16 Marketing Terms for Copywriters
In one of the very first meetings of my career with a new client, the marketing manager casually said, “We don’t have a lot of nixies on this mailing list.”
(What Is a Swipe File for Copywriters?)
I smiled and nodded, but I had no idea what a “nixie” was. Only, by the way she said it, I believe she expected me to know it.
Similarly, today you want to know what your team members or clients are talking about. And so, here are some contemporary marketing terms you should be familiar with:
Advertorial. An ad written and designed to look and sound like an article and not a sales piece. Advertorials are more informational, while advertising is more blatantly a promotion.
Attribution. The ability to determine which promotion generated an inquiry, lead, click, conversion, order or other response. For instance, if you get a phone inquiry, did it come from your ad, radio commercials, YouTube video, or billboard.
Battlecard. A “cheat sheet” or sorts given to salespeople to help them effectively present the product to prospects. Typically it may include descriptions of the product of various length (e.g., 50, 100, 250 words), common objections and how to overcome them, and frequently asked questions and the answers.
B2B. B2B is short for business-to-business—marketing that sells products and services to business.
B2C. B2C is business-to-consumer, which means you are advertising to a consumer.
B2G. B2G stands for business-to-government; here your prospects are municipal, state, or the federal government.
Brochure. Similar to a one-sheet in content, but with multiple pages, typically folded into a pamphlet or saddle-stitched—which is stabling sheets of paper together.
Collateral. Materials used to communicate product information to potential buyers and current customers. Examples include one-sheets, advertorials, battlecards, and white papers.
Content. Writing and graphics that help sell a product by presenting useful how-to content; e.g., white papers, presentations, special reports, YouTube videos.
Copy. Writing that sells a product—e.g., pay-per-click ads, landing pages, TV commercials, direct mail—by generating direct responses or communicating branding messages.
Marcom. Short for marketing communications, marcom refers to a wide range of communications used to promote products—everything from PowerPoint presentations and online videos, to webinars and social media, to email marketing Facebook ads.
Messaging. A style guide with standard wording of key sales points and themes that can be used in website copy, ads, brochures, and other marketing communications.
One-sheet. Product information on one or two standard size pages. Typical content includes product description, benefits, features, and some specs. Also called a product sheet, data sheet, or sell sheet.
Premium. A free bonus gift customers get when they purchase the main product being advertised.
ROI. In marketing, refers to the return on investment—or the ratio of the revenues generated by advertising. For instance, if you spend $2,000 to run an ad, and it produces total sales revenue of $4,000, your ROI is 2-to-1.
Sales enablement. Marketing materials that aid salespeople in presenting, explaining, and selling to prospects. Can include PowerPoint presentations, videos, specifications, and manuals.