C

A Call to action (CTA) is an instruction given to a user, customer, or audience with the intention of prompting them to take a desired course of action. It is often given as part of a marketing campaign and is used to encourage a user to take a specific action, such as signing up for a newsletter, downloading an e-book, or making a purchase.

When discussing marketing terms, the word 'Campaign' is often used to describe a type of activity that seeks to market a particular product, service, or cause. A campaign is essentially a combination of marketing activities that share a common goal, usually a specific objective.

Canonicalisation is an important concept to understand when it comes to optimising webpages for better search engine rankings. It has become increasingly important due to the proliferation of web technologies, like smart phones and tablets, that require webpages to be rendered differently for different devices.

CAPTCHA stands for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart. It is a type of security or authentication method used to protect websites from automated bots and malicious users that might cause damage to a website’s data or content.

A Case study is an in-depth look at a particular business situation — usually involving a company or organisation — to analyse the effectiveness of a particular strategy, emotional appeal, or marketing technique. Typically taking the form of lengthy reports and presentations, case studies are commonly used in business and marketing research to test out new ideas and strategies in order to measure their effectiveness.

A Cause campaign, also known as a social cause campaign, is a type of marketing or engagement initiative that encourages individuals to take action to support or empower a particular cause or issue. A successful cause campaign often has the potential to inspire social change, elevate public consciousness and foster public discourse.

A Celebrity endorsement is a strategic marketing partnership between a brand and an influential celebrity. It is an effective marketing tool which has been used for many years, as the right celebrity endorsement can help brands to generate greater exposure, credibility and sales.

Channel marketing is a type of marketing strategy which involves the creation and maintenance of relationships between companies and the various channels through which their services and products can be sold. It is an important part of the marketing mix which helps to ensure that the right products are being distributed to the right people at the right time and in the right way.

A Charity campaign is a fundraising effort that is undertaken by an organisation or a company to help support a specific cause. The aim is to raise money, and to create awareness of a cause and its associated issues, in order to generate support.

A Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) is a senior executive role responsible for overseeing the promotion and development of an organisation’s products and services. This involves running the marketing department and taking the lead on marketing strategies, campaigns and activities.

Choice fatigue (also known as decision fatigue) is the psychological phenomenon whereby people become less decisive and less able to make decisions as they are presented with more and more options. This can occur in all aspects of life, but is particularly common in consumer culture due to the large number of products, services, promotions and choices that are available.

Churn rate is a central term in marketing that measures a company's customer retention rate. It's also known as turnover rate or attrition rate, and is used as a metric for businesses to understand how effectively their loyal customer base is being maintained over time.

Cinema advertising or ‘screen advertising’ as it is sometimes referred to, is a form of advertising that displays commercials and other messages on the big screen of a cinema or movie theatre. It is one of the oldest advertising mediums, having started in the 1930s, and is a popular advertising method in many countries, including the UK.

Circulation is a key concept in public relations, especially when looking to reach target audiences and measure the potential reach of an organization's message. Put simply, circulation is a measurement of the number of people likely to encounter a media message.

Citizen journalism is a term that can refer to any form of journalism that is created by individuals or groups who are not professional journalists. It is a way for ordinary people to tell their stories and share their perspectives on current news and events.

Click bait is a type of online advertising that is designed to entice users to click on a link. This link usually leads to a website where the user can find more information or purchase a product or service.

Click fraud is a malicious activity in online marketing where an individual or group creates illegitimate clicks on online advertisements in an effort to defraud the advertiser. This activity can take the form of a person manually clicking ads, automated scripts or bots, pay-per-click services, and other activities.

Click paths (also known as clickstreams or clickstream analytics) refer to the sequences of online actions (clicks) taken by a user navigating a site, or sequence of sites, including the links and screens they visit, the duration of their visit and the area they explore most. By analysing click paths, it's possible to discover how users interact with a digital platform (such as a website or an app) and then use that data to optimise user experiences, personalise offers and/or target marketing campaigns.

Click tracking is the process of tracking click-throughs from a digital advertisement or link, allowing advertisers and marketers to gain valuable insights into how users interact with their content. This technology allows marketers to better understand user behaviour, making it easier to optimise campaigns and achieve their desired outcomes.

Clickthrough rate (abbreviated to CTR) is an internet marketing metric used to track the effectiveness of a marketing campaign. It measures how many clicks a customer takes on an advertisement before taking a desired action, such as purchasing a product or subscribing to a newsletter.

In marketing and advertising, the Client is the one requesting for the service, and the provider is the company which carries out the requested service. In a company, that means the client and provider are two different branches of the same organisation.

