Marketing Terms and Acronyms Glossary

Marketing Terms (General Use)
Marketing Acronyms
Business-to-Business (B2B) Marketing Terms
Branding Terms
Digital Marketing Terms
Public Relations (PR) / Publicity Terms

Coming Soon:
Advertising / Media Strategy Terms 
Affiliate Marketing Terms 
Content Marketing Terms 
Direct Marketing Terms 
Event Marketing
Experiential Marketing Terms
Marketing Automation Terms
Market and Marketing Research Terms
Out-of-Home (OOH) Media Marketing Terms 
Radio Advertising Terms 

Marketing Terms (General Use)

The MarketingHire Marketing Terms Glossary provides definitions for some of the most common marketing terms. It will be updated regularly:

A/B Testing 
A/B testing is the process of comparing two variations of a single variable to determine which performs best. This is often done in email marketing, online advertising, calls-to-action, and landing pages to optimize performance. to see which performs better. However, this type of testing has long been done in direct mail marketing.

Activation
Activation refers to the process of engaging customers or potential customers to take a specific action, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or downloading an app. It is a key part of the customer journey and is often used in marketing campaigns to drive conversions.

Ad Tech
Ad tech, or advertising technology, refers to the software and tools used to buy, sell, and manage digital advertising. It includes platforms like demand-side platforms (DSPs), supply-side platforms (SSPs), and ad exchanges.

Addressable TV
Addressable TV refers to the ability to deliver targeted, personalized advertising to specific households or individuals through connected TV or set-top box devices.

Advertorial
An advertorial is a form of advertising that is designed to look like an editorial or news article. It is paid content that is meant to promote a product or service in an informative or entertaining way, rather than a direct advertisement.

AIDA
AIDA is a fundamental marketing concept that describes the stages a customer goes through in the buying process:Attention – Capturing the customer’s attention and making them aware of the product or service.Interest – Generating the customer’s interest and desire for the offering.Desire – Creating a strong desire in the customer to own or use the product.Action – Prompting the customer to take the desired action, such as making a purchase.The AIDA model outlines the key steps a marketer must take to effectively guide a potential customer from initial awareness to final conversion. It is a widely used framework for developing effective marketing campaigns and sales strategies across various industries.

One on One Marketing (Personalization)
One-on-one marketing, also known as personalization, is the practice of tailoring marketing messages, products, and experiences to individual customers based on their preferences, behaviors, and characteristics.

Application Programming Interface (API)
An API is a set of rules that allows applications to extract information from a service and use that information in their own application. APIs facilitate data sharing between applications, which is important for marketers to understand and leverage in their strategies.

Automation
Automation in marketing refers to the use of software and technology to automate repetitive tasks, such as email campaigns, social media posting, and lead nurturing, to improve efficiency and consistency.

Backlinks
The links from other websites to your website, an important factor in the ranking of websites by search engines such as Google.

Blogging
Blogging involves regularly publishing content on a website, often including commentary, descriptions of events, photos, and videos. Business blogging is a core component of inbound marketing, helping drive traffic, generate leads, and establish thought leadership.

Bounce Rate
A metric for the percentage of users left or bounced immediately after visiting your website.

B2B (Business-to-Business)
Selling and marketing directed at businesses. Examples include IBM, Xerox, etc.

B2C (Business-to-Consumer) 
Selling and marketing directed at consumers. Examples include McDonalds, Nike, and Kleenex. Note that many companies that sell to consumers also sell to businesses (B2B). 

B2G (Business-to-Government)
Selling and marketing directed at government agencies.

Brand 
The unique identity of a product or service. The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as: “a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s goods or service as distinct from those of other sellers.” ISO adds that a brand is “an intangible asset [that is intended to create] distinctive images and associations in the minds of stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefit/values.”

Brand Awareness 
The extent to which consumers are familiar with a brand.

Branded Content
Branded content is a form of advertising that integrates a brand’s messaging or products into the content itself, rather than using traditional advertising formats like display ads or commercials.

Brand Identity
The impression that a brand owner (company) seeks consumers or business buyers to have of the brand that distinguishes it from competitors. It is the desired qualities and associations of the brand; its desired personality traits. It goes beyond the logo or the product itself; it is the impression a brand owner desires the public or its target market to have about the brand.

Brand Image
Whereas a brand identity is focused on the way a brand desires to be seen by the public or its target market, the brand image is the public’s interpretation of the brand. It is the consumer’s or (in B2B) the business person’s perception of and associations with a brand based on the information they know about the brand, their and their peers’ interactions and experiences with the brand.

Buyer Persona
A fictional representation of an ideal type of customer that your company is targeting that is created based on research and data. It should include customer demographics, behavior patterns, motivation and goals. Buyer personas help brands determine how to focus resources and guide product development, websites, and resources across the organization to attract the most valuable visitors, prospects, and customers to the brand’s touchpoints.

C3/C7
C3 and C7 are metrics used in the television industry to measure the average number of viewers who watched a program or commercial within 3 or 7 days of its original airing, respectively.

Call to Action (CTA) 
A clear and concise statement that tells the audience what to do next, such as “Buy Now” or “Sign Up Today.”

Cause Marketing
Cause marketing is a type of corporate social responsibility (CSR) where a company partners with a non-profit or charitable organization to promote a social cause and generate goodwill for the brand.

Challenger Brand
A challenger brand is a brand that positions itself as an alternative to the dominant or market-leading brand in a particular industry, often by emphasizing its unique features or a different value proposition.

Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)
Products that are sold directly to consumers and are typically mass-produced, frequently purchased, and have a short shelf life, such as food, beverages, and household items.

Churn Rate
The percentage of customers or subscribers who cancel or stop using a product or service over a given period.

