Collection of Useful Nonprofit Marketing/Communications Terms

UPDATED — I hope you find this useful….! :)

~ A glossary of nearly 200 terms ~

90: The form used by tax-exempt organizations to report financial and other information to the Internal Revenue Service.

Above the fold: On the Internet, the portion of a web page or email that is visible without scrolling.

Accordion fold: A zigzag fold in which a sheet of paper has two or more parallel folds that open like an accordion, allowing the paper (such as a brochure) to be fully opened with a single pull.

Advertorial: An advertisement in the form of an editorial piece, usually labeled as an advertisement.

Affiliate marketing: A method of website promotion using partnerships (or “affiliations”) with similar or compatible organizations and services.

Affinity group: In fundraising, a coalition of grant making institutions that shares information or provides professional development and networking opportunities to individual grant makers with a common interest in a particular funding area.

Affinity marketing: Promotional efforts targeting one group or category of constituents/clients based on established participation patterns.

Analytics: Statistics generated about visitors to a website or readers of an email.

Audience segmentation: A process of grouping people into more similar subgroups based on defined criteria such as product/service usage, behaviors, demographics and media use.

Augmented reality: A live view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are enhanced by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video or graphics.

Background: On a website, the area “behind” the content. Colors, images or textures often are used to customize a website’s background.

Backgrounder: A briefing or report intended only for the purpose of providing background information (i.e., more general, but still significant, information) to a reporter. Often it is a one-page summary.

Bandwidth: The amount of information a connection to the Internet can carry, usually measured in bits per second.

Banner: A large headline, especially one that spans the width of a page or a website. Banners often are located at the top of a website page. (See also “header.”)

Barrel fold: Barrel (or “roll”) fold brochures commonly have four panels with the two outside panels being the same size, the third panel being slightly smaller, and the fourth panel being the smallest. The main front and back panels will be visible after the brochure is folded.

Bi-fold: Bi-fold brochures are made out of paper that is folded once, creating two halves.

Bitcoin: A payment currency that uses digital currency, created and held electronically. Bitcoins allow people to pay for things online without involving a third-party broker such as a bank, credit card company, or government.

Bleed: “Bleed” describes whether or not a design is displayed all the way to the edge of the page. A full bleed indicates the color or images will flow to the edge of the page; no bleed occurs when the color or image ends before the edge of the page, leaving a white border around the design.

Block quote: A long quotation — four or more lines — in a written document that is set apart in order to clearly distinguish it from the writer’s own words.

Body text: The main portion of a book, magazine, web page or other printed matter.

Boilerplate: In a nonprofit press release, the standard text that gives a brief history of an organization and is located at the bottom of the release.

Bounce rate: The percentage of visitors who enter a website site and “bounce” (leave the site) rather than viewing other pages within the same site.

Brand: The unique design, sign, symbol, words, or a combination of these that is used to create an image that identifies an organization, service or product.

Brand domain (or custom domain name): A customized Internet domain name (such as “wefightpoverty.org” or “AAAbestchairs.com”).

Brand guide (or manual): A set of branding/marketing/communications guidelines and rules used to maintain an organization’s identity.

Brand identity: The outward expression of a brand; the symbolic embodiment of all information connected with an organization, service, or product, including its name and visual appearance.

Brandraising: The process of developing a clear, cohesive organizational identity and communications framework that supports the organization’s mission.

Buzzword: A trendy term or phrase.

Byline: Text that identifies the name of the writer of a news piece and is placed just under the headline.

Cache or caching: The Internet process by which web files/pages are automatically stored for later reuse so that Internet users can access them more quickly (for example, by using the “previous page” arrow.) “Clearing” the cache (deleting the cache’s content) can improve a computer’s performance.

Camera-ready: “To-be-printed” copy or artwork that requires no additional layout, positioning, redrawing or typesetting.

Campaign: The planning, carrying out and analysis of a marketing/communications plan of action.

Capital campaign: A drive to raise funds to finance major projects or programs such as the acquisition of property or equipment, new construction, or renovation of facilities.

Caption: Copy/text that accompanies a photograph and explains who is in it, their titles, etc.

