glossary email marketing

Glossary: Email Marketing101 terms of email marketing.

Braj Mohan Chaturvedi | chaturvedibraj@yahoo.com | +91 9986680103Twitter: @chaturvedibraj | facebook: @chaturvedibraj | Skype: @chaturvedibraj

A

Acceptable Spam Report Rate

Acceptable spam report rate is the rate at which you can be reported as spam without harming your sender reputation. Anything over 0.1 percent will get a warning.

1

Acceptance Rate

Acceptable rate is the percentage of email messages that are accepted by the mail server. It is important to know that just because an email is accepted by the mail server does not mean it will get to an inbox..

2

Acquisition cost

The cost to generate one lead, newsletter subscriber or customer in an individual email campaign; typically, the total campaign expense divided by the number of leads, subscribers or customers it produced.

3

Ad Swap

An exchange between two publishers in which each agrees to run the other's comparably valued ad at no charge. Value is determined by rate card, placement, size of list, quality of list, name brand fame, etc.

4

Affiliate

A marketing partner that promotes your products or services under a payment-on-results agreement.

5

Application Program Interface

How a program or application accesses another to transmit data. A client may have an API connection to load database information to an email vendor automatically and receive data back from the email. It is commonly known as API.

6

Application Service Provider

Company that provides a Web-based service. Clients don’t have to install software on their own computers; all tasks are performed on (hosted on) the ASP’s servers.

7

Auto Reply

An automated reply message set up by the user that alerts the sender.

8

A/B Split

A mailing list is divided into two equal segments, and each is tested for different offers in order to determine which is more effective.

9

B

Bandwidth

Bandwidth refers to the volume of information that can be moved over a network such as the Internet in a specific amount of time.

10

Bounce

A 'bounced' email is one returned to the sender, usually with a message, which indicates that an email sent to a particular address could not be delivered. It happens when the address is no longer valid or the recipient's ISP

11

Bounce Rate

Bounce rate is the rate at which your emails are not delivered. There are two types of bounces, hard bounce and soft bounce. An acceptable bounce rate is less than 5 percent. It is also known as ‘Return Rate’

12

Bounce – Hard

The failed delivery of an email message that is rejected and returned to the sender due to a permanent reason that cannot be resolved, such as a non existent address, an unknown recipient or a domain that doesn't exist.

13

Bounce – Soft

The failed delivery of an email message that is rejected for a temporary reason – such as full mailbox on the recipients end – or because the receiving server is unavailable due to maintenance or repair.

14

Bounce Handling

The process of dealing with the email that has bounced. Bounce handling is important for list maintenance, list integrity and delivery. Given the lack of consistency in bounce messaging formats, it's an inexact science at best.

15

Blocking

Action usually taken by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) or dedicated servers that prevents email messages from suspected spammers to reach the inbox in their intended destination.

16

Bulk Mail

Bulk Mail is large scale email sends in which the same content goes to a large group of people.

17

C

Churn

How many subscribers leave a mailing list (or how many email addresses go bad) over a certain length of time, usually expressed as a percentage of the whole list.

18

Cross Selling

Cross selling offers existing customers the opportunity to purchase products or services related to items in which they have shown interest or purchased previously. It is also know as Up Selling.

19

CTR – Click Through Rate

The number of unique clicks divided by the number that were opened by recipients that click on a given URL in your email. CTR is an indicator of response to a given email message.

20

CPD – Clicks Per Delivered

A percentage measure of the number of clicks divided by the number of emails delivered to the intended inbox. The open rate is considered a useful measurement of the response to an email marketing campaign.

21

CPO – Clicks Per Open

A percentage measure of the number of clicks divided by the number of opens.

22

CPM – Cost Per Thousand

In email marketing, CPM commonly refers to the cost per 1000 names on a given rental list.

23

CPA – Cost Per Acquisition

A payment model where payment is contingent on certain actions, such as sales or registrations.

24

Conversion Rate

Conversion rate is a measurement of a campaign's success. It is about number or percentage of people out of the total population reached with a specific campaign that actually respond to the call-to-action in a message. The conversion rate can be measured in sales, subscriptions, appointments, phone calls, etc.

25

Common Gateway Interface

Common Gateway Interface (CGI) is a specification for transferring information between the Web and a Web server, such as processing email subscription or contact forms.

