B2B MARKETING GLOSSARY
ACRONYMS & PHRASES EVERY B2B MARKETER SHOULD KNOW
Every niche B2B industry has complex jargon. And even though we’re marketers—obsessed with the use and meaning of every single word—we’re no different. We have an alphabet soup of acronyms and terms that mean something specific only in our world (and something very different outside it). When you work with us, it’s vital we share a common language. This definitive glossary is the place to start.
B2B Glossary Categories
Content Marketing
Blog: An article published on a company’s website that provides a comprehensive overview of a specific topic and that has been optimized so people can find it on search engines.
Bitesize Video: Short, 10-30-second video content designed to grab attention or reinforce a specific feature of a brand’s identity.
Brand Content: Content that is designed to establish or reinforce specific features of a brand’s identity.
Brand Messaging: Core messages that summarize a company’s value to its customers.
Brand Positioning: The unique space a given company occupies relative to its competitors.
Brand Strategy: A strategic document that outlines a specific recommendation for a brand’s market position, brand promise/pitch, and messaging direction.
Cluster Pages: The website pages that elaborate on a topic and link back to a Pillar Page.
Cold Email: An email a company sends to someone who has not agreed to be contacted.
Content: Written, audio, and/or visual media used to educate prospects and customers.
Content Goals: Specific objectives a company wants to achieve with content, such as generating more leads or more traffic to its website.
Content Marketing: The use of content to achieve specific marketing goals like brand awareness and lead generation.
Content Strategy: A strategic document that outlines the content tactics, types, and topics that will best help a company achieve its content goals.
Copy: The specific words in a given piece of content.
Corporate Overview Video: A 3-5 minute video that introduces a company and usually includes overviews of its products/services, interviews with key employees, and an explanation of its value to customers.
CTA: Stands for “Call to action.” A part of a website or email (often a button) that drives a user to do a specific thing.
Educational Content: Content that is designed to address specific questions or problems a company’s prospective customers have.
eBook: A multi-page piece of content that provides users with an exploration.
Email Newsletter: A recurring, usually long-form, email that provides a company’s subscribers with regular content, company updates, or other valuable information.
Email Nurture: A sequence of emails designed to keep a company’s content and brand in front of prospective customers who filled out a form.
Explainer Video: A 60-90-second video that explains a specific solution, service, or product that a company provides and why it matters for prospective customers.
Guide: Content that illustrates or explains a specific process.
Headline: The first line of copy you want users to read.
Infographic: Content that uses graphics or images to communicate what words alone cannot, such as specific data, relationships or processes.
Lead Generation Content: Content that is designed to elicit a specific action on the part of a user, such as downloading an asset, requesting a demo, or calling a company.
Marketing Messaging: Advertising messages designed to attract the attention and interest of prospective customers.
On-Demand Webinar: A recording of a webinar that users can listen to but not participate in.
Organic Channel: An unpaid source of traffic to a website, such as Google or Bing.
Organic Leads: The number of organic visitors that convert to a website in a set period.
Organic Traffic: The number of users on a website that come from unpaid sources.
Organic Visitors: The number of people who came to a website through an organic channel.
Pillar Pages: The pages on a company’s website that contain the most valuable content for its prospective customers.
SEO: Stands for “Search Engine Optimization” and refers to the process of ensuring content ranks favorably in organic search engine results when relevant words and phrases are used.
Slogan: A phrase you want people to remember about your company.
Tagline: The last line of copy you want users to read.
Webinar: A multimedia presentation of a specific topic that users can sign up to listen to and participate in.
White Paper: An in-depth, multi-page piece of content that provides users with a technical exploration of a specific topic.
Digital Marketing
Clicks: The number of times your ad is clicked .
Conversion: When a user performs a specified action after being served an ad, such as completing forms, making phone calls, or participating in live chats.
CPC: Stands for “Cost Per Conversion.” The average amount each of your conversions costs.
CPM: Stands for “Cost per mille.”. Either a type of digital advertising where the advertiser pays a set price per thousand impressions or the actual cost per thousand impressions. “Mille” is from the latin word for “one thousand.”
CR: Stands for “Conversion Rate.” The percentage of users of a website or app who take a desired action (e.g., filling out a Contact Us form).
CTR: Stands for “Click Through Rate.” It is the number of clicks your ad receives divided by the number of times your ad is shown (clicks/impressions = CTR).