Case statement: A brief, compelling statement/report that is aimed at attracting support for a project.

Cause marketing: A partnership that pairs a company or brand with a social cause or cause-related organization for mutual benefit.

CCS: Short for “Cascading Style Sheets,” a website feature that gives both website developers and administrators more control over how pages are displayed by creating “style sheets.”

Chat room: A website for live, online conversation in which any number of computer users can type messages to each other.

Citizen journalism: The reporting of news events by members of the public.

Click bait: An eye-catching link on a website which encourages people to follow it.

Click-through rate: The percentage of people receiving an email who will click on a link in the message to reach a specific web page.

Clip art: Ready-made artwork sold or distributed for clipping and pasting into digital publications.

Cloud-based: Applications, services or resources made available to users via the Internet from a provider’s servers.

CMS: Short for “Content Management System.” Allows website administrators to create and change website content.

Collateral materials: A wide range of documents, including brochures, fact sheets, press pieces, displays, etc., that organizations use to promote themselves to their target audience.

Communications audit: An appraisal of all messages sent out by an organization.

Communications plan: A written plan that includes marketing, public relations and communications goals, target audiences, key messages, strategies, tools, intended outcomes, and the means to evaluate results.

Concept story: Feature story designed to interest a specific audience demographic.

Constant Contact: An online company offering marketing/communications tools such as mass emailing, emailed newsletters, and emailed online surveys — primarily for small businesses and nonprofits.

Content Management System (CMS): Gives users the ability to update a website without having to directly edit the site’s HTML code.

Content marketing: All promotional activities that involve the creation or sharing of content (organized information) for the purpose of engaging current and potential clients and customers.

Content provider: A website that publishes new and updated information on a consistent basis.

Copy: The text produced for a press release, news article, or other written media product. Journalists also refer to their news stories or features as copy.

Core values: An expression of what a nonprofit organization believes in, supports, and is passionate about.

Creative Commons: A nonprofit organization that allows people to license their creative work (photos, graphics, songs, videos, etc.) and to grant someone else permission to use their work.

Cross post: To simultaneously post a message at more than one online location (such as blogs and social media websites.)

Crowdsourcing: To obtain information or input into a particular task or project by enlisting the services of a number of people, usually via the Internet.

Data-driven: Taking measurable facts (or evidence) and using them as the basis for the development of new programs and/or services (as opposed to using, say, intuition or personal experience).

Die cut: In printing, cutting paper into a specific shape using a steel cutting die.

Deliverables: Measurable outputs or change produced by a given program or activity.

Direct public support: Contributions, gifts, grants, and bequests received directly from the public. This can include funs received from individuals, trusts, corporations, estates, foundations, public charities, or raised by an outside professional fundraiser.

Dropdown menu: A horizontal website menu that displays a list of options when one of the primary menu items is selected. These options typically “drop down” below the selected menu item.

Earned media: Media coverage that is gained through relationship-building, story pitching, and media relations work, as opposed to paid advertising.

Elevator pitch: One or two sentences that serve as an introduction to an organization or program in general terms that anyone can understand. Ideally, staff and board memorize the elevator pitch so they can describe the organization clearly and consistently to anyone.

Email marketing campaign: A series of emails delivered at intervals and with an overall objective in mind.

Facebook Chat: A free service that enables Facebook users to conduct instant message-based conversations with Facebook friends.

Flash mob: A large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place (generally pre-organized via social media), perform an unusual act for a brief time, and then quickly disperse.

Flickr: A social network based around online picture sharing. The service allows users to store photos online and then share them with others through profiles, groups, sets, and other methods.

Footer: The bottom section of a web page. This section is where copyright notices, links to privacy policy and website contact information often are kept.

Foursquare: A location-based social networking website for mobile devices such as smartphones, designed to: “Help people keep up and meet up with friends and discover great places… ” Foursquare users “check in” at locations/venues using a mobile website, text messaging or a device-specific application.

Go Daddy: A private company that is primarily an Internet domain registrar and a hoster of websites.

Goal: A general statement of desired results to be achieved; the aim or object towards which a project or effort is directed.

