It’s easy to make fun of all the jargon and business-speak that seems to be popular in the marketing industry, but a lot of this terminology has evolved for a real purpose, and can be useful shorthand for some complex topics.
Marketing covers a lot of different but related, and interdependent activities, from digital advertising and content creation to market research and brand management. Each area has its own specific needs and practices, requiring precise language to communicate effectively.
Jargon helps marketing professionals convey complex ideas quickly and accurately within their niche. Using specific terms allows marketers to communicate more efficiently. For example, terms like “SEO” (Search Engine Optimization) or “CTR” (Click-Through Rate) pack a lot of information into a small space. This shorthand saves time and ensures that everyone involved understands exactly what is being discussed.
While jargon has its benefits, it can also pose challenges. For those new to the field or outside the industry, jargon can be confusing and create barriers to understanding, and it can often feel like such language is being used to deliberately overcomplicate issues as a kind of gate-keeping. It’s important for marketers to balance the use of jargon with clear, accessible language, especially when communicating with clients or the general public.
Below we have explained some of the most widely used terminology, or jargon, currently used in the marketing industry:
A
A/B Testing: A method of comparing two versions of a web page or app against each other to determine which one performs better.
Above the Fold: The portion of a webpage that is visible without scrolling. Content here is considered more important as it is seen first.
Ad Copy: The text or content of an advertisement designed to attract and persuade potential customers.
Affiliate Marketing: A marketing arrangement where affiliates earn a commission for promoting another company’s products.
Analytics: The discovery and communication of meaningful patterns in data, often used to evaluate the performance of marketing activities.
Attribution: The process of identifying which marketing efforts contribute to sales or conversions and to what extent.
B
Backlink: A link from one website to another, often used in SEO to improve a site’s ranking on search engines.
Banner Ad: A form of online advertising embedded on a webpage that attracts traffic to an advertiser’s website.
Benchmarking: Comparing business processes and performance metrics to industry bests and best practices from other companies.
B2B (Business-to-Business): Transactions or marketing between businesses rather than between a business and consumers.
B2C (Business-to-Consumer): Transactions or marketing from a business 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 about existing customers.
C
Call to Action (CTA): A prompt in marketing content that encourages the audience to take a specific action, like “Sign Up” or “Buy Now.”
Churn Rate: The percentage of customers who stop using a service or purchasing a product over a specific period.
Click-Through Rate (CTR): The ratio of users who click on a specific link to the number of total users who view an email, webpage, or advertisement.
Content Marketing: A strategy focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience.
Conversion Rate: The percentage of visitors to a website who complete a desired goal (conversion), such as making a purchase or filling out a form.
Copy: The text used in any marketing material, such as ads, social media posts, brochures, and web-pages. A “copywriter” is a person whose job it is to write this text.
Cost Per Click (CPC): The amount an advertiser pays a publisher when the ad is clicked.
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): The total worth of a customer to a business over the entirety of their relationship.
D
Demographics: Statistical data relating to the population and particular groups within it, used in marketing to identify target audiences.
Digital Marketing: Marketing efforts that use the internet or electronic devices, including SEO, social media marketing, and email marketing.
Direct Mail: Physical correspondence sent to potential customers to promote products or services.
Display Advertising: Advertising on websites in various forms, including banners, videos, and text ads.
E
E-commerce: Buying and selling of goods or services using the internet.
Email Marketing: Sending commercial messages to a group of people using email.
Engagement Rate: A metric that measures the level of interaction a piece of content receives from an audience.
F
Freemium: A pricing strategy where basic services are provided free of charge, while more advanced features must be paid for.
Funnel: A model representing the customer journey from awareness to purchase, with stages like awareness, interest, decision, and action.
G
Geotargeting: Delivering content to a user based on their geographic location.
Growth Hacking: A strategy focused on rapid experimentation across marketing channels to identify the most effective ways to grow a business.
H
Heatmap: A data visualization tool that shows how users interact with a webpage, highlighting areas with the most activity.
I
Inbound Marketing: A strategy focused on attracting customers through relevant and helpful content, and adding value at every stage in the customer’s buying journey.
Impression: The number of times an ad is displayed to users, regardless of whether it is clicked or not.
Influencer Marketing: Leveraging individuals with a large social media following to promote a product or service.
K
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Metrics used to evaluate the success of an organization or of a particular activity in which it engages.
Keyword: A specific word or phrase that describes the content of a webpage and is used by search engines to determine relevance.
L
Landing Page: A standalone web page created specifically for a marketing or advertising campaign.
Lead Generation: The process of attracting and converting strangers and prospects into someone who has indicated interest in your company’s product or service.
M
Market Segmentation: The process of dividing a broad consumer or business market into sub-groups based on some type of shared characteristics.
Marketing Automation: Technology that manages marketing processes and campaigns across multiple channels automatically.
Media Buying: The process of purchasing advertising space or time on various media platforms.
Mobile Marketing: Promotional activity designed for delivery to cell phones, smartphones, and other handheld devices.
N
Native Advertising: A type of online advertising that matches the form and function of the platform on which it appears.
O
Omnichannel Marketing: A multichannel approach that provides customers with a seamless experience across online and offline channels.
P
Pay-Per-Click (PPC): An internet advertising model used to drive traffic to websites, in which an advertiser pays a publisher when the ad is clicked.
Persona: See Buyer Persona.
Public Relations (PR): Managing the spread of information between an individual or an organization and the public.
R
Remarketing: A strategy that involves targeting ads to users who have previously interacted with a website or app.
Return on Investment (ROI): A measure used to evaluate the efficiency or profitability of an investment.
S
Search Engine Optimization (SEO): The practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to a website through organic search engine results.
Social Media Marketing (SMM): The use of social media platforms to connect with an audience to build a brand, increase sales, and drive website traffic.
SWOT Analysis: A strategic planning tool used to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
T
Target Audience: A specific group of people identified as the intended recipient of an advertisement or message.
Thought Leadership: Establishing an individual or brand as an authority in their field through content, expertise, and influence.
U
User-Generated Content (UGC): Content created by users, often used by brands to promote products in an authentic way.
User Experience (UX): The overall experience a person has when using a product, particularly in terms of how easy or pleasing it is to use.
V
Viral Marketing: A strategy that encourages individuals to pass on a marketing message to others, creating the potential for exponential growth in the message’s exposure.
W
Webinar: A seminar conducted over the internet, allowing interaction between the presenter and the audience.
White Paper: An authoritative report or guide that addresses issues and offers solutions, often used in B2B marketing.
Y
Yield: The revenue generated per advertisement or the effectiveness of an ad campaign in generating revenue.