Click-through rate (CTR)
A common basic performance measurement for the success of online advertising campaigns, search engine optimization and email marketing campaigns. A click-through rate is the ratio of users who click on a specific link to the number of total users who view an online advertisement, email, or web page. CTR is calculated by dividing the number of times a digital ad or other content is shown — also referred to as impressions — and then multiplying the result by 100 to get a percentage. For example, if you had 100 impressions and 10 clicks, you would have a CTR of 10%.

Conversion Rate (CVR)
A fundamental marketing metric for determining the percentage of users who complete a desired action, such as clicking on a link to download a white paper, complete a form, subscribe to an email newsletter, completing an online purchase or providing a sales lead. effectiveness of performance of an ad campaign, an ecommerce store, and user experience.A high conversion rate indicates success, while a low conversion rate indicates a poor effectiveness. Conversion rates can vary widely by industry, business model, and marketing channel. Consistently tracking and optimizing your CVR is vital to effective marketing. A good conversion rate varies depending on the context, industry, and specific goals of your business.

The formula to calculate conversion rate is: Conversions / Total Interactions x 100%

Cost Per Mille (CPM)
The cost per thousand impressions of an ad.

Content Management System (CMS)
A content management system (CMS) is software that allows users to create, manage, and modify digital content without requiring technical expertise in web development. A CMS provides a graphical user interface that enables users to add, edit, and publish content to a website or digital platform, handling the underlying infrastructure and code. Key features of a CMS typically include content creation and editing tools, workflow management, version control, and integration with other systems. CMSs are widely used to power websites, blogs, and other digital experiences, providing an efficient way for organizations to manage their online presence and content. WordPress is a very popular and well-known content management system.

Content Marketing 
Creating and sharing valuable information, such as blog posts, videos, research studies, polls, white papers, or infographics, to attract and engage an audience.

Conversion Rate 
The percentage of users who take a desired action, such as making a purchase or subscribing to a newsletter.

Cost per Acquisition (CPA) 
The average cost of acquiring a new customer.

Cost per Lead (CPL)
The average cost of acquiring a new lead, calculated by dividing total marketing expenses by the number of leads generated.

Creative Brief
A document that outlines the key details, objectives, and strategy for a marketing or advertising project. It serves as a guiding framework for the creative team to develop content, campaigns, or other deliverables that align with the client’s or organization’s goals.The creative brief typically includes information such as:

• Project purpose and objectives
• Target audience and their key characteristics
• Core messaging and brand positioning
• Desired creative approach and tone
• Scope of work and key deliverables
• Timeline, budget, and other production requirements
• Metrics for measuring success

The creative brief helps ensure everyone involved in the project – the client, creative team, and other stakeholders – is on the same page from the start. It provides clarity, focus, and direction for the creative process.

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) 
The total cost associated with acquiring a new customer.

Cost-per-Lead (CPL)
CPL is the amount it costs an organization to acquire a lead.

Customer Journey 
The different stages a customer goes through when interacting with a brand, from awareness to purchase and beyond.

Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV) 
The total revenue a customer is expected to generate over their entire relationship with a brand.

Digital Analytics
The tools that provide data on websites and digital marketing channel that enable insights into performance and inform decisions on digital marketing campaigns and programs.

Digital Marketing 
Marketing activities conducted online, such as social media marketing, email marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO). Sometimes referred to as e-marketing, internet marketing, interactive marketing, and web marketing.

Direct Marketing
A targeted promotional strategy involving reaching out to a specific audience to communicate tailored messages or offers. Common examples of direct marketing include email marketing, direct mail marketing, and telemarketing.

Display Advertising
A display network is a network of websites and apps that allow marketers to display ads on their pages.

Data Visualization
Data visualization is the graphical representation of information and data, such as through charts, graphs, and infographics, to help users understand and interpret complex data more effectively.

Daypart
In the media and advertising industry, a daypart refers to a specific time of day when certain types of programming or advertising are aired, such as prime time, daytime, or late night.

Demand Side Platform
A demand-side platform (DSP) is a technology platform that allows advertisers to buy digital advertising inventory from multiple sources, such as ad exchanges and publishers, in an automated and programmatic way.

Duopoly

In the digital advertising industry, a duopoly refers to the dominance of two major players, typically Google and Facebook, which together account for a significant share of the digital advertising market.

Experiential Marketing

Experiential marketing is a strategy that focuses on creating immersive, interactive experiences for customers to engage with a brand, rather than traditional advertising or marketing tactics.

Earned Media
Earned media refers to the placement of content on third-party platforms that has been achieved through promotional efforts, rather than paid placements.

Ecommerce
Ecommerce refers to businesses that sell products or services online.

Email Marketing 
Sending commercial messages to a group of people using email.

Engagement Rate
A metric that measures how much audience interaction (likes, comments, shares, etc.) a piece of content receives.

Event Marketing
A promotional strategy involving the planning, organizing, and execution of events to promote a brand, product, or service. Events can be in-person or online. A company can participate in event marketing as host, co-host, participant, or sponsor of an event. Common examples include trade shows, seminars, conferences, dinners, running competitions, etc.

Engagement Rate
The level of interaction of a visitor with your web page, email, or content.

Guerrilla Marketing
Unconventional, low-cost marketing strategy that uses surprise and creativity to promote a product or service and generate buzz. It involves the use of unexpected, attention-grabbing tactics that deviate from traditional advertising methods. The goal of guerrilla marketing is to create a memorable experience that gets people talking about the brand, often through word-of-mouth and social media. Key characteristics include a focus on creativity over budget, targeting specific audiences, and generating an emotional reaction from consumers.

Growth Marketing
A data-driven approach to marketing that focuses on rapid, sustainable business growth through experimentation, optimization, and scaling successful tactics.

Geofencing
A location-based marketing tactic that triggers ads, notifications, or other content when a user enters a specific geographic area.

Impressions
A measure of each time an ad or type of content is served.

Influencers
Bloggers, journalists, industry experts, and thought leaders who have significant sway over a target audience.

