Overwhelmed by marketing jargon? Let's break down the basics

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Today, we're skipping the formalities and jumping straight into the good stuff. I know you're here for valuable insights, so let's talk about all that confusing marketing jargon and what you really need to know.

I broke this all down in my podcast, as well, so if you would rather LISTEN, click right here.

As an entrepreneur, you really get stoked about building, creating, and innovating. You're not necessarily excited by the idea of marketing your business 😅 but you KNOW if needs to be done. But as you get INTO your marketing you might find that the terminology is confusing and it's enough to stop a lot of entrepreneurs before they even get started with online marketing. I'm gonna' break things down for you nice and simple today to make it all make sense so you can conquer your online marketing efforts!

We're going to cover:

• Long term marketing
• Short term marketing
• Relationship marketing
• Email service providers (ESPs)
• Customer / Client Avatar / Target Marketing / Audience
• Customer journey
• Marketing funnels
• Automations
• Email workflows
• Email broadcasts

Annnddd, we're gonna look at how they all work together in your overall online marketing world.

Starting with the Online Marketing Basics

Before we dive too deep into things like funnels and workflows, let's make sure we're on the same page about some very basic marketing terms.

1. Long-Term Marketing vs. Short-Term Marketing

Long-Term Marketing: 

Long-term marketing is about looking ahead, not just the present moment. Many people shy away from it because the results aren't immediate and they don't think it's worth the time or money. But eventually, clients come to me with a familiar tale: successful sales, steady income, and then suddenly, silence – just crickets. The question arises: where did those connections go?

That's the essence of long-term marketing — establishing enduring relationships. It goes beyond a one-time sale; it's about creating a lasting bond, ensuring that customers and clients return after they see your impressive short-term sale.

It also involves implementing strategies that attract people effortlessly, even when you're not actively running promotions.

It's about creating bonds that go beyond one-time transactions.

Short-Term Marketing:

Involves immediate strategies like promotions and sales. Looking for leads quickly and ready to drop some money in order to get those leads? Short-term strategies might be just what you need. BUT these aren't sustainable. You can't run sales constantly. You need to have long-term marketing in place to help people slowly find you over time AND to make sure that there is something nurturing to catch your new leads once you acquire them.

2. Relationship Marketing

Relationship Marketing is a cornerstone of my approach. Beyond the mechanics of funnels and campaigns, it's about genuine human connections.

From brand stories to client interactions, Relationship Marketing is woven into every aspect of your business. It's not just about selling; it's about creating a sense of care and belonging throughout the customer journey. Essentially, it's about impeccable customer service along EVERY step of the customer journey.

3. Email Service Providers (ESPs)

Let's dive into a fundamental aspect that sometimes gets overlooked—Email Service Providers (ESPs). Now, if you're already familiar with this, kudos to you! But if not, no worries—I'm here to shed some light.

You see, having a personal email like [email protected] is great for one-on-one communication, but when it comes to sending promotional emails to a bunch of people, it's a different ball game. Most places don't allow sending promotional content through personal email addresses, and it's not the most efficient or professional way to do it.

Your business email, like [email protected], is where the pro moves come in. Sure, you can use Gmail or Outlook to send individual emails, but for reaching a broader audience without violating privacy or looking unprofessional, you need an Email Service Provider (ESP).

An ESP allows you to use your professional email to send mass emails without sharing recipients' info. Think of it like sending a thousand emails at once, but without the CC chaos. Brands like MailerLite, MailChimp, and AWeber are your go-to players in the ESP arena—they not only keep things clean and professional but also make crafting visually appealing emails a breeze.

Email Service Providers like MailerLite (my favorite), MailChimp, and AWeber offer the functionality needed for sending mass emails without compromising privacy. They empower your marketing efforts, allowing for professional communication and streamlined integration with marketing funnels.

4. Customer Avatar / Ideal Customer

We're diving into the lingo of marketing personas – you know, customer avatars, ideal clients, target markets, audiences... It's like a lingo party where everyone's invited, but the names keep changing.

So, whether you're rolling with 'client,' 'customer,' or just the term 'audience,' it all boils down to the awesome folks you want to vibe with—the ones who'll click with what you're putting out there.