Google Documents: A group of Web-based office applications that includes tools for word processing, presentations, and spreadsheet analysis. All documents are stored and edited online and multiple people can collaborate on a document.

Graf: A paragraph.

Graphic designer: The person who arranges image and text to communicate a specific message. Graphic design may be applied in any media, including print, digital media, motion pictures, animation, product decoration, packaging and signs.

Guerilla marketing: Unconventional marketing programs designed to get maximum results out of minimal resources in order to promote a product or service.

Guidestar: An information service specializing in reporting on nonprofit organizations. Those interested in reviewing a nonprofit’s recent IRS Form 990s can register at GuideStar.org and download them free of charge.

Gutter: The narrow margin of white space in the center area in a magazine, newspaper or book, where two pages meet; also, the white space between text columns.

Hanging indent: A form of indention in which the first line or first few lines of a paragraph are set flush with the left margin, while the rest of the lines of that paragraph are indented at a specified distance.

Hashtag: A keyword associated with and assigned to an item of content with a hash mark (#) attached to the front of the word. Hashtags make it easier to follow a topic of interest discussed on Twitter.

Header: On a website, the very top of the web page. The header usually contains a logo for the website.

Hit: Hit (or page hit) is the retrieval of any items related to a web page from the web server. A single web page can have several items, images, scripts, etc. that all can count as hits.

HTML: HyperText Markup Language (HTML) is a programming language for web pages. It provides content and structure, while CSS supplies style.

Hyperlink: A hyperlink, more commonly called a link, is an electronic connection from one web page to either other web pages on the same website (internal linking) or web pages located on another website (external linking).

Impressions: Impressions are the number of times a marketing message (TV, radio, magazine, online, etc.) is seen.

Instagram: A photo-sharing application that lets users take photos, apply filters to their images, and share the photos instantly on the Instagram network and other social networks like Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and Foursquare.

Interactive marketing: The ability to communicate with a customer, remember what the customer says, and address the customer again in a way that shows that what the customer has said is remembered.

Inverted pyramid: A style of writing in which the most important information is put in the lead (beginning), followed by less and less important information, constructed so an editor can cut after any paragraph and have a complete story that meets space limitations.

Java: A programming language specifically designed for writing programs that can be safely downloaded through the Internet without fear of viruses or other harm to computers or files.

Joomla: A free open source website software system that lets users build, update and manage websites.

Jump or jump line: The line of type at the bottom of a column of text that directs the reader to somewhere else in the document, where the story continues.

Kerning: Kerning describes the amount of space between the letters in words/text.

Keywords: The specific terms (single words and phrases) used by someone searching for something on the Internet.

Kicker: The starting sentence or first few words of a news story set in a font size larger than the rest of the story.

Landing page: The web page that appears in response to clicking on a search engine search result or an online advertisement.

Laser cut: In printing, cutting paper into a specific shape using a laser.

Lead release: A press release with key information, especially as part of a press packet.

Lead-time: Period of time that reporters and producers need to prepare stories and information for publication or broadcast.

Leading: Leading describes the space between lines of text/type.

Logo: A graphic or symbol, sometimes with accompanying text, owned by and representing an organization or program.

Marketing campaign: A specific, defined series of activities used in marketing a program, product or service.

Marketing plan: A strategic plan that details the actions necessary to achieve specified marketing objectives. It can be for a program, service or organization.

Marketing research: The process of systematically gathering, recording, analyzing, and interpreting data pertaining to an organization’s market, clients, customers, and competitors with the goal of improving marketing decisions.

Masthead: On a website, a graphic image placed on top of a web page that helps to easily identify the current website and/or web page to the user.

Media advisory: A written document sent to local media outlets about an upcoming press conference, briefing or other event. A media advisory usually includes the basic details about the event and its schedule and location.

Meme: An idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person — often via the Internet — within a culture.

Mission statement: A clear and concise description of a nonprofit’s purpose, who it serves, and how it plans to serve them.

Native advertising: An online advertising method in which the advertiser attempts to gain attention by providing content in the context of the user’s experience.

Navigation bar: A section of a website intended to aid visitors in moving through the site.

