Marketing Glossary for Founders

A/B testing—A method of comparing two versions of a web page, email, or other marketing asset to determine which performs better.
ABM (account-based marketing)—A strategic approach that concentrates sales and marketingresources on a clearly defined set of target accounts.
ACOS (advertising cost of sale)—The ratio of ad spend to revenue generated from ads, oftenexpressed as a percentage.
ad spend—The total amount of money invested in advertising campaigns across all channels.
AI (artificial intelligence)—The simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, usedin marketing for personalization, content creation, predictive analytics, and customer segmentation.
AIDA (attention, interest, desire, action)—A model that outlines the stages a consumer goes through in the buying process.
API (application programming interface)—A set of protocols that allows different software applications to communicate with each other.
B2B (business-to-business)—Commerce transactions between businesses, such as between a manufacturer and wholesaler.
B2C (business-to-consumer)—Commerce transactions between a business and a consumer.
B2G (business-to-government)—Commerce transactions between businesses and government agencies.
backlink—An incoming hyperlink from one web page to another website.
BI (business intelligence)—Technologies, applications, and practices for the collection, integration, analysis, and presentation of business information.
blog—A regularly updated website or section of a website, typically run by an individual or small group.
boosted post—An existing organic social media post that has been paid to reach a larger audience than it would organically.
BR (bounce rate)—The percentage of visitors who navigate away from a site after viewing only one page.
brand awareness—The extent to which consumers can recognize or recall a brand under different conditions.
brand equity—The value premium that a company generates from a product with a recognizable name compared to a generic equivalent.
buzz marketing—A viral marketing technique that focuses on maximizing word-of-mouth potential among consumers.
CAC (customer acquisition cost)—The cost associated with convincing a customer to buy a product or service.
CDP (customer data platform)—Software that creates a persistent, unified customer databasethat is accessible to other systems.
chatbot marketing—Use of AI-powered conversational interfaces to engage customers andprovide service through messaging platforms.
clickbait—Content designed to attract attention and encourage visitors to click on a link, often using sensational headlines.
CLV (customer lifetime value)—The total worth of a customer to a business over the entirety of their relationship.
CMS (content management system)—Software that helps users create, manage, and modify content on a website without specialized technical knowledge.
content marketing—A strategic marketing approach focused on creating valuable, relevant content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience.
conversion funnel—A visual representation of the customer journey from awareness to conversion.
CPA (cost per acquisition)—The total cost of acquiring a new customer, including advertising and marketing expenses.
CPC (cost per click)—The amount paid for each click on an advertisement. Common pricing model in search engine and social media advertising.
CPM (cost per thousand impressions)—The cost to show an advertisement 1,000 times. The “M” stands for “mille,” which is Latin for thousand.
CR (conversion rate)—The percentage of users who take a desired action out of the total number of users.
CRM (customer relationship management)—A technology for managing all company relationships and interactions with potential and existing customers.
CTR (click-through rate)—The ratio of users who click on a specific link to the number of total users who view a page, email, or advertisement.
customer journey—The complete sum of experiences that customers go through when interacting with a company and its products.
CX (customer experience)—The overall perception and feeling a customer has about a brand based on all interactions.
dark social—Social sharing that occurs outside of what web analytics programs can measure, such as sharing via email or messaging apps.
DMP (data management platform)—A platform that collects and manages data from various sources to help build audience profiles for targeted marketing.
drip campaign—A set of marketing emails that are sent out automatically on a schedule.
DSP (demand side platform)—Software that allows advertisers to buy digital ad inventory across multiple exchanges through a single interface.
engagement rate—A metric that measures the level of interaction (likes, comments, shares) that content receives relative to reach or followers.
evergreen content—Content that remains relevant and fresh for readers over a long period of time.
first-party data—Information collected directly from audiences or customers, becoming more valuable with privacy regulations.
GA (Google Analytics)—Google’s web analytics service that tracks and reports website traffic.
GA4 (Google Analytics 4)—Google’s latest analytics platform that uses event-based data and machine learning to provide insights.
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)—A regulation in EU law on data protection and privacy that affects how marketers can collect and use consumer data.
Google Search Console (GSC)—Shows how your site appears in Google Search (keywords, impressions, clicks, rankings, technical SEO).
Google Tag Manager—A tag management system that allows users to update code snippets on their website.
GPT (generative pre-trained transformer)—AI models that generate human-like text, used in content creation, copywriting, and customer communication.
GTM (go-to-market)—A strategy or plan that outlines how a company will reach customers and achieve a competitive advantage
Hashtag—A word or phrase preceded by the # symbol used to identify messages on a specific topic on social media.
ICP (ideal customer profile)—A detailed description of the perfect customer for a business based on market research and data on existing customers.
IM (instant messaging)—A type of online chat that offers real-time text transmission over the internet, used as a customer service channel.
impressions—The number of times content is displayed, regardless of whether it was clicked or not.
influencer marketing—A form of marketing that focuses on using key leaders to drive the brand message to a larger market.
keyword—A term used in digital marketing to describe a word or group of words that an internet user types into a search engine.
