Glossary
Definitions written for performance marketers. Each page starts with a short, liftable definition (useful for AI answer engines), then explains how to use the concept in real campaigns.
UGC (User-Generated Content) ads
UGC ads are ads that look and feel like content made by a real customer or creator—shot casually, spoken naturally, and focused on experience over polish.
Hook
A hook is the first 1–3 seconds of an ad that earns attention and stops the scroll.
Creative testing
Creative testing is the process of running multiple ad variants to find which hooks, angles, offers, and formats drive better performance.
Ad fatigue
Ad fatigue happens when an audience sees the same creative too often and performance drops.
Thumbstop rate
Thumbstop rate is a measure of how well your first seconds stop a user from scrolling.
CTR (Click-through rate)
CTR is the percentage of people who clicked after seeing your ad.
CVR (Conversion rate)
CVR is the percentage of visitors who complete the desired action (purchase, signup, lead) after clicking.
ROAS (Return on ad spend)
ROAS is revenue generated divided by ad spend (e.g., 3.0x means $3 revenue per $1 spent).
CPM (Cost per 1,000 impressions)
CPM is how much you pay for 1,000 ad impressions. Lower CPM means cheaper reach; higher CPM means more expensive reach.
CAC (Customer acquisition cost)
CAC is the cost to acquire a customer (or lead), typically calculated as total acquisition spend ÷ number of customers acquired.
AOV (Average order value)
AOV is the average revenue per order, calculated as total revenue ÷ total orders.
Angle
An angle is the specific story or framing you use to sell the same product to the same audience (e.g., pain relief, speed, convenience, proof, identity).
Offer
An offer is the full value exchange: what you get, for what price, with what bonuses, guarantees, and constraints.
Objection
An objection is the reason someone hesitates to buy (price, trust, fit, effort, timing, skepticism).
Social proof
Social proof is evidence that other people like you got value from the product (reviews, testimonials, numbers, recognisable logos, results).
Direct response advertising
Direct response ads are designed to drive an immediate measurable action (purchase, signup, lead) rather than just awareness.
UGC brief
A UGC brief is a clear instruction set that tells a creator (or AI workflow) exactly what to say, show, and emphasize in a UGC-style ad.
Storyboard
A storyboard is a shot-by-shot plan of what happens in the video, aligned to the script timing and key moments.
B-roll
B-roll is supporting footage layered over the main narration to show the product, proof, or context.
Aspect ratio
Aspect ratio is the shape of the video frame (e.g., 9:16 vertical for TikTok, 1:1 square, 16:9 landscape).
A/B Testing
A/B testing is the practice of running two or more ad variations simultaneously to determine which performs better based on measurable outcomes like clicks, conversions, or revenue.
Funnel Stages
Funnel stages describe where a prospect is in the buying journey—from cold awareness through consideration to purchase—and determine what messaging and creative approach will resonate.
Ad Spend
Ad spend is the total amount of money invested in paid advertising over a given period, serving as the denominator for efficiency metrics like ROAS and CAC.
Audience Segmentation
Audience segmentation is the practice of dividing your target market into distinct groups based on characteristics like demographics, behaviors, or interests, then tailoring creative and messaging to each segment.
Attribution
Attribution is the process of determining which ads, channels, or touchpoints deserve credit for a conversion, helping marketers understand what's actually driving results.
Brand Guidelines
Brand guidelines are the documented standards for how a brand presents itself visually and verbally, including logos, colors, tone of voice, and dos/don'ts for creative.
Creative Brief
A creative brief is a strategic document that defines the objective, audience, message, and constraints for an ad campaign before production begins.
Platform Algorithm
Platform algorithms are the systems that social networks use to decide which ads to show, to whom, and at what price, based on predicted engagement and conversion likelihood.
Scroll Rate
Scroll rate measures how quickly users scroll past content in their feed, making the first moments of any ad critical for capturing attention before the thumb keeps moving.
Watch Time
Watch time is the total duration viewers spend watching your video ad, serving as a key signal of content quality and a predictor of conversion potential.
Ad Placement
Ad placement refers to where your ad appears within a platform—feed, Stories, Reels, search, audience network—each with different user contexts, behaviors, and performance characteristics.
Retargeting
Retargeting is the practice of showing ads to people who have previously interacted with your brand—visited your site, watched your videos, or engaged with your content—to bring them back and convert.
Lookalike Audiences
Lookalike audiences are targeting groups created by platforms that find new users who share characteristics with your existing customers or high-value audiences.
Video Completion Rate
Video completion rate (VCR) is the percentage of viewers who watch your video ad to the end, indicating content quality and message delivery effectiveness.
Cost Per View (CPV)
Cost per view (CPV) is how much you pay for each video view, with 'view' typically defined as a specific watch duration (often 2-3 seconds or more).