The Meetings Where Everyone Nods and No One Is Sure Why
If you have ever sat in a marketing meeting and thought,
“I understand every one of these words individually, but not in this order,”
this page is for you. Think of it as a cheat sheet.
I was in the Marines. We loved acronyms. We thrived on acronyms. Entire sentences were just capital letters yelled with confidence. Even with that background, marketing somehow managed to take acronym usage to an entirely different, more confusing level.
I have been doing this for over a decade and I still find myself translating what some corporate types are saying in real time. And here is the secret they never tell you. No one on the board speaks like this. CEOs do not speak like this. Customers definitely do not speak like this.
The more conversational and human you sound, the more people actually understand you. The more people understand you, the more they trust you. And somehow that is still considered a radical idea in marketing
Marketing in 2026 is no longer about doing the work. It is about abbreviating the work until it sounds important enough to survive budget season.
People no longer say things like:
“We should help customers find us.”
They say:
“We need to align AE with AEO to support TOF while improving BOF efficiency and protecting ROAS.”
Everyone nods.
No one asks questions.
Someone writes “alignment” on a whiteboard.
This is Marketing Bingo.
Below is a complete list of 101 marketing abbreviations currently in use in 2026, followed by plain English definitions so you can finally understand what is happening, or at least pretend convincingly. I call this Buzzword or Marketing Bingo- here is my annual list updated for 2026 and including some of the newest tech and marketing terms.
Marketing Bingo 2026
What These Actually Mean (In Real Human Language)
AE – Ask Engine
Platforms where people ask questions directly instead of searching, including AI assistants and conversational search tools.
AEO – Ask Engine Optimization
Optimizing content so it answers questions clearly enough to be surfaced by AI and conversational search engines.
AI – Artificial Intelligence
Software that predicts, generates, analyzes, or automates tasks that humans used to do manually, sometimes better, sometimes worse.
AIDA – Attention, Interest, Desire, Action
A classic marketing framework describing how people move from noticing something to buying it.
AM – Account Manager
The person who translates client expectations into internal tasks and apologizes when timelines slip.
API – Application Programming Interface
The technical bridge that allows different platforms and tools to talk to each other.
ARR – Annual Recurring Revenue
The predictable revenue a business expects to earn from subscriptions or ongoing contracts over a year.
ASO – App Store Optimization
Improving how an app ranks and converts inside app stores.
ATC – Add to Cart
A key ecommerce behavior that indicates buying intent but not commitment.
ATL – Above the Line
Mass marketing like TV, radio, and large media buys that are not directly targeted.
ABM – Account Based Marketing
A strategy focused on targeting specific high value companies instead of broad audiences.
B2B – Business to Business
Companies selling products or services to other companies.
B2C – Business to Consumer
Companies selling directly to individual consumers.
BI – Business Intelligence
Tools and reporting systems that turn data into dashboards executives pretend to read.
BLUF – Bottom Line Up Front
Military inspired shorthand for “tell me the point before the explanation.”
BOF – Bottom of Funnel
Marketing efforts focused on converting people who are ready to buy.
BRD – Brand Requirements Document
A document outlining how a brand should look, sound, and behave.
BRR – Brand Recall Rate
A measure of how easily people remember your brand.
BTL – Below the Line
Targeted marketing tactics like email, direct mail, and promotions.
BV – Brand Voice
The consistent tone and personality a brand uses in communication.
CAC – Customer Acquisition Cost
How much it costs to acquire one new customer.
CDP – Customer Data Platform
A system that unifies customer data across tools and channels.
CLV or LTV – Customer Lifetime Value
The total revenue a customer is expected to generate over their relationship with a business.
CMS – Content Management System
Software used to publish and manage website content.
CPC – Cost Per Click
The amount paid for each ad click.
CPL – Cost Per Lead
The cost to generate one qualified lead.
CPM – Cost Per Thousand
The cost to show an ad one thousand times.
CRM – Customer Relationship Management
Software that tracks customer interactions and sales activity.
CRO – Conversion Rate Optimization
Improving websites and funnels so more visitors take desired actions.
CTA – Call to Action
The instruction telling users what to do next.
CTR – Click Through Rate
The percentage of people who click after seeing an ad or link.
CX – Customer Experience
The total impression a customer has across all interactions.
DAU – Daily Active Users
How many users engage with a product daily.
