Exploring B2B marketing can feel like navigating a new country, filled with unfamiliar terms and easy misunderstandings that could lead to less-than-ideal outcomes. In this blog post, we break down 35 key B2B digital marketing terms to help you understand the language, communicate effectively, and get the results you’re looking for.
B2B Marketing Terminology
Marketing Funnel:
A model illustrating the customer journey from initial awareness to the final purchase decision.
- TOFU (Top of Funnel): Focuses on creating awareness and engagement through content marketing, social media, and SEO.
- MOFU (Middle of Funnel): Involves nurturing potential customers with targeted content and email marketing.
- BOFU (Bottom of Funnel): Centres on converting prospects into customers through tactics like retargeting ads and sales promotions.
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation):
Techniques like keyword optimisation and backlinking to improve a website’s organic ranking on search engines like Google.
SEM (Search Engine Marketing):
Combines SEO and paid advertising strategies to increase visibility in search engine results.
SERP (Search Engine Results Page):
The page shown by search engines after a user submits a query, including organic and paid listings.
CRO (Conversion Rate Optimisation):
The practice of enhancing website elements to boost conversions, like redesigning call-to-action buttons or improving navigation.
UX (User Experience):
Encompasses all aspects of the end-user’s interaction with a company, its services, and its products, focusing on website design and usability.
Paid Media (Online Advertising):
Involves platforms like Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, Facebook Ads, and TikTok Ads for wider content promotion.
SMM (Social Media Marketing):
Utilises platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to engage with audiences and promote brands.
Content Strategy:
The planning and execution of content creation, distribution, and governance to meet business objectives.
CPA (Cost Per Acquisition):
The total cost to acquire a paying customer through a particular channel or campaign.
Conversion Rate:
Measures the percentage of users who complete a desired action out of the total number of visitors.
Quality Score:
Used by platforms like Google Ads to rate the quality and relevance of your keywords and PPC ads.
Hyper Targeting:
Focuses on creating highly specific ads based on detailed audience data, such as browsing habits and purchasing
Audience Segmentation:
Divides an audience into groups based on attributes or characteristics like job title, interests, and demographics.
A/B Testing:
Involves comparing two versions of a webpage, ad copy, creative elements, or colours to figure out which performs better.
Top of Page:
Refers to the upper part of a SERP where the highest-ranking ads or organic listings appear.
CPC (Cost Per Click):
The fee paid each time a user clicks on an advertisement.
Watch Time:
Measures the total duration that a video has been viewed, crucial in platforms like YouTube.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management):
Tools like HubSpot, Act-On, and ActiveCampaign used to manage and analyse customer interactions throughout the customer lifecycle.
CTR (Click Through Rate):
The ratio of users who click on a specific link versus the total number of users who view a page, email, or ad.
CTA (Call to Action):
A prompt or button on a website or ad, encouraging users to take a specific action.
Engagement Rate:
Reflects how actively involved with your content your audience is, often used in social media analytics.
KPI (Key Performance Indicators):
Metrics such as CTR, conversion rate, and bounce rate, used to gauge the success of a digital marketing campaign.
ROAS (Return on Ad Spend):
Measures the effectiveness of digital advertising campaigns, calculating the revenue generated for every pound spent on ads.
Keyword Stuffing:
The overuse of keywords in web content, which can lead to penalties from search engines.
Leads:
- MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead): A lead considered more likely to become a customer based on specific marketing criteria.
- b. SQL (Sales Qualified Lead): A prospective customer that has been vetted and approved by the sales team.
Landing Page Optimisation:
The process of enhancing elements of a landing page to increase its conversion rate.
Bidding:
- Manual Bidding: Selecting bid amounts manually for ad placements.
- Smart Bidding: An automated bidding strategy using machine learning for optimising conversions.
- Maximum Delivery: An automated LinkedIn bidding strategy designed to maximise results by using the platform’s algorithm.
Audience Expansion:
Techniques used to increase the reach of your audience, such as lookalike audiences in Facebook advertising.
Email Marketing:
Utilises emails to market to a list of subscribers, focusing on nurturing and converting leads.
Demand Generation:
The focus on creating demand for a product or service through marketing efforts.
Backlinks:
Links from other websites to your website, which can significantly impact your SEO ranking.
Internal Linking:
Linking one page of your website to another within the same site to improve SEO and user experience.
Bounce Rate:
The percentage of visitors who leave a site after viewing only one page, often used as a measure of site engagement.
Impressions:
The number of times your content is displayed, regardless of whether it was clicked or not.
I hope this guide has cleared up any confusion and enhanced your understanding of B2B digital marketing terminology. Now that you’re more familiar with the lingo, you’re better equipped to articulate your needs and inquiries. If you’re interested in discussing your B2B digital marketing strategy, we invite you to book a no-strings-attached virtual coffee session for a brainstorming chat with our team. And for any further questions about digital marketing terminology, feel free to reach out to us at info@cremarc.com
