SUBSCRIBE TO THIS FEEDEmail Marketing Glossary and Terms
Above-the-fold The top part of an email or web page that can be seen without scrolling. This is generally more desirable placement because of its visibility.
API Application Programming Interface that allows an outside system to have a well defined protocol by which they can access another system's functionality.
Append The practice in which a marketer leverages offline data to match profiles with users and contact via e-mail.
Auditor Third party to verify subscriber membership.
Blacklist List of IP addresses that are being used by or belong to organizations or individuals that have been identified as sending Spam. Blacklists are often used by organizations and Internet Service Providers as part of their filtering process to block all incoming mail form a particular IP address (or block of addresses).
CAN SPAM A law, which became effective January 1, 2004, that establishes requirements for those who send email with primary purpose of advertising or promoting a commercial product or service.
Click-through When a reader takes action and clicks on a link.
Click Through Rate The number of times all links in an email were clicked compared to the total list size, represented as a percentage. To determine the click-through rate, divide the number of responses (clicks) by the number of emails sent (multiply this number by 100 to express the result as a percentage).
Click To Open Rate The number of times all links in an email were clicked compared to the number of people who opened the email, represented as a percentage. To determine the click-to-open-rate, divide the number of responses (clicks) by the number of emails opened (multiply this number by 100 to express the result as a percentage).
Conversion Rate The number of recipients that completed a desired action as a result of an email message compared to the total list size, represented as a percentage. To determine the conversion rate, divide the number of recipients who completed the desired action by the number of emails sent (multiply this number by 100 to express the result as a percentage).
Creative (Email Marketing) Terminology used for copy and content of an email. Email creative can be in many different formats including HTML, text, images, etc.
Demographics Data about the size and characteristics of an audience.
Domain Keys Email authentication system designed to verify the DNS domain of an email sender and the message integrity.
Double Opt-in Email Marketing The process of collecting permission to email users whereby a submitted email address is not immediately added to a mailing list. Instead, an email is sent to the submitted address asking the user to take additional action to confirm that they do want to receive email communications from the marketer. If the user does nothing, the submitted address is not sent email communications. The user will only be sent email communications if they respond to the confirmation email.
Email Authentication Practice of validating that an email sender is legitimate to cut down on spam and phishing scams.
Email Frequency The intervals at which email marketing efforts are repeated: weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, etc.
Email List Manager Controller of email list or database entity.
Email Marketing Campaign Coordinated email marketing messages delivered at intervals with a specific objective or goal.
Email Newsletter An email message sent out to a group of subscribers with relevant information on a topic. Often used to capture Web site visitor's email addresses, they can also be used to keep in touch with existing customers, or simply as a means of distributing new product information.
From Name The name by which the sender of an email is known.
From address The email address from which an email is sent.
Geo Targeting The ability to target users by geography such as city, state, country and postal code.
Hard Bounce An email address that is rejected by the receiving server for a permanent reason (example: "email address does not exist"). Hard bounces are not valid email addresses and should be removed from lists.
List Segmentation Breaking a list into smaller pieces for the purpose of targeting recipients with specific characteristics or demographics.
Multi-part Email An email that is sent with different versions - usually html, text and AOL. The recipient's email client settings determine which version is delivered to that inbox.
Opt-in Code Code posted on the webpage of a company's website that allows a subscriber to signup for email from the company and be automatically added to that company's email list.
Opt-in Email Marketing The process of collecting permission to email users whereby the user must take action to receive email communications from the marketer.
Opt-out Email Marketing The process of collecting permission to email users whereby the user must take action in order to not receive email communications from the marketer.
Personalization Inserting a token into your email message that allows you to draw personal information from the recipients account, i.e. first name, title, customer number, etc.
Psychographics Identification of personality characteristics and attitudes that affect a person's lifestyle and purchasing behaviors. Psychographic data points include opinions, attitudes, and beliefs about various aspects relating to lifestyle and purchasing behavior.
Reply-to address The email address to which a recipient can reply to from your email message. This address must be a working email address and must be live for at least 30 days after your email is sent.
Sender Score Certified Email certification process that requires originators of legitimate email adhere to a baseline set of industry standards for email communication.
Sender ID Email authentication technology protocol that verifies the domain name from which email is sent.
Soft Bounce An email address that is rejected by the receiving server for a reason that is most likely temporary in nature (example: "mailbox is full"). Soft bounces are vaild email addresses and should be mailed to unless they become a hard bounce.
SPAM Unsolicited commercial email.
Spam Filter Software used to redirect unsolicited email away from a user's inbox.
Spam Score A number that represents the likelihood an email message will be seen as spam by an ISP, determined by assigning numeric values to possibly troublesome aspects of the email message.
Spam Trap An email address that has been specifically created to detect individuals who have illegally scraped or collected email addresses. The belief is that any email sent to a spam trap address is indeed Spam, as the email address is not usually used as a real email address.
Subject Line The title of an email message. It should be both enticing and credible to encourage the user to open the email. Per CAN-SPAM, the subject line must accurately reflect the email's content and must not be misleading.
Total Clicks The total number of times a link was clicked, includes recipients who may have clicked multiple times.
Total Opens The total number of times an email was opened, includes recipients who may have opened the email multiple times.
Unique Clicks The number of different individuals who click on a link in an email.
Unique Opens The number of different individuals who open an email.
Unsubscribe rate The number of people who unsubscribed from one mailing compared to the total mailing size, represented as a percentage. To determine the unsubscribe rate, divide the number of unsubscribes by the number of emails sent (multiply this number by 100 to express the result as a percentage).
