Welcome to our comprehensive Social Media Glossary

A complex set of rules and protocols used by social media platforms to determine what content appears in a user's feed. Algorithms consider factors like engagement, relevance, and timeliness.

The practice of gathering and interpreting data from social media platforms to measure the performance of marketing activities. Analytics help in understanding user behavior, engagement rates, and ROI.

The simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. In social media, AI is used for chatbots, analytics, and personalized content recommendations.

A sub-task of sentiment analysis that focuses on identifying sentiments expressed about specific aspects or features of a product in text data. It's often used in customer reviews to understand public opinion on specific product features.

A digital image used to represent a user on social media platforms. Avatars allow users to maintain some level of anonymity and can be a photo or a graphic.

A type of interactive post in which someone answers questions, usually in real time. AMAs are popular on Reddit, Twitter, and other social media platforms.

A short description of yourself, typically found on your social media profile.

A website or web page that contains regularly updated articles or posts. Many businesses and individuals use blogs to share their thoughts and ideas with the world.

A short video ad, typically 6 seconds or less, that is played before, during, or after other videos.

Excitement or enthusiasm about something, especially online.

A regularly updated website or web page, usually managed by an individual or a small group. Blogs are a form of social media that allow for in-depth discussion and sharing of various topics.

The extent to which consumers are familiar with a particular brand or product. Social media is often used as a tool to increase brand awareness through targeted ads and organic posts.

BeReal is a unique photo-sharing application that encourages users to post one photo per day, capturing their real-time activities. Unlike other platforms that focus on curated content, BeReal emphasizes authenticity.

In today's digital age, brand authenticity is more important than ever. It refers to how genuine and real a brand appears to its audience. Social media platforms provide a space where consumers can easily share their experiences and opinions, making authenticity crucial for brand reputation.

A comprehensive document that outlines the visual and verbal elements representing a company's brand. It serves as a reference for maintaining consistency across all platforms, including social media, ensuring that the brand is easily recognizable and professional.

These are specific, measurable goals that a company aims to achieve as it grows. In the context of social media, business objectives could range from increasing brand awareness and engagement rates to driving website traffic or sales.

A person who actively promotes a brand or product through word-of-mouth marketing. Brand advocates are valuable assets; they not only leave positive reviews but also refer new customers and may create user-generated content promoting the brand.

A computer program that can simulate conversation with humans. Chatbots are often used on social media to provide customer service or answer questions.

Content that is designed to attract attention and generate clicks, often by being misleading or sensational.

A group of people who share a common interest or goal. Online communities can be found on social media, forums, and other online platforms.

Any type of information that is shared online, such as text, images, videos, and audio.

A statement that tells a user what you want them to do, such as "Click here to learn more" or "Sign up for our newsletter."

Chatbots are automated messaging software that simulate human conversation. They are commonly used on social media platforms and websites to handle customer queries, guide users, and provide instant responses, often following pre-set conversational pathways.

The character count in social media posts can significantly influence the content's impact. Each platform has its own character limit, and adhering to these ensures that your message is displayed in its entirety, optimizing user engagement.

This is a metric in paid advertising where advertisers pay for every 1,000 impressions their ad receives. An "impression" is counted each time the ad appears on someone's screen, regardless of whether it was clicked or not.

These are a type of advertising format that allows advertisers to showcase multiple images or videos in a single ad. Carousel ads are particularly popular on platforms like Instagram and Facebook and are effective for storytelling or showcasing various features of a product.

This is a licensing system that allows creators to share their work legally. In the context of social media, images under Creative Commons licenses are often used to enhance content, provided the terms of the license are followed.

This term refers to sensationalized or misleading headlines designed to attract clicks. While it may drive traffic, clickbait can harm a brand's reputation if the content does not fulfill the promise made by the headline.

This involves gathering and sharing high-quality, relevant content from various sources to your audience. It's a way to provide added value to your followers while also engaging with them on social media platforms.

This is a key performance metric that measures the effectiveness of a campaign by calculating the percentage of clicks received per number of impressions. A higher CTR generally indicates more effective ad copy and targeting.

This is a large banner image that appears at the top of your Facebook profile or page. It serves as a visual introduction and should align with your brand's identity and message.

