The Essential List of Content Marketing Acronyms

Contents

If you think ToFu is something you might find in your miso soup, and SWOT is what you do to a mosquito, then it might be time to brush up on your marketing acronyms.

fresh-tofu-and-spring-onions-on-cutting-board

Every industry seems to have their own secret language of jargon and acronyms, and the marketing realm is certainly no exception. Remembering the difference between CPC, CPL and CPM can make you feel like you need CPR. But if you’re going to be communicating with people in the content marketing world, you’ve got to be prepared to speak the language.

While it’s important to know these terms yourself and be able to toss them around with others in the marketing biz, it’s a whole other story when it comes to writing for a more general audience. The key in that case is to consider your reader. Since when you’re writing online you don’t always know who your readers are going to be, it’s hard to say how familiar they will be with even the most common acronyms. A good rule of thumb: if you’re not absolutely sure that readers will be familiar with an acronym, then spell it out.

With that in mind, you’re probably reading this thinking, “WIIFM?” (What’s In It For Me?) So, let’s define some acronyms!

We’ll start with ToFu, which along with MoFu and BoFu refer to the stages of the Inbound Marketing sales funnel:

ToFu = Top of the Funnel, which is where you attract prospective leads through informational pieces like blog posts, articles and eBooks. The goal is to draw in a large audience through answering common questions and solving problems.

MoFu = Middle of the Funnel. At this stage, you are still providing educational content but also starting to position yourself as a solution and establish credibility. This content might include case studies, white papers or videos.

BoFu = Bottom of the Funnel, where you go for the sale. The leads that are still with you at this stage are interested in what you offer, and you can move to engaging with them on a more personal level. This is where you might offer a free trial, assessment or a discount code that can be used for purchases.

And now, here’s a handy translation guide with more of the most commonly used marketing acronyms. If there’s one we’re missing, put it in the comments.

  • B2B = Business To Business
  • B2C = Business To Consumer
  • CMS = Content Management System
  • CPA = Cost Per Acquisition
  • CPC = Cost Per Click
  • CPL = Cost Per Lead
  • CPM = Cost Per Thousand (In case you were wondering…“mille” is Latin for thousand.)
  • CR = Conversion Rate
  • CTA=Call To Action
  • CTR = Click Through Rate
  • DR = Direct Response
  • EPC = Earnings Per Click
  • EPM = Earnings Per Thousand
  • KPI = Key Performance Indicator
  • MLM = Multi Level Marketing
  • MoM = Month-over-Month
  • MVT = Multivariate Testing
  • PPC = Pay Per Click
  • PPL = Pay Per Lead
  • PPV = Pay Per View
  • PR = Page Rank
  • PV = Page Views
  • QoQ = Quarter-over-Quarter
  • RFI = Request For Information
  • RFP = Request For Proposal
  • ROI = Return On Investment
  • RTD = Real Time Data
  • SEM = Search Engine Marketing
  • SEO = Search Engine Optimization
  • SERP = Search Engines Results Page
  • SMM = Social Media Marketing
  • SMO = Social Media Optimization
  • SMP = Social Media Platform
  • SWOT = Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
  • UGC = User Generated Content
  • USP = Unique Selling Proposition
  • UV = Unique Visitor
  • UI = User Interface
  • UX = User Experience (or sometimes) Unique Experience
  • VM = Viral Marketing
  • WOMM = Word of Mouth Marketing
  • YoY = Year-over-Year

If you’re looking for help with creating great content for your ToFu, that’s where we come in. Contact us to learn how we can keep your blog updated with fresh, interesting material so you can attract more PVs and UVs clicking on your CTAs and converting into customers to increase your QoQ sales!

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