The Essential Marketing Glossary for Modern Business Leaders

At Authentic, we have the privilege of walking alongside businesses of all kinds — different industries, different models, different markets — and helping them make sense of their marketing in a way that actually moves the needle. 

Our Fractional CMOs sit shoulder-to-shoulder with leadership teams, leading strategy and rolling up their sleeves through execution. And along the way, we’re reminded just how much marketing terminology gets tossed around, often without a shared understanding of what it all really means. 

So we pulled together a glossary of the terms and acronyms we rely on every day. Think of it as a practical guide to help business leaders better understand the language behind the work — and the nuances that drive smarter decisions and stronger growth.

General Marketing Terms

These are foundational terms used broadly across B2B, B2C, and hybrid business models.

A/B Testing – A method of comparing two versions of content, creative, or experience to determine which performs better with a target audience.

Attribution – A method for determining which marketing channels, interactions, or touchpoints contributed to a conversion or sale.

Brand – The promise an organization makes to the world — and how the world experiences that promise. Includes promise, personality, and presentation.

Brand Equity – The intangible value a brand accumulates from recognition, trust, loyalty, and emotional connection.

Buyer Journey – The experience a buyer has at each stage of engagement with a brand, from awareness through advocacy.

Campaign – A coordinated set of activities and messages executed across channels to achieve specific marketing goals.

Channel – The pathways a business uses to distribute content or engage its audience (e.g., partnerships, referral networks, ads, social).

CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) – The senior marketing leader responsible for strategy, performance, and team alignment.

Content – Educational, inspirational, or informative materials designed to build awareness, trust, and engagement.

Conversion – Any desired action taken by a prospect or customer, such as form fills, downloads, clicks, or purchases.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management) – A system that manages customer data, interactions, pipeline, and revenue forecasting.

CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score) – Measures customer satisfaction with a specific interaction, product, or service.

Customer Lifecycle – All stages of the customer relationship—from awareness to retention and advocacy.

Customer Experience (CX) – The cumulative impact of all customer interactions with a brand across channels and touchpoints.

Data & Metrics (General) – The information used to evaluate performance, identify insights, and inform decisions.

EBIT / EBITDA – Financial metrics measuring operating profitability, excluding specific expenses.

eNPS (Employee Net Promoter Score) – Measures employee loyalty and likelihood to recommend the organization as a place to work.

Engagement Rate – How actively audiences interact with marketing content (likes, comments, shares, clicks).

Fractional CMO – A part-time or retainer-based marketing executive who provides strategic leadership.

Funnel – A structured representation of how prospects move from awareness to conversion.

Go-to-Market (GTM) – A company’s strategy for bringing its product/service to market — including target customer, channels, pricing, and value proposition.

KPI (Key Performance Indicator) – A measurable variable that tracks progress toward marketing or business objectives.

Media Mix – The combination of paid, earned, shared, and owned media used to engage an audience.

Messaging – How a company communicates its value to specific audiences.

NPM (Net Profit Margin) – The percentage of revenue retained after all expenses — a key indicator of profitability.

NPS (Net Promoter Score) – A customer loyalty measure based on likelihood to recommend.

Persona – A semi-fictional representation of an ideal buyer based on goals, challenges, and behaviors.

Positioning – How a company wants its offering to be perceived relative to competitors.

Segmentation – Breaking audiences into meaningful groups to enable targeted marketing.

Retention Rate – The percentage of customers who continue buying or renewing over time.

TTC (Time to Convert) – The time it takes a prospect to move from initial engagement to becoming a customer.

User Experience / UX – The total impression a person has when interacting with a product, system or digital interface. It’s not just about “does this work?” but also “how does it feel?”

Common B2B Marketing Terms

These are terms most often used in business-to-business models.

ABM (Account-Based Marketing) – A highly targeted B2B strategy focused on engaging high-value accounts with personalized outreach.

ACV (Average Contract Value) – The average annualized value of customer contracts.

ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue) – Predictable annualized revenue from subscription or retainer-based contracts.

CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) – The cost of acquiring a new customer, commonly compared to LTV.

Churn – The rate at which customers discontinue service or fail to renew.

Demand Generation – Efforts that create interest, intent, and qualified pipeline for sales teams.

ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) – A description of the companies that represent the best fit for a business’s offering.

LTV (Lifetime Value) – The expected revenue a customer generates over the full relationship.

Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) – A lead that has shown meaningful engagement, indicating readiness for sales review.

Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) – Predictable monthly revenue from subscriptions or retainers.

Pipeline – All active sales opportunities, organized by stage.

Sales Accepted Lead (SAL) – A lead that sales has reviewed and agrees to pursue.

Sales Qualified Lead (SQL) – A high-fit, high-intent prospect ready for sales engagement. Often the stage at which proposals or SOWs are generated, with specific pricing attached.

Suspect / Target – An outbound-identified potential prospect who fits the ICP but has not yet engaged.

Velocity (Deal Velocity) – The speed at which opportunities move through the sales pipeline.

Win Rate – The percentage of opportunities that become closed-won deals.

Common B2C / D2C Marketing Terms

These are terms most often used in business-to-consumer / direct-to-consumer models.

CAC Payback Period (B2C Version) – The time it takes for revenue from a customer to recoup acquisition cost — essential for e-commerce and subscription products.

Click-Through Rate (CTR) – The percentage of people who click on an ad, link, or button — a core metric in B2C marketing.

Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) – The cost of driving a specific consumer action, such as a purchase or app install.

Cost Per Click (CPC) – The cost paid when a consumer clicks an ad.

Cost Per Mille (CPM) – The cost per 1,000 impressions, commonly used in display, streaming, and social ads.

First-Party Data – Consumer data collected directly via owned channels (website, email, loyalty programs).

Loyalty Program – Rewards programs designed to increase repeat purchase and retention.

Omnichannel Marketing – Creating a seamless customer experience across digital and physical channels.

Purchase Frequency – How often customers buy within a period — critical for retail, CPG, and e-commerce.

ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) – A metric that measures revenue returned for each dollar spent on ads.

Shopping Cart Abandonment – When shoppers add items to an online cart but do not complete checkout.

SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) – A unique identifier for retail products, used for assortment planning and sales tracking.