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10 Internet Marketing Terms from 2013 We Finally Looked Up

December 10, 2013 / by Paige Gilbert

SelfieAt Half a Bubble Out we sometimes make up our own words – known as “seussing” (think Dr. Seuss). A couple of examples include: using the word “funner” in a tagline for a client; and combining the words “simple” and “uncomplicated” for another client to create “simplicate,” helping explain how their business helps people easily navigate the health insurance industry.

 

Internet marketing uses its own vocabulary too, and new terms are popping up constantly. So we decided to look up some of the terms we frequently heard in 2013 to understand exactly what they mean.

 

1.  Selfie

 

The Oxford Dictionary welcomed “selfie” as the word of 2013. It defines selfie as: “a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website." Selfies are showing up all over the internet and even celebrities are jumping on the bandwagon.

 

2.  Meta

 

Meta is easier experienced than defined, but here it goes. Basically, meta is self-referential. So, if I was to Google about Google, that would be meta. You’ll most often hear it used in the internet marketing world as “that’s so meta, right?” My favorite example is a blog article from HubSpot that contained 4th of July blogging ideas. Get it?

 

 

3.  Dark social

 

I first heard about dark social from this HubSpot blog that refers to it as any traffic you get to your site because your analytics can’t correctly identify the site sending you the traffic. For example, traffic that might come from personal emails or two people viewing one page on a computer are potential problems that might create weird analytics reporting for a company.

 

4.  Crowdsourcing

 

Crowdsourcing is essentially using a large group of people to get ideas, services, or other contributions about a topic. It most often refers to the online community, so when it comes to internet marketing it could mean asking a question on social media or participating in a conversation on a forum.

 

5.  Big data

 

This started out as a computer geek expression and has actually been around for a couple of years. Ad Age defines it as: “Big Data refers to relatively large amounts of structured and unstructured data that require machine-based systems and technologies in order to be fully analyzed….what turns data into Big Data is the amount of information, and the speed at which it can be created, collected and analyzed.”

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6.  Calm technology

 

You know how the rapid amount of technology you have at your fingertips can feel overwhelming at times? According to Marketing Week “calm technology” enables people to avoid information overload and only to engage with the content that interests them. It helps people filter out what’s not relevant to them and makes it easier to find the information that is useful to them. For example, if you’re targeting your internet marketing efforts then you probably know what specific information your buyer personas are looking for. You can make it easier for them to reach that information through a clear call-to-action, simple landing page, and helpful offer, hopefully converting them to a customer an increasing your ROI.  

 

7.  Curation

 

Content curation refers to repurposing existing content other people have written. It’s becoming an important piece of any internet marketing strategy because it’s an effective way to establish thought leadership, increase brand visibility, and it helps with SEO. Anyone can do it. Start by clicking here to learn more.

 

8.  Hashtag

 

 A hashtag is simply a word or phrase with the hash symbol (#) in front of it. Hashtags are used in internet marketing to group similar topics together in a newsfeed within a social network like Facebook or Twitter. For example:

sbux hashtag resized 600 

There are certain pieces of hashtag etiquette to consider which you can read about here.

 

9.  Bitcoin

 

Bitcoin is a peer-to-peer decentralized digital currency (Mashable). Basically, digital coins that you can send through the internet. They are transferred from person to person instead of going through a bank. You can use them in every country and there are no limits. Bitcoins are generated on the internet to purchase video games, gifts, books, and some currency exchange.

 

10.  Showrooming

 

When a shopper visits a store to check out a product but then purchases the product online from home, it’s called “showrooming.” People have started doing this so that they can tangibly see and feel the item, but can purchase it through online vendors at lower prices. If you’re a business that is using internet marketing strategies for an ecommerce site, this is something to keep on your radar.

 

*BONUS:  Twerk

 

Here’s a bonus word for you. Twerking is a type of dancing, usually done by a woman shaking and bouncing her hips and buttocks in an up-and-down motion. It’s not a term that we plan on using much. But since it became quite popular this year thanks to Miley Cyrus, it no doubt showed up in internet marketing blogs and deserves an – albeit un-honorable – mention.

 

 

Your next step is to use the terms above in a sentence and impress the heck out of your colleagues. Or better yet, focus on two or three to help improve your internet marketing strategy. 

If you’d like more information about how to implement an internet marketing strategy for your business, don’t hesitate to contact us! But please don’t ask us to twerk! 

Topics: Internet marketing

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