API Application Programming Interface that allows an outside system to have a well defined protocol by which they can access another system's functionality.
Append The practice in which a marketer leverages offline data to match profiles with users and contact via e-mail.
Auditor Third party to verify subscriber membership.
Blacklist List of IP addresses that are being used by or belong to organizations or individuals that have been identified as sending Spam. Blacklists are often used by organizations and Internet Service Providers as part of their filtering process to block all incoming mail form a particular IP address (or block of addresses).
CAN SPAM A law, which became effective January 1, 2004, that establishes requirements for those who send email with primary purpose of advertising or promoting a commercial product or service.
Click-through When a reader takes action and clicks on a link.
Click Through Rate The number of times all links in an email were clicked compared to the total list size, represented as a percentage. To determine the click-through rate, divide the number of responses (clicks) by the number of emails sent (multiply this number by 100 to express the result as a percentage).
Click To Open Rate The number of times all links in an email were clicked compared to the number of people who opened the email, represented as a percentage. To determine the click-to-open-rate, divide the number of responses (clicks) by the number of emails opened (multiply this number by 100 to express the result as a percentage).
Conversion Rate The number of recipients that completed a desired action as a result of an email message compared to the total list size, represented as a percentage. To determine the conversion rate, divide the number of recipients who completed the desired action by the number of emails sent (multiply this number by 100 to express the result as a percentage).
Creative (Email Marketing) Terminology used for copy and content of an email. Email creative can be in many different formats including HTML, text, images, etc.
Demographics Data about the size and characteristics of an audience.
Domain Keys Email authentication system designed to verify the DNS domain of an email sender and the message integrity.
Double Opt-in Email Marketing The process of collecting permission to email users whereby a submitted email address is not immediately added to a mailing list. Instead, an email is sent to the submitted address asking the user to take additional action to confirm that they do want to receive email communications from the marketer. If the user does nothing, the submitted address is not sent email communications. The user will only be sent email communications if they respond to the confirmation email.
Email Authentication Practice of validating that an email sender is legitimate to cut down on spam and phishing scams.
Email Frequency The intervals at which email marketing efforts are repeated: weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, etc.
Email List Manager Controller of email list or database entity.
Email Marketing Campaign Coordinated email marketing messages delivered at intervals with a specific objective or goal.
Email Newsletter An email message sent out to a group of subscribers with relevant information on a topic. Often used to capture Web site visitor's email addresses, they can also be used to keep in touch with existing customers, or simply as a means of distributing new product information.
From Name The name by which the sender of an email is known.
From address The email address from which an email is sent.
Geo Targeting The ability to target users by geography such as city, state, country and postal code.
Hard Bounce An email address that is rejected by the receiving server for a permanent reason (example: "email address does not exist"). Hard bounces are not valid email addresses and should be removed from lists.
List Segmentation Breaking a list into smaller pieces for the purpose of targeting recipients with specific characteristics or demographics.
Multi-part Email An email that is sent with different versions - usually html, text and AOL. The recipient's email client settings determine which version is delivered to that inbox.
Opt-in Code Code posted on the webpage of a company's website that allows a subscriber to signup for email from the company and be automatically added to that company's email list.
Opt-in Email Marketing The process of collecting permission to email users whereby the user must take action to receive email communications from the marketer.
Opt-out Email Marketing The process of collecting permission to email users whereby the user must take action in order to not receive email communications from the marketer.
Personalization Inserting a token into your email message that allows you to draw personal information from the recipients account, i.e. first name, title, customer number, etc.
Psychographics Identification of personality characteristics and attitudes that affect a person's lifestyle and purchasing behaviors. Psychographic data points include opinions, attitudes, and beliefs about various aspects relating to lifestyle and purchasing behavior.
Reply-to address The email address to which a recipient can reply to from your email message. This address must be a working email address and must be live for at least 30 days after your email is sent.
Sender Score Certified Email certification process that requires originators of legitimate email adhere to a baseline set of industry standards for email communication.
Sender ID Email authentication technology protocol that verifies the domain name from which email is sent.
Soft Bounce An email address that is rejected by the receiving server for a reason that is most likely temporary in nature (example: "mailbox is full"). Soft bounces are vaild email addresses and should be mailed to unless they become a hard bounce.
SPAM Unsolicited commercial email.
Spam Filter Software used to redirect unsolicited email away from a user's inbox.
Spam Score A number that represents the likelihood an email message will be seen as spam by an ISP, determined by assigning numeric values to possibly troublesome aspects of the email message.
Spam Trap An email address that has been specifically created to detect individuals who have illegally scraped or collected email addresses. The belief is that any email sent to a spam trap address is indeed Spam, as the email address is not usually used as a real email address.
Subject Line The title of an email message. It should be both enticing and credible to encourage the user to open the email. Per CAN-SPAM, the subject line must accurately reflect the email's content and must not be misleading.
Total Clicks The total number of times a link was clicked, includes recipients who may have clicked multiple times.
Total Opens The total number of times an email was opened, includes recipients who may have opened the email multiple times.
Unique Clicks The number of different individuals who click on a link in an email.
Unique Opens The number of different individuals who open an email.
Unsubscribe rate The number of people who unsubscribed from one mailing compared to the total mailing size, represented as a percentage. To determine the unsubscribe rate, divide the number of unsubscribes by the number of emails sent (multiply this number by 100 to express the result as a percentage).