Inbound Marketing 
A strategy that focuses on attracting customers by creating content they find relevant and valuable such as intellectual capital (e.g., white papers, research studies, reports…), blog posts, informative / educational videos and social media posts that pull customers in naturally rather than interrupting them with traditional outbound marketing tactics such as advertising.

Influencer Marketing 
Partnering with individuals who have a large and engaged following online to promote a brand or product.

Key Performance Indicator (KPI)
A key performance indicator or KPI is a significant measure of performance a brand uses towards a goal. KPIs are not the same for every brand and vary according to a brand’s objectives.

Keyword
A term used in search engine optimization / search engine marketing that refers to a word or phrase that describes the content of a web page and is used by search engines to index and rank that page.

Landing Page 
A standalone web page designed to capture leads or conversions, often used in conjunction with online advertising campaigns.

Lead 
A potential customer who has shown interest in a brand or product.

Lead Generation
Lead generation, sometimes referred to as lead gen, is the process of attracting and converting strangers and prospects into someone who has indicated interest in a company’s product or service. This can be done through various marketing tactics like content marketing, social media, and email marketing. 

Lead Nurturing
Lead nurturing is the practice of developing a series of communications to qualify a lead and keep them engaged throughout the buyer’s journey.

Lifecycle Stages
Lifecycle stages describe the relationship a business has with its audience, typically broken down into awareness, evaluation, and purchase.

Lifetime Value (LTV)
LTV is a prediction of the net profit attributed to the entire future relationship with a customer.

Macro Influencer
An influencer with a following of 100,000 to 1 million followers.

Marketing
The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines marketing as “the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.”

Marketing Automation 
Using software to automate repetitive marketing tasks, such as email campaigns and social media posting.

Marketing Channel 
The path through which a marketing message reaches its target audience, such as social media, email, or search engines.

Marketing Collateral
Marketing collateral refers to digital or print materials that accompany a primary advertising campaign, such as websites, landing pages, and banner ads.

Marketing Mix
The marketing mix, also known as the 4 Ps, consists of the key elements a business must consider when bringing a product to market: price, product, promotion, and place (point of sale).

Marketing Objectives
Marketing objectives are the specific, measurable goals a marketing initiative aims to accomplish, such as customer acquisition, order value, engagement, or revenue contribution.

Market Research 
The process of collecting and analyzing data about a specific market, including its size, trends, competition, and customer preferences. The main purpose of market research is to study the target market and the overall marketplace to gain insights that can inform business decisions.

Key aspects of market research:

• Focuses on understanding the external market environment, including customer behavior, industry trends, and competitor analysis.
• Provides insights into the viability of a product or service in a particular market.
• Helps identify opportunities and threats within a market.
• Informs decisions related to market entry, product development, and marketing strategies.

Marketing Research
The systematic gathering and analysis of information about a market to inform how best to offer a product or service to customers. The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines marketing research as: “the function that links the consumer, customer, and public to the marketer through information—information used to identify and define opportunities and problems; generate, refine, and evaluate actions; monitor performance; and improve understanding of it as a process. It specifies the information required to address these issues, designs the method for collecting information, manages and implements the data collection process, analyzes the results, and communicates the findings and their implications.” Common methods of marketing research include focus groups, customer interviews, surveys, and A/B testing. Though it is often confused with market research, marketing research is a broader term that encompasses the systematic study of all aspects of a company’s marketing activities. It goes beyond just studying the market and includes research on product development, pricing, promotion, and distribution.

Marketing Return on Investment (MROI)
The return on investment of expenditures in marketing efforts.

Market Segmentation 
Dividing a target audience into smaller groups with similar characteristics or needs.

Martech
The combination of marketing and technology, referring to the software and tools used to execute and optimize marketing strategies and campaigns.

Meta Description
A brief summary of a web page’s content that appears in search engine results. It helps search engines understand the relevance of the page to user queries.

Micro Influencer
An influencer with 10,000-100,000 followers.

Multivariate Testing
A testing method used in conversion rate optimization (CRO) to analyze and improve the performance of marketing campaigns. It permits the testing of every combination of changes to find the optimal combination. Whereas A/B testing tests two versions of something to see which performs better, multivariate testing tests multiple variations of different elements of marketing campaigns, or web landing pages are tested simultaneously to determine the most successful combination of elements for achieving the highest conversion rate, sales, or engagement.

Nano Influencer
An influencer with 10,000 or less followers.

Narrowcasting
Sending a media message to a highly targeted audience, as opposed to broadcasting to a mass market.

Native Advertising
Online advertising where the ad copy and format is designed to adhere to the format of a regular post in the medium its being published on in order to feel more natural in the environment and less like a typical advertisement.

Net Promoter Score (NPS)
A customer loyalty metric that measures how likely customers are to recommend a company’s product or service to others. It is calculated by asking customers a single question: “On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend [company/product/service] to a friend or colleague?”

Off-Page Optimization
An SEO term that refers to the search engine optimization that occurs beyond the website, including backlinks from other websites to your website, social media mentions, etc.

On-Page Optimization
An SEO term that refers to the search engine optimization that occurs at your website, It encompasses the optimization of web page copy, tags (e.g., page title, meta description, alt text, etc.), the optimization of images, web page coding, the speed and health of the server and database, and other elements that take place on your website and server.

Organic Reach
A count of the number of individuals who encounter your content without the aid of paid advertisements or any type of paid, promoted content.

Original Programming
Content that is produced and owned by a media company, as opposed to content that is licensed or acquired from third parties. It’s a crucial strategy for streaming platforms and TV networks to set their offerings apart and attract viewers.

Outbound Marketing
Outbound marketing refers to traditional marketing tactics where a company initiates the conversation and sends its message out to an audience. Examples include cold calling, direct mail, print advertising, and trade shows.

Out-of-Home (OOH) Marketing
Out-of-home marketing refers to advertising that reaches consumers when they are outside of their homes. This includes billboards, transit ads, and place-based media like ads in airports, malls, and on college campuses.

