Digital marketing needs its own dictionary. 

Today, we’re creating one. 

In the digital marketing glossary below, we compiled (and alphabetized) a number of essential terms you need to know—with one important twist. 

Rather than dumping the definitions at random, we grouped them into five categories: 

• Marketing Strategy
• Brand
• Performance Marketing
• Brand Marketing
• Experience Design

Together, these five tenets comprise the proven framework we use at CSTMR to help fintechs and financial services leaders attract, convert, and retain their target audience.   

Whether you need to look up a quick definition, or want to explore our holistic approach to digital marketing, this glossary was built for you. 

Final note: this glossary isn’t exhaustive—and that’s intentional. It’s meant to grow as digital marketing evolves, with new terms and insights added regularly.

Foundational Terms 

Before exploring CSTMR’s core service areas, let’s start with the fundamentals—the key terms that form the linguistic bedrock of our digital marketing glossary. 

Many of these terms will be familiar to you. Others might seem repetitive or even interchangeable. Such overlap is normal. 

Indeed, core concepts like funnels, conversion rates, attribution, and lead stages are the building blocks that shape effective strategies (and measure success) across channels. 

Whether you’re new to digital marketing or refreshing your understanding, these terms provide a basic starting point for the more nuanced conversations that will follow:

A/B Testing: The process of comparing two versions of a marketing asset to determine which performs better. By testing small changes, marketers optimize elements (like design or messaging) to improve results.

Attribution: The process of identifying which marketing touchpoints or channels contributed to a desired outcome, such as a sale or sign-up. Attribution helps marketers understand the effectiveness of their efforts.

Content Marketing: The creation and publication of valuable content–such as blog articles, videos, or infographics–to attract and engage an audience. Content marketing builds trust and positions a brand as an authority in its field.

Conversion Rate: The percentage of users who complete a specific action, such as making a purchase, filling out a form, or signing up for a newsletter. Conversion rates are a key metric for evaluating a campaign’s success.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management): An online platform used to organize and manage customer information, interactions, and sales processes. A CRM helps businesses build stronger relationships by tracking and analyzing customer data.

CTA (Call to Action): A prompt that encourages users to take a specific step, such as “Sign Up Today” or “Request a Demo.” Effective CTAs are clear and guide users toward the next stage of their journey.

CTR (Click-Through Rate): The percentage of users who click on a link or ad out of the total audience who sees it. The CTR measures how effectively content or ads drive user behavior.

Customer Journey: A user’s complete experience with a brand, from their first interaction to post-purchase engagement. Understanding this journey helps tailor strategies to client needs.

Email Marketing: The process of sending targeted email campaigns to nurture leads, engage customers, or promote products. Email marketing is a direct and effective way to build relationships and drive conversions.

Engagement Rate: A figure that measures the level of interaction a piece of content receives relative to the size of its audience. By tallying the total likes, comments, clicks, and shares, the engagement rate reveals how well content connects with viewers.

Funnel: A representation of the customer journey from first learning about a brand to becoming a customer. This typically includes awareness, consideration, decision, and retention phases.

While “top of funnel” refers to the initial stage where a customer is first introduced to a brand or product, “end of funnel” focuses on customers who are on the verge of making a purchase.

KPI (Key Performance Indicator): A KPI is a general metric used to evaluate the success of marketing objectives. Examples include conversion rates, website traffic, or revenue generated from a campaign.

Lead: A lead is any individual or business entity that has expressed interest in a product or service, often by sharing their contact information or engaging directly with a brand’s content.

Lifecycle Stage: The place a customer stands in their relationship with a brand, such as subscriber, lead, or loyal customer. Identifying these stages helps tailor communications to customer needs.

MQL/SQL (Marketing Qualified Lead / Sales Qualified Lead): An MQL is a prospect who has shown interest and engagement, making them a potential fit for further marketing efforts.

An SQL is a lead vetted by the sales team as ready for direct outreach, indicating a higher likelihood of purchase.

SEM/PPC (Search Engine Marketing/Pay-Per-Click): Paying for ads on search engines to drive traffic. Because ads appear based on keywords, they offer a quick way to reach targeted audiences.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization): The practice of optimizing a website or content to rank higher in search engine results. SEO drives organic (i.e. non-paid) traffic by improving visibility.

Social Media Marketing: Social media marketing involves using platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, or X (formerly Twitter) to promote a brand, engage audiences, and drive traffic. As the name implies, this strategy leverages social channels to build community and awareness.

Touchpoint: Any interaction between a prospect and a brand, such as an ad, email, social media post, or website visit. Mapping touchpoints helps understand how customers engage with a brand.

