If you’ve ever clapped eyes on the Martech 5000 – that infamous mosaic of marketing technology companies, all jostling for space – you’ll be aware of how dense and confusing the martech landscape has become.

But the articles about marketing technology which set out to explain things can be just as difficult to parse, crowded with impenetrable terms like "dark social" and "madtech", or obscure abbreviations like "CaaS", "DSP" and "MRM".

Often, the authors don’t slow down to explain what each one means, too busy making the case for why you should integrate your ERP with your cloud-based CRM system ASAP – leaving your eyes to glaze over as you experience the distinct feeling of your brain leaking out of your ears.

What is the difference between an ad exchange and an ad network? Does native advertising mean sponsored content? How does a CDP differ from a CRM or a DMP? Why do so many abbreviations end in "-aaS"?

Don’t panic. We at Econsultancy have produced a handy guide to all of the martech lingo you need to know – from ABM to XaaS. Read it, bookmark it, keep it open in a tab, and you’ll be fluent in no time.