Learn These Common Marketing Terms

When I’m not working in film and TV, I try to make money in commercials and advertising. But I had to teach myself the ropes there.

That’s why I am trying to help you get ahead with all these common marketing terms. You need to know their definitions and know how to use them in the real world.

Now, let’s dive in.

---

The Definitive List of Common Marketing Terms

Core Marketing Concepts

• Brand: The overall identity of a product, service, or company.
• Branding: The process of creating and shaping a brand.
• Buyer Persona: A semi-fictional profile representing your ideal customer.
• Call to Action (CTA): A directive prompting the audience to take a specific action.
• Customer Journey: The path a customer takes from awareness to purchase and beyond.
• Market Segmentation: Dividing the market into groups of customers with common needs.
• Marketing Mix: The combination of elements that make up a marketing plan (often referred to as the 4 Ps: Product, Price, Place, Promotion).
• Positioning: How a brand establishes a unique place in the customer’s mind.
• Target Audience: The group of people most likely to be interested in your offering.
• Unique Selling Proposition (USP): The specific benefit that sets your offering apart.

Digital Marketing

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Techniques to improve website ranking in search engines.
• Pay-Per-Click (PPC): An online advertising model where you pay per ad click.
• Click-Through Rate (CTR): The percentage of people who click on a link.
• Landing Page: A standalone web page designed for a specific campaign.
• Content Marketing: Creating and sharing valuable content to attract customers.
• Social Media Marketing: Using social networks to promote your brand.
• Email Marketing: Reaching potential and existing customers through email.
• Affiliate Marketing: Promoting other people’s products to earn a commission.
• Influencer Marketing: Partnering with influencers to promote your brand.
• Display Advertising: Banner ads and other visual advertisements on websites.

Data & Analytics

• Analytics: The collection and analysis of data to understand user behavior.
• Return on Investment (ROI): A measure of an investment’s profitability.
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Measurable values used to track progress.
• A/B Testing: Comparing two versions of a marketing element to see which performs better.
• Conversion Rate: The percentage of visitors who complete a desired action.
• Bounce Rate: Percentage of visitors who leave a website after only viewing one page.
• Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): The cost of acquiring a new customer.
• Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): The total revenue a customer is expected to generate over their relationship with a business.
• Churn Rate: The rate at which customers stop doing business with a company.
• Net Promoter Score (NPS): A metric for measuring customer loyalty.

Sales & Customer Relationship Management

• Lead: A potential customer who has expressed interest.
• Lead Generation: The process of attracting and capturing leads.
• Lead Qualification: Evaluating leads to determine their sales readiness.
• Sales Funnel: The stages a prospect goes through before becoming a customer.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM): A system for managing customer interactions.
• Sales Pipeline: A visual representation of where prospects are in the sales process.
• Sales Forecast: Prediction of future sales.
• Upselling: Encouraging customers to purchase a more expensive version.
• Cross-selling: Suggesting related products or services to customers.
• Customer Retention: Strategies to keep customers engaged and coming back.

Traditional Marketing

• Public Relations (PR): Managing the spread of information about a brand to the public.
• Direct Marketing: Reaching customers directly through mail, catalogs, or telemarketing.
• Guerrilla Marketing: Unconventional tactics to promote a product or service with a limited budget.
• Experiential Marketing: Creating interactive experiences to engage with customers.
• Word-of-Mouth Marketing: Encouraging customers to spread positive messages about your brand.

Advertising

• Campaign: A coordinated series of marketing efforts with a specific goal.
• Media Planning: The process of selecting advertising channels and scheduling.
• Reach: The number of people exposed to an advertisement.
• Frequency: How often the average person sees an advertisement.
• Impression: A single instance of an advertisement being displayed.

Product Marketing

• Product Launch: The process of introducing a new product to the market.
• Go-to-Market Strategy: The plan for bringing a product to market, including target audience, messaging, and channels.
• Product Lifecycle: The stages a product goes through from introduction to decline.
• Product Roadmap: A strategic plan outlining the development and evolution of a product.
• Minimum Viable Product (MVP): A version of a product with just enough features to attract early adopters and validate the product idea.

Pricing

• Cost-Plus Pricing: Setting the price by adding a markup to the cost of a product.
• Value-Based Pricing: Setting the price based on the perceived value to the customer.
• Competitive Pricing: Setting the price based on the prices of competitors.
• Price Skimming: Starting with a high price and gradually lowering it.
• Penetration Pricing: Starting with a low price to gain market share.

Mobile Marketing

• SMS Marketing: Using text messages to reach customers.
• Mobile App Marketing: Promoting a mobile app to drive downloads and engagement.
• Location-Based Marketing: Targeting customers based on their location.
• QR Codes: Quick Response codes that can be scanned by smartphones to link to digital content.
• Geofencing: Using location data to trigger marketing messages within a defined area.

Content Creation

• Blog: A regularly updated website section featuring articles and commentary.
• Infographic: A visual representation of information or data.
• Video Marketing: Using videos to promote a brand, product, or service.
• Podcast: A series of episodic audio or video files available for download or streaming.
• Webinar: An online seminar or workshop for educational or promotional purposes.

Additional Important Marketing Terms

• Copywriting: The art of writing persuasive marketing materials.
• Viral Marketing: Marketing campaigns designed to spread rapidly through word-of-mouth.
• Brand Equity: The value of a brand’s reputation and recognition.
• B2B Marketing: Marketing to other businesses (Business-to-Business).
• B2C Marketing: Marketing directly to consumers (Business-to-Consumer).
• Demand Generation: Creating awareness and interest in a product or service.
• Account-Based Marketing (ABM): Highly targeted marketing to specific high-value accounts.
• Omnichannel Marketing: Creating a seamless customer experience across all channels.
• Marketing Automation: Using software to streamline repetitive marketing tasks.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Marketing Using AI algorithms to personalize marketing efforts and optimize campaigns.