A Guide to Media and Advertising Terms

Media and advertising, with their distinctive terminologies and evolving language, represent a fascinating yet intricate world. This industry, where technical jargon, buzzwords, and genre-specific terms merge, can appear overwhelming to both insiders and enthusiastic learners.

What is a Media and Advertising Glossary?

Our media and advertising glossary is a robust tool designed to guide you through the labyrinth of industry terms. This exhaustive resource acts as a bridge, connecting you with the specialized language that shapes the media and advertising landscape.

Terms	Definition
Affiliate Marketing	A type of performance-based marketing in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought by the affiliate's own marketing efforts.
Airport Out-of-Home Advertising	Ads displayed in airports, such as on digital screens or banners. For example, a digital screen ad in an airport terminal promoting a travel insurance company.
Audience Retention	The percentage of your video that viewers watched before clicking away.
Baked-In Ads	Ads that are permanently part of the podcast content. For example, an ad that is part of the podcast recording and plays every time someone listens to the episode.
Banners	Graphic elements, often in the form of a rectangle or square, used in digital advertising. For example, a banner ad in a newsletter promoting a sale.
Billboard	A large outdoor advertising structure, typically found in high-traffic areas.
Branded Content Sponsorships	Partnerships where a brand pays a content creator to create content featuring their product or service.
Branding	The marketing practice of creating a name, symbol or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products.
Car-Top Advertising	Ads displayed on the rooftop of vehicles, typically through large rooftop signs or digital screens. This form of out-of-home advertising captures attention while vehicles are in motion, maximizing visibility in busy urban areas and reaching a diverse audience.
Carousel Ads	Show up to 10 images or videos in a single ad.
Co-Branded Blog Content	Blog content that is created in partnership with a sponsor. For example, a blog post about home decorating tips might be sponsored by a furniture store.
Collection Ads	Ads that display multiple items from a product catalog, encouraging shopping. Commonly used on social media platforms and e-commerce websites.
Content Creators	Individuals who produce entertaining or informative content for distribution on various media platforms, such as YouTube or blogs.
Coupon Codes on Newsletters	Discount codes that are included in newsletters. For example, a newsletter might include a special discount code for a product or service.
CPM (Cost Per Mille)	CPM, or Cost Per Mille, is a standard advertising metric that calculates the cost an advertiser pays for 1,000 impressions or views of an advertisement. This unit is used across various media channels such as digital, mobile, podcast, television, outdoor, and print advertising to compare the cost efficiency of different advertising opportunities.
Digital Billboard	A billboard that displays digital images that are changed by a computer every few seconds.
Digital Out of Home (DOOH)	A subcategory of out-of-home advertising that uses digital technology. For example, a digital billboard that displays rotating ads.
Digital Signage	Digital screens used to display advertisements or information, often found in retail stores, airports, and public spaces.
Display Ads	Ads that appear next to the video you're watching.
Downloads	The number of times your podcast episode has been downloaded.
Dwell Time	The duration a person spends looking at an ad, indicating their level of engagement and interest.
Dynamic Podcast Ad Insertion	A technology that allows the insertion of ads into podcast episodes after they've been downloaded. For example, a listener might hear a different ad depending on when they download the episode.
Email Marketing	The use of email to promote products or services while developing relationships with potential customers or clients.
Engagement Rate	The total number of likes, comments, and shares divided by the number of views.
Follower Growth Rate	The rate at which your account's follower count is increasing.
Frequency	The average number of times a person has seen your ad.
Giveaway or Contests on Social Media	Promotions where social media users can win prizes, often in exchange for engaging with the post or account in some way. For example, an Instagram user might host a giveaway where followers can win a product by liking the post and tagging a friend.
Giveaways or Contests on YouTube	Promotions where YouTube viewers can win prizes, often in exchange for engaging with the video or channel in some way. For example, a YouTuber might give away a product to a viewer who likes, comments, and subscribes.
Google Ads	An online advertising platform developed by Google, where advertisers bid to display brief advertisements, service offerings, product listings, or videos to web users.
Guest Interview on YouTube	A YouTube video where a guest is interviewed. This can be a sponsored segment. For example, a business owner might be interviewed about their product in a sponsored segment.
Hashtag Challenges on TikTok	Promotions where TikTok users are encouraged to create content using a specific hashtag, often sponsored by a brand. For example, a brand might sponsor a dance challenge with a specific hashtag.
Host-Read Ads	Advertisements read by the podcast host during the podcast. For example, the host might talk about a product and share a discount code with listeners.
Impressions	The number of times your ad has been displayed.
In-feed Native Content	Ads seamlessly integrated into a user's natural feed on platforms like Facebook or Instagram, matching the style and format of organic content.
Influencer Engagement Rate	A metric that measures the level of engagement an influencer typically receives on their content.
Influencer Marketing	A type of marketing that uses influential people on social media to promote a product or service. For example, a popular Instagram user posting about their favorite skincare products.
Instagram Advertising	A method of paying to post sponsored content on the Instagram platform to reach a larger and more targeted audience.
Instagram Posts	Content posted on the Instagram platform. This can include photos, videos, and text.
LinkedIn Advertising	A platform for B2B marketing that offers a range of targeting features and ad types with varying costs.
Listener Growth Rate	The rate at which your podcast's listener base is increasing.
Listener Retention Rate	The percentage of your podcast episode that listeners complete.
