For marketers · Message testing
Message testing with real people
Message testing asks what a short line promises to someone who did not write it. For copy feedback, show a short line to verified UK adults and compare their first reading with the one you intended. The current copy testing format holds one quick question; we aim for first answers within about 15 minutes in UK daytime, with slower replies possible for now.
We review requests by hand.
How to test messaging with one question
Ask what people think the line means before asking whether they like it. A likeable line can still promise the wrong thing.
- Example: What does ‘Every parcel. Less waiting.’ promise: speed, care, value or something else?
- Which of two short messages explains the offer better?
- What is your first reaction to this headline?
Text can run to 280 characters, and each pick-one option to 80 characters. If the design matters, upload one screenshot.
Copy feedback from the BrightParcel example
Illustrative BrightParcel example: eight of 20 hear speed, six hear care and six hear value. If the intended promise was careful handling, 14 people missed it. The mock reasons identify ‘less waiting’ as the clearest cue and ‘care’ as hard to find. Rewrite the line to name the intended benefit, then test that version.
How message testing works
- Paste the line or upload it in context. Write down the meaning you hope people take from it before you see the answers.
- Choose 5 to 50 UK adults and one neutral first-impression or pick-one question. People answer without your identity or others' votes.
- Read the grouped choices and each reason. Compare their words with your intended promise.
See other ways to ask for feedback if the advert or landing page also needs checking.
Why copy testing needs outside readers
Teams build a lot of context around a sentence. A new customer only sees the sentence. That gap is the useful part of a quick test. Each answer has a signed receipt showing the checks it passed; read how those checks work. Ask about meaning before preference so the vote does not hide a misunderstanding.
Honest limit: This pool is mixed UK adults, not your buyer personas. Job title and B2B-role targeting are not available today; expert answers are planned for later. A short, stated reaction cannot tell you what a campaign will convert. For specialist language, arrange feedback from the actual people who buy or use the service.
What a copy test costs
Asking is free during early access. At paid launch, quick takes start from 30p an answer plus 50p a question (launch example). Twenty would be about £6.50. The quote appears before posting.
Your questions, answered
What is message testing?
It checks what people understand from a line of copy before you publish it widely. A first-impression question can reveal a promise you did not intend. In the illustrative BrightParcel result, most readers hear speed or value rather than the team's intended care message.
How to test messaging quickly: what should I ask?
Show the message without explaining it, ask what it promises and read each reason. Only after checking meaning should you ask which version people prefer. Keep the options short and comparable. A strong preference for the wrong meaning is a sign to rewrite, not to celebrate the vote.
What is the difference between copy testing and A/B testing?
A quick copy check collects stated reactions and reasons from a small group. A live A/B test shows different versions to actual visitors and measures behaviour. Use a quick check to identify confusing wording, then use live data to judge whether a revised message performs better.
Can I test B2B messaging with specific job roles?
Not yet. You can ask verified UK adults, but you cannot select them by profession, industry or seniority in the current pool. If a claim only makes sense to procurement managers or clinicians, recruit those people directly. Expert quick takes are planned for later.
How many messages can I compare?
Two or three text options fit the current pick-one format, each up to 80 characters. You can also put two longer lines in one screenshot and ask for a first impression. Keep the proposition the same if you want to learn which wording explains it better.
What does copy feedback cost?
Asking is free during early access. The paid-launch example starts from 30p an answer plus 50p a question; 20 quick takes would cost about £6.50. You see a quote before posting. That covers one quick question, not job-title targeting or a full campaign study.
Find out what people really think.
Free during early access. No card needed.
Free during early access. We review requests by hand. Have an invite code? Join