Cloaking is a process in digital marketing that uses a variety of methods to distort the way a web page appears to search engine crawlers while hiding the original content from them. This is done in an effort to increase rankings in search engine results.

A closed opportunity occurs when a potential customer has already encountered a product or service and has yet to either purchase or reject it. Additionally, it is when a customer has shown some level of interest in the product or service, but a sale has not yet been made.

Closing is the final part of the sales process, and involves summary, discussion and agreement of the outcomes of the sale. It’s arguably the most important step in the overall sales process, as it makes it clear to the customer that their requirements have been understood, and outlines how their desired outcomes will be achieved.

Closing ratio is a term used in marketing to describe the ratio of sales opportunities that you have closed to the total number of sales opportunities that have been presented. It is a useful measure of the effectiveness of your sales process and should be closely monitored to ensure you are consistently closing deals and improving your performance.

A Content Management System (CMS) is a suite of tools used to make updating and managing a website easier. It provides a platform for organizing, editing, and publishing content, as well as a range of other features such as user accounts, media libraries, and data analytics tracking.

Co-marketing is a strategic partnership between two or more entities that are interested in marketing their combined products and services to a larger target audience. It is a strategy that leverages the resources and existing relationships of the partner companies to cost-effectively expand the reach of their marketing initiatives.

Cognitive bias is a term used to describe the systematic errors that occur when people process information. It refers to the tendency for people to make mistakes in their reasoning caused by their own preconceived biases, preferences and assumptions.

Cognitive dissonance is a psychological phenomenon all of us experience on a daily basis. It refers to the mental discomfort or stress we encounter when we are presented with two conflicting ideas or beliefs.

Cold calling is a form of direct marketing in which salespeople contact potential customers over the telephone. It is a technique used to introduce products and services to potential customers, but more importantly, it is used to stimulate interest in those products and services.

In business and marketing, Collaboration is a term used to describe the process of working together to achieve a common goal. Through collaboration, two or more teams, organisations, or individuals can combine their skills, knowledge, and resources to achieve more than they could on their own.

Colour psychology is the study of how colour affects a person’s behaviour and attitudes. It is based on the fact that colours have an affect on our emotions, thoughts, and behaviour.

Sales Commissions are commissions paid to salespeople for successfully selling items, services, or agreements. They are generally a percentage of the value of goods and services sold, and are one of the most common methods of incentivizing salespeople to work hard, successfully close deals, and increase sales.

Community advertising is a form of promotional methodology that involves engaging members of a community within a certain demographic niche in order to reach a wider audience. This form of advertising typically involves using word of mouth and social media to raise awareness about a product or service.

Competitions are an effective tool for engaging customers, stimulating loyalty, and increasing publicity for businesses or projects. They can also serve to incentivise customers to take action, such as making a purchase or engaging with a product or service.

Competitive advantage is the term used to describe any action or activity that gives a business an edge over its rivals in the marketplace. It is the unique ability of an organization to produce goods or services that are valued by customers more than its competitors.

Competitors refer to other companies or organisations in the same field or industry offering similar products and services that have an effect on the profitability of a company. A company needs to have a complete understanding of its competitors and the competition in the industry in order to effectively compete and remain profitable.

A Consumer is an individual that buys goods or services from a business. It is the most important target audience of any business in the market.

A Contact form is an online tool used to collect contact information for potential customers, prospects, and leads. It is commonly used as a way to capture customer feedback and inquiries from websites, blogs, and other online mediums.

Content is a term used to describe anything that makes up any form of media that communicates a message. This includes anything from blog posts, videos, podcasts, emails, images, and more.

Content aggregation is the process of collecting content from different sources, websites and sources into one place. In other words, it is the process of gathering quality content from various websites and sources, to provide readers with a single source of relevant, up-to-date information.

Content briefs are documents which essentially provide an outline and roadmap of any content related project and are especially helpful in the digital marketing context. They help to shape the content strategy, define the goal and provide a brief of parameters and guidelines to inform the creation process, as well as a sense of what the intended audience is.

Content curation is the process of reviewing, organising, and selecting content from various sources and publishing it in a single platform or publication. It is widely used in the world of marketing as a way to build brand awareness and develop relationships with customers.

A Content farm is an online platform used by businesses and organisations to create, share and distribute their content. It is a method of content creation where content is published on various websites and platforms, and a content farm gives users the ability to easily farm, store, and manage their content from one place.

Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach that centres around the creation and distribution of valuable, relevant, and consistent content to an audience, with the goal of driving profit and customer engagement. It is a marketing technique which involves creating and sharing content with the main aim of attracting and retaining customers.