Navigation structure: On a website, the order of the pages and the collection of what links to what. Usually, the navigational structure includes at least one menu.

Needs assessment survey: A preliminary survey aimed at identifying needs of a community. Survey results are used to develop a project to address those needs.

Negative space: In design, the space not occupied by the text or images.

Nut graf: The paragraph containing the essential elements of a story.

Objective: Statement of specific measurable or observable results to be achieved over a specified period of time. It answers the questions “what” and “when” quantitatively.

Off-the-record: Information provided by a source that is strictly intended as background information for a reporter and which cannot be published or used in any way.

Open rate: The percentage of people who open an emailed message, either by clicking on it in their inbox or by opening it in preview mode.

Open source: Free software for which the programming code is available to the general public for use and/or modification from its original design.

Operating system (or “OS”): The computer software that allows the other programs on the computer to run.

Optimization: A procedure used to make a website as effective, functional and/or fast as possible.

Outcomes: Measurable consequences of a program’s outputs, impacts or results.

Outputs: Measurable, direct results of activities, such as services provided or products (for example: percentage of students who graduate from high school).

Pageview: An instance of a website page being viewed/seen by a user.

Paraphrase: An indirect quote or summary of words.

Permalink: A stable (unchanging) and direct link (URL) that sends a user to a specific page, article, image, video, or other content that is within a specific website.

Pinterest: A website that allows visitors to “pin” things (photos, videos, etc.) online, as one would pin things on a real life bulletin board. Users create and share collections (called “boards”) of visual bookmarks (called “pins”).

Pipe and Drape: For a display booth; refers to freestanding pipe, fixed or adjustable telescoping vertical uprights supported by a weighted steel base, and adjustable telescopic or fixed horizontals that provide a drape support frame with removable drape panels. It is frequently used for trade show booths.

Pitch letters: Communications sent to editors of magazines, newspapers and other media outlets in the hopes of generating interest and motivating them to write an article about an organization, program, event, policy or issue. Pitch letters are longer than press releases, typically providing all the necessary background information for a reporter to write a detailed story.

Planned giving: An effort to identify and cultivate a person for the purpose of generating a major gift that is made in lifetime or at death, is carefully structured, has tax implications, and often is transmitted through a legal instrument, such as a will or trust.

Platform agnostic: Refers to software that will run on any computer operating system.

Podcast: Audio or video content distributed on the Internet in episodes that have a consistent format.

Points: The units of measurement for the height of the characters in a font; each point is approximately 1/72 inch.

Pop-up displays (or portable displays): A display, often for a booth, that uses a flexible graphic panel (fabric or other man-made material) attached to a spring-loaded roller on which the graphic winds for storage. When ready to display, the graphic is pulled up and then secured to a support post at the back of the roller, which holds up the graphic.

Press packet (or kit): A package/packet of promotional material provided to members of the press to brief them about an issue, program, event, policy or organization.

Press release: A news announcement, usually put out by a representative of an organization, that features a new development, service or other event of historical or reputation importance for the organization.

Press statement: Official copy/text issued to the press and media by an organization describing events, stating a position, or providing an update on a situation. It is a tool used often during crisis communications to keep press and media briefed on quickly changing events.

Profile: A feature news story about a specific person.

Proof: A paper or file created for the purpose of checking the quality and accuracy of the material to be printed.

Pull quote: Also called a “pull out quote” or “drop quote,” this is text taken from the main news article (print or online) and enlarged/emboldened/emphasized to stress a point and enhance the look and design of the piece.

QR (or Quick Response) code: A matrix barcode (consisting of black square dots arranged in a square grid on a white background) that can hold thousands of alphanumeric characters of information. When scanned with a camera-enabled Smartphone, the QR code can link to digital content on the web, activate a number of phone functions including email, and connect the mobile device to a web browser.

QuarkXPress: Popular desktop publishing program.

Rag right and rag left: Text that is not justified; it is uneven on either the right or the left side of the column.

Reach: A measure of the number of persons who viewed a piece of communication.

Reddit: An entertainment website, social networking service and news website where registered community members can submit content, such as text posts or direct links.