26

Contextual Link

A link to a Web location that is incorporated into a line of text in a simpler way than a conventional link.

27

Copy

The text in a web page, website or campaign, as opposed to the images and graphics.

28

Co-registration

Co-registration is an arrangement in which companies collecting registration information from users (email sign-up forms, shopping checkout process, etc.) include a separate box for users to check if they would also like to be added to a specific third-party list.

29

D

Database

A database is an organized collection of information, which can be accessed and consulted in different ways. In terms of email marketing, your database is the software where you store your records, forms and lists.

There are numerous forms of databases, including MS Excel, Outlook, Outlook Express, Netscape, Oracle, and Sybase.

30

Deduping

The process of removing identical entries from two or more data sets such as mailing lists. It is also known as deduplication

31

Delivered Email

Number of emails sent minus the number of bounces and filtered messages. This is highly inexact number because not all receiving ISPs report accurately on which email didn't go through.

32

Dedicated IP

In email marketing, Dedicated IP is referred to an IP address from which only you send email.

33

E

Email Filters

Email Filtering is a technique used to block email based on the content included in the ‘sender ID’, ‘subject lines’, or in the copy of an email body. Email filtering software finds key words that identify an email as spam. In this case, the email messages are blocked on an individual basis.

34

Email Campaign

An email or series of lead nurturing emails designed to accomplish an overall marketing goal.

35

Email Harvesting

An automated process in which a robot program searches Web pages or other Internet destinations for email addresses. The program collects the address into a database, which frequently gets resold to spammers or unethical bulk mailers.

36

Email Sponsorships

Email Sponsorships is about buying ad space in an email newsletter or sponsoring a specific article or series of articles. Advertisers pay to have their ad inserted into the body of the email.

37

ESP – Email Service Providers

Email Service Providers (ESPs) are companies that provide a service that enable a user to send permission-based email campaigns to other designated users.

38

Email Service Provider Coalition

A coalition formed to fight spam and protect the delivery of legitimate email. ESPC members are active in the war against spam.

39

Email Frequency

Email frequency is the frequency in the distribution of an email message, newsletter, campaign, etc. Email frequency can be daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, etc.

40

Email Newsletter

Content distributed to subscribers by email, on a regular schedule. Content is seen as valued editorial in and of itself rather than primarily a commercial message with a sales offer.

41

F

False Positive

False positive occurs when a legitimate permission based email is erroneously filtered and/or blocked as spam.

42

Footer

Footer is area at the bottom of an email where you find information such as disclaimers, privacy policies and subscribe or unsubscribe instructions.

43

From:

The line at the top of an email message where the sender typically types senders name. It can be name of person or company.

44

H

Header

Headers include information such as the server from where the email was sent, the route it followed through the Internet, etc. The header of an email is a part of the document that is usually not visible to the recipient unless 'view headers' feature of their email software is selected.

45

Headline

The headline in an email marketing message usually speaks of the user (individual, company) sending it and entices the recipient to reads the message.

46

Honey Pot

Honey pot is a planted email address by organizations trying to combat spam that, when a spammer harvests and emails, identifies that sender as a spammer.

47

HTML Email

HTML Email is an email message composed with HTML as opposed to plain text. The HTML Email allows you to apply a wide variety of text effects, graphics, images and background colors, the result is a more appealing message that can increase response rates.

HTMI is Hypertext Markup Language – a language designed for the creation of web pages and other information viewable in a Web browser

48

I

IP Warmup

IP Warmup is about sending a progressively increasing number of emails out of an IP address in order to build the IP's reputation.

49

IMAP

Internet Message Access Protocol, a standard protocol for accessing email from a server.

50

IP Address

A unique number assigned to each device connected to the Internet. An IP address can be dynamic, meaning it changes each time an email message or campaign goes out, or it can be static, meaning it does not change. Static IP addresses are best, because dynamic IP addresses often trigger spam filters.

51

L

Landing Page

The landing page is the page where the message directs the recipient via link. The landing page is not necessarily the home page, but maybe a bookmarked page or a linked page.

52

Layout

Layout is the way the content – copy, images and graphics – is organized in an email message, with the intention that it effectively captures and retains the recipient's attention.

53

Levels of Authentication

A way of establishing a sender's identity, and ensure the sender is allowed to send from a given domain.