Pay-per-click (PPC) 
An advertising model where advertisers pay a fee each time someone clicks on their ad.

Positioning
The strategic process of creating a unique identity for a product, service, or brand relative to competitive products, services, or brands. It provides target audiences with a way of seeing the brand in the marketplace. For example, the Toyota brand is known for high quality, competitively priced, mainstream cars, whereas the company’s luxury brand is Lexus. Positioning enables the brand to be differentiated in the marketplace and can help give a brand qualities that go far beyond that of the basic value of a commodity or the value of the sum of its parts.

Product-Market Fit
Product-market fit describes how well a product aligns with the needs of its intended market. Achieving strong product-market fit is critical to a startup’s success.

Programmatic Advertising
Programmatic advertising is the automated process of buying and selling digital ad inventory. It uses artificial intelligence and real-time bidding to serve targeted ads to specific audiences.

Prospecting
Prospecting is the act of searching for and reaching out to new potential customers, often those with little or no awareness of a company, through methods like advertising, PR, and networking.

Public Relations (PR)
Public relations is the practice of managing the spread of information between a company and the public, with the goal of fostering a positive reputation through unpaid or earned media coverage.

Publicity
The process of generating media coverage and public attention for a person, organization, product, or event. It is a one-way communication approach focused on creating awareness and “buzz” through various channels. In contrast, public relations is a broader strategic function that aims to build and maintain relationships between an organization and its stakeholders, including the public, media, employees, and investors. While publicity is often a component of public relations, the latter takes a more comprehensive, two-way communication approach to enhancing an organization’s reputation and supporting its overall objectives over the long-term, beyond just immediate media exposure.

Qualified Lead
A lead that has been evaluated and determined to be a good fit for a company’s products or services, with a higher likelihood of converting.

Quality Score
Quality score is a metric used by search engines to gauge the competitiveness of an ad based on its expected click-through rate, relevance, and landing page experience.

Referral Marketing
Referral marketing uses incentivized word-of-mouth to drive customer acquisition, motivating existing customers to recommend a business to their networks.

Retargeting
A digital marketing strategy where the individuals who have previously visited a website or are included in an advertiser’s contact list are targeted again with advertising. For example, if a visitor looked at a web page but didn’t make a purchase and is later served an ad from that site with a higher discount to motivate their purchase.

Return on Investment (ROI) 
The benefit gained compared to the investment made, often used to measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 
The process of improving the visibility of a website in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Skim Pricing
A pricing strategy where a company sets a high initial price for a new product or service, then gradually lowers the price over time to attract a wider customer base.

Social Media Marketing 
Using social media platforms to connect with potential and current customers and promote a brand.

Target Market
The specific group of consumers at which a company’s marketing efforts are aimed, defined by characteristics like demographics, behaviors, and needs.

User Journey Map
A visual representation of the steps a customer takes when interacting with a company, across various touchpoints and channels, to achieve a goal.

UX Designer
A professional responsible for designing intuitive, user-friendly digital experiences that meet the needs and expectations of a target audience.

Unique Selling Proposition (USP) 
The distinctive feature or benefit of a product or service that sets it apart from competitors.

Unqualified Lead
A lead that has not been evaluated or determined to be a good fit for a company’s products or services, with a lower likelihood of converting.

Vertical / Vertical Market
A specific industry or niche with unique needs. Companies in a vertical focus their products and services to cater to these specialized demands, unlike companies in horizontal markets that appeal to a broad range of customers. Large industries like healthcare, education, manufacturing, finance and retail can be considered broad veritcals. A company that sells chemical products specifically for the automotive industry (as opposed to selling it to any buyer) is an example of a vertical.

Viral Marketing
A marketing strategy that uses existing social networks to promote a product or service, primarily through social media platforms. “Viral” is an analogy to a virus that spreads rapidly. In this case, the information about a product or service, about a brand, spreading rapidly and growing from one person to another person. An example would be a meme that quickly becomes popular being shared.

Webinar
A webinar is an online seminar used to inform, train, or sell to an audience interested in a brand, product, or service.

Website Analytics
Website analytics refers to the analysis and reporting of web data to better understand visitor behavior and the effectiveness of a website. 

Website Traffic 
The number of visitors a website receives over a given period.

Wireframe
A wireframe is a visual guide that represents the contents and layout of a web page during the design process.

Word-of-Mouth Marketing (WOM)
Marketing that occurs organically, commonly as the result of a positive customer experience, where a customer tells others about a brand or product. It is free advertising that is a result of customer experiences. The essence is to get people talking about your brand.

Marketing Acronyms

ABM (Account-Based Marketing): A strategic approach to business marketing in which an organization considers and communicates with individual prospect or customer accounts as markets of one.

AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action): The four stages of the traditional marketing/sales funnel, where customers progress from initial awareness of a product/service to taking a desired action like making a purchase.

ARPU – (Average Revenue Per User): A metric that measures the average revenue generated per user or customer of a business.

ATF (Above The Fold): The upper portion of a web page that is visible without scrolling, considered the prime real estate for capturing user attention.

B2B (Business to Business): A business model in which products or services are sold from a business to other businesses rather than individual consumers.

B2C (Business to Consumer): Describes a business model in which products or services are sold directly to individual consumers.

BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline): A sales qualification framework that evaluates whether a prospect has the budget, decision-making authority, identified need, and timeline to make a purchase.

BOFU (Bottom Of Funnel): The stage of the marketing/sales funnel where prospects are closest to making a purchase.

BR (Bounce Rate): The percentage of visitors to a website who navigate away from the site after viewing only one page.

CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost): The total cost of acquiring a new customer, including marketing and sales expenses.

CAN SPAM (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography And Marketing)

CASL (Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation): A law that sets the rules for the sending of commercial electronic messages and the installation of computer programs, and provides other forms of recourse against those who violate the law.

CMO (Chief Marketing Officer): The top marketing executive in an organization, responsible for marketing activities in an organization.