Registrar: Domain names are managed and regulated by an international body, ICANN (the Internet Corporation For Assigned Names and Numbers). ICANN licenses companies, called “registrars,” with the right to sell domain names.

Response rate: The percentage of people who respond to an email (or other communication) by taking some type of action — such as completing a survey, signing a petition, or making a donation — after clicking through to a website.

ROI: Return on Investment (ROI) is the actual or perceived future value of a marketing campaign. It is calculated as the ratio of the amount gained or lost, relative to the initial investment.

Scroll bar: A bars that appears on the side or bottom of a website page (or on a smaller window on a website page) to control which part of a list or document is currently in view.

Serif and Sans Serif: Plain font type with or without lines perpendicular to the ends of characters.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Generating more visits to a website by purposefully shaping on-page and off-page elements of a website. The goal of SEO is to make a website findable and searchable for web searchers.

Sidebar: In graphics and page layout (including website pages), the text and/or graphics set off from the primary text to communicate additional or peripheral information.

Sliders: Shifting/moving horizontal panels on a website; also known as carousels.

Snapchat: A mobile messaging app that allows the user to send videos and pictures which self-destruct after a few seconds of being viewed

Slogan: A short, memorable phrase or sentence meant to gain attention (for, say, an organization or a program) and get a specific message across quickly.

Social capital: The value and cooperation created through social human relationships or networks.

Social marketing: Efforts that seeks to develop and integrate marketing concepts with other approaches in order to promote human behaviors that benefit individuals and communities.

Social media: The Internet technology used to enable an individual to reach a large audience in an instant. Social media such as blogs, wikis and forums also offer readers the opportunity to reply.

Social networking: The practice of gaining social and/or professional contacts by making connections through individuals via meetings, conferences, tradeshows, social media, etc.

Stock photos: Professional photographs licensed for specific uses and available for purchase on a royalty-free basis.

Style sheets: Files or forms that define the layout of a document. For a website, style sheets determine how different website elements, such as headers and links, appear. These style sheets can then be applied to any web page.

Survey Monkey: A Web tool that enables users to create online surveys.

Tag: A keyword or term assigned to a piece of information.

Tagline: A meaningful phrase or slogan that sums up the purpose and tone of an organization or program in a way that is memorable to the public. A tagline is often the theme for a larger campaign.

Transactional campaign: A cause marketing campaign in which consumer activity triggers a donation by a company.

Tri-fold: Paper (for, say, a brochure) that is folded a total of two times to split the paper into thirds, with one panel going over the other.

Unique visitors: The number of individuals who visit a website within a designated timeframe. Each individual is counted only once in the unique visitor measure for the reporting period.

URL: Abbreviation for Unique Resource Locator — the web address (that starts http://www.) which brings a user to a website, webpage, or other location on the Internet.

Viral marketing: A form of advertising that spreads itself. Examples include websites and email messages that encourage users to “tell-a-friend.”

Vision statement: A clear and concise message about what a nonprofit wants the future to look like.

Visit duration: The length of time visitors spend on individual pages within a website and the duration of their entire visit to a site.

Webinar: A seminar delivered online, either live or recorded, and archived for replay.

White space: The total amount of non-image, non-text areas on a page.

Widget: A widget is a component (or application) that adds a specific function to a website without requiring the writing of new code.

Widows and Orphans: A widow is a single word or very short line at the end of a paragraph. A widow is considered poor typography because it leaves too much white space between paragraphs or at the bottom of a page. An orphan is a single word or very short line that appears at the beginning of a column or a page. This results in poor horizontal alignment at the top of the column or page.

Wordpress: A free, open-source content management system (CMS) that allows users to create websites and blogs.

WYSIWYG (or “What You See Is What You Get”): In computing, an editing system in which what is displayed onscreen (i.e., text and graphics) during editing appears in a form that matches its appearance when printed or displayed on a screen as a finished product.

X-Banner: A display banner, as for a display booth, with a banner stand that has three legs and a backing and allows the banner to be attached at all four corners.

Z-fold: Paper (for, say, a brochure) that has two parallel folds which create six panels of equal size — three panels on each side of the paper. The two folds are made in opposite directions, which forms a shape that resembles the letter Z.