We all fall into the trap within our industry. Words that appear time and time again, become second nature to us.
To those on the outside, the terminology can be a minefield. Here’s a guide to some of the most common terms from the world of email marketing. Enjoy!
Above the Fold
The top section of an email. The part visible to the recipient without the need for scrolling.
B2B
Business to business communication.
B2C
Business to consumer communication.
Blacklist
A list containing email or IP addresses of suspected scammers. Blacklists are capable of blocking incoming communications at server level. This means they never reach the recipient.
Block
An action taken to prevent the communication being passed to intended recipients.
Bounce
Emails that fail to reach the intended destination.
Click-Tracking
A method of measuring the response to specific links in a broadcast.
Deliverability
Referring to best practices and authentication techniques. Used to ensure broadcasts reach the intended destination and avoid spam lists.
Domain Throttling
A technique which allows you to limit the amount of emails sent within an allocated timeframe. Used to avoid spam traps and ISPs.
Double Opt-In
The recommended procedure for subscribing consumers to a mailing list. Involves sending an email to subscribers, asking for confirmation of their subscription.
Email Client
The software used to display the HTML email.
Hard Bounces
Emails that are undelivered due to permanent error. Hard bounces include incorrect or non-existent mailboxes.
HTML
HyperText Markup Language. The most common form of coding for web based application.
IP Address
Internet Protocol address is a unique identifier relating to a specific machine accessing the internet.
ISP
Internet Service Provider. The company providing access to the internet.
List Broker
A company that sells or rents email lists not owned by themselves.
List Owner
The owner of an email list for marketing. Responsible for opt-ins and other administrative matters.
Opt-In
A technique used to subscribe contacts to your email list.
Opt-Out
A technique allowing contacts to remove themselves from your contact lists.
Personalisation
The ability to add information specific to the end user. This could include name, location, address or any other information in your database.
Plain Text
An email delivered with no formatting elements (text only).
Server
A program that acts as a central information source.
Soft Bounces
Email messages that are undelivered due to temporary restrictions. An example of a soft bounce would be a full mailbox.
Spam
Unwanted, unsolicited junk email sent to a high number of recipients.
Subject Line
The display line of an email. This appears in most cases before the email is opened. Subject line can also affect whether your email is considered spam.
Tracking
The process of registering information regarding an email campaign. Could be actions such as opens or clicks.
URL
Unique Resource Locator. The address of a file or web page on the internet.
User Interface
A set of controls and links providing access to information.
Whitelist
A list of pre-authorised email addresses that a user will receive messages from despite any spam filters.
If you have any other terminology you’d like the definition of, feel free to drop us an email and we will do our best to help out.