Content Marketing Institute (CMI) is an organisation that provides comprehensive guidance, guides and best practices for content marketing strategies. Content marketing is a strategic discipline that is used to create, develop and distribute content that is valuable to your target audience.

Content shock refers to the overwhelming amount of online content available, often presented by users as well as companies and marketers. It can make it difficult for businesses to stand out from the crowd and be visible online.

Content strategy is a detailed plan for creating and publishing content that's relevant and engaging to your target audience. It's a crucial element of any successful digital marketing plan and helps to ensure that the content is both effective at reaching and delighting your customers.

A Contest is a marketing tool used to promote products, services, and brands. It involves offering rewards to those who participate.

Contextual advertising is an online marketing technique that involves placing ads in the content of websites, search engine results and other online platforms, in order to be able to target potential customers by taking into account what they are reading or searching for. By targeting the appropriate context in which a potential customer is looking for information, marketers are better able to identify the specific interests and needs of that customer, thereby offering a relevant ad that is more likely to elicit an immediate response.

Customer Conversation is the process of engaging with customers through dialogue, often in the form of conversations using digital channels like social media, email, and more. It’s essentially a two-way communication process between a business and its customers.

Conversion in marketing terms is the term used to describe the process of converting the interest or intent of a potential customer into ongoing interaction and customer loyalty. In other words, it is the process of turning a customer’s interest in a product or service into an actual sale.

A Conversion funnel is a series of interactions a customer has with your business online, from the point of awareness to the final purchase. It’s the path a customer takes towards a desired action, like buying a product, signing up for a newsletter, or entering an email address.

Conversion optimisation is the term used to describe methods to improve the conversion of a company’s online traffic into customers. It focuses on improving the performance of a website to increase the rate of visitors who embark on a desired action such as buying a product or filling out a contact form.

A ‘Conversion path’ is a term used in marketing to describe the chain of events which lead a potential customer from discovering a service or product to completing a desired action. It is a necessary part of understanding how successful a marketing campaign might be and is key to monitoring customer behaviour.

Conversion rate is a term used in marketing, and it refers to the percentage of visitors to your website or other online platform that go on to complete a desired action such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter or downloading an app or other product. Conversion rate is a powerful metric for understanding the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and campaigns.

Cookies are small text files that are stored on a user’s web browser when they visit a website. They are used to store and retrieve data about user activity, preferences and adverts that have been seen on specific websites.

Copy is a key component of marketing campaigns, and it's important to have well-written copy that is both interesting and effective in conveying a message. Copywriting is the process of creating written content to advertise or promote a product, service, or business.

Copyright is a legal protection provided to the creators of a work that is original and can include anything such as written works, music, art, designs, photographs, film and broadcasts. It is a right that is set out in law and gives the copyright holder the right to control how the work is used, including by preventing others from using it without permission.

Copyscape is an online tool designed to help website owners and content creators protect their work from plagiarism. It is a web-based program that checks for copied material found on the Internet, checking for plagiarised content.

Copywriting is the process of creating persuasive text which is intended to encourage the reader to act – be it to buy something, request more information, or sign up for an email newsletter. Careful consideration must be given to the way the text is written; research into the prospective audience and utilising the right keywords, tone and style can all help to create an engaging, effective piece of copy.

Cost plus pricing is a pricing strategy used by businesses when they are looking to determine the price point of their product or service. This method takes into account all costs related to the production and sale of the product or service, as well as a mark-up to ensure the company’s desired profit margin.

Couponing refers to the practice of using digital coupons, vouchers, and promotions to save money on your shopping. It is an increasingly popular way to make money-saving purchases, and with the right knowledge and approach, you can save big.

Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) is a marketing term used to describe the cost associated with acquiring a new customer or action. It is a standard metric used by marketers to measure and evaluate their marketing campaigns, often in comparison to other campaigns.

CPC (Cost Per Click) is a type of digital advertising where payment is based upon each time an ad is clicked, rather than based on impressions (or the number of times an advertisement is viewed). It is a way for advertisers to control how much they pay for a given advertisement.

CPM stands for Cost Per Mille, or Cost Per Impression, and is a measure of the cost of advertising on a certain channel or platform. It is a metric used in online marketing, as it refers to how much it costs for an advertiser to reach a thousand people.

Search engine Crawlers – commonly referred to as ‘spiders’ – are used by search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo to discover new webpages and websites, and to assess the existing content of the existing webpages within a given website. They operate by using automated programmes (also known as ‘web crawlers’) that are designed specifically to ‘crawl’ the web, indexing websites, pages, content and several other related assets as they visit and revisit pages.

