The marketing world is overflowing with buzzwords, some useful and insightful, others just laughable. We’re taking on the entire alphabet, rating marketing buzzwords from 1 to 10, with 1 being the most tolerable and 10 signaling a one-way ticket to oblivion.

Actionable Analytics. Going beyond mere data collection, “actionable analytics” delivers insights you can actually use to make impactful changes. Score: 4. Shouldn’t all analytics be inherently actionable?_ Advertainment. This is advertising disguised as entertainment. Audiences crave amusement, and you’re the maestro of fun (or maybe the elephant in the tutu). “Advertainment” often blurs the lines between promotion and entertainment. Think Red Bull’s Stratos Space Jump, or the pristine green Hyundai cruising through seasons of The Walking Dead, somehow immune to the zombie apocalypse grime. Score: 8

Brand Identity. This refers to the personality and image your company projects through its tone of voice, logo, color schemes, and so on. Score: 3 Big Data. We’re talking massive datasets, both structured and unstructured, so vast they often defy traditional processing methods. As companies discover more ways to gather user data (from mobile usage, web browsing, even voice data), effectively storing and managing these enormous datasets becomes crucial. Score: 4

Content is King. This well-worn phrase has been doing the rounds for a while, and it’s not going anywhere soon. Content matters, a content strategy is essential, and you need top-notch content to thrive in today’s digital marketing landscape. We get it already. This one’s more overplayed than Outkast’s “Hey Ya” in the summer of 2004. Score: 10. Code red alert – this buzzphrase has officially entered the realm of overkill.

Clickbait. These are sensationalized headlines crafted with a singular purpose: to get those clicks. While we all want enticing headlines, clickbait is all flash and no substance. Clickbait titles lure you in with intrigue, but the content itself disappoints, making them nothing more than digital bait-and-switch tactics. This term often goes hand-in-hand with mentions of Upworthy or Buzzfeed. Picture a headline like: “Man Calls Woman Fat for Ordering Large Fries – You Won’t Believe What Happens Next.” Score: 3. We need something to call these underwhelming headlines, and clickbait fits the bill.

Contextual Marketing. Imagine reading an article about social media tactics and encountering a conveniently placed ad for a free ebook on Pinterest – that’s contextual marketing in action. It’s all about aligning marketing efforts with the surrounding content and context. Score: 3 Disruptor. Disruptors are the rebels, the rule-breakers, the ones who confidently ride motorcycles in aviator shades. They shake things up by introducing innovative products or services that turn the established order on its head. Think Uber, a prime example of market disruption, transforming the taxi and ride-hailing landscape. It’s flattering to be called a disruptor, but don’t be the one tooting your own horn. Remember, true coolness doesn’t need self-proclamation. Score: 8

Efficiency. It’s all about maximizing output with minimal input, making the most of your time and effort while staying productive. That’s all well and good, but the word “efficiency” itself is getting a bit stale. Score: 5 Freemium. This pricing model offers the basic version of a service or product for free, enticing users to upgrade to paid versions for premium features. The marketing world is teeming with successful freemium examples: HootSuite, WordPress, Buffer, and MailChimp, just to name a few. Freemium mobile games (notoriously free to download but riddled with purchase prompts) haven’t fared so well, facing ridicule in a recent South Park episode that left the term with a somewhat bitter aftertaste. Score: 3 Gamification. Gamification injects game-like elements into services or software to motivate users to take specific actions. Foursquare, for instance, excelled at incorporating gamification, rewarding users with badges for checking into various locations. A simple and common example is the progress bar that pops up when you create an online profile. It might jump from 40% to 60% to 90% and finally to 100% as you complete actions like adding a profile picture, entering your birthdate, linking your account to Twitter, and so on. Users aren’t always obligated to fill in these fields, but companies, hungry for that valuable data, use these subtle gamification techniques as encouragement. Score: 2

badges from Code Academy Growth Hacking. This term typically describes the bootstrap marketing tactics employed by startups and new businesses operating on shoestring budgets. It often involves getting creative with cost-effective methods like social media, viral marketing, SEO, and content marketing. Unsurprisingly, growth hackers are obsessed with, well, growth. Score: 2 Hyperlocal. Hyperlocal marketing is all the rage these days, as marketers leverage GPS data to target audiences geographically with location-based advertising. Score: 5

