Marketing & PR Terminology: A List of Essential Public Relations Terms and Definitions

A/B Testing

A method of comparing two versions of a webpage, advertisement or email/EDM to determine which one performs better. This is a great way to get to know your audience and what messaging and tone resonates most. From here, you can continually refine your communications strategy to ensure the best possible outcome.

Ad Rate – Ad Spend – Ad Budget

The amount of money spent by a company on advertising, typically broken down into ad rate (the cost per advertisement), ad spend (the total amount of money spent on an advertising project) and ad budget (the overall spending allowance for the entire campaign).

Advertising

Advertising is the placement of content by a company to promote its products, services or brand. This can be done through radio and TV commercials, print ads, billboards, posters and digital channels like social media and websites.

Advertorial

A piece of content, typically an article or video, that is produced by a company to promote its products, services or brand. It often adopts the style and format of a news story but has a clear commercial purpose. This is usually a paid partnership between the media and the brand. It gives the brand some control over the content, which differs from organic editorial whereby the content is determined by the media.

Analytics

Analytics are data-driven insights used to measure and track the performance of a website, app or other digital product. It can provide valuable information such as user behavior patterns, engagement rates, conversion rates and more. Analyzing analytics can help identify areas of improvement and inform decisions related to UX design, content marketing and more. One of WOI’s favorite tools is https://www.semrush.com – where you can monitor the performance of your website, create individual projects, and benchmark against the competition.

Audience Insights

Data-driven information about a target audience, such as demographics, interests, habits and preferences. Audience insights are used to create tailored messages that are more likely to resonate with the intended audience.

Audience Segmentation

The process of dividing an audience into smaller groups based on characteristics such as age, gender and behaviour. This is a useful exercise when working with brand personas; it enables you to match the product to an influencer group or communications style.

Backlink

A link on a website pointing to another website. Backlinks are important for SEO because they help search engines understand what pages are related and can send more relevant visitors from other websites.

Boilerplate

Often used in press releases, a boilerplate is a brief summary of a company that provides background information. Your boilerplate should be simple, informative, and (usually) written in the third person. It should explain in clear and concise terms precisely what your business does. A boilerplate should also include contact details for the PR / marketing team as well as website and social media links.

Brand Ambassador

A person who is hired by a company or organization to promote its products, services, messages and/or brand. Brand ambassadors can be celebrities, influencers or simply members of the public with a strong affinity for the brand. They are usually paid to promote the brand but may also receive free products and/or services in return. Many e-commerce platforms including Shopify have functionality that allows everyday customers to become an ambassador and earn commission on sales.

Brand Awareness

The degree of recognition and familiarity people have for a company’s products, services or brand. It is measured using metrics like customer surveys, website visits and search engine queries.

Brand Equity

Brand equity is an important term for PR professionals as it refers to the value of a company’s brand and how customers perceive it. It involves measuring customer loyalty, satisfaction, awareness and word-of-mouth recommendations.

B-roll

Secondary footage used to supplement the main story. B-roll often includes clips of people, scenes or objects that help visualise and add context to a particular topic.

Byline

A byline is the name of the writer at the top of an article or blog post.

Campaign Monitor

A tool used to track the performance of a PR campaign in real time. It allows for measuring metrics such as media coverage, audience reach, website visits, social media engagement and more. This can be an invaluable tool for understanding how an organization is performing in terms of its PR efforts.

Circulation

A publication’s total circulation speaks to the relevancy and reach of their content, as it indicates just how many copies are distributed via newsstands or subscriptions. This metric is critical when sharing results with clients in order to show them the impact of any coverage achieved.

Content Curation

Content curation is the process of gathering, organizing and sharing content related to a specific topic. It can be an effective way to provide readers with valuable information as well as demonstrating expertise in a certain area.

Content Writing

Content writing is the process of creating content (text, images, video etc.) for websites, blogs and other online publications. A good content writer should be familiar with SEO best practices in order to ensure their content is optimized for search engines.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is the creation and sharing of content in order to drive potential customers down the sales funnel. It can be done through blog posts, videos, podcasts or other pieces of content that offer educational value while promoting a brand’s products or services.

CRO (Conversion Rate Optimisation)

CRO is the process of optimizing a website to increase the percentage of visitors that take a desired action. This could be anything from signing up for a newsletter to making a purchase. A/B testing and data analysis are used to optimize websites in order to maximize conversions.

