The digital world appears to be obsessed with catchphrases and mysterious acronyms that challenge even the sharpest digital marketers and advertisers. It seems that anything can and will be turned into an acronym.
Although shorthand is nothing new, the extensive number of abbreviated terms online can create a great deal of confusion. Do you know what GDN or UGC stand for? Neither do I! But that doesn’t mean we can’t learn the new lingo.
Here is a guide to help you decipher the acronyms and keep on top of tech-speak. Therefore, you will not only seem knowledgeable and capable, but it will make your life easier as you wade through the endless information flowing out of the computer world.
Build up your digital terminology with this crash course in the basic online terminology.
CPC
Cost Per Click can be used as a measure of the cost effectiveness of an ad campaign. Simply put, CPC is the amount it costs digital advertisers each time someone clicks on their ad in a PPC mode.
CPM
Cost Per Thousand is an alternative to the PPC system of paying for ads. CPM is effective for trying to increase brand awareness because the digital marketer pays a given amount per 1,000 advertisement impression (or every time your ad is displayed 1,000 times). Therefore, advertisers pay when their ads are shown, not clicked.
CTA
Call to Action are methods of suggesting visitors download specific content or fill out a web form. The methods used are buttons, images, links, and so on.
CTR
Clickthrough Rate is calculated by dividing the number of clicks a page or CTA receives by the number of total impressions (or views) that page or CTA receives. CTR is a marketing plan used to indicate how many users are responding to your CTA.
DMA
Designated Market Area represents a geographic location you target, such as a city, province, country, or other region.
KPI
Key Performance Indicator is a way of measuring how effective a company achieves chief business objectives. KPIs are based on many factors and differ between businesses. However, they’re crucial to track so you can analyze what digital marketing efforts are working.
MAP
Marketing Automation Platform is a form of technology that helps marketers convert prospects to customers by removing manually repetitive processes with automated solutions. An example of a MAP is MailChimp.
PPC
Pay Per Click complements SEO in that every time someone clicks someone’s ad, advertisers pay a certain amount per click. PPC is the model of digital advertising where digital advertisers spend money to increase visitors to their site.
ROI
Return On Investment is measured by evaluating the number of qualified leads or conversions generated per advertising dollar spent. ROI is an indicator of the profit or loss generated by a marketing campaign based on the amount invested.
RON: Run of Network
Running your digital ads through a run of network channel means that you are delivering your online ads on a specific network that rotates ads. These are publishers that may own several different websites. This rotation is “network” specific and not site or page specific.
17. SEM: Search Engine Marketing
An example of this are the advertisements that appear on Google Search, Bing Search, or Yahoo Search. Your ad would appear based on the search criteria, keywords, and your max budget. Nonprofit’s are in luck! Google offers $10k of free advertising to nonprofits.
SEM
Search Engine Marketing basically refers to paid ads on search engines. SEM is any form of internet marketing that uses search engines to increase website visibility.
SEO
Search Engine Optimization is a ranking method to improve your visibility on search engines and increase visitors to your website. SEO encompasses the methods and strategies to generate more online traffic. The ultimate goal is to rank higher on a search engine’s results page.
SERP
Search Engine Results Pages are the pages displayed by search engines in response to a keyword search from a user.
SMM
Social Media Marketing is the use of social media as additional marketing tools. SMM is vast and can be found all over Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and so on. This method of advertising enables businesses to reach a larger audience and helps to increase exposure of their service or product.
UX
User Experience is the overall experience a customer has when using a product or service. Naturally, a sharp digital marketer wants to deliver a positive customer experience in every way, encouraging potential clients to continue in working with your business.
Keep a list you can update on a regular basis of new acronyms as they arise will truly help you keep on top of promotional efforts, and sound like a genius too. Then every time you have a few free minutes, you can familiarize yourself with them.
While some online marketing terms are mainstream, like SEO, many remain a mystery to even the most astute digital advertiser. The new language of marketing, digital advertising, and website marketing needn’t make you scream in frustration. Love the language and navigate an increasingly complex digital advertising and marketing industry with ease.