Marketing Strategy

A powerful marketing strategy is the spark that ignites success. 

It’s the master plan that bridges business goals with deep audience insights, dynamic market trends, and consistent execution. 

At CSTMR, we craft strategies tailored to the fintech and financial services landscape, weaving in expertise on regulatory nuances, customer acquisition challenges, and the roadmap to scalable growth. 

This section unveils the strategic language we use to sharpen your positioning and fuel your success:

Audits and Analysis: Here, we undertake an end-to-end evaluation of your marketing performance — identifying strengths, weaknesses, and strategic opportunities to enhance effectiveness.

Buyer Persona: This is a detailed, fictional representation of your ideal customer. To inform precise targeting, the buyer persona encapsulates their defining motivations, challenges, and behaviors.

Channel Strategy: A calculated approach to selecting and optimizing the best marketing channels for your business. This helps ensure your message reaches the intended audience with maximum impact.

Competitive Audit: A comprehensive analysis of your competitors’ positioning, messaging, and marketing strategies. This audit uncovers opportunities to differentiate and refine your competitive advantage.

Customer Acquisition Strategy: A structured plan designed to attract and convert new customers (while aligning with your overall business objectives).

Customer Journey Mapping: A visual representation of your audience’s interactions with your brand, naming each touchpoint to further optimize engagement and user experience.

Differentiator: The core attribute that distinguishes your products, services, and overall brand from direct competitors.

Digital Marketing Strategy: A high-level plan that leverages specific digital channels to achieve your business goals.

Forecasting: A data-driven process to predict future marketing performance.

Go-to-Market Strategy: A cohesive plan to launch (or scale) a product or service for successful market entry.

Growth Marketing: An experimentation-driven approach to marketing, which prioritizes achieving scalable growth through iterative testing.

ICP (Ideal Customer Profile): A detailed outline of your ideal customer’s core characteristics. This information lays the foundation for targeted, high-impact campaigns.

Media Planning: A strategic process for selecting (and scheduling) media channels to deliver your message to a specific audience.

Messaging Framework: A structured hierarchy of key brand and product messages.

Multichannel Marketing: A coordinated strategy to seamlessly engage customers across multiple platforms, including email, ads, and social media.

Positioning: The process of differentiating your brand in a competitive market.

Segmentation: The practice of dividing your audience into smaller, targeted groups. This enables for the creation of tailored messaging to drive engagement.

Value Proposition: A thesis statement articulating why your product or service is the best choice for your ideal customer.

Brand

A brand is much more than a logo—it’s how people feel when they see your name.

For financial and fintech companies, building a trustworthy and differentiated brand is your competitive edge. At CSTMR, we excel in identifying what makes your business unique—and building strategies that ensure your ideal customers see it, too.  

This section defines how we think about brand structure, messaging, tone, and identity. As you will see, these terms shape everything from your voice to your visual footprint:

Brand Architecture: The structure that orders the relationships between a parent brand and its subsidiary brands, products, and services.

Brand Equity: The value a brand holds based on consumer perceptions and experiences.

Brand Experience: The cumulative emotional impact of a customer’s interactions with your brand (across all touchpoints). 

Brand Guidelines: The essential rules governing a brand’s visual and verbal expression, including logo, colors, typography, and tone. 

Brand Identity: The holistic representation of a brand. This includes all visual elements, verbal communication, and core attributes like your mission statement and values.

Brand Personality: The anthropomorphic characteristics of a brand. For example, this can include traits like approachability, inspiration, and innovation—whatever enhances relatability and humanizes the rough edges of a business.

Brand Strategy Framework: The process of defining a brand’s unique value proposition, vision, and messaging.

Messaging Hierarchy: The distillation of a brand’s value into essential talking points. By prioritizing what (and how) your brand communicates, you ensure messaging consistency and clarity across all platforms. 

Rebranding: The process of transforming a brand’s identity or perception to align with new goals, market trends, and audience expectations.

Tagline: A short, memorable phrase that captures your brand’s essence. 

Tone of Voice: The specific style and mood of brand communications, tailored to context while aligning with your broader brand voice.

Visual Identity: The collection of visual elements (logo, colors, typography, imagery) that define your brand’s aesthetic.

Performance Marketing

Performance marketing is all about measurable results. 

Whether it’s paid search, retargeting, or conversion rate optimization (CRO), this section defines the terms tied to optimizing (and scaling) campaigns with precision. 

At CSTMR, we bring financial rigor to every click—balancing ROI, targeting, and creative strategy to drive growth without waste.

These are the terms and tactics we use to consistently deliver undeniable results: 

Ad Creative: The visual design and content crafted for a particular advertisement.

