It’s hard to keep up with the many shortened and rapidly evolving terms within marketing & PR. CPC, ROI, SEM… these are just some of the acronyms that you will hear flying around your weekly WIPs and strategy meetings. Whether you’re a newbie or just need a refresher, here are some of our top terms you need to know.

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)

SEO involves optimising your website and content to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). Effective SEO increases organic traffic by making your site more visible to people searching for relevant keywords - and increasing your organic traffic means that you are less reliant on paid ad spend to help you get results.

The most common example of SEO is optimising key words throughout content pieces on your website. For example, if you are writing a blog about winter jackets, it is essential to focus on using ‘winter jackets’ multiple times throughout the piece. This will enhance the discoverability of the page as Google sees it relevant and suitable to the person searching for this specific term.

B2B (Business to Business)

B2B marketing refers to businesses that sell products or services directly to other businesses. The marketing strategies in B2B can be very different to B2C (more on that below). Working in a B2B means that you will be focussed on building relationships, custom journeys, awards, personalised communications, testimonials and case studies and highlighting ROI.

B2C (Business to Consumer)

B2C marketing and PR targets individual consumers rather than businesses. It often focuses on emotion-driven purchasing decisions and brand experience.

CPC (Cost-Per-Click)

CPC (Cost-Per-Click) is the amount of money you spend as an advertiser for each ‘click’ on one of your ads. The benchmarks for CPC vary considerably depending on the industry you operate in, who your target audience is, which geographic locations you are trying to reach and whether you are B2B or B2C focussed.

CPL (Cost-Per-Lead)

CPL (Cost-Per-Lead) refers to the amount you pay for each lead that comes into your business. Monitoring your CPL is super important in terms of understanding the cost of acquiring each customer and ultimately your ROI.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

CRM systems are used to manage a company’s interactions with current and potential customers. It helps businesses stay connected to customers, streamline processes, and improve profitability. There are many platforms on the market to help businesses both large and small to stay on top of their CRM. Our fave is HubSpot - we use it at Flaunter to help us manage our leads, customers, email marketing and even manage our social ads. It’s a great all-in-one tool.

CTA (Call to Action)

A CTA is a prompt on a website that tells the user to take some specified action. Examples include “Buy Now,” “Sign Up,” or “Learn More.” CTA’s act as a direct sign that lets the user know what to do next. Without a clear call to action, the visiter on your website may not know the next steps to take to purchase a product or sign up for a newsletter - and it is likely that they will leave your site (missed opportunity!).

At Flaunter, we always include a CTA either throughout our blogs or at the end of each piece - see this little example below. As you are reading this blog, we’re encouraging you to click through and start a trial. We’re grabbing your attention whilst you are engaged and on our page. Easy!

CTR (Click-Through Rate)

CTR is a metric that measures the number of clicks advertisers receive on their ads per number of impressions. It’s a key indicator of how well your ads are performing. Again, benchmark CTRs can vary considerably depending on your industry, location and target audience. It is important to monitor your CTRs over time and be responsive to any peaks or dips. CTRs are a good sign of how engaging or relevant your ad or content is.

KPI (Key Performance Indicator)

KPIs are measurable values that demonstrate how effectively a company is achieving its business objectives. From a marketing and perspective, KPIs can include measures such as customer acquisition cost, website traffic, social engagement, press coverage received, conversion rates… there are many metrics that can be applied. Thankfully, with so many tools and systems now available, measuring marketing and PR performance is now easier than ever before.

Always remember that your KPI’s need to be:

Relevant
Measurable
Attainable
Specific
Time-able

ROI (Return on Investment)

ROI measures the gain or loss generated on an investment relative to the amount of money invested. In marketing, it helps determine the profitability and success of campaigns. Thanks to the many tech tools now available, Marketers and PRs can easily track performance, engagement, interactions and ROI much more effectively than they could even five or ten years ago.

Content Marketing

Content marketing involves creating and sharing valuable content to attract and engage a target audience. It aims to build trust and authority, ultimately driving profitable customer action. Within today’s digital age, UGC content is extremely popular as it highlights real people’s authentic reviews.

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing leverages individuals with a large following on social media to promote products or services. These influencers can drive significant engagement and credibility for brands. Learn more about integrating influencer marketing into your PR strategy here.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is the practice of sending targeted messages or advertisements to a group of subscribers via email. It’s a powerful tool for nurturing leads, building relationships, and driving conversions. Email marketing is one of the most effective forms of digital marketing due to the low cost, ability to customise messaging, track engagement and personalise copy to enhance user experiences. As a company, you also own the data and extensive list of contacts which is extremely valuable.

Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing involves using platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to promote products or services. It helps brands engage with their audience, increase awareness, and drive traffic. It also amplifies brand awareness and visibility for consumers and allows you to become a go-to place that is familiar for them.

CX (Customer Experience)

CX (Customer Experience) relates to all the interactions that a customer has with your brand. From seeing an ad on TV, to a social post, receiving a newsletter, visiting your retail store and even dealing with a customer service issue - every interaction leads to either a positive or negative customer experience. Delivering a great experience will ultimately drive loyalty and repeat business, but a negative experience can lead to bad word-of-mouth and reputation damage. You need to remember that your brand is on-show through every single touchpoint and interaction - so always put your best foot forward.

Brand Equity

Brand equity refers to the value a brand adds to a product or service. It’s based on consumer perceptions which can lead to increased sales and market share. Having a strong brand that is memorable, has great service, is high quality and offers a great customer experience will all help to build brand equity.

Understanding these fundamental marketing concepts is essential for developing effective strategies and achieving business success. By mastering these terms, marketers can better navigate the complex landscape of modern marketing and drive meaningful results for their business.

15 Must-Know Marketing & PR Terms