Definition

How often something occurs within a given time period, whether that's radio waves oscillating, ad impressions served, or your project manager asking for status updates. In physics, it's measured in Hertz; in marketing, it's how many times your target audience sees your ad before they start actively hating you. The sweet spot between "who are you?" and "please make it stop."

Example Usage

The campaign manager increased the ad frequency to 12 impressions per user per day, somehow believing that annoyance converts to sales.

Source: Common technical and marketing terminology

Related Terms

Beginner

conversion rate

The percentage of visitors who complete your desired action, whether that's buying, signing up, or downloading, serving as the ultimate verdict on your marketing effectiveness. It's the number that determines whether you're persuasive or just loud.

📣 Marketing / Advertising
Intermediate

loss leader

A product deliberately sold at a loss to attract customers who'll hopefully buy other profitable items, the retail equivalent of free samples at Costco. It's why printers are cheap but ink costs more than human blood.

📣 Marketing / Advertising
Beginner

Viral

When content spreads across the internet faster than a rumor in a high school cafeteria. Every marketer wants their content to go viral, despite the fact that you can't plan virality any more than you can plan to be struck by lightning while winning the lottery.

📣 Marketing / Advertising
Beginner

media buy

The actual purchase of advertising space or time, where agencies negotiate with publishers to secure placements. It's like buying real estate, except the property disappears after 30 seconds and costs are measured in CPM instead of square footage.

📣 Marketing / Advertising
Intermediate

anchor pricing

A psychological pricing tactic where an initial high price makes subsequent prices seem more reasonable by comparison. It's why software shows you the $999/month enterprise plan first, making the $99/month option feel like a steal.

📣 Marketing / Advertising
Intermediate

below the line

Direct, targeted promotional activities like direct mail, point-of-sale, sponsorships, and digital marketing that engage specific audiences rather than mass markets. It's precision marketing as opposed to shouting into the void.

📣 Marketing / Advertising

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