CMS (Content Management System): A software application used to manage the creation and modification of digital content.

CLV – See LTV

COS (Content Optimization System): A platform that combines website creation, content management, and optimization into a single tool to help marketers tailor their content to the individual visitor.

CPL (Cost Per Lead): The cost of acquiring a new lead or prospective customer.

CPV (Cost Per View): The cost of an advertisement for each view or impression.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management): Software and strategies used to manage a company’s interactions with current and potential customers.

CTA (Call-to-Action) – A prompt or instruction that encourages the viewer or user to take a specific action, such as “Buy Now,” “Sign Up,” or “Learn More.” CTAs are a crucial element in marketing campaigns and website design, as they guide the audience towards a desired conversion or engagement.

CTR (Click-Through Rate) – A metric that measures the ratio of users who click on a specific link or advertisement to the total number of users who view it. It is an important indicator of the effectiveness of digital advertising and content marketing efforts.

CX (Customer Experience) – CX refers to the overall experience a customer has with a brand or company, including their interactions, perceptions, and emotions throughout the customer journey. Delivering a positive and seamless CX is a key focus for many organizations as it can impact customer satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy.

DAM (Delayed Attribution Model): A marketing attribution model that gives credit to multiple touchpoints along the customer journey, rather than just the last interaction.

DFY – Done For You: When a service provider completes a task or project entirely on the client’s behalf.

DM (Direct Marketing): Marketing directly to individual consumers, rather than through intermediaries or mass media. It involves communicating with potential customers through channels like email, direct mail, telemarketing, or social media to promote products or services and encourage a direct response or purchase.
DM (Direct Mail Marketing, often shortened to Direct Mail in the industry): A form of direct marketing that involves sending physical promotional materials, such as letters, postcards, or brochures, directly to consumers through the postal service. The goal of direct mail marketing is to generate a direct response from the recipient, such as a purchase, a request for more information, or a visit to a website.

DM (Direct Message): An electronic message sent to a specific user.  

DWY (Done With You): When a service provider collaborates with the client to complete a task or project.

DTC (Direct To Consumer): A business model where a company sells its products or services directly to the end consumer, bypassing traditional retail channels.

ESP (Email Service Provider): A company that provides email marketing services, including tools for creating, sending, and tracking email campaigns.

FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out): A social and psychological phenomenon where people feel anxious that they are missing out on rewarding experiences that others are having.

GA or GA4 (Google Analytics): A web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic.

GTM (Google Tag Manager): A tag management system that allows you to quickly and easily update measurement codes and related code fragments on your website or mobile app.

ICP (Ideal Customer Profile): A detailed description of the type of customer that would benefit most from a company’s products or services.

KPI (Key Performance Indicator) – A key measure used for determining the success of a strategy or tactic. 

LCV – See LTV. 

LTV (Lifetime Value): Also known as customer lifetime value (CLV) or lifetime customer value (LCV). The total revenue a business can reasonably expect from a single customer account throughout their lifetime. LTV is calculated by determining the average spend and churn of a user over a given period. The formula for calculating LTV is: LTV = ARPU x 1/Churn. 

LTV:CAC (Lifetime Value to Customer Acquisition Cost Ratio): A metric that compares the lifetime value of a customer to the cost of acquiring that customer.

MOFU (Middle Of Funnel): The stage of the marketing/sales funnel where prospects are considering a purchase.

MQL (Marketing Qualified Leads): Leads that have been deemed more likely to become customers based on their engagement with a company’s marketing efforts.

MROI (Marketing Return on Investment) – Return on investment (ROI) of a marketing budget.  

MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue): A metric that measures the predictable, recurring revenue a business can expect each month.

NPS (Net Promoter Score): A customer loyalty and satisfaction metric that measures how likely customers are to recommend a company’s products or services.

PLG (Product-Led Growth): A business strategy that relies on the product itself as the main driver of customer acquisition, conversion, and expansion.

PPC (Pay Per Click): An online advertising model where advertisers pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked.

ROAS (Return On Ad Spend): A metric that measures the revenue generated for every dollar spent on advertising.

ROI (Return On Investment): A metric that measures the profitability of an investment by comparing the gain or loss to the cost of the investment.

S.E.M (Search Engine Marketing): The practice of promoting websites by increasing their visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs).

SEO (Search Engine Optimizaton): The practice of optimizing a website and web pages to perform well in search engine results. 

SMM (Social Media Marketing): SMM is the practice of using social media platforms and networks to promote a product, service, or brand, and to engage with a target audience. It involves creating and sharing content, running paid social media ads, and leveraging influencers and user-generated content to reach and interact with customers.

SMS (Short Message Service): SMS, commonly known as text messaging, is a form of communication that allows users to send and receive short text-based messages on their mobile devices. SMS can be used in marketing campaigns to deliver time-sensitive offers, updates, or reminders directly to customers’ phones.

SQL (Sales Qualified Leads): Leads that have been deemed ready for a sales conversation based on specific criteria.

SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats): Used in reference to a SWOT analysis, it is a strategic planning framework used to evaluate the internal and external factors that can impact a business, project, or initiative. The four key elements of a SWOT analysis are:

Strengths: The internal capabilities, resources, and advantages that can be leveraged.

Weaknesses: The internal limitations, deficiencies, or disadvantages that may hinder performance. 

Opportunities: The external factors or trends that the business can potentially capitalize on.

Threats: The external factors or challenges that could negatively impact the business. By systematically analyzing these four elements, organizations can make more informed decisions, develop effective strategies, and allocate resources more efficiently.

TOFU (Top Of Funnel): The stage of the marketing/sales funnel where prospects first become aware of a company’s products or services.

UGC (User-Generated Content): Content created and published by unpaid contributors, rather than a brand’s marketing team.

USP (Unique Selling Point or Unique Selling Proposition): The unique feature or benefit that differentiates a product or service from its competitors.

