Content marketing is about creating valuable, consistent content that attracts and keeps an audience — and encourages them to take action.
This glossary explains the most common content marketing terms in simple, practical language, whether you’re managing a blog, running campaigns, or building brand awareness.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
A
Audience persona
A semi-fictional character that represents your ideal customer. It includes details such as age, interests, problems, and goals to help shape your content strategy.
Awareness stage
The first step of the marketing funnel, where your audience becomes aware of a problem or need and starts looking for information.
Analytics
Data used to measure how well your content performs — such as traffic, engagement, and conversions. Tools like Google Analytics help track results.
Asset
Any piece of content you create for marketing — such as blog posts, videos, infographics, or guides.
B
Backlink
A link from another website to your content. Backlinks can boost SEO and show that your content is trusted by others.
Blog
A section of your website where you regularly publish articles or updates. Blogging is one of the main forms of content marketing.
Brand storytelling
Using stories to make your brand relatable and memorable. It focuses on emotion, values, and connection rather than hard selling.
Buyer’s journey
The path people take from discovering your brand to becoming a customer — usually includes awareness, consideration, and decision stages.
C
Call to action (CTA)
A message encouraging readers to take a specific action — such as subscribing, downloading, or booking a call.
Case study
A detailed example of how your product or service solved a customer’s problem. Great for building trust and authority.
Content calendar
A schedule that helps you plan and organise your content publishing dates and topics in advance.
Content funnel
The process of guiding your audience from awareness to conversion using different types of content at each stage.
Content hub
A main page that links to several related articles on one topic. It improves SEO and helps readers explore connected content easily.
Content repurposing
Turning existing content into new formats — like converting a blog post into a video, podcast, or infographic.
Conversion
When a visitor takes an action that moves them closer to becoming a customer — like signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase.
D
Data-driven content
Content created using research, analytics, or customer insights. It’s based on facts rather than guesswork.
Distribution
How and where your content is shared — such as through social media, email newsletters, or partnerships.
Downloadable content
Resources like PDFs, templates, or checklists that visitors can download, often in exchange for their email address.
E
Editorial calendar
A detailed publishing plan that includes topics, deadlines, and who’s responsible for each piece of content.
Engagement
How people interact with your content — through likes, comments, shares, or time spent reading or watching.
Evergreen content
Content that remains useful and relevant long after it’s published — such as how-to guides and best-practice articles.
F
Funnel
The stages a potential customer passes through — from discovering your brand to making a purchase.
Freemium content
Free content offered to attract an audience, with paid upgrades or premium versions available later.
Frequency
How often you publish or promote content. Consistency is more important than volume in long-term marketing success.
G
Gate content
Content that requires users to provide information (like their email address) before they can access it. Common for eBooks and whitepapers.
Goal setting
Defining what you want your content marketing to achieve — such as brand awareness, leads, or sales.
Guest post
Content written for another website to reach a wider audience and gain backlinks.
H
Headline
The title of a piece of content. A good headline attracts attention and encourages clicks.
Hero content
Your most important or high-impact content, designed to generate attention and represent your brand’s best work.
Hook
The opening line or idea that grabs attention and makes people want to keep reading or watching.
I
Inbound marketing
A marketing strategy that attracts customers through valuable content rather than paid ads or cold outreach.
Influencer marketing
Partnering with individuals who have large audiences to promote your content or products authentically.
Interactive content
Content that requires user participation — like quizzes, calculators, or polls — to boost engagement.
J
Journey mapping
Visualising how your audience moves through your content and where they engage or drop off.
K
Keyword research
Finding the words and phrases your audience searches for, so you can create content that matches their intent.
KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)
Measurable metrics that track how well your content performs — such as traffic, leads, or engagement rate.
L
Landing page
A standalone page focused on getting visitors to take one specific action, like downloading a guide or signing up.
Lead magnet
A free resource offered in exchange for contact details — like a checklist, webinar, or email course.
Lifecycle marketing
Creating different types of content for different stages of the customer journey, from first impression to repeat purchase.
M
Microcontent
Short, shareable snippets of content like social posts or quotes taken from longer pieces.
Metrics
The numbers that show how your content is performing, such as page views, shares, or conversion rate.
Multichannel marketing
Sharing your content across multiple platforms — like blogs, social media, and email — for wider reach.
N
Narrative
The overall story your brand tells through its content. A strong narrative helps people connect with your message emotionally.
Newsletter
A regular email update sent to subscribers with new content, offers, or insights.
Niche
A specific topic or audience segment your content is focused on. Narrower niches often attract more loyal followers.
O
Owned media
Content you fully control — such as your website, blog, or email list. It’s more reliable than social media platforms.
Organic traffic
Visitors who find your content through search engines rather than paid adverts.
Outreach
Contacting other websites, influencers, or journalists to share or link to your content.
P
Persona
A detailed description of your target reader or customer, used to guide your tone, format, and messaging.
Podcast
Audio content released in episodes, often featuring interviews or discussions around your brand’s topics.
Promotion
The act of sharing and amplifying your content through channels like social media, newsletters, and partnerships.
Personalisation
Tailoring content to suit the individual reader’s preferences, behaviour, or past activity.
Q
Quality score
A measure of how relevant and valuable your content is to your audience. High-quality content earns better rankings and engagement.
R
Repurposing
Reusing existing content in a new format — such as turning a blog post into a video or infographic.
ROI (Return on Investment)
The value or profit you gain compared to what you spent creating and promoting your content.
Retention
Keeping your audience engaged over time through consistent, valuable content and communication.
S
Social proof
Evidence that other people trust your brand — like testimonials, reviews, or user-generated content.
Storytelling
Using narrative techniques to make your brand or message more engaging and memorable.
Strategy
Your overall plan for what content you’ll create, why, and how you’ll measure its success.
Subheadings
Smaller titles that break up content and make long sections easier to read.
T
Thought leadership
Creating expert, insightful content that positions your brand or founder as a trusted authority in your field.
Top-of-funnel content
Educational or awareness-based content that attracts new visitors before they’re ready to buy.
Tracking
Monitoring how your audience interacts with your content to see what’s working and what isn’t.
Traffic
The number of visitors your content attracts over time. Growing traffic is a common content marketing goal.
U
User experience (UX)
How enjoyable and easy your website or content is to use. Good UX keeps visitors on your site longer.
UGC (User-Generated Content)
Content created by your audience — such as reviews, photos, or social posts — that you can share to build trust.
Upsell
Encouraging customers to buy a more expensive or additional product after they’ve already purchased.
V
Value proposition
The main reason someone should choose your product or content. It explains how you solve their problem better than others.
Viral content
Content that spreads quickly online through shares and engagement, usually because it’s entertaining or highly relatable.
Visual content
Images, graphics, videos, and design elements that make your content more appealing and memorable.
W
Webinar
A live or recorded online event used to educate, demonstrate, or promote. Often used for lead generation.
Workflow
The series of steps involved in creating and publishing content efficiently, often supported by automation tools.
Whitepaper
A detailed report explaining a complex issue, often used to show authority and attract business leads.
X
XML feed
A structured data format that allows your content to be shared across different platforms, such as news aggregators or email tools.
Y
Yield
The measurable outcome of your content — such as traffic, sign-ups, or sales — compared to effort and cost.
Z
Zero-click content
Content that provides value directly on the platform (like social posts) without needing users to click through to your site.