Macro Influencers	Influencers with between 100,000 and 1 million followers. They have a wide reach and are often used for brand awareness campaigns. For example, a fitness influencer with 500,000 followers who partners with a sportswear brand.
Mega Influencers	Influencers with over 1 million followers. They have a massive reach and are often celebrities. For example, a famous actor with millions of followers promoting a luxury watch brand.
Micro Influencers	Influencers with between 1,000 and 100,000 followers. They are often seen as experts in their niche. For example, a fashion blogger with 10,000 followers who regularly posts outfit ideas.
Nano Influencers	Influencers with fewer than 1,000 followers. They often have very high engagement rates. For example, a local food blogger with a small, dedicated following.
Newsletter	A regularly distributed publication, often via email, that is generally about one main topic of interest to its subscribers.
Non-Skippable Video Ads	Video ads that cannot be skipped.
Out-of-Home Advertising (OOH)	Advertising that reaches consumers while they are outside their homes. For example, billboards, bus stop ads, and digital screens in public places.
Overlay Ads	Semi-transparent ads that appear on the lower part of your video.
Podcast	A digital audio file series that users can download or stream online. For example, "The Daily" is a popular podcast from The New York Times.
Podcast Advertising	The inclusion of paid promotions in a podcast. For example, a business might pay to have their product mentioned in a podcast episode.
Podcast Analytics	The data and statistics about your podcast's performance.
Podcast Distribution	The process of making your podcast available to listeners on various platforms such as Spotify, Apple and more.
Podcast Guest Interview	An episode or segment where a guest is interviewed. This can be a sponsored segment. For example, a business owner might be interviewed about their product in a sponsored segment.
Podcast Hosting	A service that stores your audio files and allows users to listen to your podcast.
Podcast Monetization	The process of generating revenue from a podcast through various methods such as sponsorships, host-read ads, and more. For example, a podcaster might charge $20 for a host-read ad per 1,000 listeners.
Podcast SEO	The practice of optimizing your podcast's visibility for search engines.
Podcast Syndication	The process of distributing a podcast across multiple platforms to reach a larger audience.
PreRoll, MidRoll, PostRoll	Terms referring to the placement of ads in a podcast. PreRoll ads play at the beginning, MidRoll ads play in the middle, and PostRoll ads play at the end of the podcast.
Product Placements on YouTube	The inclusion of a product in a YouTube video, typically in a subtle or natural way. For example, a vlogger might use a specific brand of makeup in their tutorial.
Product Reviews on Social Media	Posts on social media where a product is reviewed. For example, a beauty influencer might post a video reviewing a new makeup product.
Reach	The total number of different people who have seen your ad.
Retail/Venues Out of Home Advertising	Ads displayed in retail stores or venues. For example, a digital screen ad in a shopping mall promoting a store's sale.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)	The practice of optimizing your online content so that a search engine likes to show it as a top result for searches of certain keywords.
Skippable Video Ads	Video ads that can be skipped after 5 seconds.
Slideshow Ads	Video ads that are designed to load quickly and play smoothly, even on slower internet connections.
Sponsored Article/Advertorial	An article in a newsletter or on a website that includes promotional content paid for by a sponsor. For example, a business might pay for an article reviewing their product to be included in a newsletter.
Sponsored Live Streams	Live video streams that include promotional content paid for by a sponsor. For example, a gamer might live stream their gameplay on Twitch while promoting a gaming chair brand.
Sponsored Podcast Episode	A podcast episode that is paid for by a sponsor. For example, a business might pay for a podcast episode to be dedicated to discussing their product.
Sponsored YouTube Videos	YouTube videos that include promotional content paid for by a sponsor. For example, a tech reviewer might create a video reviewing a smartphone that was provided by the manufacturer.
Stories Ads	Ads that appear between Instagram Stories.
Subscriber Growth Rate	The rate at which your channel's subscriber count is increasing.
TikTok Advertising	A social media platform where brands can connect with users through video, live streams, and sponsored content.
TikTok Brand Takeovers & Effects	Promotions where a brand takes over a TikTok user's account for a day, or creates a branded effect for users to include in their videos.
TikTok In-feed Native Content	Content on TikTok that appears in users' main feed and matches the look and feel of organic content. For example, a short video of a user demonstrating a product.
TikTok Sponsored User-Generated Content (UGC)	Content on TikTok created by users that includes promotional content paid for by a sponsor. For example, a TikTok user might create a video featuring a product and include a sponsored hashtag.
Transit Out of Home Advertising	Ads displayed on or in public transportation vehicles, stations, or bus stops, effectively reaching commuters and travelers.
Unique Downloads	The number of different people who have downloaded your podcast episode.
User Generated Content (UGC)	Content created by users of a platform, often promoting a product or service. For example, a customer might post a photo of a product they purchased and tag the business.
Video Ads	Show off product features with video.
Views	The number of times your video has been watched.
Virality	The rapid and widespread sharing of content, like TikTok videos, across social media platforms, leading to increased visibility and engagement.
Wallscape/Windowscape	Large-scale ads displayed on the exterior walls or windows of buildings. For example, a large ad on the side of a building in a busy city center.
Watch Time	The total amount of time that viewers have spent watching your videos.
Wildposting	The practice of posting advertising material in high-visibility areas, often without permission. For example, posters or flyers pasted on construction hoardings or in other public spaces.
YouTube Advertising	A way of promoting your brand or product through video ads on YouTube, the world's largest video sharing community.
YouTube Pre/Mid/Post Roll Ads	Ads that play before (pre-roll), during (mid-roll), or after (post-roll) a YouTube video.