Ideation. This one takes the cake for being unnecessarily complicated. “Ideation” simply means the process of generating new ideas. It’s enough to make anyone despise learning English – pointless words that add zero value. Score: 10 Innovators. While not a new word, it’s definitely been used to the point of exhaustion. Innovators are the ones introducing groundbreaking ideas, products, or strategies that revolutionize the game. These days, it seems everyone and their mother is an “innovator.” I blame Shark Tank. Score: 8

-Jacking. From newsjacking to memejacking, the –jacking trend is alive and well, essentially hijacking existing content for your own marketing gains. Newsjacking involves capitalizing on breaking news stories by injecting your brand’s message into the conversation. Memejacking, on the other hand, is the corporate takeover of a meme. Score: 7

Care of HubSpot KPI. Short for Key Performance Indicators, these are essentially personalized goals used to measure and evaluate performance. Not quite a buzzword – it’s a well-established marketing metric – but that doesn’t make it any less tiresome to hear. Score: 4 Low Hanging Fruit. These are the easy wins, the opportunities that are ripe for the picking. Sometimes you want to reach for the stars, aiming for that perfect apple at the top of the tree. But you can’t ignore the obvious, even if less challenging, options. Score: 3

Millennials. This generation, born roughly between the 1980s and 2000s, is constantly analyzed. Discussions revolve around how to work with them, how to market to them, and deciphering the reasons behind their supposed unhappiness. Score: 5

#CripplingPainOnlyMillenialsWillUnderstand, img from Thoughts On Liberty MOOC. Massive Open Online Courses. Initially associated with universities offering online courses, MOOCs are gaining traction in the marketing world as well. As digital marketing increasingly focuses on exchanging knowledge and educational resources to build customer trust and engagement, brands might consider offering MOOC-like courses to their audiences. Score: 2 Mobile Optimization. We’re practically inseparable from our mobile devices. Mobile optimization is no longer a mere suggestion – it’s an absolute necessity. Websites and products need mobile-friendly options or risk facing a fate akin to M. Night Shyamalan’s career. Score: 3 Netiquette. The rules of engagement for the internet. Mostly common-sense stuff like don’t be a troll, don’t spam, keep discussions on topic, and so on. Score: 4 Omnichannel Marketing. Picture a coordinated marketing offensive, targeting audiences on all fronts – social media, physical stores, online platforms, and mobile devices – for a seamless, integrated experience. Score: 6 Pain Points. You’ll often hear businesses talk about identifying and addressing their customers’ pain points – the things that keep users up at night. It’s essentially a fancier way of saying, “We want to solve our customer’s problems.” Score: 7 Paid Placement. Paid advertising has always been a viable option, but as SEO and organic avenues become more competitive, paid placement is becoming increasingly essential. Facebook, for instance, has dealt a blow to the organic reach of brand pages. Who’s next? Score: 2 Quality, Not Quantity. Often used in the context of content marketing, this phrase reminds us that churning out multiple subpar blog posts a day won’t magically boost credibility. Quality trumps quantity – a concept we’ve understood since middle school. Do we really need to keep reiterating this online? Score: 9 Real-Time Engagement. This involves actively engaging with customers in real-time to foster connections. Think weekly #ChatSessions, texting live updates to conference attendees, posting timely holiday-themed content, or live streaming major events. Score: 7 Repurposing Content. With content strategy being a cornerstone of online marketing, businesses often find themselves swimming in a sea of blog posts, webinars, and white papers. Repurposing content involves breathing new life into old content, giving it a fresh coat of paint to extend its lifespan and value. Score: 5 Retargeting. Ever browsed for a product online, only to be followed by ads for that very item later on? That’s retargeting at work – a gentle (or perhaps slightly creepy) reminder that the internet never forgets. Done right, it can be incredibly effective at guiding those wandering customers back to your site. Score: 3 Snackable Content. Think of it as bite-sized content that’s easily digestible and won’t leave viewers feeling overwhelmed. For videos, this typically translates to content under 2-3 minutes. Vine is a perfect example of snackable content in action. Score: 3. This buzzphrase evokes images of buffalo wings. What’s not to like?

