Breaking Bad Email Marketing Jargon

Ever feel like you're just, uh, swimming
in alphabet soup when people start

throwing around terms like CRM, MQL, ROAS

Oh, definitely.

Especially if you're, you know,
pouring everything into creating a

great newsletter, deciphering all
that digital marketing jargon can feel

like trying to read a secret code.

Yeah.

Absolutely.

And for you, the listener, you're probably
much more focused on the content, right?

Hmm.

On connecting with readers.

Yeah.

Getting bogged down in marketing terms
can really pull you away from that.

Exactly.

So today we're gonna try and
cut through some of that.

We wanna focus on the digital
marketing terms that actually matter

if you're creating a newsletter.

And we're leaning on some really practical
insights from the reply to Wiki now

reply to, that's an email agency run
by Ambreen and Sam, folks who've been

deep in email marketing for years.

Mm-hmm.

And they've put together this wiki
specifically to give clear kind of

no nonsense definitions for creators.

Yeah.

No nonsense is the key phrase there.

This isn't about learning
buzzwords to sound smart.

No, not at all.

It's really about understanding
how these terms connect to making,

you know, real progress with your
newsletter, like getting more readers

engaged or maybe boosting revenue.

It's basically the shortcut
to speaking the language you

need for newsletter success.

Precisely.

So the big question first, why even
bother learning this marketing speak?

It's not just for showing off, right?

Not at all.

It's fundamentally about shifting from
just hoping your newsletter's working.

Yeah.

Crossing your finger

to actually understanding what's
resonating and what's not.

It helps turn your newsletter from
just, well, another task on your

list into a strategic tool that
gets you where you want to go.

So these terms, they sound
complicated, but they're

really just a shared vocabulary

essentially.

Yes.

It's the language we use to talk about
online marketing methods, the metrics

we track, the tools we might use.

It just gets everyone on the same page.

So why is having that shared vocabulary
so important for a creator who just

wants to, you know, make progress?

Well,

for starters, it lets
you talk effectively.

With the platforms you use, your email
service provider analytics tools.

Ah, and maybe even
potential sponsors later on.

Yeah.

If you don't know terms like
deliverability or conversion rate,

having those productive conversations
or even just troubleshooting

problems becomes really difficult.

It's like trying to follow a recipe
without knowing what fold or saute means.

You'll probably make something, but

exactly.

Probably not what you intended.

And it goes beyond just platforms.

Understanding the terms helps
you separate the important

numbers from the well, the fluff,

the vanity metrics.

Yes, precisely.

You can start focusing on data
that actually tells you something

useful about engagement and health.

Okay.

Okay.

We definitely need to talk about
this vanity metrics, but first.

How does knowing the lingo help with the
bigger picture achieving actual goals?

It's the bridge really between the
actions you take and the results you see.

When you understand the terms.

You can connect something specific,
like testing a new call to action.

Mm-hmm.

To a concrete result, like seeing
your click through rate go up, or

maybe even getting more paid signups.

It lets you actually
justify the time and effort.

It turns it from a passion project,
which is great, into something

measurable, something strategic.

That's it.

And that's where, you know, resources
like the reply to Wiki come in handy.

Right.

Tell me more about that wiki.

What makes it different from
just a dry dictionary of terms?

Well, they've clearly thought about
it from a creator's perspective.

The definitions are short, clear,
plain English, no dense academic stuff.

Good.

And importantly, they always explain
why a term matters specifically

for email and newsletter folks.

They often add quick fixes, point
to free tools they use themselves.

Oh, nice.

And even include these clever prompts
for large language models, for AI

tools so you can explore further.

Plus, they're adding new
stuff daily apparently, and

sharing updates on their, uh.

3 0 3.

They're 3 0 3.

Like a newsletter or update?

Yeah, I believe so.

It sounds like a really
practical living resource.

Like a cheat sheet from
people in the trenches.

Okay, love that.

So let's tackle those vanity
metrics you mentioned.

What are they and why are they
potentially dangerous for creators?

So vanity metrics are the numbers that
you know, might puff up your chest

a bit, look good on a surface level.

They make you feel good, right?

But they don't actually reflect
true engagement or the real health.

Of your list and the classic example
one that were fly out two folks

really emphasize is the open rate.

Ah, the open rate for years.

That felt like the holy grail, didn't it?

The number everyone chased

it really did.

But the truth is, open rates
are well, pretty unreliable now.

Especially since Apple brought
in mail privacy projection.

Right.

MPP, explain that quickly.

Sure.

MPP basically pre fetches email content.

Yeah.

Including the little tracking pixel
used for opens so it triggers an open

on Apple devices, even if the user
never actually looked at the email.

Meaning those high open
rates you see might be.

Inflated,

hugely inflated.

Potentially that amazing 50% open
rate could be mostly artificial.

It just doesn't reliably show
genuine interest anymore.

Okay, that is crucial.

So if open rates are kind of garbage
now, what should creators be focusing on?

What are the actionable metrics
that actually signal progress?

The ones that show real interaction,
real movement towards your goals.

Uh, first up, click through rate or CTR.

Okay.

That's the percentage of people
who clicked a link in your email.

Simple as that.

It shows they were actually
interested enough in your content

or offered to take the next step.

Makes sense.

They engaged with the content.

What else?

Then there's revenue per subscriber.

If you monetize your newsletter in
any way, ads paid tiers, affiliates,

this ties your efforts directly to
income shows the real financial value,

direct line to the bottom line.

