Basic Marketing Terms for Business Owners
In today’s fast-paced digital world, marketing has become a key driver of business success. Whether you’re promoting your products or services online or offline, understanding the basics of marketing can make a huge difference in how effectively you reach your target audience. But for many business owners, marketing jargon can be a bit overwhelming.
This guide breaks down some of the most essential marketing terms every business owner should know, so you can feel confident in your marketing decisions and have meaningful conversations with your marketing team or agency.
What is SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation, and it's all about improving your website’s visibility on search engines like Google. In simple terms, the better your SEO, the higher you rank on search results, making it easier for potential customers to find you.
Key SEO Terms to Know:
Keywords: These are the words or phrases people type into search engines to find what they’re looking for. Optimising your website content with the right keywords helps search engines understand what your business is about.
SERP (Search Engine Results Page): This refers to the page you see after you’ve typed a query into Google or another search engine. The goal of SEO is to get your business to appear as high up on this page as possible.
Backlinks: These are links from other websites that point to yours. High-quality backlinks can boost your website’s credibility and improve your SEO ranking.
On-Page vs. Off-Page SEO: On-page SEO focuses on optimising elements directly on your website (e.g. content, meta tags), while off-page SEO involves activities outside your website, like building backlinks.
PPC (Pay-Per-Click) Advertising
PPC advertising is a method of driving traffic to your website by paying for ads that appear on search engines or social media. The great thing about PPC is that you only pay when someone clicks on your ad, making it a cost-effective way to reach your audience.
Important PPC Terms to Know:
CTR (Click-Through Rate): This measures the percentage of people who clicked on your ad after seeing it. A high CTR indicates that your ad is relevant and engaging.
CPC (Cost Per Click): This is the amount you pay each time someone clicks on your ad. Lowering your CPC while increasing your CTR is the goal for most campaigns.
Conversion Rate: The percentage of people who took a desired action (like making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter) after clicking on your ad. The higher your conversion rate, the better your ad is performing.
Content Marketing
Content marketing is all about creating and sharing valuable, relevant content to attract and engage your target audience. Instead of directly selling your products, you provide useful information that builds trust and keeps people coming back to your business.
Key Content Marketing Terms:
Blog Posts: Regularly updated articles that provide insights, tips, or answers to questions your audience might have. Blogging is a great way to boost your SEO and establish your business as an industry authority.
E-books: Longer pieces of content that go in-depth on a specific topic. E-books are often used as lead magnets (more on that later) to capture contact information from potential customers.
Infographics: Visual representations of data or information. These are highly shareable and great for social media.
Content Pillars: These are the core topics your business focuses on, and they form the foundation of your content strategy. Each piece of content should relate to one of your content pillars.
Social Media Marketing (SMM)
Social media marketing involves promoting your business through platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. With billions of people using social media every day, it’s a powerful tool for building brand awareness and engaging with your audience.
Essential Social Media Terms:
Organic vs. Paid Reach: Organic reach is the number of people who see your content without paid promotion, while paid reach refers to the audience you reach through ads. Both play important roles in your social media strategy.
Engagement Rate: This measures how much people interact with your content (e.g. likes, comments, shares). A high engagement rate shows that your audience finds your content interesting.
Impressions: The total number of times your content was displayed, regardless of whether it was clicked or engaged with.
Influencer Marketing: This involves partnering with individuals who have a large and engaged following on social media. Influencers can help promote your products to their audience, increasing brand visibility.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is one of the most direct and effective ways to communicate with your audience. Whether you're promoting a sale, sharing company updates, or nurturing leads, email is a channel that delivers results.
Email Marketing Terms to Know:
Open Rate: The percentage of recipients who open your email. A higher open rate often indicates that your subject lines are effective.
Click Rate: The percentage of people who click on a link within your email. This helps you measure how well your email content is driving action.
Segmentation: Dividing your email list into smaller groups based on certain criteria (e.g. demographics, purchasing behaviour). Segmentation allows you to send more targeted and relevant emails to different audiences.
Personalisation: Using a recipient’s name or other personal details in an email to make it feel more tailored and relevant.
Branding
Your brand is more than just your logo – it’s the entire perception people have of your business. Branding involves shaping this perception through consistent messaging, design, and customer experiences.
Key Branding Terms:
Brand Identity: The visual elements that represent your brand, such as your logo, colours, and fonts.
Brand Equity: The value your brand holds in the minds of consumers. Strong brand equity leads to customer loyalty and can justify higher pricing.
Brand Awareness: How familiar your target audience is with your brand. Increasing brand awareness is often the first step in growing your business.
Customer Journey & Funnel
The customer journey is the process a potential customer goes through from discovering your business to making a purchase. The marketing funnel is a model that helps visualise this journey and guide your marketing efforts.
Stages of the Funnel:
Awareness: This is the top of the funnel, where potential customers first learn about your business.
Consideration: In this stage, customers are evaluating their options and considering whether to buy from you.
Conversion: This is when the customer takes action, like making a purchase or signing up for your service.
Retention: After converting, the goal is to keep customers coming back by building loyalty and trust.
Lead Generation
Lead generation is the process of attracting and converting prospects into leads – people who have shown interest in your product or service.
Lead Generation Terms:
Leads: Individuals or businesses that have shown interest in what you offer and are potential customers.
Lead Magnet: A free resource (like an e-book or discount) offered in exchange for a prospect’s contact information.
Landing Page: A dedicated webpage designed to capture leads, often featuring a specific offer or call to action.
Lead Scoring: A method of ranking leads based on their likelihood to convert. This helps your sales team prioritise high-value leads.
Analytics & Data
Tracking your marketing performance is crucial to understanding what’s working and where you can improve. Analytics provide you with the data you need to make informed decisions.
Essential Analytics Terms:
ROI (Return on Investment): A measure of how much profit you’re making from your marketing efforts compared to how much you’re spending.
ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): A specific ROI metric for advertising, showing how much revenue you’re generating for each dollar spent on ads.
Bounce Rate: The percentage of visitors who leave your website after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate could indicate that your website needs improvement.
LTV (Lifetime Value): The total revenue you can expect from a customer over the course of their relationship with your business.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing where businesses reward affiliates (partners) for driving traffic or sales to their site through the affiliate’s marketing efforts.
Key Affiliate Marketing Terms:
Affiliate: An individual or business that promotes your products in exchange for a commission on sales generated.
Commission: The fee paid to an affiliate for generating a sale or lead.
Conversion Rate: The percentage of people referred by an affiliate who make a purchase or take another desired action.
Conclusion
Understanding these basic marketing terms can help you make more informed decisions and have productive conversations with marketing professionals. The more you know, the better equipped you’ll be to grow your business through effective marketing strategies. Whether it’s mastering SEO, launching a PPC campaign, or nurturing leads with email marketing, having a solid grasp of these terms will set you on the path to success.
If you’re looking for guidance with your SEO strategy or need help navigating the world of digital marketing, reach out to MJH Digital. With our specialised experience in helping businesses grow through tailored SEO solutions, we’re here to help you achieve your marketing goals and drive real results.