54

Links

Text, graphics or images that direct user to another online location when clicked.

55

List

A list of email addresses to reach with specific campaigns or email messages. It is also known as ‘Mailing List’.

56

List Segmentation

Selecting a target audience or group of individuals for whom your email message is relevant. A segmented list means a more targeted and relevant email campaign, thus a higher response rate and less unsubscribes and spam reports.

57

Blacklist

List of domains or IP addresses that have been identified as senders of SPAM or unsolicited commercial email. ISPs often use blacklists in their filtering process to determine which IP addresses will be banned from their servers, thus protecting members from unwanted email. Blacklists, however, also include legitimate email service providers that end there after a few spam complaints.

58

List Fatigue

List Fatigue is a condition producing diminishing returns from a mailing list whose members are sent too many offers, or too many of the same offers, in too short a period of time

59

House List

This is a permission based list that you build over time through your relationship with your customers and use to market, cross sell and up sell, as well as to connect with your customer base. It is also known as ‘retention list’.

60

Whitelist

The opposite of a blacklist, this is a list of commercial emailers, which include individuals, companies and ESPs who have been approved to send mail through a certain ISP. Each must provide the ISP with a list of the IP addresses from which email will be sent, and sometimes must also complete a test period after which each will be approved or rejected.

An IP address included in a whitelist is authorized to deliver email even when blocking measures are in place.

61

List Hygiene

The act of maintaining a list so that hard bounces and unsubscribed names are removed from mailings.

62

Rental List

Rental List or Acquisition List is a list of prospects or a targeted group of recipients who have opted in to receive information about certain subjects, usually targeted by something like interest, profession, or demographic information.

63

Load Time

Load time is the amount of time it takes for a web page to open completely in the browser window.

64

O

Opt-In

The action of actively agreeing, via email or other means, to receive messages from an email marketer. The opt-in formula often fans out an assortment of products, services, and areas of interest for the potential customer to choose from. The opt-in tends to render a higher response rate than the opt-out method. There are different types of opt in practices, some more complex than others.

65

Double Opt-In

Double-opt-in is a means of additional security that consists in requiring that email accounts are first opened and later verified by means of a validation message via email that only the person who has access to the account can respond to. Double opt in is regarded as the gold standard for secure email marketing.

66

Single Opt-In

Single Opt-In is the most widely used method of winning subscribers, compiling email addresses and obtaining permission -through the subscriber's proactive participation and after an acknowledgement email. A single opt in list is created by inviting visitors and customers to subscribe to your email list through a sign up tag on your Website.

67

Notified opt-in

Notified opt-in a format in which, once an email address is subscribed to the list, a message is sent offering the subscriber a chance to be removed from the list. This method subscribes the account by default, so it does not require active confirmation by the subscriber.

68

Opt-Out

The action of actively demanding, via email or other means, to be removed from an email marketing or membership list. Opt-out is also known as ‘unsubscribe’.

69

Open Rate

The percentage of emails opened in an email marketing campaign, or the percentage opened of the total number of emails sent.

70

P

Permission Based Email

Permission based email is the practice of only sending email marketing messages, or email newsletters to a list of recipients who have agreed to receive them from an individual, a website or a company.

71

Personalization

The practice of writing the email messages in a way that makes the recipient feel that it was composed specifically for recipient .

72

Plain Text Email

An email sent without HTML.

73

Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy has a clear description of a website or company’s policy on the use of information collected from and about website visitors and what they do, and do not do, with the data.

74

Phishing

Phishing is a scam in which a spammer poses as a reputable third party – such as a bank, a government agency, educational institution – that might be trusted by the recipients of an email designed to impel these recipients to disclose personal information like social security numbers, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, etc. the message also are designed to promote illegal or counterfeit products or services. It is also known as Spoofing.

75

S

Sender Policy Framework – SPF

A protocol used to eliminate email forgeries. A line of code called an SPF record is placed in a sender’s Domain Name Server information. The incoming mail server can verify a sender by reading the SPF record before allowing a message through.

76

Shared IP

A less costly option than a dedicated IP address, it is an IP address from which many people send emails.

77

Signature File

Signature File is a tagline or short block of text at the end of an email message that identifies the sender and provides additional information such as company name, physical address, and contact information.

78

SMTP

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, the most common protocol for sending email messages between email servers.