WIIFM (What’s In It For Me?): A question customers often ask themselves when evaluating a product or service.WOM (Word-Of-Mouth): The passing of information from person to person, often through recommendations or reviews.

B2B Marketing Glossary

Account-Based Marketing (ABM)

A strategic approach that focuses marketing and sales efforts on a targeted set of high-value accounts. The goal is to personalize outreach and engagement to drive growth within these key accounts.

Automation Rules

Criteria that trigger specific marketing and sales actions, such as lead scoring, lead nurturing, or sales follow-up. Automation rules help B2B marketers efficiently manage the lead lifecycle.

B2B

An adjective describing companies that sell products or services to other businesses, rather than directly to consumers. Examples include software, manufacturing, and consulting firms.

DIGITAL MARKETING TERMS

A glossary of key digital marketing terms that encompasses digital marketing, online advertising, SEM / paid search / PPC, SEO, and social media terms:

A

A/B Testing

The process of testing two versions of digital content (e.g. email subject lines, ads, landing pages) with a target audience to determine which performs better based on conversion rate.

Abandoned Cart

When a customer adds items to their online shopping cart but does not complete the purchase.

Acquisition Channel

The marketing channel or source that brings new visitors or customers to a business, such as organic search, paid ads, social media, referrals, etc.

Affiliate Marketing

A strategy where a business rewards affiliates (external partners) for bringing in new customers or visitors through promotion on the affiliate’s website, earning a commission based on sales or leads generated.

Algorithmic Feed

The non-chronological, personalized feed of content on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, determined by the platform’s algorithm.

Attribution Model

The method used to determine which marketing touchpoints deserve credit for a conversion or sale.

Abandoned Cart Recovery

The process of sending targeted emails or ads to customers who have left items in their online shopping cart without completing the purchase.

Adblock

Software that blocks the display of online advertisements on web pages and in apps.

Affiliate Network

A platform that connects businesses with affiliate marketers to promote products or services in exchange for a commission.

Anchor Text

The visible, clickable text in a hyperlink that indicates the link’s destination.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and learn like humans.

Augmented Reality (AR)

Technology that overlays digital information, such as images, 3D models, or animations, onto the user’s view of the physical world.

B

Backlink

A link from an external website pointing to a page on your own website.

Behavioral Targeting

Displaying ads to users based on their online browsing behavior and interests.

Bid Shading

A programmatic advertising tactic that automatically adjusts the bid price to the lowest amount needed to win an ad impression.

Bounce Rate

The percentage of website visitors who leave the site after viewing only one page.

Brand Awareness

The extent to which customers are able to recall or recognize a particular brand.

Brand Equity

The commercial value that derives from consumer perception of the brand name, rather than the product itself.

Bounce Rate

The percentage of website visitors who leave a website after viewing only one page.

Brand Positioning

Building a distinct brand identity and differentiating it from competitors through elements like tone, visual design, and messaging across marketing channels.

Branded Search

Searches performed on search engines that include a brand name, product, or company name.

Buyer Persona

A semi-fictional representation of an ideal customer based on market research and real data about existing customers.

C

Call-to-Action (CTA)

A prompt that encourages the website visitor to take a specific action, such as “Buy Now,” “Sign Up,” or “Learn More.”

Churn Rate

The percentage of customers or subscribers who cancel or stop using a product or service over a given period.

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

The ratio of users who click on a specific link or ad to the total number of users who view it.

Contextual Advertising

Ads that are displayed based on the content of the webpage the user is viewing, rather than their browsing history.

Conversion Optimization

The process of improving a website or marketing campaign to increase the percentage of visitors who complete a desired action.

Conversion Funnel

The series of steps a user goes through, from initial awareness to final conversion, such as awareness,

Conversion Rate

The percentage of website visitors who complete a desired action, such as making a purchase or filling out a form.

Content Marketing

Creating and distributing valuable, relevant content (e.g. blog posts, videos, podcasts) to attract and retain a target audience and ultimately drive profitable customer action.

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

The average cost of acquiring a new customer, calculated by dividing total sales and marketing expenses by the number of new customers obtained.

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV or LTV)

The total revenue a business can reasonably expect from a single customer account over the lifetime of their relationship.

Canonical URL

The preferred, authoritative version of a web page’s URL, used to prevent duplicate content issues.

Cart Abandonment

When a customer adds items to their online shopping cart but does not complete the purchase.

Chatbot

An artificial intelligence program that can converse with humans through text or voice interactions.

Clickbait

Online content designed to attract attention and encourage clicks, often using sensationalized or misleading headlines.

Closed-Loop Reporting

The process of connecting marketing activities to sales data to measure the true impact and ROI of campaigns.

Cognitive Bias

A systematic error in thinking that occurs when people are processing and interpreting information.

Collaborative Filtering

A recommendation system that suggests products or content based on the preferences of similar users.

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

The process of improving a website or marketing campaign to increase the percentage of visitors who complete a desired action.

Cost per Acquisition (CPA)

The cost of acquiring a new customer or lead, calculated by dividing total marketing costs by the number of conversions.

Cost per Click (CPC)

The amount an advertiser pays each time their ad is clicked.

Cost per Impression (CPM)

The cost of 1,000 ad impressions, a common pricing model for display advertising.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Software and strategies for managing a company’s interactions and relationships with customers and potential customers.

D

Dark Social

Sharing of content through private channels like messaging apps, email, and instant messaging that can’t be tracked by web analytics.

Dashboard

A visual display of the most important information needed to achieve one or more objectives, consolidated and arranged on a single screen.

Demographic Targeting

Targeting ads or content to users based on characteristics like age, gender, income, location, and interests.

Digital Analytics

The collection, measurement, analysis, and reporting of digital data to understand and optimize marketing efforts and website performance.

Drip Campaign

A series of automated, pre-scheduled marketing messages (emails, ads, etc.) sent to leads or customers over time.