DBR – Data Backed Results
Performance claims supported by measurable data.
DEI – Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
Organizational initiatives focused on representation and fairness.
DMP – Data Management Platform
A system used to collect and activate audience data for advertising.
DOOH – Digital Out of Home
Digital billboards and screens in public spaces.
DSP – Demand Side Platform
Technology used to buy digital ads programmatically.
DT – Digital Transformation
Updating systems and processes to operate digitally.
DX – Digital Experience
How users interact with digital touchpoints.
EBITDA
A financial metric used to evaluate profitability before certain expenses.
EOD – End of Day
A deadline that means different things to different people.
ESP – Email Service Provider
Platforms used to send and manage email campaigns.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Content designed to answer common customer questions.
GA4 – Google Analytics 4
Google’s current analytics platform focused on events and user behavior.
GEO – Generative Engine Optimization
Optimizing content to appear in AI generated responses.
GMB or GBP – Google Business Profile
The local business listing that controls map visibility.
GTM – Go To Market
The strategy for launching a product or service.
H1 and H2
Primary and secondary headings used in content structure.
ICP – Ideal Customer Profile
A detailed description of the best type of customer for a business.
KPI – Key Performance Indicator
Metrics used to measure success.
LLM – Large Language Model
AI systems trained on massive amounts of text.
MAU – Monthly Active Users
How many users engage with a product monthly.
MCP – Marketing Control Panel
A centralized dashboard for tracking marketing performance.
MQL – Marketing Qualified Lead
A lead deemed ready for sales engagement.
MRR – Monthly Recurring Revenue
Predictable revenue earned monthly.
MSP – Marketing Service Provider
A company that delivers outsourced marketing services.
NPS – Net Promoter Score
A measure of customer satisfaction and loyalty.
OKR – Objectives and Key Results
A goal setting framework.
OMNI – Omnichannel
Marketing across multiple connected channels.
OOH – Out of Home
Advertising in physical public spaces.
P&L – Profit and Loss
A financial statement showing revenue and expenses.
PDP – Product Detail Page
A page describing a specific product.
PLG – Product Led Growth
Growth driven primarily by product experience.
POC – Proof of Concept
A test to validate feasibility.
PRD – Product Requirements Document
Specifications for building a product.
QA – Quality Assurance
Testing to ensure quality standards are met.
QBR – Quarterly Business Review
A recurring performance review meeting.
ROAS – Return on Ad Spend
Revenue generated for every dollar spent on ads.
ROI – Return on Investment
Profitability measurement.
SEO – Search Engine Optimization
Improving organic search visibility.
SEM – Search Engine Marketing
Paid and organic search strategies combined.
SERP – Search Engine Results Page
The page showing search results.
SLA – Service Level Agreement
A contract defining service expectations.
SMB – Small and Medium Business
Companies below enterprise scale.
SOV – Share of Voice
Brand visibility relative to competitors.
SQL – Sales Qualified Lead
A lead ready for sales outreach.
SSOT – Single Source of Truth
A unified data reference point.
SWOT – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
A strategic planning framework.
TAM – Total Addressable Market
The maximum market size available.
TCV – Total Contract Value
The full value of a contract.
TL;DR – Too Long Didn’t Read
A summary for busy people.
TOF – Top of Funnel
Awareness stage marketing.
UX – User Experience
How users feel using a product or site.
UI – User Interface
Visual layout and controls.
UGC – User Generated Content
Content created by users.
UVP – Unique Value Proposition
What makes a business different.
VSL – Video Sales Letter
A video designed to persuade viewers.
VoC – Voice of Customer
Customer feedback and insights.
WAU – Weekly Active Users
Weekly engagement metric.
WCAG – Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
Standards for accessible web design.
WIP – Work in Progress
Ongoing tasks.
YoY – Year Over Year
Performance comparison.
ZTD – Zero Touch Data
Automated data handling.
ZTP – Zero Trust Privacy
Privacy by default systems.
AI Ops – Artificial Intelligence Operations
AI used for system management.
RevOps – Revenue Operations
Alignment of sales, marketing, and customer success.
MarTech – Marketing Technology
Tools used by marketers.
AdTech – Advertising Technology
Tools used for paid media.
GrowthOps – Growth Operations
Cross functional growth execution.
Alignment and Synergy.
Everyone agrees this is important. No one defines it. Almost no one uses the term synergy correctly.
Good luck!!
Rob