Why is it Necessary?

The media and advertising sectors are characterized by their dynamic nature. New trends, strategies, and technologies continuously reshape the industry, leading to the birth of fresh terms and phrases. Keeping abreast of these changes can be challenging. That's where our glossary comes in - to empower you with the knowledge and comprehension needed to decode the ever-evolving media language.

Who is This Glossary For

This glossary is a valuable resource for a broad audience. Media professionals can use it to stay updated on the latest terms, while businesses of all sizes, ranging from startups and small enterprises to large corporations, can leverage it to comprehend and utilize industry-specific jargon. It is also beneficial for students, educators, and anyone eager to gain insights into the world of media and advertising.

How You Can Benefit From It

Whether you are a media expert seeking to expand your vocabulary, a business looking to enhance your marketing strategies, or a student wanting to broaden your understanding, this glossary offers a wealth of knowledge. It can enable better decision-making, stimulate insightful discussions, enhance your skills, and empower you to actively engage in the industry. This resource spans across terms originating from the foundational roots of journalism and advertising to the cutting-edge spheres of digital media, content marketing, and public relations. It provides a deep dive into terms related to media theory, media production, audience analysis, media law, and ethics, among others. You'll come across definitions like 'user-generated content', a term that encapsulates the significant developments in digital media. Or perhaps 'framing', a concept that outlines how media representation can influence our perception of events or issues. This glossary also covers emerging terminologies that underline the digital transformation of the media sector, enhancing your understanding of advancements shaping the industry. With this glossary, we strive to provide clarity, enhance your comprehension of media-related content, and foster your active participation in relevant discussions and debates. This resource paves the path to media literacy—an indispensable skill in our information-saturated and interconnected world.

Remember, the journey towards media literacy begins with understanding the industry's language. Let this glossary guide you through the captivating and complex universe of media and advertising terms. By staying informed, you can make the most of your interactions with the media industry and enrich your professional journey. Stay curious, keep learning, and always be ready to dive deeper into the enthralling world of media and advertising. Happy learning!