CPC (Cost Per Click)

CPC stands for cost per click and is a type of ad pricing model that measures the effectiveness of an online advertisement. This metric is usually used to measure search engine marketing campaigns, as it indicates how much money is being paid each time someone clicks on an ad.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

CRM is a type of software used to manage customer relationships. It allows businesses to store, track and analyse customer data in order to better understand their customers’ needs and behaviours. This can be used to create more effective marketing campaigns as well as improve customer service.

CPM (Cost per Thousand)

CPM is a metric used to measure the cost of an advertisement. It indicates how much it costs to reach 1,000 people with an ad. This metric can be used to compare the costs of different advertising channels and adjust spending accordingly.

CTR (Click-through Rate)

CTR is a metric used to measure the effectiveness of an advertisement. It indicates the percentage of people who see an ad and actually click on it. High CTRs are indicative of successful campaigns, while low CTRs suggest that modifications need to be made in order to increase engagement.

DMA (Designated Marketing Area)

A geographic area designated by Nielsen Media Research Company to define TV and radio markets. DMAs are used to measure the viewership of particular shows or networks in a given region. For example, a show might have higher ratings in one DMA than it does in another.

Earned Media

Earned media is any kind of publicity or coverage that is given to a company or individual through unpaid channels such as word-of-mouth, social media and traditional news outlets. It’s considered one of the most effective forms of PR since it’s seen as more credible than paid advertising.

Editorial Calendar

An editorial calendar is a plan for the content and topics that will be covered in an organization’s communications. It helps PR professionals stay organized and ensure all content published aligns with the company’s overall goals.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is the use of emails to promote a product, service or brand. It can be used to keep customers up to date with company news and offers, as well as providing valuable content and information.

Embargo

An embargo is a restriction placed on the release or publication of certain information. It can be used to time the release of news for maximum impact, or to prevent competitors from learning about something before it is announced publicly.

Engagement Rate

Engagement rate is a metric used to measure how much people interact with content such as a blog post, video or social media post. It’s often calculated by dividing the total number of engagements (likes, shares, comments etc.) by the total number of impressions.

Exclusive

An exclusive is a story or piece of content that has been given to one news outlet for publication on an agreed-upon timeline. It can be used to generate more coverage for a particular topic or event, as it often prompts other media outlets to cover the same story in order to stay competitive.

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is a type of content marketing that utilizes individuals who have a strong following on social media. These influencers are typically paid to promote brands, products or services and help reach a larger audience in an organic way.

Influencer Outreach

Influencer outreach is the process of identifying influential people in a particular industry and connecting with them in order to promote a product, service or brand. It can be an effective way to reach a wider audience and create more interest in an organization.

Keyword Research

Keyword research is the process of researching and analyzing popular search terms in order to optimize content for SEO. It’s done by using tools such as Google Trends or keyword analysis software to identify which words are most frequently used by people when searching for a particular topic.

Lead Time

Lead time is the amount of time between when a pitch or article is sent out and when it’s actually published. It can vary greatly depending on the publication and the topic in question, so PR professionals should always plan ahead to make sure their content gets published on schedule.

Listicle

A listicle is an online article that is formatted as a list or numbered points. It’s often used to make content more engaging and easier to digest, making it popular with readers and publishers alike. An example would be “5 Places to Visit by Private Jet this Year”. Listicles are popular with the media because of high click rates and strong SEO.

Marketing Automation

Marketing automation is the use of software or services to automate marketing processes such as email campaigns, customer segmentation and lead management. It’s used by marketers to save time and effort while still achieving successful results.

Media Kit

A media kit is a package of information that provides general background on an organization, as well as a lot of hard facts and figures. To help potential advertisers and sponsors comprehend the worth of investing with a platform, audience reach and demographic information is generally included. A media kit may include everything from the number of followers to the way that translates to ad pricing.

Media Relations

Media relations is a key component of public relations. It involves building relationships with reporters, editors and other media professionals in order to maximize positive coverage for an organization or individual.

Metrics

Metrics are measurable values used to track the performance of content, campaigns or other initiatives. Common metrics include impressions, engagement rate and click-through rate (CTR).

Native Advertising

Native advertising is content that is designed to blend in with its surrounding environment, such as an article sponsored by a brand on a news site. It looks and feels like editorial content, but it is actually paid for by the advertiser.

