Digital Marketing vs. Copywriting: The 17 Terms You Need To Know

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Ever wonder what the difference between digital marketing and copywriting really is? It’s a question I get ALL the time…

And the answer is painfully simple – but often overlooked. Because the truth is…. good copywriting IS marketing. ??

In order to be a successful and highly paid copywriter, you HAVE to know and understand the basics of marketing (because it's literally the foundation of what good copy is crafted around)?...?

And anyone who tries to tell you that you DON'T need to know anything about marketing in order to be a highly skilled copywriter is straight-up lying to you.

Because ALL of the best copywriters ARE marketers. ??But plot-twist, not all marketers are copywriters...??

While both marketing and copywriting involve customer analysis, market research, strategy & positioning, conceptualizing hook, and designing campaigns… ??

Copywriters have the additional creative skill set of crafting the actual messaging that will bring in sales.??

Basically - copywriters have some mad writing swagger and not all marketers do... 

This is why good copywriters are able to CHARGE what they charge.

Because they do customer analysis, market research, strategy & positioning, conceptualizing killer hooks AND designing campaigns… all before a single word gets written!

But in order to be that highly-paid copywriter/marketer hybrid unicorn, you first gotta get your lingo dialed in. 

The marketing world is FULL of jargon, terms and TLA’s – three-letter acronyms – meticulously designed to confuse the hell outta you. 

Okay, so maybe that’s a little dramatic. 

But the list of terms commonly used CAN be super confusing when you’re new to the online marketing world…

So in today’s article, I’m going to define 17 marketing terms that you’ll hear all of the time in your copywriting business and on calls with clients.

Now the last two on this list are super important because they’re terms that I see being used interchangeably all of time… 

Which is dangerous territory, because you may unknowingly agree to do something that you have no freaking clue how to actually do! 

And to save your hand from furious scribbling, I created a cheat sheet of all these terms for you plus LOTS more and you can download that at the end of this article. 

I’m coming at you this week with an article inspired by a question that I see flooding my DMs (and Instagram comments) all of the time!

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Alrighty, now we’ve got an entire marketing funnel of terms to get through… so let’s dive right in - shall we?

Here are 17 Marketing Terms You NEED To Know…

1. Content Marketing

We are not just talking about content writing here...

Content Marketing is a holistic and strategic approach focused on consistently creating and distributing high-quality, valuable content — across multiple platforms and touchpoints. 

Its ultimate purpose is to attract, engage, and convert a specific audience - and drive a specific desired action… which yes, you also need those copywriting skills for!

Content marketing is a big umbrella term that includes tons of things: YouTube videos, social media posts, blogging, email newsletters, user-generated content, and testimonial campaigns, and much more.  

2. Lead

In sales, a lead refers to a potential client or customer, regardless of whether or not you’ve been in contact with them previously. 

In digital marketing, however, the definition is a bit narrower than that. A lead usually refers to anyone whom you have the ability and permission to follow up via email, phone, or direct messaging. 

So they are also known as marketing-qualified leads and they are more likely to become a customer compared to other colder leads, based on their activity before converting. Like, say, opting into a marketing list or database. 

Leads can be found anywhere and everywhere, but often they find you through good marketing - aka lead generation.

3. Landing Page

Speaking of lead generation. Once leads find you through ads, search engines, or your content marketing strategies, they will often end up on a landing page.

While a landing page is technically any page where traffic “lands”, I personally use this term specifically for pages used for the purpose of converting visitors into leads. 

This is often done by providing a valuable FREE asset - like a checklist, cheat sheet, or guide - in exchange for their contact information (aka email address!) 

4. Lead Nurturing

So once you’ve actually gotten a prospect to give you their email addresses or other contact info. You begin the process of nurturing these leads – in essence, relationship-building through providing valuable, relevant content delivered through a series of touchpoints.

Oftentimes lead nurturing is done through email automation - like an indoctrination sequence. If you’re like, wait, what’s that? You’ll want to hit that subscribe button to stay tuned because I have a video on the 7 types of email marketing coming to a device near you very soon. 

5. Marketing Funnel

Now the entire process I just described above, is part of what’s called a marketing funnel - the entire marketing campaign and systems used to attract visitors, convert them into leads, and nurture them towards making a buying decision. 

6. Top of the Funnel

Now within this marketing funnel, there are different stages - or levels - that a lead will progress through on their buying journey.

The top of the funnel is the very beginning where prospects are just starting to look for more information, identify the problem they have, and learn about potential solutions. 

So think the very first step or touchpoint you have with a potential customer. That is the top of the funnel where the primary objective is to build AWARENESS. This could be, say an ad and subsequent landing page. 

The copywriting at this point of the funnel needs to educate, build trust and create authority because you’re speaking to a more unaware audience here who really has no idea who you are or what you do.