Attribution Model: A framework for assigning credit to marketing channels for conversions, such as last-click, first-click, or multi-touch models.

Click-Through Rate (CTR): The percentage of users who click an ad divided by the total number of impressions. CTR measures ad effectiveness.

Conversion Rate: The percentage of users who complete a desired action out of the total number of visitors. The conversion rate measures campaign success.

CPA (Cost Per Acquisition): The average cost to acquire a customer or lead.

CPC (Cost Per Click): The amount an advertiser pays each time a user clicks on their ad.

CPM (Cost Per Mille): The amount an advertiser pays per one-thousand impressions of an ad.

CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization): Strategies to improve the performance of webpages or funnels, thereby increasing the percentage of visitors who convert.

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): The estimated total revenue a single customer will generate over their long-term relationship with a business.

Display Advertising: Visual banner or video ads shown on websites, apps, or social platforms, often used for brand awareness or retargeting.

Geo-targeting: Delivering ads to users based on their location to increase relevance and engagement.

Impression Share: The percentage of total available ad impressions your ad receives. This reflects your brand’s visibility compared to competitors.

Landing Page: A standalone webpage designed to drive specific user actions, such as sign-ups or purchases (i.e., conversions). Landing pages are often linked from ads.

Lead Gen Form: A web form designed to capture prospect information (e.g., name, email) for follow-up marketing or sales efforts.

Remarketing: Serving targeted ads to users who have previously interacted with your brand.

Retargeting: Delivering ads to users who have visited your website or app. Retargeting aims to bring prospects back to complete actions they previously started.

ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): A metric measuring revenue generated per dollar spent on advertising, assessing campaign profitability.

SEM (Search Engine Marketing): Paid advertising on search engines (i.e. Google Ads) to drive traffic through targeted keywords.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization): A long-term strategy to improve a website’s visibility in organic (i.e., non-paid) search engine results through content and keywords. This includes technical SEO as well. 

AEO (Answer Engine Marketing): The practice of structuring and formatting content to help search engines extract and display clear, concise answers. AEO emphasizes schema markup, strong headline hierarchy, direct question/answer formatting, and internal linking to signal context and intent.

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): The process of optimizing content so AI systems (e.g., ChatGPT) accurately reflect your brand, products, and perspectives in AI-generated answers. GEO relies on precise facts, clear entity definitions (e.g., brand, product, people), consistent language, and a strong content footprint across trusted sources.

Note: AEO and GEO are both extensions of traditional SEO and fall under the performance marketing umbrella. They aim to ensure your content is selected, cited, and trusted—whether by a search algorithm or an AI model.

Brand Marketing 

Where performance marketing focuses on the now, brand marketing builds value over time. 

At CSTMR, we use brand marketing to build long-term trust in tandem with short-term growth.

In this section, we introduce the language of awareness, storytelling, and relationship-building. 

These are the essential terms that define how you stay top-of-mind with prospects who aren’t yet ready to buy:

Brand Journalism: Creating story-driven content that highlights a brand’s mission, values, or work. Brand journalism focuses on engaging audiences through compelling narratives rather than direct promotion.

Campaign: A structured marketing initiative designed to achieve a specific goal, such as increasing brand awareness or driving sales. Campaigns are time-bound and integrate multiple channels, like social media and email, to deliver a cohesive message.

Content Marketing: A strategy of creating and sharing valuable content to attract and retain a target audience. It aims to build trust, provide knowledge, and drive action without overtly selling.

Drip Campaign: A series of automated emails sent over a longer time horizon to nurture leads or maintain customer engagement. Each email is strategically timed and tailored to guide recipients toward a specific action, like signing up for a service or making a purchase.

Earned Media: Free exposure gained through organic mentions, shares, press coverage, or user-generated content. It reflects authentic brand credibility, as it’s driven exclusively by third parties.

Editorial Calendar: A planning tool that organizes content creation and publishing schedules. To ensure consistency, it outlines what content will be published, when, and on which platforms.

Email Marketing: The process of sending targeted emails to inform, nurture, or convert subscribers. It’s a direct communication channel for delivering personalized messages, such as promotions or updates, to drive engagement or sales.

Engagement Metrics: Data points that measure how users interact with content, such as likes, shares, comments, click-through rates, or time spent on a page. These metrics help gauge content effectiveness and audience interest.

Influencer Marketing: Collaborating with notable individuals to promote a brand, product, or service.

Newsletter: A recurring email that shares company news, curated content, and updates with subscribers. It keeps audiences engaged and informed, often combining promotional and informational elements, like a monthly roundup of blog posts or product announcements.

