Email Marketing & Software Glossary

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M|N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|W|X|Y|Z

A

Autoresponder; Autoresponse Email Software

Automated email message that may be triggered by new subscriptions, unsubscriptions, orders etc.

Attachment

A file that accompanies the message and is impossible to be sent in the message body (either it is too large or not in text/HTML format).

B

Bounces, Bouncebacks

In a bulk email campaign, messages that cannot be delivered to the specified address. Causes may be full mailbox, server problems or others.

Broadcasting Email Software

A software that helps the user send mass email.

Blacklist

An URL that lists domains/IP addresses that spread spam.

BCC

Blind Carbon Copy. The option to hide the list of email addresses where a message is sent to. This feature is usually provided by the email client.

Bulk Email Software

A program that is used to send the same message to multiple recipients (mass email).

C

Click Through Rate

A figure provided by an email tracking software, which shows how many receivers of a newsletter clicked on a link.

CC

Carbon Copy, an option to send the same message to multiple receivers, however, by allowing them to see each other's email addresses. This option is often used in discussion lists and also provided by the email client.

D

Double Opt-In

Email marketing software feature. Allows you to ask people that subscribe to your newsletter to confirm their accept via email.

Delivery Tracking

Email tracking software feature. Estimates the ratio of people that actually received your message per total number of emails sent.

Discussion List

An email service that allows each member to post individual messages that are delivered to all the members of the group. This is also called many-to-many list.

Domain Name

The name you type to define the owner of an web location. The actual name of an IP address.

DARTmail

an e-mail marketing application for planning, execution and analysis of email campaigns.

E

Email

Electronic message

Email marketing

Marketing via email

Email Client

A software that you can use to send, receive and organise email.

Ezine

'Electronic Magazine'. A term used for email newsletter, but specific for article publishing.

F

Forward

An option where the receiver of a message can send it to other people in his or her address list.

H

Hard Bounce

A message that can't be delivered because the address is invalid (the account does not exist or it has been abandoned by the user).

HTML

Hypertext Markup Language. The standard language used for publishing in World Wide Web. A HTML message can use specific font, graphics, images and colours.

I

In House List

A list of email addresses belonging to people you know and had previous contact with. E.g. subscribers to your newsletter, customers, friends.

IMAP, IMAP4

Internet Message Access Protocol. Helps you access the email messages that arrive on your server. Saves the messages both on the server and at locations you download.

ISP

Internet Service Provider. E.g. AOL, MSN.

L

List Owner

A person who owns opt in bulk email lists for rent. The list owner does not participate directly in transactions.

List Manager

A person working for the list owner, that talks to people who want to rent a bulk email list, or to list brokers.

List Broker

A person that intermediates list rental. He negociates discounts as his revenue with the list manager, at the same time pursuing the interests of his client.

M

Mail Bomb

An attempt to get down an email server by sending towards it more messages than it can handle within a short period of time.

Mailing List

Any collection of email addresses that you intend to use in bulk email campaigns.

Multi Part Mime

A message format that includes both HTML and text version, displaying them accordingly to receiver's option or possibility.

N

Netiquette

'Net Etiquette'. A set of thumb rules that apply to internet users, in order to promote a fair, friendly and non-offensive environment on the web.

Newsletter

A message sent with a certain frequency to the subscribers list that contains articles, news and useful data about a specified topic.

O

Opt-In

Permission email. The action of subscribing to a newsletter or ezine. Usually you have to fill in a form, providing personal information and accept the 'Terms of Agreement' page (after reading it, of course!)

Opt-Out

The reverse action of 'opt-in'. The sender of the message must carry out the subscription request within maximum 30 days (but depends on the newsletter frequency). Also, the sender cannot further use your subscription data.

Open Rate

The number of receivers that actually open the message you send. The email software can track this figure only for HTML messages.

P

Permission Email

See opt-in email.

Personalized Email

A message that uses a personal approach towards the receiver. A feature provided by the bulk email software where you can personalise each email.

Plain Text

Not formatted (plain) text.

POP, POP3

Post Office Protocol. A protocol that manages incoming email. Does not save a copy of the message on the server.

R

Registration

The action of filling in a web form to complete with an opt-in subscription to a newsletter.

Recipient

An email address (accompanied by a personal profile) that you send email to.

S

SMTP

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. The most commonly used protocol in sending email between two email servers.

Soft Bounce

A message that cannot be delivered to the email address because of temporary problems with the server or full mailbox.

Solo Mailing

A one time email that you send to your emailing list, apart from the regular newsletter. Usually it includes paid advertising from a third party.

Spam

Unsolicited commercial email. Untargeted bulk email.

Subscriber, Subscription

A person that accepts to receive your newsletter, following an imposed subscription protocol: access a web form, provide personal data, email address where s/he wants the newsletter delivered and accepts the 'Terms of Agreement' page.

T

Targeted Bulk Email Campaign

A mass email marketing campaign applied to an opt-in list. The opt-in action is an implicit selection of people who are interested in your newsletter's topic. The recipients are eventually selected according to your campain target.

Tracking

Feature provided by the bulk email software that allows you to track the actions of the receivers: opening the message, clicking through, forwarding.

U

Untargeted Bulk Email Campaign

A mass emailing campaign that is sent out to people who didn't previously opt-in. Unsolicited commercial email. Spam.

Unsubscriber, Unsubscription

A person that requests not to receive a newsletter/commercial message anymore.

Unsolicited Commercial Email

Spam. An email that is sent out to anonymous receivers, on other bases than opt-in or subscription.

W

Web Based

A software application, database or any kind of information hosted online.

Web Mail

Web based email client. E.g. Gmail, Yahoo!Mail, Hotmail.