A
Above the Fold
This is the first screen a web visitor might see on a laptop, desktop, or tablet.
On a website, it’s the top section that can be seen without scrolling.
The term is derived from the concept of a newspaper, and describes the information visible on the top half of the front page, above the fold.
Acknowledgement Email
When a visitor to the website provides their email address, an email is immediately sent to acknowledge that action.
Acquisition
1. New names and addresses/email addresses for a mailing list, acquired through a sales promotion.
2. A new customer.
Acquisition Cost
A company’s cost of acquiring a new customer.
Acquisition Program
A marketing campaign aimed at generating new business from customers who have never done business with the company before.
Action Devices
Copy that appears throughout a promotion to entice readers to take action, such as clicking a link, calling a toll-free number, or completing a form.
Actives
Customers who have purchased from a company within a specific timeframe.
Add to Cart Button
A call-to-action prompt that allows your website visitor to place an item in their virtual shopping cart.
Advertising Medium
The format in which an ad reaches a potential new customer.
Examples: Google Search results page, email, television, radio
Assignment
A copywriting project assigned by a client to a writer.
Autoresponders
A series of follow-up emails that are sent to your newsletter subscribers.
Awareness
The level of knowledge someone has about your product’s existence.
B
B2B
Business-to-Business
Usually referenced when a business’s products or services target another business.
B2C
Business-to-Consumer
Usually referenced when a business’s products or services target consumers.
Banner Ad
A rectangular/square graphic on a web page that promotes a product or service.
Behind the Firewall
Members-only content that requires a login to be viewed.
Beliefs
The thoughts that influence a future customer’s buying decisions.
Below the Fold
The area that is not visible on a web page without having to scroll down.
Benefits
Advantages that a product or service brings to your buyer.
Blog
A web log.
An online chronicle, journal, or collection of news and tips that are constantly updated. There are usually links to other websites, and visitors may be able to leave comments.
Body Text
The main portion or middle part of your copy. It is the web page copy after your headline and introduction that carries the reader toward the call-to-action.
Bonding
Enhancing the relationship between a company and a prospect by building trust and rapport.
Bounce Rate
Website: The percentage of website visitors who quickly leave your web page.
Email: The percentage of emails that are returned to the sender by spam filters and never made it to your intended audience.
Brand
An organization’s or company’s identity is the sum of the feelings, thoughts, ideas, and experiences that represent them to prospective customers.
Budget
The amount of money an advertiser allocates towards their advertising campaign.
Burst
A graphic image used to draw your prospect’s attention to a special offer.
Buying Behavior
Purchasing habits companies track in order to determine what other products or services might appeal to a customer.
C
Call-Out
A pull quote.
A short section of body text designed to stand apart from the main body copy in order to draw attention to a specific point or topic.
Call-to-Action
CTA.
A prompt used to trigger or encourage a prospect to take action. CTAs are usually expressed as buttons in order to visually stand out from the body text.
Case Study
A success story.
An example of how a company or organization solved a challenge with their product or service.
Claim
Benefits offered by a company, usually supported by proof in order to make them seem credible and valid.
Client
The person or business that hires you for copywriting projects.
Click-Through Rate
CTR.
Website: The percentage of prospects who click through an online sales page to the order page.
Email: The percentage of prospects who opened an email and clicked through its links to an online sales page.
Closing Copy
The copy used at the end of a campaign that drives the prospect towards making their buying decision.
Content Management System
CMS
A system used for developing and displaying website content.
Example: WordPress.
Copy
Sales Copy/Copywriting
Persuasive text used by marketers to entice prospects to engage in an action.
D
Deliverable
What the copywriter is required to send to the client.
Example: an ad, or an email.
Demographic
Characteristics that describe segments within the human population.
Example: age, income, sex, country, education.
Drip Campaign
An email campaign designed to slowly release content over time in several steps.
E
Edge
Any kind of competitive advantage one marketer or company has over another.
Editor
A person who writes or oversees a newspaper, newsletter, or magazine.
Someone who manages or coordinates the copy for a publication.