A CTA is a prompt that encourages users to take a specific action, such as 'Buy Now,' 'Learn More,' or 'Sign Up.' It's a crucial element in guiding user behavior and achieving business objectives.

This involves gathering ideas, content, or services from a large group of people, usually from an online community. It's a way to engage your audience, gather insights, and also share diverse perspectives.

In this paid advertising model, advertisers pay a fee each time their ad is clicked. It's commonly used in search engine advertising and is designed to drive traffic to websites.

This is the monitoring of specific user actions, or 'conversions,' that contribute to business goals, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter. It helps in understanding the ROI of various marketing channels.

This strategy involves two or more brands collaborating to promote a product or service. Usually, these brands have complementary products and share a similar target audience, making the partnership mutually beneficial.

This is the use of chatbots, messaging apps, or other conversational interfaces to facilitate online sales. It's an emerging trend that combines the capabilities of AI and human interaction to enhance the shopping experience.

This is a strategic approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant content to attract and engage a target audience. It's not about direct selling but providing information that solves problems or entertains, thereby creating brand loyalty.

Dark social refers to social sharing that cannot be accurately tracked, such as the sharing of links in private messages, emails, or text messages. It poses a challenge for marketers who aim to measure the complete social footprint of their business.

A dark post is a targeted social media ad that does not appear on the advertiser's timeline or feed. It allows businesses to tailor different messages to different audiences without spamming their own page with multiple posts.

A direct message is a private form of communication between social media users. Unlike public posts, DMs are not visible to followers and are often used for customer service inquiries or private conversations.

This term refers to the trail of data you leave while using the internet. It includes the websites you visit, emails you send, and information you submit to online services. A "passive digital footprint" is a data trail you unintentionally leave behind.

Dynamic content changes based on user behavior, preferences, or real-time factors. It's used in email marketing, website content, and increasingly in social media to personalize the user experience.

This is the amount of time a user spends looking at a webpage after they’ve clicked a link on a SERP (Search Engine Results Page) but before they go back to the SERPs. This metric is used to gauge the quality of user experience.

In the context of social media, a dashboard is a centralized interface that aggregates all your social media activities. It helps in monitoring, posting, and analyzing social media interactions.

This is the process of sorting through large sets of data to identify patterns, trends, and insights. In social media, data mining helps businesses understand customer behavior and preferences for targeted marketing.

These are statistical data relating to the population and the particular groups within it. In social media, understanding your audience demographics is crucial for targeted marketing campaigns.

This is content that is only available for a brief period, usually 24 hours. Popularized by Snapchat and later adopted by Instagram, Facebook, and others, disappearing content is often more engaging because of its temporary nature.

This refers to blocks of content that are either identical or very similar to each other. Duplicate content can negatively impact search engine rankings and should be avoided.

These are automatically generated ads based on user behavior and data. They are highly personalized and aim to show the right content to the right people at the right time.

This term refers to individuals who have grown up in the digital age and are comfortable using technology and social media. They are often the target audience for many digital marketing campaigns.

This is a search engine ranking score that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). It is often used in SEO and digital marketing strategies.

This is a method used in direct marketing where a set of pre-written messages are sent out on a schedule. It's often used in email marketing but can also be adapted for social media.

This refers to publicity gained through promotional efforts other than paid advertising. Earned media can include mentions, shares, reposts, reviews, recommendations, or content picked up by third-party sites.

Short for electronic commerce, it's the buying and selling of goods or services using the internet. Social media platforms are increasingly integrating e-commerce features to enable direct sales.

This is the algorithm used by Facebook to determine where and what posts appear on each individual user's news feed.

These are small digital images or icons used to express an idea or emotion. Emojis are prevalent in social media posts and messages and can significantly increase engagement rates.

In the context of social media, engagement refers to the interaction between people and brands on social networks. For example, on Facebook, engagement includes likes, comments, and shares.

This is a metric often used to measure the level of engagement that a piece of created content is receiving from an audience. It's calculated as the total engagement divided by total followers, multiplied by 100.

This is content that continues to be relevant long past its publication date and has a longer shelf life. Evergreen content is beneficial for SEO and is often updated to remain current.

This is the promotion of a company by its staff members. An employee advocate generates positive exposure and raises awareness for the brand through digital media or offline channels.

