Marketing Acronyms: A No-BS Guide to Decoding Them
- James Nathan
- May 15
- 6 min read
Confused by people thinking they're impressive by using Marketing Acronyms?

A lot of people we know, hate using Marketing Jargon, it's neither impressive, or helpful in your day-to-day, and we often find that more than half of all people that use them have absolutely no idea what they actually mean.
So, here's our simple guide at decoding marketing (and a few other) acronyms - we'll add to this guide as more and more become available to us. ABS = (Always Be Selling) Usually heard quoted by coaches, 'always be selling' represents a phrase to agency owners, or sales people, basically to explain that you should never stop selling!
AOV (Average Order Value)
AOV is the average amount a customer spends each time they place an order on your site. Tracking this metric helps you spot trends, optimize pricing, and uncover ways to increase revenue from every transaction.
B2B (Business to Business)
B2B refers to companies that sell products or services directly to other businesses, rather than to individual consumers. Think software providers, wholesalers, or agencies working with corporate clients.
B2C (Business to Consumer)
B2C companies sell directly to individual customers. This covers everything from e-commerce stores and retail brands to streaming services and food delivery apps.
BOFU (Bottom Of Funnel)
BOFU describes the final stage in the marketing funnel, where leads are ready to make a purchase decision. Content and offers here are designed to convert prospects into paying customers.
CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost)
CAC is the total cost of winning a new customer, including marketing and sales expenses. Keeping this number in check is key to scaling profitably.
CEO (Chief Executive Officer)
The CEO is the top executive in a company, responsible for overall strategy, vision, and leadership. They steer the ship and set the tone for the entire organization .
CFO (Chief Financial Officer)
The CFO manages a company’s finances-from budgeting and forecasting to financial reporting and risk management. They ensure the business stays healthy and profitable.
CLTV (Customer Lifetime Value)
CLTV measures the total revenue you can expect from a customer throughout their relationship with your business. A higher CLTV means more value from each customer, guiding how much you can invest in acquiring new ones.
CMS (Content Management System)
A CMS is software that lets you create, manage, and publish digital content without needing to code. Popular examples include WordPress and Shopify.
CMO (Chief Marketing Officer)
The CMO leads all marketing efforts, from brand strategy to campaign execution. They’re responsible for driving growth, awareness, and customer engagement.
COO (Chief Operating Officer)
The COO oversees day-to-day operations, making sure the company runs smoothly and efficiently. They usually translate vision into action.
CPA (Cost Per Action)
CPA is a pricing model where you pay only when a specific action occurs-like a sale, sign-up, or download. It’s a favorite for performance-driven marketing campaigns.
CPC (Cost Per Click)
CPC is what you pay each time someone clicks on your ad. It’s a core metric for paid search and social campaigns, helping you measure and optimize ad spend.
CPL (Cost Per Lead)
CPL tracks how much you spend to generate a new lead. It’s essential for understanding the efficiency of your lead generation efforts.
CPM (Cost Per Mille/Thousand)
CPM is the cost to show your ad one thousand times. It’s commonly used in display and social advertising to measure reach and brand awareness.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
A CRM is a system for managing interactions with current and potential customers. It helps you organize data, track sales, and nurture relationships for long-term growth.
CTA (Call to Action)
A CTA is a prompt that encourages your audience to take a specific step-like “Buy Now,” “Sign Up,” or “Learn More.” Effective CTAs drive conversions and move prospects through your funnel.
CTR (Click Through Rate)
CTR measures the percentage of people who click on your ad or link out of everyone who sees it. A higher CTR means your message is resonating.
CTO (Chief Technology Officer)
The CTO leads the technology strategy, ensuring your business stays ahead with the right tools, platforms, and innovations.
DTC (Direct To Consumer)
DTC brands sell straight to customers, bypassing third-party retailers. This model gives you more control over your brand, data, and customer experience.
FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)
FOMO is a powerful psychological trigger marketers use to create urgency and encourage quick action-think limited-time offers or exclusive deals.
GA (Google Analytics)
Google Analytics is a free tool for tracking and analyzing website traffic. It gives you the insights needed to optimize your marketing and grow your business.
GA4 (Google Analytics 4)
GA4 is the latest version of Google Analytics, offering advanced tracking, cross-device measurement, and deeper insights into user behavior.
GSC (Google Search Console)
Google Search Console helps you monitor and improve your site’s performance in Google search. It’s essential for SEO, showing you how Google views your site and where you can improve.