Data-Driven Marketing

The practice of using data and analytics to inform marketing strategies, tactics, and decision-making.

Demand Generation

The process of creating interest and awareness for a product or service to attract potential customers.

Demographic Targeting

Targeting ads or content to users based on characteristics like age, gender, income, location, and interests.

Dwell Time

The amount of time a user spends on a web page before navigating away.

E

Earned Media

Publicity gained through word-of-mouth, media coverage, social sharing, and other unpaid channels.

Email Marketing

The act of sending targeted, promotional messages to a list of email subscribers, such as newsletters, offers, and relevant content.

Engagement Rate

A metric that measures how much audience interaction (likes, comments, shares, etc.) a piece of content receives.

Evergreen Content

Content that remains relevant and valuable to readers for an extended period of time, not dependent on trending topics.

F

Funnel Optimization

The process of analyzing and improving the steps in a customer conversion funnel to increase the overall conversion rate.

G

Gated Content

Digital content, such as an ebook or webinar, that is only accessible after the user provides their contact information.

Geofencing

A location-based marketing tactic that triggers ads or notifications when a user enters a specific geographic area.

Growth Hacking

The use of experimental, data-driven marketing tactics to rapidly grow a business or user base.

H

Hashtag

A keyword or phrase preceded by the # symbol used to categorize content and make it more discoverable on social media.

Heat Map

A visual representation of data where the individual values are represented as colors, often used to analyze user behavior on web pages.

I

Impression

Each time an ad or piece of content is displayed to a user, whether or not they interact with it.

Inbound Marketing

Attracting customers through relevant and valuable content that pulls them naturally towards a business.

Influencer Marketing

A strategy that leverages endorsements and product mentions from influential people to drive brand awareness and sales.

Intent-Based Targeting

Targeting ads or content to users based on the intent behind their online searches or browsing behavior.

K

Keyword Research

The process of identifying the words and phrases that people use when searching for information online, in order to optimize content and advertising.

Keyword Stuffing

The practice of using an excessive number of keywords in content in an attempt to manipulate search engine rankings, which is considered a black hat SEO tactic.

L

Landing Page

A standalone web page designed to convert visitors into leads or customers by focusing on a single offer or call-to-action.

Lead Generation

The process of attracting and converting potential customers into leads by offering valuable content or incentives.

Lead Magnet

An incentive offered to potential customers in exchange for their contact information, such as an ebook, webinar, or discount.

Lifetime Value (LTV)

The total revenue a business can expect from a single customer account over the entire relationship.

Long-Tail Keywords

An SEO term that refers to long, more specific keyword phrases that are less competitive but have higher conversion potential by targeting niche audiences.

M

Marketing Automation

Software and tactics used to automate repetitive marketing tasks and nurture leads through the sales funnel.

Micro-Influencer

An influencer with a relatively small but highly engaged following, often considered more authentic and trustworthy.

Multichannel Marketing

Using a combination of marketing channels (e.g. email, social media, paid ads, content) to reach and engage customers.

O

Omnichannel Marketing

An integrated approach that provides customers with a seamless experience across all available marketing channels and devices.

Organic Reach

The number of people who see a piece of unpaid (non-advertising) content on a social media platform.

Organic Keywords

Keywords that drive unpaid, natural traffic to a website through search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.

Outbound Marketing

Traditional marketing tactics that “push” messages out to the audience, such as TV/radio ads, cold calling, and direct mail.

P

Paid Media

Advertising or promotional content that a business pays to have placed or distributed, such as social media ads, display ads, and sponsored content.

Personalization

The process of tailoring content, products, or experiences to individual users based on their preferences and behaviors.

Pixel

A small piece of code placed on a website that tracks user behavior and conversions for remarketing and analytics.

Programmatic Advertising

The automated buying and selling of digital ad inventory, using artificial intelligence and real-time bidding to optimize ad placement.

Programmatic Creative

The automated process of generating and optimizing digital ad creative based on data and audience targeting.

Pay-Per-Click (PPC)

A model of digital advertising where advertisers pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked, driving traffic to their website.

Personalization

The process of tailoring content, products, or experiences to individual users based on their preferences and behaviors.

Pixel

A small piece of code placed on a website that tracks user behavior and conversions for remarketing and analytics.

Programmatic Creative

The automated process of generating and optimizing digital ad creative based on data and audience targeting.

Programmatic Advertising

The automated buying and selling of digital ad inventory, using artificial intelligence and real-time bidding to optimize ad placement.

R

Remarketing

The practice of showing ads to people who have previously visited a website or interacted with a brand online.

Retargeting

The process of serving ads to users who have previously engaged with a brand’s website or ads, with the goal of re-engaging them.

Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)

A metric that measures the revenue generated for every dollar spent on advertising.

Return on Investment (ROI)

A performance measure used to evaluate the efficiency of an investment or compare the

S

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

The process of increasing website visibility and traffic through a combination of search engine optimization (SEO) and paid search advertising (PPC).

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

The practice of improving the quantity and quality of unpaid (organic) traffic to a website from search engine results pages (SERPs).

Search Engine Results Page (SERP)

The page displayed by a search engine in response to a user’s query, containing both organic and paid listings.

Sentiment Analysis

The process of using natural language processing to determine the emotional tone or attitude expressed in online content.

Social Proof

The psychological phenomenon where people are influenced by the actions and behaviors of others.

Sponsored Content

Paid content that is designed to look and feel like editorial or organic content, often used in influencer marketing.

Social Listening

The monitoring and analysis of conversations and mentions about a brand, industry, or topic on social media platforms.

T

Target Audience

The specific group of people who are most likely to be interested in and benefit from a company’s products or services.

Thought Leadership

The practice of positioning an individual or organization as an expert and authority in their industry through content and engagement.

Time on Page

The average amount of time users spend on a specific web page before navigating away.

