B2B Data Partners has listed some of the basic terminology used in the industry, along with its meaning.
Acquisition Cost : The cost a company pays for acquiring a new customer
API : Application programming interface (API) is a specification intended to be used as an interface by software components to communicate with each other
APP : Application software, also known as an application or an app, is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks
Authentication – Technical standards through which ISPs and other mail gateway administrators can establish the true identity of an email sender
B2B Blogging – Corporate or organizational blogging. This involves the use of a blog or online journal to promote a company’s products or services with the goal of increasing conversions and driving revenue
B2B : Business-to-business; products and services sold by a business to another business.
B2BApp : B2BApp is an automation tool that integrates complete Sales and marketing requirements.
Blacklist : A list of IP addresses which is suspected to send spam
Blog : An online diary or journal
Bounce : An undelivered message
Campaign : A time specific piece of advertising designed to achieve a specified goal
Customer Relationship Management (CRM): CRM is an interaction platform of a company has with its customer, whether it is sales or service related.
Customer Profile : A record of a customer's details (e.g. age, gender, address)
Data Protection Act 1998 : The Data Protection Act regulates how personal information is used and protects against misuse of personal details. The Act requires that personal information must be; fairly and lawfully processed, processed for legitimate purposes, adequate, relevant and not excessive
Database Licensing : License a database to incorporate the data into other products and services
Deliverability : The ability of an email message or campaign to reach the intended recipient’s inbox, which is affected by spam filters, client-side filters and junk folders
Deliverability Report : A report which consists the details of where the emails have landed
Demographics : Descriptive classifications of consumers, such as age, sex, income, education, size of household, ownership of home, etc. Does not include classification by subjective attitudes or opinions of consumers.
Digital Marketing : Another term for online marketing
Direct Mail : Marketing communications (e.g. letter, brochures) delivered directly to named individuals within a targeted audience, using the postal service.
Direct Marketing Association : The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) is Europe's largest trade association in the marketing and communications sector. The DMA was formed in 1992, following the merger of various like-minded trade bodies, forming a single voice to protect the direct marketing industry from legislative threats and promote its development.
Direct Marketing : Marketing communications (e.g. letter, brochures) delivered directly to named individuals within a targeted audience, using the postal service.
Email Marketing : E-mail marketing is a form of direct marketing which uses electronic mail as a means of communicating messages to a targeted audience to encourage sales, customer loyalty and repeat business.
Email Service Provider (ESP) : A company which provides email services, including batch email and email marketing
Inbound Marketing – A type of marketing where prospects and customers find companies rather than vice versa
Internet Protocol Address (IP Address) : A number assigned to each computer or network in order to distinguish each network interface and networked device
Internet Service Provider (ISP) : Also referred to as Internet access provider (IAP) which gives customers access to the Internet
ISP Feedback – When the ISP forwards complaints of recipients to the organization that sent the email
Landing Page : It is the first web page you land on when you click through an email or an online advert.
Lead Generation : Lead generation is a marketing term that refers to the creation of prospective customer interest into a business' products or services.
Lead Scoring : It is the pre-determined scoring methodology and ranking given to the sales readiness of leads
Mail List : A list of prospective or current customers (e.g. names, address)
Open Rate : The percentage of emails opened out of emails delivered.
Phishing : It is a process of collecting personal information by claiming to be from a reputed organization.
Response Rates : The number of people, expressed as a percentage of the total contacted, who respond to marketing communications.
Retention : It a process of how well a company retains its customers
Return on Investment (ROI) : A measure of a corporation's profitability. ROI measures how effectively a business uses its capital to generate profit.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) – Also known as Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising. It is a process of paying a search engine to advertise a product or service
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) : The process of employing different tactics to improve a business’s ranking in organic search results to increase conversions
Segmentation : Dividing customers into groups, each with common attributes (e.g. age, gender).
Sender Policy Framework (SPF) : It is a process of email vailidation system which is used to prevent spam
Social Media : Any strategy, software system or media outlet that relies on social interaction and the participation of individuals or communities to create and publish content
Spam Filter : It is a Software that uses filters to redirect unwanted email away from a users inbox
Spam : The practice of indiscriminately sending large numbers of uncalled-for emails
Spoofing : A fraudulent email activity where the sender address and email header are changed to resemble an email originated from a different source
Subject Line : The first part of your communication which is visible to the recipient in their inbox.
Target Audience : A target audience is the cream of the population that is identified as your prospective customers. They are often identified by region, age, and demographic information.
Telemarketing : The process of market goods or services directly to prospective customers through a telephone call.
TPS : Telephone Preference Service (TPS) is a central opt out register whereby individuals can register their wish not to receive unsolicited sales and marketing telephone calls. It is a legal requirement that companies do not make such calls to numbers registered on the TPS. The original legislation was introduced in May 1999. It has subsequently been updated and now the relevant legislation is the Privacy and Electronic (EC Directive) Regulations 2003.
Unsubscribe : Action taken by customers to remove themselves from your email list to prevent you contacting them again by email
Validation : The process of confirming correctness with respect to identified requirements.
