Marketing Lingo Every Business Owner Should Know

If there’s one thing we can all agree on when it comes to the marketing industry, it’s that there is no lack of jargon. Every industry has its jargon, and marketing is no different. So while terms like “CPC” can sound like a secret code, our full-service agency lives and breathes the language. As your marketing partner, we’re dedicated to teaching you throughout the process. 

This industry lingo lexicon is one route toward the path of marketing enlightenment. Plus, it may shed light on both the work we do and the goals we have for our clients. If you’ve ever scratched your head at the sight of “SWOT,” this blog is for you!

A/B Testing – A marketing technique in which multiple versions of a campaign are developed, each presented to different audiences to determine optimal performance.

Blog – A digital collection of written materials covering specific topics, opinion pieces, press releases, etc.

Boosted Post – A social media post that has been paid for to “boost” its reach to a broader audience, also known as a sponsored post.

Campaign – A cohesive set of strategic marketing initiatives working to promote a service, product or goal.

CMYK vs. RGB  – Two opposing color modes. CMYK is used when printing physical, ink-based assets (i.e., business cards, flyers, etc.) RGB is used for digital assets (i.e., websites, digital ads, etc.) 

Copy – Text created for marketing materials.

CPC (Cost-Per-Click) – A digital marketing measurable that denotes the cost for each click on an ad in your pay-per-click (PPC) campaign model.

CPM (Cost Per Mille) – The ad spend for every 1,000 impressions or views on a digital ad.

CTA (Call to Action) – An instruction that urges the audience to take a desired action or next step. (i.e., “Contact us today,” “Call now,” “Visit our website,” etc.)

CTR (Clickthrough Rate) – The number of clicks your digital ads receive divided by the number of times they are shown.  

Customer segmentation – A process in which customers are divided into groups based on similar characteristics to create more effective, targeted marketing strategies.

Eblast – A short-form, large-scale email blast that sends information to a wide audience.

Engagement – How your audience interacts with your content/brand.

Flywheel – A self-sustaining cycle of interlinked initiatives that, when performed correctly, feed one another to help businesses grow.

Impressions – Any instance in which an ad appears on a user’s screen.

Infographic – A visual representation of statistics/data (i.e., graphs, charts, creative illustrations featuring data.)

Keyword – Specific words or terms users type into a search engine when looking for something.

KPI (Key Performance Indicator) – Quantifiable marketing measurables used to track progress and performance.

Landing page – A webpage clients “land” on after clicking a link. These pages are typically designed to urge visitors to take an intended action.

MOZ – An SEO software used to improve SEO strategy and performance.

Newsletter – A regularly issued print or digital report featuring updates, highlights and more pertaining to an organization’s operations. 

OTT (Over-the-Top) – Advertisements that bypass traditional television marketing by delivering content to viewers via video streaming platforms.

Paid Search – The process of paying a search engine to serve your ad at a higher ranking among relevant search results.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) – A digital marketing strategy utilizing keywords identified as relevant to your business to help increase your organic search engine ranking.

Specs – Guidelines commonly used to denote the parameters or limitations one must meet when developing content to ensure proper look/performance.

SWOT Analysis – An internal review conducted by an organization to determine its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Viewers – Any individual who engages or views your digital content.

TRIO is ready to help your marketing shine!

Phew, did you catch all that?! While this is most definitely not a complete list of terms (trust us, we could go on for days!), it covers what we at TRIO feel are the “marketing must-knows for any business owner. And if you’re feeling overwhelmed…don’t! If you’re feeling a little bit overwhelmed, don’t stress! Our marketing experts are ready to help relieve the pressure. Contact us today to work with our team!