Now, why the name game? Well, it depends on what you actually provide. If you provide services, 'client' might be your jam. Selling products? 'Customer' it is.If you're looking at trends and getting an idea for the preferences of larger groups of people, you'll talk about your overall target market(s). And if you're looking at the preference of your target market(s) in terms of content then you'll probably use the term "audience."

But here's where it gets interesting – the 'avatar.' No, not the blue folks from Pandora. In marketing lingo, it's like creating a superhero version of your ideal customer. Super specific, super relatable. Think of it as getting up close and personal with that one person who's got the exact struggles and stories you're here to solve and share. You're imagining them as ONE PERSON so you can really get a feel for their backstory, their struggles, their preferred communications styles, etc.

Whether you're talking about the whole gang or zooming in on your avatar, it's really about reaching out to those who'll high-five your offer because it's exactly what they've been waiting for. Cheers to connecting with your crowd!

Decoding the Customer Journey and Marketing Funnels

1. Customer Journey

The customer journey is start to finish the entire experience they have with your company. And to be honest, maybe you don't want there to be a finish, right? Cause that's kind of, they've exited. They are no longer having an experience with your company. Because this is so overarching of that relationship, you've built with them. That's different from a funnel, which does have a start point and an end point. And we'll talk about that in a minute, but overall, your customer journey. Is going to have so many different pieces to it. It has many different touch points, which are places where you intersect, where you, you know, meet. 

2. Marketing Funnel

 A marketing funnel is an experience that you want to take your ideal customer or client through. 

You want to take them from point a to point B or maybe with a few steps in between. You want them to go from hearing about an offer to purchasing it. That's it really. That's the funnel.

A marketing funnel can include include emails, text messages, landing pages, email opt-in forms, advertisements, facebook groups, even podcasts. Anywhere that people initially experience your offer.

And then they move through it.

The difference between the funnel and the journey is that, again, the journey is the overall experience the customer client has with you from their very first impression of you, to them, no longer interacting with your business. The funnel is specific to one offer.

3. Automations, Workflows, and Broadcasts

Automations: Actions that happen automatically, triggered by user actions.

An automation is literally anything that happens automatically. It's something that you're going to set up to make things be done for you. So if I click this button, it automatically sends me to a landing page. Then, there's an email signup thing on that landing page. I sign up for the email. And as soon as I do that, I receive an actual email with maybe some free thing in it.

That all happens automatically. You're not on the other end going, oh, "Amy's subscribed. I better send her this thing." That's like, that's a lot of work. Please tell me you're not doing that. This is where the automation comes in. It's literally anything that you're just having a computer do for you. in your marketing.

Email Workflows:

Automated sequences of emails (within your funnel), guiding users through stages.

An email workflow or an email automation is a part of your funnel. Not every funnel needs to have an email workflow in it. That is what I tend to set up, but you don't need to. You might be doing DMS. You could be doing text messages. There might be a different way that you're connecting with people throughout your funnel.

The email workflow or automation is going to exist inside of your funnel. It might be a workflow or automation that is specifically trying to move people through that consideration stage inside your funnel, where they're not sure if they want your offer. Or it could just be a sequence of emails that you're sending out to just nurture people. 

I call that a nurture series. You're not actually selling them anything. You might mention your basic offers in there, but basically you're sending this out so they can get to know you better and you can build  that trust factor with them. 

Broadcasts/Campaigns: One-off emails sent manually, specific to date and time.

A broadcast or a campaign is a single one-off email. You're going to be using that as like a newsletter or maybe you build out a series manually, through broadcasts and campaigns, that you're going to send out as a short-term marketing campaign. So if it's a newsletter, you're just writing it once a month. 

Right. And you're sending it out to everybody. Boom. Or maybe you're going to schedule a bunch of emails to go like this one goes on Monday the 15th, and that one goes on Wednesday, the 17th and whatever, because it's specific to a sale that you're running.

The difference is that email workflows and automations happen automatically and they are based on an action that the user is performing. Your broadcast or campaign is specific to date and time. 

Wrapping Up

Understanding these terms is crucial for effective communication in the marketing realm. Whether you're exploring my podcast episodes, diving into my blog, or joining my courses, knowing these basics will empower your journey. Remember, if any term ever confuses you, don't hesitate to ask for clarification.

OK... now you know all about online marketing terminology. How are you feeling? Does the idea of marketing your business still overwhelm you? I think I might know why... Click here to keep exploring your online marketing barriers.