Touchpoint

Any interaction a customer has with a brand, product, or service, both online and offline.This expanded glossary covers a wide range of additional digital marketing terms across areas like analytics, advertising, content, social media, and customer behavior.

Tracking Pixel

A small, invisible image embedded in a web page or email that allows the sender to monitor user behavior and interactions.

Transactional Email

Automated emails triggered by a specific user action, such as a purchase confirmation or password reset.

Public Relations / Publicity Terms

Advertising Value Equivalency (AVE)

A metric used in public relations to estimate the value of earned media coverage by calculating how much it would have cost to buy the same amount of advertising space.

Boilerplate

A standardized paragraph at the end of a press release that provides journalists with background information on a company or organization.

Byline

The name of the author printed below the title of an article, giving them credit as the writer.

Content Marketing

The strategic creation and distribution of valuable, relevant content to attract and retain a target audience, often working in tandem with public relations efforts.

Crisis Communication

The process of dealing with a major unpredictable event that threatens to harm the reputation of a stakeholder or the general public.

Embargo

An agreement between a PR professional and a journalist to withhold publication of a story until a specific date and time.

Earned Media

Media coverage that is generated through relationship building, story pitching, and media relations, as opposed to paid advertising or owned media.

Editorial Calendar

A schedule of topics and themes that media outlets plan to cover over a specified time period, which PR professionals can use to pitch relevant stories.

Key Message

The central idea or theme that a PR professional wants to convey through their communications.

Media List

A database of relevant journalists, bloggers, and other media contacts that a PR professional uses for outreach and pitching.

Media Relations

The mutually beneficial relationships between PR professionals and members of the media, achieved through providing information, seeking information, and staying informed on media preferences and interests.

Media Relations

The mutually beneficial relationships between PR professionals and members of the media, achieved through providing information, seeking information, and staying informed on media preferences and interests.

Newsjacking

The practice of capitalizing on the popularity of a news story to promote a brand, product, or message.

Newswire

A news distribution service that helps generate awareness about a company’s news and announcements.

Owned Media

Any content or channels directly controlled and published by a company or organization, such as a website, blog, or social media profiles.

Paid Media

Advertising or promotional content that a business pays to have placed or distributed, such as social media ads, display ads, and sponsored content.

Pitch

A highly targeted message crafted and sent to a journalist to gauge their interest in a story idea, often including supporting materials like photos or videos.

Press Conference

A media event where an organization makes an announcement or answers questions from journalists.

Press Release

A written announcement distributed to the media to draw attention to a specific event, product launch, or campaign.

Public Relations

The strategic management of relationships and communication between an organization and its various publics, with the goal of building goodwill and mutual understanding.

Reputation Management

The practice of monitoring, correcting, and enhancing the public perception of a brand, individual, or organization.

Social Media Monitoring

The process of tracking, analyzing, and responding to conversations about a brand, product, or industry on social media platforms.

BRANDING TERMS

Brand

The overall reputation and perception of a company, product, or service in the minds of consumers. A brand encompasses the name, logo, design, messaging, and associations that distinguish it from competitors.

Brand Activation

The process of bringing a brand to life through experiential marketing, events, or other interactive touchpoints that engage consumers.

Brand Ambassador

An individual who represents and promotes a brand, often through word-of-mouth, social media, or other forms of advocacy.

Brand Architecture

The structure and organization of a company’s brand portfolio, including master brands, sub-brands, and endorsed brands.

Brand Audit

A comprehensive evaluation of a brand’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, used to identify areas for improvement or repositioning.

Brand Awareness

The extent to which consumers can recognize or recall a particular brand, which indicates the brand’s visibility and prominence in the market.

Brand Dilution

The weakening or diminishing of a brand’s equity and associations due to poor management, inconsistent messaging, or overextension.

Brand Equity

The commercial value and goodwill a brand has accumulated over time, which can provide a competitive advantage and allow premium pricing.

Brand Extension

The strategy of using an established brand name to launch a new product or service in a different category.

Brand Guidelines

A set of standards that define and govern the consistent application of a brand’s visual identity and messaging across all touchpoints.

Brand Identity

The way a company wants its brand to be perceived by consumers – the ideal image, personality, and associations the brand aims to cultivate. This aspirational brand identity guides all branding and marketing efforts.

Brand Visual Identity

The visual elements, including logo, color palette, typography, and imagery, that work together to represent and communicate a brand’s unique personality and values.

Brand Image

The overall impression and perception of a brand in the minds of consumers, based on their experiences and associations with the brand.

Brand Loyalty

The degree to which customers consistently choose to purchase a particular brand over competitors, often due to a strong emotional connection.

Brand Personality

The set of human characteristics and traits associated with a brand, which helps consumers connect with it on an emotional level.

Brand Positioning

The unique place a brand occupies in the minds of consumers relative to competitors, defined by its key benefits, attributes, and target audience.

Brand Promise

The core benefit or experience a brand commits to delivering to customers, which serves as the foundation for the brand’s value proposition.

Brand Refresh

A moderate update to a brand’s visual identity or messaging to keep it relevant and appealing to the target audience, without a full rebranding.

Brand Storytelling

The strategic use of narratives and emotional appeals to communicate a brand’s values, history, and unique personality.

Brand Valuation

The process of estimating the monetary worth of a brand, taking into account factors like brand equity, market share, and future earnings potential.

Co-Branding

A strategic partnership between two or more brands that collaborate to create a joint product, service, or marketing campaign.

Master Brand

The primary, overarching brand that serves as the foundation for a company’s product or service offerings. It is the main brand identity that represents the entire organization.

Rebranding

The process of significantly changing a brand’s visual identity, messaging, or positioning to revitalize or reposition the brand in the market.

Sub-Brand

A brand that is affiliated with and derives equity from a larger, master brand, but has its own distinct identity, positioning, and marketing. Sub-brands allow a company to target specific market segments or product categories.

Tagline

A short, memorable phrase that encapsulates a brand’s essence, personality, or unique selling proposition.