Translating marketing speak into English – an ABC glossary

For many business owners, marketing speak can be bewildering at the best of times, and if your agency starts to speak in acronyms, it can get downright confusing.

 We’ve tried our hand at translating marketing jargon into something a little easier to understand.

A is for analytics

Analytics are used to track your marketing performance. Digital agencies use a range of software programs to study the performance of your website, paid advertising, and social media activity. Google Analytics is a popular analytics platform used to see how many people are using your website and how they’re doing it.

B is for blogging

Blogs are a great way to educate and inform your customers while establishing that you are knowledgeable in your field. SEO specialists love blogs because they let you add specific keywords and keyphrases to your website. Plus, they show search engines that the website is active.

C is for content

Content remains one of the key performers when trying to rank for any topic. Write with the end user in mind – use your keywords, but don’t over optimise. It’s more important to remain relevant.

D is for digital

Modern marketing is all about the digital mix: a strong website, active social media, targeted online advertising, well-designed emails, and the odd SMS. When your digital elements to work together, you have the best chance of marketing success.

E is for eDM

Electronic direct mail (eDM) is just a fancy name for bulk emails… but, don’t rush out and spam the whole world. Using lists of customers, staff, suppliers, and leads, you can send out regular messages to promote your business, services, and other items of interest.

F is for Facebook

You might not like Facebook, or even be on Facebook, but your customers are. They’re on there every day. Approximately 17 million Australians use Facebook each month: it’s a great place to reach people with similar interests in the right location to use your business.

G is for Google

As far as internet searches go, Google rules the roost. 94% of all internet searches in Australia are made on Google: if you’re going to run search engine advertising, Google Ads are the way to go. A great way to boost your visibility on Google is by setting up a Google My Business (GMB) listing. Your GMB lists all your services, locations, contact details, business photos, products, and staff. It’s a must-have for any business.

H is for HTML

Hypertext Markup Language, or HTML is the formatting language used on the internet. It works with technologies like cascading style sheets (CSS) to help determine your website’s look and layout. Search engines like Google use it to determine your website’s layout and the kind of content it has.

I is for impressions

Impressions are the amount of times a person sees your ad, regardless of whether or not they click on it. That doesn’t mean they’re wasted – not all paid advertising is there to generate conversions. Impressions build awareness, keep your brand at front of mind, and can eventually lead to conversions.

J is for JavaScript

JavaScript is a programming language that allows for movement on a website. Earlier versions of Google didn’t work well with JavaScript, which sometimes lead to important information on websites not being indexed. In more recent years, Google has become more compatible with JavaScript and can better interpret its elements.

K is for keywords

Keywords and keyphrases are the words people put into search engines to find your business or services online. Including them on your website (in the right amount) tells search engines that your content relates to that topic. Using that information, it can send the right type of users to your website.

L is for landing page

A landing page is generally a web page that connects exclusively to one advertising campaign. They’re designed to be as straightforward and effective as possible to increase your chances of converting a sale.

M is for mobile

Almost everyone is carrying a mobile phone these days, and it comes as no surprise, that most people will search, find, and navigate your website on their mobile phone. Google’s been aware of this trend for years, and they penalise websites that are not mobile friendly. It used to be enough to have a mobile responsive website, but today, if you want the best results, it is critical to have a website dedicated for mobile use.

N is for NAP

NAP stands for name, address, and phone number. They’re the most basic details that people can use to contact you. They’re important to have on your contact page, as well as on your print materials and in online listings.

O is for organic traffic

All the people who find you online by searching on Google, Yahoo or Bing, or by typing your website address. Any traffic that reaches your website without clicking on a paid link (such as an ad) is considered organic traffic. It may come through social media posts, links from other websites, or when people type your URL straight into the search engine. For most businesses, the bulk of it comes through Google searches – that’s why good SEO can make such a huge difference to your bottom line.

P is for PPC

Pay per click is the term used for most paid online advertising, where you pay for ever click generated. Both Facebook and Google charge per click: the more competitive the market, the more per click you will pay. You can reduce the cost of those clicks by optimising your ads.

Q is for QR code

After falling out of fashion for a while, QR codes have made a comeback thanks to COVID-19 check-in procedures. ‘QR’ stands for ‘quick response’ – they’re one of the fastest ways to share online information in the physical world. And thanks to recent government mandates, your customers are more than likely to know how to use them!

R is for ROI

The return on your investment is still the way to measure any marketing spend.

S is for SEO

Search engine optimisation is how you improve a website’s rank on search engines, including Google, Yahoo, and Bing. You can optimise for any search engine, but Google is the most common (since it’s the most used).

T is for tracking code

Tracking codes allow Google Analytics to track search data from paid advertising and other sources. Facebook Pixel does the same for Facebook-related activity. We can use them to measure visitor action: using that information, we can figure out what kind of content and advertising best appeals to them and produce it.

U is for user experience

User experience includes the whole digital marketing experience, from the design of the website, the content, and the functionality. These days, Google measures your site’s user experience so it can recommend only the best websites to its own users. By making your website great for the end user, you make it great for Google too

V is for Vimeo

Video is a wonderful source of information. It makes for great user experience, and Vimeo is an excellent platform for distributing it. It can store and play your videos like YouTube, create easy links to embed them on your website, and give you control over who can see them and where they can be used.

W is for WordPress

WordPress is the world’s leading CMS, and we use it for most of the websites we produce. It’s an easy platform to use, it’s highly regarded by search engines, and comes with built-in blogging capabilities – great for SEO.

X is for XML sitemap

Your XML sitemap is basically the blueprint of your website. It lists all your web pages and tells search engines like Google what they can find on your website, making it easier for them to index all your pages.

Y is for YouTube

Just like Vimeo, YouTube is great for sharing videos. It’s also the second most popular search engine in the world – right after Google – and an excellent platform for finding visual instructions. Instead of asking Google for directions on how to fix an old radio, you can ask YouTube, and you’ll find a ten-year old kid showing you step-by-step.

Z is for Zoom

More than just a tool to connect with colleagues, Zoom is great for webinars, video conferencing, and connecting with suppliers and customers.

If you need a digital marketing agency that speaks your language, then contact Vividus Healthcare Marketing today. We are a specialist medical and healthcare agency, and we create effective, compliant, and creative websites and content.