Y’all got any more of them snacks? Storyscaping. This concept is as whimsical as it sounds, focusing on crafting immersive worlds for users instead of relying on tired old ads. It’s about making users active participants in your brand’s unique universe. While it’s a fun and engaging idea, it’s also a bit overused. Plus, it’s not always applicable – please, spare me from being immersed in the world of accounting software. Score: 5. A bit silly? Sure, but undeniably whimsical and captivating.

We can’t all be Harry Potter SoLoMo. An acronym for Social, Local, and Mobile: the holy trinity of marketing that unfortunately sounds like a postal code and makes you question the state of modern culture. Score: 10 Second-Screen. This term describes the phenomenon where people can’t simply watch TV – they have to be glued to their mobile devices simultaneously, tweeting, posting, and commenting. You know, so they can express their outrage at the latest Game of Thrones character death. Marketers are trying to tap into this second-screen behavior, employing tactics like overlaying hashtags during popular TV shows and featuring live comments. It’s debatable whether this is annoying or an engaging way to add a social layer to a solitary activity. At the very least, it makes you feel less like you’re binge-watching 6 episodes of Hannibal alone at midnight. Score: 2

all the screens Transparency. Ever since companies realized that users aren’t fond of being deceived, they’ve been eager to tout their commitment to transparency. Score: 7 Thought Leader. Many aspiring marketers dream of achieving “thought leader” status within their industries. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the concept – aiming to be a respected authority is a worthwhile pursuit, you power-hungry go-getter, you. Score: 7 UGC. Short for User-Generated Content, UGC is becoming increasingly valuable to brands. Showcasing fan art, testimonials, and other forms of user-created content fosters a positive brand image and demonstrates that companies genuinely care about their customers (or at least want to appear that way). Score: 5

user-generated content from Starbucks Viral. Ah, the elusive dream of “going viral.” Marketers fantasize about their videos, infographics, or other content taking the internet by storm, landing on Reddit’s front page, getting shamelessly copied by Buzzfeed, and even gracing Grandma’s Facebook wall. Keep dreaming, folks – there’s no magic formula for virality. The internet is a fickle beast. This used to be a fun buzzword, but countless blog posts promising “the secret to going viral” have rendered it synonymous with empty promises. Score: 9 Visual Storytelling. This refers to the art of using visuals – images or videos – to craft compelling and emotionally resonant narratives. Budweiser’s puppy commercials are a prime example of effective visual storytelling. Score: 6 Wantrapreneur. You daydream about launching a business but never quite take the plunge. You, my friend, are a wantrepreneur. If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride. Score: 8 Wearable Tech. Technology you can wear, of course! Think Google Glass, FitBit, Galaxy Gear, Oculus Rift, and the like. Brace yourselves – Poke-vision goggles are on the horizon (a dream that refuses to die). Score: 3

Web Personalization. Think of it as marketing-driven stalking, but with good intentions (maybe). This practice involves tailoring web pages based on a user’s past behavior and history with a brand. Some even take it a step further, tapping into third-party data to incorporate user interests and demographics. It’s like personalized attention, but with a dash of Big Brother. Score: 3 X-Post. Short for cross-post, meaning to share the same content in multiple locations. For instance, you might cross-post a Facebook update on Twitter. Score: 1 YMMV. Your Mileage May Vary. Essentially a disclaimer that says, “Hey, we got lucky with this one. Feel free to try replicating our success, but don’t be surprised if your results differ.” Score: 2 Inbox Zero. Okay, we had to bend the rules a bit for this one, but let’s see you come up with a better “Z” word! Inbox Zero represents the holy grail of email management – that glorious moment when you see a big fat zero next to “unread emails.” For many, it’s an elusive dream, forever out of reach. To those fortunate souls who achieve this state of inbox nirvana, we salute you. Score: 2

close enough There you have it – the A to Z of Marketing Buzzwords! Did we miss any of your favorites (or least favorites)? Share your buzzwords in the comments!