Recently, our digital marketing experts created a glossary of helpful digital marketing terms to know. Now, we’re stepping outside the measurement and analytical box into the conceptual side of marketing. If you have working knowledge of the following buzzwords in marketing, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the dynamic landscape of digital advertising and engage more effectively with your target audience (whether online or in person).
Artificial Intelligence (AI) — A broad array of computer applications that perform complex tasks, which once required human thinking skills such as perception, synthesis and making inferences. In marketing, AI can be used in analyzing the results of campaigns and other communications. AI can also be leveraged to streamline customer communications, such as a chat bot.
Omnichannel Marketing — A holistic approach to creating a dialogue between a brand and a customer through a seamless and consistent experience across multiple channels and touchpoints. Omnichannel marketing integrates digital and offline advertising, social media, email, events, in-store communications and other channels to immerse the customer in an engaging and positive relationship.
Micro-Moments — Short periods of focused intent in consumers, often associated with spontaneous searching for information on a mobile device. It is vital and valuable for a brand to be present when a consumer is searching while thinking, “I want to go,” “I want to know,” “I want to do,” or “I want to buy.”
Influencers and Influentials — Influencers are people with a large or category-specific following on social media. Companies form relationships with influencers whom they believe can build trust and esteem for their brands and products. Influencers are often content creators, posting and publishing messages that incorporate a brand organically into their daily communications. Influentials are not necessarily influencers who actively communicate brands. Rather, influentials are people known for their passion, purpose and expertise.
Personalization — Personalization involves creating and implementing a communication flow that is unique to each consumer at each stage of their buying journey. Personalized marketing tactics can include retargeting ads, custom recommendations (“people who bought X also bought Y and Z”) and customized emails.
Customer Journey — The interactions a customer has with a brand, from first discovering the brand, learning more about it and buying the brand’s services or products to the customer’s perceptions and behaviors after purchase.
Marketing Funnel — A metaphor to describe the stages of customers in their journey. The funnel is often described with the acronym AIDA for Attention, Interest, Desire and Action, with Attention at the top and Action (purchase) at the bottom, with the understanding that the number of consumers shrinks with each stage in the process.
Brand Storytelling — Content that provides a narrative of your company’s or brand’s origin, history, mission, purpose, values and personality. Storytelling can include testimonials from customers, employees and founders. Unlike advertising that promotes the “what” of a product, storytelling explains the “why” of a brand to make an emotional and intellectual connection.
Brand Purpose — The reason a brand exists and what it stands for. A clear brand purpose gives customers an opportunity to connect with your company on a deeper level when they share your values and beliefs.
Content Marketing — The strategy and practice of creating and publishing information and stories in written, video and audio formats, usually but not exclusively in digital media. This can include blogs, podcasts, social media posts, email newsletters and videos. These communications don’t hard-sell a specific product or service, but instead they position a company as a thought leader and information source on topics relevant to the company’s audience. Content marketing increases brand awareness and, especially with blog and website content, helps improve a company’s appearance in organic search.
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) — Also known as key account marketing. A strategic approach to business-to-business (B2B) marketing that focuses on targeting specific high-value accounts is the opposite of the broader approach of collecting a high volume of leads and applying sales and marketing resources to growing all accounts with varying levels of potential revenue. ABM strategy involves building strong, customized relationships with high-value and high-potential customers.
User-Generated Content (UGC) – Content created and shared by a brand’s customers and followers, compared to content created by a company and its marketing partners. User-generated content has mushroomed in the era of social media, as there are many opportunities for consumers to produce text and video testimonials, demonstrations and critiques. Brands often gain credibility by welcoming user-generated content.
Growth Hacking – Methods of acquiring and retaining customers through creative, cost-effective marketing tactics such as blogging, sourcing low-cost influencers and email campaigns.
Agile Marketing – An approach to marketing based on the Agile project management methodology that originated in the software development industry. In agile marketing, small teams complete short projects or segments called “sprints” that focus on frequently delivering, measuring and adjusting work.
Knowing the Difference Between Effective and Trendy is Key to Marketing
While a marketing agency can wow you with terminology and the latest ideas, your marketing strategy should always be explained in a way you can understand, followed up with seamless and transparent campaign reporting as well as a solid reason behind the strategy. This reveals results that can guide any adjustments to the campaign or messaging to produce for better results.
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