Organic Reach: The number of people who see your content without paid promotion. Organic reach typically includes views won through search engines, social media shares, or direct site visits.

Owned Media: Content and channels fully controlled by a brand, such as its website, blog, or email client list. Owned media enables complete creative and strategic control, serving as a foundation for consistent brand messaging.

PR (Public Relations): The management of a brand’s public image through media relationships and strategic communication. It involves securing positive coverage, handling crises, or shaping perceptions through press releases, events, or media outreach.

Social Media Marketing: Using social platforms to share content, engage audiences, and build brand presence. It involves creating platform-specific posts, responding to comments, and fostering community interaction that drives engagement and conversions.

Thought Leadership: Producing content that establishes a brand and its team as industry experts. This involves sharing innovative ideas, insights, and proprietary research to build credibility and trust.

Video Marketing: Using video content to educate, entertain, or promote a brand. It can include tutorials, testimonials, or storytelling videos distributed across platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram to capture attention.

Experience Design 

Your customer’s digital experience is a hallmark of your brand. 

At CSTMR, experience design is a multi-faceted tenet that combines UX, UI, accessibility, and performance to remove friction and improve outcomes—especially on sites where conversions matter most. 

In this section, we define how we build the interfaces, flows, and touchpoints that shape user behavior:

Accessibility: Our commitment to ensuring digital content is usable by everyone, including those with disabilities and diverse needs (such as color blindness or motor impairments). 

Back-End Development: Granular server-side programming that powers website and mobile app functionality. Despite its multi-tiered complexity, back-end development enables seamless front-end interactions for users.

Conversion Path: A structured sequence of steps designed to guide users toward a specific action, such as purchasing, signing up, or using a clear call-to-action (CTA).

Design System: A centralized library of design components, patterns, and usage rules. This glossary ensures visual and functional consistency across a product, while helping streamline collaboration between designers and developers.

Front-End Development: Coding that renders user-facing elements of a website or app. Technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript create responsive, accessible, and appealing interfaces that work across all browsers and devices.

Heatmaps: Visual analytics tools that use color gradients to show exactly where users click, scroll, or hover on a website or app.  

Information Architecture (IA): The practice of organizing and structuring content to enable intuitive navigation. 

Interaction Design (IxD): Crafting the design of interactive behaviors and digital elements — like buttons or animations — to ensure an engaging user interaction.

Microcopy: Concise bits of text to enhance interface usability. Microcopy includes button labels, error messages, and persuasive tooltips to reduce user confusion.

Mobile Optimization: Designing digital products to perform seamlessly on smartphones and mobile devices. Essential tools include touch-friendly interfaces, fast load times, and adaptive layouts for smaller screens.

Prototype: An interactive model of a product, ranging from low-fidelity sketches to high-fidelity coded simulations. Prototypes are used to test design concepts, gather feedback, and refine usability before full development begins.

Responsive Design: A design approach that adapts interfaces across various screen sizes and devices.

UI (User Interface): The visual and interactive components of a digital product, like buttons, menus, and layouts. At CSTMR, the UI is always designed for aesthetic appeal, clarity, and intuitive interaction for users.

Usability Testing: A method to evaluate how easily users can navigate a website or product. By observing real users performing tasks, these tests collect feedback and identify pain points to improve functionality.

User Journey: The complete sequence of a user’s interactions with a brand, from awareness to post-interaction. The user journey is mapped to align touchpoints, emotions, and goals for a single cohesive experience.

UX (User Experience): The overall satisfaction and ease users feel when interacting with a product or website. Determining factors are shaped by usability, accessibility, performance, and emotional impact.

Wireframe: A low-fidelity visual outline of a digital page or interface in development. Wireframes depict structure, layout, and key elements to plan site functionality before production.

The Definitive Approach to Digital Marketing 

As you can see, our glossary reveals the daunting breadth of topics, tools, and strategies at play in modern digital marketing. 

Understanding these ideas is one thing; unifying them into a cohesive framework is another. 

Without action, words are meaningless. 

At CSTMR, we follow our five-point plan with each and every one of our clients:

• With Marketing Strategy, we develop the blueprint for scalable growth. 
• With Brand, we find your competitive edge and differentiate your identity. 
• With Performance Marketing, we build, optimize, and scale campaigns to drive growth. 
• With Brand Marketing, we encourage long-term trust through awareness and storytelling. 
• With Experience Design, we craft interfaces and touchpoints that shape user behavior. 

Yes, these tenets cast a wide net. However, it’s not about doing more marketing. It’s about doing the right marketing—with the right partner.

Ready to start strategizing? Schedule call a call today.