Display: Refers to the traffic your website receives from Display Ads.
Direct: Refers to users landing on your website without any referring source, such as typing in your URL or landing on your website from a previous bookmark.
Email: Refers to traffic to your website that is generated from an email message.
Goal: represents an activity that contributed to the success of your business.
Goal Completion: (Also known as a goal conversion) takes place when a visitor completes a specific action that you track.
Goal Conversion Rate: calculated as the number of goal conversions divided by the number of sessions times 100.
Impressions: The number of times your ad is shown to users.
Landing Page: The first web page a user sees when they enter your site.
Organic: Refers to the traffic that comes to your site through unpaid search results on search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing.
Other: Refers to the web traffic that has an acquisition source or medium that is not recognized within Google’s default system-defined channel rules such as “Email” or “Social”.
Pages/Session: The average number of pages a user views in a given session.
Paid Search: Refers to all of the traffic sources bringing visits to your site that are attributed as CPC, PPC, or paid search.
PPC: Stands for “Pay-Per-Click.” It is the standard ad type used on Google. This is used interchangeably with CPC.
Referral: Refers to the traffic that arrives on your website through another source, such as a link from another domain.
SEM: Search engine marketing. This is typically used as shorthand for search advertising, particularly on Google. Basically the same as PPC.
Sessions: The number of individual sessions initiated by all users of your website.
Social: Refers to the traffic arriving at your website, mobile site, or mobile apps from social networks and social media platforms.
Design and Website UX
AI (not Artificial Intelligence): .ai files are working files created by Adobe Illustrator.
A Record: An A record is used to direct root domains or subdomains (e.g., dev.altitudemarketing.com) to a specific IP address in order to route primary traffic to that web host.
Bleed: Defined by the printer, bleed is a small defined area outside of the print dimensions to account for irregularities in the physical printing process.
CMYK: Short for “cyan, magenta, yellow, and black,” CMYK is the base set of pigments and inks used in “process (4-color)” printing.
Comp: Short for composition. This refers to a draft of a non-finalized design that is available for review. This can apply to an array of media, from digital to print.
Conversion: When a user performs a specified action after being served an ad. Some examples are form completions, phone calls, or live chats.
Content Management System (CMS): A digital framework for building websites, microsites, and other digital assets with the expressed intent of being editable by a non-technical user.
CNAME: A CNAME is used to map one website domain to another. Typically, CNAMEs are used to direct “www.” to a site’s root domain, but they also serve to route subdomains to other websites (e.g., pm.altitudemarketing.com routes to app23.workamajig.com/Platinum).
Crop marks: Marks added outside a document’s bounds that show the exact coordinates on all sides of where it should be cut or scored.
CSS: Short for “cascading style sheet,” CSS determines the set of rules for how elements in a website should be rendered visually.
DPI: Short for “dots per inch,” DPI refers to how many “dots’ ‘ of color can be used in a particular setting. Depending on screen resolution, DPI can vary widely on the web. However, most websites operate from the base 72 dpi up to 150 dpi. Standard print DPI is 300 dpi, but can go as high as 1200 dpi depending on use.
DNS: Short for “domain name system,” refers to the set of records stored on your website hosting server that translates your web addresses (i.e., Altitudemarketing.com) into IP addresses.
Domain: A website’s navigable address. For instance, altitudemarketing.com is Alitude’s domain name.
Display: Refers to the traffic your website receives from Display Ads.
Direct: Refers to users landing on your website without any referring source, such as typing in your URL or landing on your website from a previous bookmark.
EPS: A common design file type (notated as .eps). While an EPS (Encapsulated Postscript) file can be raster, most vector files are rendered as EPS.
Font/Font Family: File used to render a specific typeface in a design
GIF: GIF is an image format that can include animation and transparency but is limited to 256 web-safe RGB colors.
Hex color: Based on a hexadecimal formula, a “hex code” is comprised of 6 characters following a “#” to denote a specific color in the order of “RR-GG-BB” for web-based assets.
Host (Web): Where the files for a website live. For instance, altitudemarketing.com is hosted with WPEngine.
HTML: Hypertext markup language. A standard language for building websites.
IP Address: Short for “internet protocol address,” an IP address is represented by a series of dot-separated numbers. A website IP address is designated by the website host, and the domain name points to the IP address.