GTM (Google Tag Manager)
Google Tag Manager lets you add and update website tags-like tracking codes and analytics-without needing to touch the codebase. It streamlines marketing operations and speeds up deployment.
KPI (Key Performance Indicator)
KPIs are measurable values that show how effectively you’re achieving your business objectives. They keep your team focused and accountable.
LTV (Lifetime Value)
LTV is another way to refer to Customer Lifetime Value-the total revenue a customer brings in over their entire relationship with your business.
MOM (Month on Month)
MOM compares performance metrics from one month to the next, helping you spot trends and measure growth over time.
MTD (Month to Date)
MTD tracks your progress from the start of the month up to today, giving you a real-time snapshot of results.
MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue)
MRR is the predictable revenue your business earns each month from subscriptions or ongoing contracts. It’s a key metric for SaaS and membership models.
MOFU (Middle Of Funnel)
MOFU is the middle stage in the marketing funnel, where leads are being nurtured and educated before they’re ready to buy.
NLP (Natural Language Processing)
NLP is a branch of AI that helps computers understand, interpret, and respond to human language. It powers chatbots, voice assistants, and smarter search.
PDP (Product Description Page)
A PDP is a web page dedicated to a specific product, giving customers all the details they need to make a purchase decision.
PESO (Paid, Earned, Shared, Owned media)
The PESO model breaks down your marketing channels into four categories: Paid (ads), Earned (PR), Shared (social), and Owned (your website, email list).
PLP (Product Landing Page)
A PLP is a landing page focused on a particular product or product category, designed to drive conversions and sales.
POEM (Paid, Owned, Earned Media)
Similar to PESO, POEM groups your marketing efforts into paid (advertising), owned (your platforms), and earned (media coverage) channels.
PPC (Pay Per Click)
PPC is a digital advertising model where you pay each time someone clicks your ad. It’s fast, measurable, and a staple in most marketing strategies.
PR (Public Relations)
PR is all about managing your brand’s reputation and building relationships with the media, influencers, and the public.
ROAS (Return On Ad Spend)
ROAS measures how much revenue you generate for every dollar spent on advertising. It’s a clear indicator of campaign profitability.
ROI (Return on Investment)
ROI shows the return you get from your marketing activities compared to what you spent. It’s the ultimate measure of success.
RSS (Rich Site Summary)
RSS feeds deliver your latest content directly to subscribers, making it easy for them to stay up-to-date with your updates.
SAAS (Software As A Service)
SaaS delivers software over the internet, usually via subscription. Users access the software through a browser, with updates and maintenance handled by the provider.
SEM (Search Engine Marketing)
SEM covers all paid marketing efforts on search engines, like Google Ads. It’s about getting your business in front of people actively searching for your products or services.
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
SEO is the art and science of increasing your website’s visibility in search engine results, driving organic (unpaid) traffic to your site.
SLA (Service Level Agreement)
An SLA is a contract that defines the level of service you’ll deliver to your clients or customers, including response times, deliverables, and performance standards.
SERP (Search Engine Results Page)
The SERP is the page you see after entering a query into a search engine. Ranking higher here means more visibility and more clicks.
SMM (Social Media Marketing)
SMM involves using social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to reach, engage, and convert your audience.
SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)
A SWOT analysis helps you evaluate your business’s internal strengths and weaknesses, alongside external opportunities and threats. It’s a must-have for strategic planning.
TOFU (Top Of Funnel)
TOFU is the first stage of the marketing funnel, focused on building awareness and attracting new leads.
UGC (User Generated Content)
UGC is content created by your customers or fans, like reviews, photos, or social posts. It builds trust and amplifies your brand message.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
A URL is the web address that points to a specific page on the internet. Clear, descriptive URLs help users and search engines understand your site structure.
USP (Unique Selling Proposition)
Your USP is what sets you apart from the competition-the unique value or benefit you offer that no one else does. This approach keeps things simple, actionable, and focused on helping your audience understand and apply each term to grow their business.
Looking to cut through the marketing jargon and actually understand what those acronyms mean?
Our no-nonsense guide to marketing acronyms is your resource for decoding essential marketing terms.
Whether you’re a founder, marketer, or entrepreneur, mastering this lingo-like SEO, PPC, ROAS, and CRM-will help you make smarter decisions, communicate clearly, and measure what matters.
Bookmark this page and refer back whenever you need a quick, transparent explanation-no fluff.