79

Spam

Spam is unwanted, unexpected email from a sender unknown to the recipient. Mostly, they are email of a commercial nature that a recipient has not subscribed to or actively requested. It is also referred as Unsolicited Commercial Email.

80

Spam Cop

Spam Cop is a paid spam service that plants their own emails and monitors who harvests the address and spams it.

81

Spam Trap

An email address that was once valid, but no longer is. If you email this address, you'll receive a hard bounce notice. When the mail server sees consistent traffic going to the dead email, however, they can turn the email into a spam trap. It will stop returning a hard bounce for the known bad address, and instead accept the message and report the sender as a spammer.

82

Sponsorships

Advertising space purchased in an email newsletter or that sponsors a specific section, article or series of articles in an email newsletter and that targets a given audience. The copy can be inserted into the body of the email as text, HTML or both.

83

Subheads

Subheads are lines of text in the copy that serve as subtitles for the content that follows.

84

Subject Line

Subject line is the field in an email message where the sender indicates the topic of the message. It is often used to motivate the recipient to open the message and read its content.

85

Suppression File

A list of email addresses you have removed from your regular mailing lists, either because they have opted out of your lists or because they have notified other mailers that they do not want to receive mailings from your company. Required by CAN-SPAM. AKA Do-Not-Email list.

86

Nth Sampling

A secondary mailing list that is produced based on every Nth address. For example, in a Tenth Testing, an email is sent to every record in the list that is a multiple of ten (10, 20, 30, 40.).

87

T

Targeting

Email targeting is delivering emails to those recipients who are most likely to be recipient of your message. The targeting can be done based on geographic, demographic, psychological and behavioural criteria.

88

Teaser

Teaser is a short text or compelling image in a message designed with the purpose of causing the reader to explore further into the message before the actual offer or promotion is revealed.

89

Test

A necessary step before sending an email campaign or newsletter. Many email clients permit you to send a test email before sending a regular email newsletter or solo mailing, in which you would send one copy of the message to an in-house email address and then review it for formatting or copy errors or improperly formatted links.

90

Throttling

The practice of regulating how many email message a broadcaster sends to one ISP or mail server at a time. Some ISPs bounce email if it receives too many messages from one sending address at a time.

91

Transactional Email

Transactional email is also known as transactive email. It is a creative format where the recipient can enter a transaction in the body of the email itself without clicking to a web page first. Transactions may be answering a survey, or purchasing something.

92

Tracking

Tracking is about Identifying, collecting and evaluating data that reveal the effectiveness of email campaign.

93

U

URL - Universal Resource Locator

URLs pinpoint the location of every file on every computer accessible through the Internet. It can be a website, web page or address to any file or document located on the Internet.

94

Unique Reference Number

Unique reference number is a unique number assigned to a list member, usually by the email-broadcast software, and used to track member behavior (clicks, subscribes, unsubscribe) or to identify the member to track email delivery.

95

Usability

Usability, in the context of email marketing, is refers to how easy a subscriber can find the message, the resources they are offered, and opt in and opt out of a list.

96

Unsubscribe

To remove oneself from an email list, either via an emailed command to the list server or by filling in a Web form.

97

V

Viral Marketing

Viral Marketing is often referred to as word of mouth advertising. With tools that motivate people to refer or recommend a product, service or specific offer to others. Email with lines such as ‘send this to a friend’, ‘forward this to a friend’, etc help in viral marketing. It can be measured by Viral forward, which determined by the number of referrals sent and by viral response which is determined by the number of recipients who actually opened a forwarded message and clicked on a link.

98

Viral Design

Viral Design is the design elements, functions and content included in a communication that render contagious message.

99

Virus

An email message that includes a video file, either inserted into the message body, accessible through a hotlink to a Web site or accompanying it in an attachment (least desirable because many ISPs block executable attachments to avoid viruses).

100

Video E-mail

A program or computer code that affects or interferes with a computer’s operating system and gets spread to other computers accidentally or on purpose through email messages, downloads, infected CDs or network messages.

101

Reference:

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Thanks!Braj Mohan Chaturvedi

chaturvedibraj@yahoo.com+91 9502421919

Disclaimer: The views represented in the presentation has nothing to do with the companies I have personal, professional, or academic interest. These are absolutely my views which is based on the years of experience in the business.