JPG: The most widely used image format for web and print. Unlike most image formats, a JPG’s rate of compression can be altered to lower file size. This can result in image quality deprecation. JPGs can vary in resolution from the web to print. Over time and rendering, JPGs will lose quality, making it a “lossy” format.
Landing Page: A single-page web experience usually used in concert with a digital campaign, or event or to act as a placeholder for a microsite or full website.
Microsite: A multi-page web experience usually developed as a placeholder for a larger website or an event-specific or special offshoot of a client’s existing digital presence.
MX record: An MX record is used to direct a domain to a specific email service (e.g., Outlook, Google Mail, etc.)
Nameserver (NS): A host or service responsible for routing a domain. This is usually handled at the domain level but can be pointed elsewhere for DNS management.
NS record: An NS record applies to the IP address of the nameserver being used.
Organic: Refers to the traffic that comes to your site through unpaid search results on search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing.
PDF: Short for Portable Document Format, PDFs can be raster, vector, or a mixture of the two, and the format’s versatility and wide acceptance make it the go-to choice for print-ready documents, exportable presentations, and a variety of other uses.
PNG: A lossless image format for web and print that can handle multiple levels of opacity within its image data.
Prototype: Utilizing prototyping software (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, etc.), a prototype is a visual representation of how we apply creative and UX practices to a website. A prototype is usually clickable and is meant to be built upon, specifically for websites or microsites.
Raster (graphics/images): Raster refers to images that have a maximum resolution and thus cannot be resized without losing image quality. All photography is initially rendered as a raster image. JPG, GIF, and PNG are all raster image filetypes.
RGB: Short for “red, green, and blue,” the RGB color spectrum is used for any digital or web asset.
Serif Font: Fonts that include flourishes to the character structure and vary in stroke weight (e.g, Times New Roman, Garamond, Georgia)
SSL: An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate is a standard security technology establishing an encrypted layer of security between a website and a web server. Typically, a free server-side SSL will suffice (e.g., Let’sEncrypt), although a client may choose to use a more stringent 3rd party SSL or Wildcard SSL (and SSL used across a domain one or more subdomains). An SSL should always be applied to a public-facing digital asset.
Spot Color: A color that sits outside the standard CMYK inks, usually applying to specific Pantone colors that need to print to a specific set of color variables not accounted for in the CMYK spectrum.
SVG: Short for “scalable vector graphics,” SVGs are typically used on the web to render vector images and graphics. Like GIFs, SVGs can also be used for animated graphics and are typically rendered as image code on a website, making them preferable for use on websites.
Theme (Website): The client/purpose-specific website framework that sits on top of a WordPress build that defines the parameters, functions, and aesthetics of a website. While Altitude works in tandem with our programming partner(s) to develop custom themes specific to the client or instance of use, themes can also be purchased and configured to suit a specific need.
TXT record: A TXT record is typically used to validate and use domain names by third-party services such as Hubspot, ActiveCampaign, or Unbounce, although there are a number of other applications.
UI: Short for “user interface,” UI refers to the elements a user interacts with on a digital asset or web experience through touch points such as calls-to-action, buttons, form elements, links, and more.
UX: Short for “user experience,” refers to the journey a user embarks on as they interact with your website or application. While UI is the designed element, UX adds a behavioral layer (i.e., the number of steps it takes to purchase a product).
Vector (graphics/images): Vector images and graphics can be resized with no minimum or maximum limit. Logo files, shapes and typography should always be vector. Typical vector file formats include AI, SVG, EPS, and PDF.
Webflow: A “low-code” web-based CMS that can be designed and configured for smaller, less complex websites.
Wireframe: Initially done as a literal sketch on paper or whiteboard, a wireframe combines digital strategy and content strategy in the form of an architectural layout of a home page, landing page, microsite, specific interactive element, or email. It is deliberately sparse in design and is primarily used to get buy-in on the placement of elements and copy leading into the initial design phase.
WordPress: A free, open-source installable CMS on which roughly half the navigable websites are built.
Market Research
Audience Buy: The act of paying for targeted individuals to respond to a survey or market research experiment.
CA (competitive audit): Also known as a digital footprint audit, these are usually done during the sales cycle and compare and contrast common digital metrics (organic & paid), website UX, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and other relevant topline movements to give prospects a taste of where we see initial apps to improve their marketing.