Opt-In

Opt-in is a term used to describe when someone voluntarily signs up or subscribes to receive emails, newsletters or other types of communications from an organization. It’s important to obtain people’s consent before sending them any type of communication in order to comply with privacy laws.

Pitch

A pitch is an email, letter or other form of communication used to try and get media coverage for an organization or individual. It’s important to craft a compelling pitch that stands out from the crowd in order to maximize the chances of success.

Pitch Angle

A pitch angle is the main idea or concept behind a story. It’s important for PR professionals to come up with unique angles in order to make their stories stand out from the rest and get more coverage.

PPC (Pay-Per-Click) Advertising

PPC advertising is a form of online marketing where advertisers pay for each user that clicks on their ad. It’s often used to generate leads or increase website traffic and can be an effective way to reach potential customers at a relatively low cost.

Pre-roll

Pre-roll video is an advertisement that plays before a video content. It’s typically 15 to 30 seconds long and can be used to direct people to a website, product or service.

Press Kit

A press kit is a package of information and materials that can be used to promote an organization or individual. It usually includes things like bios, contact info, images, logos and other marketing materials designed to give journalists everything they need to write a story.

Press Release

A press release is a written statement that is sent to media outlets in order to announce news or upcoming events. It’s an important part of any PR professional’s job and can be used to generate interest in a product, event or company.

Public Relations

Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing the communication between an organization and its public, including customers, media outlets and other stakeholders. The main goal of PR is to create positive relationships that lead to long-term success for the organization. PR professionals use a variety of tactics to engage with their audience, including press releases, content writing and social media marketing.

Q&A

Q&A stands for “questions and answers” and is a type of content where a person or organization answers questions from their audience. It can be used to demonstrate expertise in a certain area, generate interest in a product or service, and/or build relationships with potential customers.

ROI (Return on Investment)

ROI stands for “return on investment” and is a measure of the profitability of an activity or strategy. PR professionals should always be aware of their ROI and track it closely in order to determine which strategies are most effective.

Round Up

A round up is a type of article where multiple people or organizations are featured in the same story. It can be used to generate publicity for all involved, as well as create content that is interesting and informative for readers.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

SEO stands for “search engine optimization” and is the process of optimizing web content in order to increase its visibility in search engine results. PR professionals should be familiar with SEO best practices in order to ensure their content ranks well.

Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is the use of social media platforms to promote a product, service or brand. It often involves creating content (text, images, video etc.) that encourages people to follow and engage with the company’s accounts on those platforms.

Sponsored or Boosted Posts

Sponsored or boosted posts are social media updates that have been paid for and given additional visibility through the platform’s advertising system. They can be an effective way to reach a wider audience and generate more interest in a company’s products or services.

Syndication/syndicate

Syndication is the process of sharing content across multiple platforms, such as websites and social networks. Content syndication can help increase visibility and reach a larger audience, while also increasing engagement with an organization’s content.

Target Audience

A target audience is the group of people that a company or organization is trying to reach with their products, services or content. It’s important to identify the target audience before creating any type of marketing material in order to ensure it resonates with the right people.

Traditional Media

Traditional media refers to newspapers, magazines, radio and television which have been the main forms of mass communication for many years. PR professionals should be familiar with these outlets and know how to best utilize them in their campaigns.

UX (User Experience) Design

UX design is the process of designing digital experiences that are both functional and enjoyable for users. It involves taking into account user needs, preferences and behaviors when designing websites, apps or any other digital product.

Viral Content

Viral content is content that spreads quickly through social media networks due to its shareability and high engagement rate. It often takes on the form of an entertaining video, article or meme and can be used as a powerful marketing tool.

White Paper

A white paper is an in-depth document that provides insights and analysis on a specific topic. It’s often used by companies to demonstrate their expertise on an issue or to promote a product or service. White papers can be optimized for search engines, making them more visible to potential customers and increasing the chances of conversions.

Word of Mouth

Word-of-mouth is a type of promotion that relies on people talking about an organization or individual in order to generate interest and spread awareness. It’s a powerful form of marketing that can be encouraged through activities like referral programs and incentives for customers to share news about the company.

If you can understand the meaning behind popular PR and marketing terms, you’ll be able to hold your own in any conversation with industry veterans. In this blog post, we’ve gone over some of the most common PR terminology and definitions. Now that you understand each of these phrases, you and your PR team can work together effectively.