AMA PCM Content Marketing flashcards

33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Content pillar

A broad, core topic area that anchors a cluster of related content assets, all linking back to a central hub page for topical authority.

Content decay

The measurable decline in a content asset's traffic or conversions over time, used to schedule refreshes based on data rather than calendar habit.

Zero-click content

Content that delivers its full value on the surface where it appears, such as a social post or search result, so no click-through is required.

Owned vs earned media

Owned media is channel property you control, like a blog or email list; earned media is third-party coverage or shares you influence but do not control.

Content velocity

The number of content assets published per period, a throughput measure distinct from quality, reach, or business impact.

Content model

A schema defining content types, their fields, and relationships, separating structure from presentation so content can be reused across channels.

Structured content

Content stored as discrete, labeled fields rather than a single text blob, enabling automated reuse, filtering, and multi-channel delivery.

Reference vs embedded fields

Reference fields link to a separately stored, reusable entry; embedded fields nest content inside a parent and cannot be reused independently.

Content type vs entry

A content type is a reusable template of fields, such as Case Study; an entry is a single instance created from that template.

Taxonomy

A governed, controlled vocabulary used to classify content consistently, as opposed to free-form tags that anyone can create without oversight.

Content debt

The accumulated burden of outdated, duplicated, or orphaned assets that consume maintenance effort and dilute quality and search performance.

Editorial workflow states

A defined sequence such as draft, review, approved, published, and archived, where each transition has an assigned owner and permission set.

Voice vs tone

Voice is the constant personality of a brand across all contexts; tone is the situational adjustment of that voice, such as empathy in an error message.

WCAG AA contrast ratio

Level AA requires a 4.5:1 contrast ratio for normal text and 3:1 for large text, defined as 18pt or 14pt bold.

Alt text purpose

To convey the function or content of an image to people using screen readers; decorative images take an empty alt attribute instead.

Heading hierarchy

Sequential heading levels from H1 down through H2 and H3, which screen readers use to navigate and outline a document.

Descriptive link text

Link labels that make sense out of context, such as 'Download the 2024 report', rather than generic phrases like 'click here'.

Editorial governance

The rules naming who approves content, how disputes escalate, and what review timelines apply, preventing guidelines from silently decaying.

Buyer persona

A research-based archetype of a target buyer built from interviews or behavioral data, capturing goals, pains, and decision triggers.

Jobs to be done

A framing that asks what progress a person is trying to make in a situation, rather than what product features they say they want.

Needs-based segmentation

Dividing an audience by the underlying problem or need driving purchase, which typically correlates more strongly with message fit than demographics.

Negative persona

An explicit profile of who you are not serving, used to sharpen targeting and avoid wasted spend on poorly matched audiences.

Audience research methods

Techniques including interviews, surveys, social listening, search query analysis, and support-ticket review used to ground audience definitions in evidence.

Three job types

Functional jobs concern practical tasks, emotional jobs concern how someone wants to feel, and social jobs concern how others perceive them.

Hero's journey framing

A narrative structure positioning the customer as the hero facing a challenge and the brand as the guide who supplies the plan and tools.

Narrative arc

The sequence of exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution; marketing often compresses it to problem, tension, and resolution.

StoryBrand framework order

A character with a problem meets a guide with a plan, takes action, avoids failure, and reaches success.

Show don't tell

Replacing abstract claims with concrete evidence such as specific outcomes, named customers, or quoted results that the audience can verify.

Content ROI formula

(Revenue minus cost) divided by cost, where cost includes production, distribution, and tooling, not just paid media spend.

Leading vs lagging indicators

Leading indicators such as downloads and signups predict future revenue; lagging indicators such as closed-won revenue confirm what already happened.

Attribution models

Rules for crediting conversions across touchpoints, including first-touch, last-touch, linear, time-decay, and position-based; none is objectively correct.

Story map backbone

The top row of a story map listing high-level user activities left to right, which should read as a coherent narrative of the user's journey.

Walking skeleton

The thinnest end-to-end slice across every backbone activity, delivering a complete but minimal user story rather than a partial feature.