Email List
Names and email addresses of people who have shown an interest in a company or service by signing up for a newsletter.
Eyebrow
A short introductory headline that appears above the main headline.
F
Format
The shape, size, and general makeup of a printed promotion.
Funnel
An advantage presented in terms of what the prospect will gain from it.
If you were the prospect you’d want to know, “What’s in this for me?”
F shape
The portion of the web page that most English readers immediately scan upon arrival onto your web page.
G
Gauntlet
A series of qualifying steps a marketing idea must pass before it gets approval to run.
Guarantee
Any promise made to refund a customer’s money in the event they are unsatisfied with a purchase.
H
Hard Offer
An offer where money is required upfront.
Header
Text and/or images and logos that appear at the top of every page on a website.
Headline
The initial copy read by a prospect meant to lure them into reading your promotion.
I
Inbound Link
A link from another web page which connects to one of your web pages. Usually a link from a search engine.
Intro Text
The Lead.
The few short paragraphs on a web page that immediately follow the headline.
J
Johnson Box
A “box” of copy that’s set apart at the top of an email or sales letter.
Joint Venture
Business partnerships that allow entrepreneurs and companies to access each other’s products and services.
K
Keywords
Words and phrases that are strategically placed into the copy of a web page to attract search engine queries people happen to be searching for.
Keyword Density
A measure of how often a keyword is used on a specific web page.
L
Landing Page
A web page with a particular audience in mind that is designed to sell a specific product or service.
Lead Generation
Lead-Gen
The act of collecting a list of prospective clients who are likely to one day purchase your product or service.
Lifetime Value
The total revenue a customer will generate for a company over the “lifetime” of their relationship.
M
Market
The group of prospects you specifically target for your product or service.
Meta Description
Meta Tag
Text placed in the HTML code of each web page to convey a short description of the page’s subject matter.
Micro Conversions
The initial, smaller conversion steps that eventually lead to the main conversion step you want your prospect to take.
N
Newsletter
Publications produced by companies to develop relationships with their clients. Usually via email.
Niche Market
A subset of a larger market.
A specialized area of interest.
O
Open Rate
Emails opened by target prospects after reading the subject line.
Opt-In
When a prospect chooses to be put on an email list and receive communications.
Outbound Link
An outgoing link from your website that leads to another site.
P
Prospect
A potential buyer for a product or service who has yet to make a purchase.
Purge
The act of removing unwanted names or duplicate names from a list.
Personalization
When a prospect’s name or other personal information is used in the copy of a promotion.
Q
Qualified Leads
Names or other information of prospects who have previously shown an interest in a product or service by responding to a marketing campaign.
Query
A search on Google or other search engines.
R
Readability
A way of describing whether your copy flows smoothly or stays interesting.
Relationship
The connection a company has with its prospects.
Return on Investment
ROI
A measurement of the financial success of a promotion.
Compares the investment vs the profit.
S
Sales Pitch
A phrase that refers to the sales argument made throughout a promotion, but which usually appears at the end when the prospect is asked directly for their business.
Search Engine Optimization
SEO
A technique used to increase traffic to a website or web page by strategically weaving keywords into content and building links to it.
Search Engine Results Page
SERP
This is the page that shows the results of any search on Google or other search engines.
Soft Offer
Any offer where money is not required at the time of ordering.
T
Tagline
A branding phrase that delivers the essence of a product or service.
Target Market
A group of prospects or customers within a market sought by an advertiser.
U
Ultimate Outcome
Used to describe the optimum result your prospect desires.
Unique Selling Proposition
USP
Differentiating your product or service from all of your competitors and explaining why it’s superior.
Upsell
The act of persuading your prospect to purchase something else in addition to the original purchase.
V
Value
Making prospects feel like the benefits of a purchase far exceed the cost.
Video Sales Letter
A sales letter presented in a video format.
W
Warm
Refers to how ready a prospect is to purchase your product or service.
WIIFM
What’s in it for me?
This copywriting adage emphasizes the importance of focusing on a reader’s needs rather than on the product or service being sold.