CBA (competitive brand audit): A qualitative review of a client’s top competitors’ brand personalities, color palette, topline messaging, product positioning, lead magnets, price, target audience, marketplace norms or other relevant factors. Includes an initial analysis of potential head terms and research to identify top digital competitors (in addition to perceived competitors). Highlights what features/messages are “table stakes” and must be included to meet audience expectations, as well as gaps a client may be able to uniquely fill. Feeds initial positioning and messaging documents.
Directional Balancing: The act of controlling or eliminating responses to a survey based on demographics to mitigate bias. Essentially a way to make your survey data more representative of the total population.
IDIs (in-depth interviews): Similar to stakeholder interviews but designed to answer more specific questions and/or dig deeper into a particular aspect. These calls range anywhere from 30-90 minutes.
Margin of Error: How close your survey responses will be representative of the total population. (Smaller is better!) A confidence interval refers to the result plus/minus the margin of error (e.g., 71-75 for a result of 73 with an MoE of 2).
n =: Sample size. Aka, how many people we’d like to take a survey. (N, capital, refers to the size of a total population.)
Product/Price Analysis: An analysis of price points/packages, product features, hook, and target audiences for a client’s competitors. Usually activated when a client is entering a new market or rolling out a new product. A product/price analysis can help guide decisions such as feature development, price point/pricing tiers, vertical messaging, etc.
Qualitative: Dealing with concepts and experiences so we can learn “the why.”
Quantitative: Dealing with measurable numbers and statistics so we can learn “the what.”
Stakeholder Interviews: Q&A style calls or email correspondence with key internal employees at a client company and/or representative end customers (the client’s clients). These are designed to get maximum intelligence with a minimum impact on the stakeholders, so calls range from 15-30 minutes.
Sales
All leads: The total amount of contacts in your database, including irrelevant or junk contacts.
Lead Generation: The act of inbound or outbound efforts generating interest from a 3rd party for the services we provide.
LOA (Letter of Agreement): A signed proposal between a client and company.
MQL: Stands for “Marketing Qualified Lead.” It is a contact that came through organic or paid channels that is both identified as a real person (thus, not a spam lead), and a lead that comes from your target audience.
Non-spam Leads: All leads not including fake or malicious contacts.
Proposal: A document that outlines the proposed scope of work and working engagement between the company and the customer.
Proposal Amendment: Changes that are made by the company or client to the proposal.
Qualified Lead: A lead that is ready to receive a proposal.
RFP: Stands for “Request for Proposal.” A document sent by a client who is looking to receive more information and a quote from a cohort of vendors. Altitude receives RFPs from companies looking to learn more about our marketing services, for example.
Sales Accepted: An MQL that moves to the next stage of the funnel, where a discovery call or discussion is scheduled.
Algorithm: The set of rules a social platform uses to decide which posts come first in your feed automatically.
Bio: Short description in your profile that tells people who you are.
Boosted Post: A post that you put money behind to increase its reach. Also known as promoted posts, boosted posts differ from ads in the way that they start out as organic posts and then get additional paid reach based on your budget.
Brand Advocate: A customer who posts positive messages, leaves positive reviews, or otherwise supports your brand on social media.
Brand Awareness: Level of familiarity consumers have with your brand.
Click Bait: Content that uses manipulative copy to convince users to click on it.
Direct Message (DM): Private message sent directly to a user’s inbox.
Employee Advocacy: When employees at a company support and promote the brand on social media.
Engagement: A measure of how much your audience interacts with your content. This includes likes, comments and shares.
Engagement Rate: The average number of interactions your social media content receives per follower. A good engagement rate is anywhere between 1% and 5%.
Feed: A stream of content you see from other users.
Hashtag: Way of connecting your posts on social media to other posts on the same subject or trending topic, denoted with the # symbol.
Impressions: Number of times your content is displayed.
Newsjacking: The technique of hopping on current events with your social media content.
Platform: Means the same thing as “social media network” or “social media channel.”
Reach: Number of people who see your content.
Shareable Content: Content that’s likely to get users to share it with their networks.
Social Listening: How social media managers track conversations around key topics, terms, brands, and more, often with a specialized software tool.
Social Media Monitoring: The passive technique of keeping an eye on your mentions and following what your audience is saying.
User-Generated Content (UGC): Fan-created content promoting a brand.
Vanity Metric: A statistic that may look like a positive indicator of performance but doesn’t actually provide you with valuable insights.
Viral: A statistic that may look like a positive indicator of performance but doesn’t actually provide you with valuable insights.
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