KPI (key performance indicator)—A measurable value that demonstrates how effectively a company is achieving key business objectives.
lead generation—The process of attracting and converting strangers and prospects into someone who has indicated interest in a company’s product or service.
lookalike audience—A targeting method that finds users who share similar characteristics with an existing customer base.
LTV (lifetime value)—The predicted revenue a customer will generate throughout their relationship with a business.
MARCOM (marketing communications)—The messages and media used to communicate with a market, including advertising, direct marketing, and public relations.
marketing automation—Technology that manages marketing processes and campaigns across multiple channels automatically.
marketing strategy—A business’s overall game plan for reaching prospective consumers and turning them into customers of products or services.
micro-moments—An intent-rich moment when a person turns to a device to act on a need—to know, go, do, or buy something.
ML (machine learning)—A subset of AI that enables systems to learn and improve from experience without explicit programming, used for predictive analytics in marketing.
MQL (marketing qualified lead)—A lead that has been deemed more likely to become a customer compared to other leads based on marketing activities.
NLP (natural language processing)—AI technology that helps computers understand, interpret, and respond to human language, used in chatbots and content analysis.
NPS (net promoter score)—An index ranging from -100 to 100 that measures the willingness of customers to recommend a company’s products or services.
omnichannel marketing—Strategy providing seamless customer experience across all channels, increasingly powered by AI integration.
organic reach—The number of people who see a post through unpaid distribution.
PPC (pay per click)—An advertising model where advertisers pay each time a user clicks on their ad.
PQL (product qualified lead)—A lead who has experienced meaningful value using a product through a free trial or freemium model.
PR (public relations)—The practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or organization to the public to maintain a positive image.
predictive analytics—The use of data, statistical algorithms, and machine learning techniques to identify the likelihood of future outcomes based on historical data.
Programmatic Advertising—The automated buying and selling of online advertising using AI and real-time bidding.
QR Code (quick response code)—A barcode that can be scanned by smartphone cameras to quickly access websites, making physical-to-digital connections.
Retargeting—A form of online advertising that targets users who have previously visited a website but didn’t complete a desired action.
RFM (recency, frequency, monetary)—A customer segmentation model based on purchasing behavior, increasingly enhanced with AI.
ROAS (return on advertising spend)—A metric that measures the revenue generated for every dollar spent on advertising.
ROI (return on investment)—A performance measure used to evaluate the efficiency of an investment or compare the efficiency of several investments.
RTB (real-time bidding)—The automated buying and selling of online ad impressions through real-time auctions that occur in the time it takes a web page to load.
SaaS (software as a service)—A software distribution model where applications are hosted by a service provider and made available to customers over the internet.
SAL (sales-accepted lead)—A lead that has been passed from marketing to sales and has been accepted by the sales team as worth pursuing.
SEM (search engine marketing)—Paid strategies to increase search engine visibility, complementing organic SEO efforts with paid advertising.
sentiment analysis—AI-powered monitoring of consumer opinions and attitudes toward brands expressed online.
SEO (search engine optimization)—The practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to a website through organic search engine results.
SERP (search engine results page)—The page displayed by search engines in response to a user’s search query.
SLA (service-level agreement)—A contract between a service provider and the customer thatdocuments the services to be provided and the service standards the provider is obligated to meet.
SMM (social media marketing)—The use of social media platforms to connect with audiences to build brands and increase sales.
SMS (short message service)—A text messaging service component of most telephone, internet, and mobile device systems, used for marketing campaigns.
sponsored post—Content on social media that a brand has paid to promote to reach a wider audience.
SQL (sales qualified lead)—A prospective customer that has been researched and vetted by marketing and sales departments and is ready for the next stage in the sales process.
SRP (social relationship platform)—A solution that enables businesses to manage and track all their social communications and measure the effectiveness of their social media activities.
SSO (single sign-on)—An authentication scheme that allows a user to log in with a single ID and password to access multiple applications.
SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats)—A framework used to evaluate a company’s competitive position and develop strategic planning.
TAM (total addressable market)—The total market demand for a product or service, calculated in annual revenue.
target audience—A specific group of consumers most likely to respond positively to a company’s products, promotions, and messages.
UGC (user-generated content)—Any form of content created by users of a product or service rather than the brand itself.
UI (user interface)—The point of human-computer interaction and communication in a device, encompassing all visual elements, interactive features, and navigation components.
USP (unique selling proposition)—A factor that differentiates a product from its competitors, such as lowest cost, highest quality, or first-ever product.
UX (user experience)—The overall experience of a person using a product or service, especially in terms of how easy or pleasing it is to use.
VM (voice mail/vendor management)—A computerized system that enables users to leave and store voice messages / The process of managing suppliers or vendors.
voice search—A speech recognition technology that allows users to search by saying terms aloud rather than typing them into a search field.
webinar—An online seminar or presentation that is hosted using web conferencing software and allows audience interaction.
WOM (word-of-mouth)—The passing of information from person to person by oral communication, often enhanced by social media.