7. Middle of the Funnel

Once the prospect has moved through the top of the funnel, by say, signing up for your email list, they fall down to the middle of the funnel - where they’re now more aware of the problem they have and how you can help them solve it. 

This where your copy will be to be focused heavily on storytelling, reliability, and empathy. The main objective here is to build INTEREST and DESIRE. This is where you want to specify pain points, features & benefits…

And convince your prospect that YOUR solution is what they’re seeking. 

8. Bottom of the Funnel

As your prospect consumes your content and continues to engage with your brand, they fall down to the bottom of the funnel or (hopefully) the final stage of the buying journey, where they have connected with you and your solution and are close to making a purchase decision.

The objective here is to get them to take ACTION and buy! So you want to highlight more social proof, lower perceived risk, overcome objections and of course, make an irresistible offer.

So - did you hear the AIDA acronym used there? A marketing funnel is essentially the premise of AIDA - AWARENESS, INTEREST, DESIRE, AND ACTION.

9. Case Study

Speaking of social proof…

A case study is a public analysis of the work a company did for a customer that highlights the goals, processes, and results the customer achieved. So think of it as an in-depth testimonial or review that involves an interview and analysis of a company’s product or service. 

Case studies are great ways to build trust and authority by showcasing tangible results. So for example, as a bonus in my Write & Ignite Challenge, I interviewed one of my past students for a case study on how she has used my process and formulas to ignite a full-time copywriting career. You can learn more about my Write and Ignite challenge and get your hands on that case study and lots more juicy training here.

10. A/B Testing

Also referred to as split testing, A/B testing is the process of testing two variations of a specific element on a marketing asset, while keeping everything else the same, to determine which version creates a better long-term result.

A/b testing can massively boost the long-term profitability and conversions of a marketing campaign. You can split-test literally everything from subject lines to headlines to page layout and button colors! 

11. Bounce Rate

Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who click out or close a site after viewing only one page. In other words, they didn’t find what they were looking for and didn’t feel compelled to stick around or navigate to learn more. 

12. Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Click-Through Rate is the percentage of people who view and, ultimately, click on a link or button.

So that could be a link in an email that drives traffic to your site or newest YouTube video… a link on a Facebook Ad that leads to a landing page, or any other link that you are using in your marketing funnel. 

The higher the CTR at each step of your funnel, the better your marketing will perform overall. 

13. Call to Action (CTA)

A Call to Action is the specific, desired, action that you want your prospects to take. So maybe that’s to sign up for a mailing list, buy your product, sign up for a free call, click a link, or leave a comment... 

Just remember, that no matter what action you want your prospects to take, you need to clearly tell them what that is! 

And you should only have one clear and concise CTA per step of the marketing funnel. Remember confusion is the biggest conversion killer!! 

14. Conversion Rate

Maybe the most common metric referred to in marketing is conversion rate - the percentage of users who actually follow through on your CTA and take the desired action. 

A Conversion can mean anything, depending on your CTA, but most often is referred to in terms of leads or sales. 

15. Return on Investment (ROI)

After you know your conversion rate, you’ll be able to figure out your ROI — or return on investment — a ratio that evaluates the profitability of a marketing effort by measuring the revenue compared to cost. 

When it comes to ROI, the higher the better, obviously. A high ROI means that you’ve gained more than you’ve lost. 

Now the last two on this list are terms that I see used interchangeably ALL OF THE TIME… 

16. Keyword Research 

Firstly, a keyword is a specific word or phrase that a prospect might type into a search engine when looking for products, services or general information.

Keyword research is when you research what those search terms are— often using keyword research tools— so that you can include those keywords in your content and marketing to better target your customer avatar.

17. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

This is different from keyword research. SEO, or search engine optimization, is the act of increasing a website’s visibility in organic, unpaid, search results. 

Typically done through SEO techniques like generating backlinks, incorporating relevant keywords, and publishing authoritative and consistent content.

SEO involves so much more than keyword research, so be careful not to use these terms interchangeably or you may end up agreeing to way more than you bargained for or can confidently deliver on. 

Ok, that’s all for this week Posse. You can grab the cheat sheet gift I promised you right here The Copy Posse Glossary.

Hope you enjoyed this article.

Alex

PS: How many of these terms were new to you? Drop a comment below! 

Alex Cattoni is the Founder of the Copy Posse Agency and Academy. Since 2011, she has launched several successful brands and has proudly partnered with many of the hottest transformational brands and businesses on the planet, writing high-converting sales copy, scaling multi-million dollar brands, and crafting iconic promotional campaigns.

Today, she’s on a mission to mobilize the raddest, baddest crew of authentic copywriters with a passion for creating community, credibility and conversions with nothing but powerful and precise wording.

Through her weekly YouTube videos, Alex helps copywriters, aspiring copywriters and entrepreneurs learn, write and ignite their businesses with words that work.