A/B split |
| Refers to a test situation in which a list is split into two with every other name on the list being sent one specific creative, and vice versa. |
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Above the fold/ sill |
| (Preview pane in your email client) The part of a web-page or email client that is visible without scrolling. If you have a 'Join our mailing list' or 'Subscribe now' tag on your website, place it 'above the fold/sill' - it makes it easy for visitors and clients to opt-in and opt-out. Your fold may be affected by the users' preview pane, monitor-size, monitor resolution, or any headers placed by email programs such as Hotmail. |
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Absolute link |
All newsletter or graphic emails require an absolute link (as opposed to relative) for the images on the email to be visible. For example:
Absolute link, img src="http://www.GraphicMail.com/images/GraphicMail_logo.gif"
Relative link, img src="images/GraphicMail_logo.gif"
The image must be parked (uploaded to the website address) in the appropriate folder designated by the URL address. |
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Access |
| Microsoft software tool used for developing a database. Any database vendor you work with - email broadcaster, list broker, third-party list-hygiene service, etc. - should be able to work with this format (as well as several others.) |
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Acquisition cost |
| In email marketing, the cost to generate one lead, newsletter subscriber or customer in an individual email campaign; typically, the total campaign expense divided by the number of leads, subscribers or customers it produced. |
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Ad swap |
| An exchange between two publishers in which each agrees to run the other's comparably valued ad at no charge. Value is determined by rate card, placement, size of list, quality of list, name brand fame, etc. |
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Affiliate |
| A marketing partner that promotes your products or services under a payment-on-results agreement. |
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Affiliate marketing |
| Affiliate marketing is an Internet-based marketing practice in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought about by the affiliate's marketing efforts. |
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Affirmative consent |
An active request by a reader or subscriber to receive advertising or promotional information, newsletters, etc. Generally affirmative consent does not include the following:
- Failing to uncheck a pre-checked box on a Web form
- Entering a business relationship with an organization without being asked for separate permission to be sent specific types of email
- Opt-out. |
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Alert |
| Email message that notifies subscribers of an event or special price. |
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AOL (America Online) |
| Global Internet services and media company based in the United States. |
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Application Program Interface (API) |
| How a program (application) accesses another to transmit data. A client may have an API connection to load database information to an email vendor automatically and receive data back from the email. |
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Application Service Provider (ASP) |
| Company that provides a Web-based service. Clients don't have to install software on their own computers; all tasks are performed on (hosted on) the ASP's servers. |
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Attachment |
| A text, video, graphic, flash or sound file that accompanies an email message but is not included in the message itself. Attachments are not a good way to send email newsletters because many ISPs, email clients and individual email recipients do not allow attachments (hackers use them to deliver viruses and other malicious code). |
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Australian Spam Act, 2003 |
| The Australian Spam Act 2003 was brought into existence to alleviate and halt the unsolicited sending of email, or 'spam'. This was followed by the Spam (Consequential amendments) Act 2003 and Spam Regulations 2004. |
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Authentication |
| An automated process that verifies an email sender's identity. |
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Autoresponder |
| Automated email message-sending capability, such as a welcome message sent to all new subscribers the minute they join a list. An autoresponder may be more than a single message - it can be a series of date or event-triggered emails. |
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