Marketing Glossary

Glossary of Marketing Terms

A

A/B Testing: A method of comparing two versions of a webpage or app against each other to determine which one performs better.

Ad Copy: The text or content used in an advertisement to convey a message to the target audience.

Affiliate Marketing: A type of performance-based marketing where a business rewards affiliates for each visitor or customer brought by the affiliate’s marketing efforts.

Analytics: The systematic computational analysis of data or statistics to gain insights and make informed marketing decisions.

B

B2B (Business-to-Business): Marketing of products or services to other businesses rather than to consumers.

B2C (Business-to-Consumer): Marketing of products or services directly to consumers.

Brand Equity: The value and strength of a brand that determines its worth.

Buyer Persona: A semi-fictional representation of an ideal customer based on market research and real data.

C

Call to Action (CTA): A prompt that encourages users to take a specific action, such as “Buy Now” or “Sign Up.”

Churn Rate: The percentage of customers who stop using a product or service during a given time period.

Content Marketing: A marketing strategy focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant content to attract and engage a target audience.

Conversion Rate: The percentage of visitors to a website who complete a desired goal (e.g., making a purchase).

Customer Acquisition Strategy: Refers to a strategy for attracting and converting new customers for a business’s products or services.

D

Demand Generation: A comprehensive marketing strategy focused on creating awareness and interest in a company’s products or services to generate demand.

Demographics: Statistical data relating to the population and particular groups within it, often used to identify target audiences.

Digital Marketing: The promotion of products or brands using digital channels, including search engines, social media, email, and websites.

E

Email Marketing: The use of email to promote products or services and build relationships with potential and existing customers.

Engagement Rate: A metric that measures the level of engagement that a piece of content receives from its audience, such as likes, shares, comments, etc.

F

Freemium: A pricing strategy where basic services are provided free of charge, while more advanced features must be paid for.

Funnel: A model that represents the stages a customer goes through from awareness to purchase.

G

Geotargeting: Delivering content or advertisements to a user based on their geographic location.

Growth Hacking: Experimentation across marketing channels and product development to identify the most effective and efficient ways to grow a business.

H

Honeypot: A technique used to detect or prevent unauthorized use of data, often by luring in hackers.

Hyperlocal Marketing: Targeting potential customers in a highly specific, geographically restricted area.

I

Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) A detailed description of the type of company or individual that would benefit the most from a business’s products or services and, in return, provide the most value to the business.

Inbound Marketing: A marketing strategy that focuses on attracting customers through relevant and helpful content and adding value at every stage in the customer’s buying journey.

Influencer Marketing: A type of marketing that uses influential people to promote a product or service.

K

Key Performance Indicator (KPI): A measurable value that demonstrates how effectively a company is achieving key business objectives.

L

Landing Page: A standalone web page, created specifically for a marketing or advertising campaign, where visitors land after clicking on a link.

Lead Generation: The process of attracting and converting strangers and prospects into someone who has indicated interest in your company’s product or service.

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

M

Market Segmentation: The process of dividing a broad consumer or business market into sub-groups based on shared characteristics.

Marketing Automation: Using software to automate repetitive marketing tasks, such as emails, social media posts, and ad campaigns.

Marketing Mix: The set of actions or tactics that a company uses to promote its brand or product in the market, often summarized as the 4 Ps: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion.

N

Net Promoter Score (NPS): A customer loyalty metric that measures the likelihood of customers to recommend a company’s product or service to others.

Niche Market: A specific, defined segment of the market that is addressed by a particular product or service.

O

Omnichannel Marketing: A multi-channel approach to sales that seeks to provide customers with a seamless shopping experience whether they’re shopping online or in a physical store.

Outreach: The act of reaching out to potential customers, partners, or influencers to promote products or services.

P

Pay-Per-Click (PPC): An internet advertising model used to drive traffic to websites, where an advertiser pays a publisher when the ad is clicked.

Persona: Detailed descriptions of the typical users of a product, used in marketing to better understand and target customers.

Public Relations (PR): The practice of managing the spread of information between an individual or an organization and the public.

Q

Qualitative Research: Research that seeks to understand human behavior by exploring the reasons and motivations behind that behavior.

Quantitative Research: Research that seeks to quantify the data and typically applies some form of statistical analysis.

R

Return on Investment (ROI): A measure of the profitability of an investment, calculated by dividing the net profit by the cost of the investment.

Retargeting: A form of online advertising that targets users who have previously visited a website but did not complete a purchase.

S

Search Engine Optimization (SEO): The process of optimizing a website to rank higher in search engine results, thereby increasing the amount of organic (free) traffic.

Social Media Marketing: The use of social media platforms to promote a product or service.

T

Target Audience: A specific group of consumers identified as the intended recipient of an advertisement or message.

Touchpoint: Any point of interaction between a business and a customer.

U

Unique Selling Proposition (USP): The factor or consideration presented by a seller as the reason that one product or service is different from and better than that of the competition.

User-Generated Content (UGC): Content created by users or customers, such as reviews, photos, or videos, rather than the brand itself.

V

Viral Marketing: A strategy that encourages individuals to share a marketing message with others, leading to potential exponential growth in the message’s exposure and influence.

Value Proposition: A statement that explains what benefit you provide for who and how you do it uniquely well.

W

Webinar: A seminar conducted over the internet, used for training, presentation, or marketing purposes.

Word-of-Mouth Marketing: The process of actively influencing and encouraging organic discussions about a brand, product, or service.

Y

Yield Management: A variable pricing strategy, based on understanding, anticipating, and influencing consumer behavior to maximize revenue or profits from a fixed, perishable resource.

Z

Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT): The moment when a customer researches a product before making a decision to purchase, typically online.