking reports for a sent message, you can select either the test sends or the regular sends in the drop down menu at the top of the message report. 

Finally, one of the main benefits to sending test messages (aside from the obvious) is that they do not factor into your overall sender rating.  This means if you send a test message to two email addresses and one of your contacts doesn't open the message, you aren't stuck with a message with a 50% open rate.  Or, if you happen to misspell one of your email addresses and you get a bounce, the bounce rate of 50% will not cause havoc on your overall sender rating.

Leave us some comments and let us know what your test send strategies are in Bronto and how you utilize this feature in your own account.

Rob Slade
Client Services Specialist Bronto Software