Digital Marketing Terms
Everything you need to know about email and digital marketing
Trying to decode some corporate email jargon? We got you. The Reply Two glossary spells out most digital marketing terms in language we can all understand.
Control Champion Challenger
In newsletter testing, these three terms form the foundation of structured experimentation: Control is your baseline version, the original against which you compare all changes Champion is your current best-performing version, which may be the original control or a previous winner Challengers are new variants you test against your champion. When a challenger wins, it becomes your new champion for future tests, creating a continuous improvement cycle.
Read more on Control Champion ChallengerConversion Rate
Conversion rate is the percentage of folks who actually do the thing you want them to do. While your pals in finance obsess over conversion rates for purchases, in newsletter land it applies to any goal along the reader's journey. Including signups, clicks, replies, form completions, or that elusive "forward to a friend." Think of it as your newsletter's batting average for turning lurkers into doers.
Read more on Conversion RateCustom domain
A Custom domain is your very own branded web address used for sending emails, instead of using the default domain from your email service provider (ESP). Think yourname@yourbrand.com versus yourname@genericemailprovider.com. This puts your brand front and center in every subscriber interaction, from inbox to click.
Read more on Custom domainDKIM
DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) is your newsletter's digital signature that proves emails actually came from you, not some sketchy impersonator. It works by adding an invisible cryptographic signature that receiving servers can verify. Your DKIM record in your DNS proves you're legit so you can skip the spam folder.
Read more on DKIMDNS
DNS (Domain Name System) acts like the internet's phone book. It translates human-friendly domain names (acme.com) into computer-friendly IP addresses that computers use to find each other. For email, DNS records like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC tell receiving servers your emails are legit. Key email-related DNS records include: A: Points your domain to a specific IP address MX: Directs incoming mail to your mail server TXT: Stores text information, used for SPF and other verifications SPF: Lists authorized email senders for your domain DKIM: Adds a digital signature to verify email authenticity DMARC: Sets policies for how receivers handle authentication failures CNAME: Creates domain aliases, often used for ESP verification
Read more on DNSDedicated IP
A dedicated IP is a unique Internet Protocol address used exclusively by one sender for email distribution. Unlike shared IPs where multiple senders use the same address ranges, a dedicated IP gives you complete control over your sending reputation.
Read more on Dedicated IPDeliverability
Deliverability is your email's ability to successfully land in subscribers' inboxes rather than getting trapped in spam folders or rejected outright. It's the difference between your carefully crafted newsletter being seen or getting lost in the digital void. Your deliverability rate is the percentage of emails that make it to the inbox.
Read more on DeliverabilityEmail Service Provider
An Email Service Provider (ESP) is the platform that handles sending, tracking, and managing your newsletter. It's the engine that powers your entire email operation, from signup forms to sending campaigns to measuring results. ESPs like beehiiv, Substack, Mailchimp, Kit, Brevo, and others each offer different feature sets tailored to different creator needs.
Read more on Email Service ProviderOpen Rate
Open Rate refers to that percentage your email service provider brags about when people supposedly "open" your emails. It's tracked by a tiny invisible pixel that loads when someone views your message, or when their device pretends to.
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