Creative Assets refer to anything a company creates and uses to share its branding, message, and values. These could include logos, images, text, audio files, and video.

Creative Commons is a system of professional licenses and legal agreements that allow creators to share their creative works with others, while firmly retaining most of their rights as authors. It's an effective way for people to legally associate with the rights of their work, while providing people with a legal basis to use it, with some conditions that the author specifies.

Crisis Communications is a term used to describe a set of communication strategies meant to help an organisation manage a potentially damaging public issue. It is a proactive method used to mitigate the effects of a crisis, such as a natural disaster, scandal, or business downturn.

CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. It is an approach to managing and maintaining customer relations, and involves collecting and storing customer data.

Conversion Rate Optimisation, or CRO for short, is a marketing process aimed at improving website performance and increasing customer conversions. It involves analysing website elements, such as design, usability and customer behaviour, to identify areas for optimization and improve the user experience.

Cross-selling is a key marketing strategy used by businesses to keep their customers engaged and loyal. It involves offering customers additional products or services related to a product they have already purchased.

Crowdsourcing is a type of marketing that leverages the collective knowledge, talents, and resources of a large group of people. It is a cost-effective and resource-efficient way to develop products and services, carry out research, and advance innovation.

Crowdsourced content, also known as user-generated content (UGC), is any type of online content created by an audience of people, and submitted to the original source. It’s content that is generated by users, rather than directly created by the business.

CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets and it is a design language used to control the way web pages look. It was developed in the late 1990s and is now used by all web developers.

CSV is an acronym for "Comma Separated Values," and is a common format used when transferring or sharing data. It is a plain text file that contains one record per line, with each value or field separated by a comma (or other delimiter).

Call to Action (CTA) is an imperative phrase used in digital marketing to prompt the viewer to take an action towards a desired outcome. This phrase is typically placed near the end of a marketing message to ensure that viewers are informed of the opportunities they have to move forward and answer the call.

Click Through Rate (CTR) is a metric used to measure the effectiveness of an online ad, campaign, or email. It is an important component of any digital marketing strategy and is used to gauge the success of any online advertising efforts.

Customer is a term used in marketing to refer to an individual or group that purchases or utilizes a particular product or service. A customer is often seen as the most important part of any business, due to the fact that they are the ones who ultimately bring in revenue and profits as they purchase products or services.

Customer acquisition cost (CAC) is a metric commonly used in business to refer to the cost of convincing a consumer to purchase or use a company’s product or service. Also known as ‘customer acquisition cost’, CAC helps businesses measure how efficient their marketing and sales operations are and decide how to invest their resources.

The Customer acquisition journey is the process that a business takes in order to acquire customers from initial contact to purchase or sign-up. It is an essential component of any customer relationship management (CRM) strategy, and can have a major impact on customer loyalty, retention and satisfaction.

Customer experience (often abbreviated to CX) is the combination of all interactions a customer has with your business, which have the power to make or break a long-term relationship. Good customer experience leads to higher customer loyalty, satisfaction, and retention rates, while bad customer experience events can cost you valuable customers.

Customer motivation is the process of understanding what motivates customers to act and purchase, and creating marketing strategies to meet their needs and drive the desired behavior. It is an integral part of brand management and marketing, and if used correctly, it can be a powerful tool for achieving long-term success and building customer loyalty.

Customer needs are requirements that a customer has in relation to a product or service, and they are essential when it comes to adapting and improving a business’s services to meet the demands of their customers. Understanding customer needs is essential in ensuring that businesses are able to accurately and meaningfully respond to their customers, and provide them with the best service possible.

Customer orientation, also known as customer focus, is an approach to business that puts the needs of customers at the heart and center of all decision making. It is a way to focus on customer experience, customer needs, and customer satisfaction in order to meet and exceed customer expectations.

Customer relationship management (CRM) can be described as a strategy designed to optimise customer relations. In essence, it's about communication and the customer experience, with businesses setting out to build mutually-beneficial, long-term relationships with clients.

Customer reviews are an invaluable asset for businesses both online and offline, providing a wealth of information about products, services, experiences and customer satisfaction. As businesses strive to offer the best customer experience, customer reviews can help them to identify the areas that they excel at, while also highlighting areas that would benefit from improvement.

Customer satisfaction is the process of ensuring that customers are satisfied with a company’s products and services at all stages of the customer journey. It is achieved through actively managing the experience customers are provided with and continuously improving the customer’s engagement.

When it comes to marketing, Customers are the life and blood of any business. As a business owner or marketer, it is essential to have a thorough understanding of not only who your customers are, but also the best ways to engage and retain them.