Got it.

Another good one is the
forward or share rate.

When people share your stuff, that's gold.

Yeah.

It means your content is hitting the mark.

Providing value people wanna pass on.

Mm-hmm.

Great for organic growth.

Yeah, that's a strong signal.

And finally, retention rate.

How many subscribers are sticking
around over say 30, 60, 90 days?

This shows you're keeping people
engaged long term, which is vital

for sustainable growth and progress.

So forget obsessing over
potentially fake opens.

Smart creators are looking at
clicks, revenue shares, and

how long people stay subscribed

precisely the reply to team.

Actually suggests focusing on
segmenting based on clicks.

Yeah.

Those are likely your most
engaged readers anyway.

That makes a ton of sense.

Now, you mentioned earlier that
understanding these terms can

save creators time and money.

How does that work practically?

Well, think of it like having a built in.

Uh, nonsense filter.

Oh, okay.

When

you grasp the basics, you're much
less likely to get taken in by

vague promises or pay for services
that sound fancier than they are.

Gimme an example.

Okay.

Say someone pitches you on
dramatically improving your email

deliverability for a big fee.

If you understand the term, you know
a lot of deliverability actually

comes down to basic list hygiene,
cleaning your list, managing bounces,

stuff you might already be
doing or could learn easily.

Exactly.

So you can ask better questions.

You're not just saying, will this boost
my open rate, which we know is flawed.

Instead you ask, okay, how
exactly will this impact?

My attributable conversion
rate for new subscribers.

That's a much sharper question focused
on real results, real progress.

And it helps with team
communication too, I imagine, if

you're working with anyone else.

Oh,

definitely.

Being able to say, Hey, our
last campaign had decent click

engagement, but the monetization was
weak, is so much clearer and more

actionable than just vague feelings.

Everyone knows what you mean

and when looking at
new tools or platforms,

same principle.

Yeah.

Understanding terms like AI
powered audience segmentation

let's you cut through the hype.

Is it really AI doing something
unique or is it just basic

filtering with a fancy label?

Got it.

It helps you make smarter decisions about
where to put your energy and your budget.

Yes, exactly.

To maximize the progress
you're trying to make.

Okay, so we're tracking these better
metrics, CTR, retention, et cetera,

but numbers are just numbers, right?

How do we turn that data into
actual insights we can use

to improve and move forward?

That's where understanding the terminology
really adds the crucial context.

Knowing what attribution
means, for instance,

explain that one

attribution helps you understand which
specific actions or pieces of content

are actually causing certain results.

Like did that specific subject line
lead to more clicks on the main link?

Did that welcome sequence improve
retention in the first 30 days?

It connects cause and effect.

Ah.

So it's not just knowing the
what, how many clicks, but

starting to understand the why.

Where did they come from?

Precisely.

And that understanding lets you
build reports that answer the vital.

So what question, instead of just
saying, we got 500 clicks last week.

Mm-hmm.

You can say, our AB test on the call
to action button increased clicks

by 15% last week directly driving
X amount in affiliate revenue.

See the difference.

Yeah.

That tells a story.

It shows impact and justifies the effort.

Exactly.

It makes it much easier to demonstrate
the value of your newsletter and make

a solid case for any resources you
might need to keep making progress.

Whether that's more
time, tools, or budget.

I.

This is super helpful.

Okay, let's get really practical for
someone listening right now, what

are, say the first few steps they
can take to start applying this?

Okay.

First step, identify maybe three to five
key metrics that directly link to your

main goals for your newsletter right now.

So personalize it.

Is it engagement?

Growth revenue,

Sally, don't track everything.

Track what matters for you.

Then step two, go find out the
specific definitions your email service

provider uses for those metrics.

Ah, good point.

They might calculate engagement
slightly differently.

Platform to platform,

they often do so know their definition.

Uh, third, set up a simple way to
track these key metrics regularly.

Could be a spreadsheet,
could be your ESPs dashboard.

Just make it consistent.

Get a baseline.

Yes.

And that leads to step four.

Try to set some benchmarks.

Look for industry averages.

If you can find them for your
niche or just compare against

your own past performance.

Are you improving?

Gives you context for the numbers,

right?

And the overarching thing,
the most crucial step maybe,

is shifting the mindset.

Successful creators
don't just collect data.

They look at it, they ask, what
does this mean for my goals?

And they use those answers
to make smarter decisions.

It's about moving from guessing to making
informed choices to drive that progress.

That's the core of it.

So, wrapping this up,
really understanding these.

Digital marketing terms.

It isn't about trying to sound like
some marketing expert overnight.

Not at all.

It's

about equipping yourself with the
language you need to see what's

actually working, what's driving the
progress you want and helping you

reach those outcomes you're aiming for.

With your newsletter,

spot on.

It's just about being more strategic with
your time, your creativity, your money.

So maybe a final thought for listeners.

Think about which one or two
of these terms we discussed now

that they may be a bit clearer.

Hmm.

Which ones could have the biggest impact
on the progress you wanna make right now?

Is it finally getting a handle on CTR?

Is it tracking subscriber
retention more closely?

Yeah.

What's the one thing that
could unlock the next step?

Exactly.

And you know, the Reply Two wiki
is there is a great place to keep

digging into these definitions
and understanding them better.

Absolutely.

Because that clear understanding,
that's really powerful.

Mm-hmm.

It's what helps you unlock your
newsletter's potential and achieve the

success you're working so hard for.