This is the act of sending a commercial message, typically to a group of people, using email. In social media terms, it's used to follow up with people who engaged with a brand on social media channels.

This refers to the practice of placing content from one site into another. Social media platforms often offer options to embed posts, videos, and images.

This is a tactic to encourage people to engage with content. Phrases like "like this if you're an Aries" or "share this with 20 friends" are considered engagement bait and are discouraged by platforms like Facebook.

This is a strategy that engages consumers using branded experiences. Sometimes these experiences are extended through social media, encouraging interaction and sharing.

This is a link that points to a different domain from where it's placed. In social media, external links are often used to direct followers to a brand's website or other social media profiles.

Unlike trending hashtags, which can change frequently, evergreen hashtags are timeless and can be used on an ongoing basis. They're useful for search and discovery on social media platforms.

This is rich media, primarily images and videos, that are only accessible for a brief period. It's a popular form of content for social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram Stories

This is a code that you place on your website to collect data that helps you track conversions from Facebook ads, optimize ads, build targeted audiences, and remarket to people who have taken some kind of action on your website.

In the context of social media, a feed is the stream of content you see when you log in. For example, your Facebook News Feed or your Instagram feed.

To subscribe to someone's updates on social media. When you follow someone, their posts will appear in your feed.

A person who has subscribed to receive your updates. Can also refer to a person who subscribes to your brand's feed.

A psychological phenomenon where people are afraid of missing out on a trendy event, product, or social gathering. Often used in social media advertising strategies to create urgency.

An online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. While not limited to social media, many social platforms have incorporated forums or similar features.

The number of people following your social media account. This is often seen as an important metric, although the quality of followers is also important.

In the context of social media, a filter is a feature that allows you to add special effects to photo and video content. Platforms like Instagram have popularized the use of filters.

These are Twitter's version of Stories, allowing users to post text, photos, and videos that disappear after 24 hours.

The term refers to the seamless nature of sharing content on social media platforms. The easier it is for users to share, the more likely they are to do so.

In advertising, frequency refers to how often your ad is seen by the same person within a specific time frame. High frequency can be annoying, but too low can be ineffective.

On some social media platforms, a friend is someone to whom you are connected. Friendship must be confirmed by both parties; it's not the same as a follower.

These are accounts that curate and share other users' content based on a hashtag or tagging mechanism. They are popular on Instagram as a way for users to get their posts seen by a wider audience.

A photography style often used in social media, especially Instagram, where items are laid flat on a surface and photographed from above.

These are spaces on Facebook where you can communicate and share content within a select group of people. There are public, private, and secret groups.

This is a feature that allows you to live-stream videos from your mobile device. It has become a popular way for brands to engage with their Facebook audience in real-time.

These are short photo and video collections that appear at the top of your Facebook feed and disappear after 24 hours, similar to Instagram Stories.

This is the process of attaching location information in the form of geographical metadata to digital media like photos, videos, or social media posts. This can help users find a variety of location-specific information.

A feature in a software program that uses the global positioning system (GPS) or radio frequency identification (RFID) to define geographical boundaries. Marketers use geofencing in mobile marketing strategies to send targeted messages to users within a specific geographic area.

A free tool from Google that allows business owners to manage how their business appears on Google Search and Maps. It includes adding your business name, location, and hours; monitoring and replying to customer reviews; adding photos; and more.

A freemium web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. It's an essential tool for marketing as it allows you to understand how users find and interact with your website.

A bitmap image format that supports both animated and static images. GIFs are often used on social media to create engaging or humorous content.

A marketing technique developed by technology startups that use creativity, analytical thinking, and social metrics to sell products and gain exposure. It involves various tools and techniques aimed at efficient and rapid growth.

A marketing technique developed by technology startups that use creativity, analytical thinking, and social metrics to sell products and gain exposure. It involves various tools and techniques aimed at efficient and rapid growth.

The application of game-design elements and game principles in non-game contexts. In social media, gamification tactics can encourage engagement with a product or service.

A feature on many social media platforms that allows multiple users to communicate in a single, centralized conversation. Useful for coordinating events or discussing topics among friends or team members.

An advertising strategy that focuses on low-cost, unconventional marketing tactics that yield maximum results. In the context of social media, this could mean creating viral content that's so compelling people can't help but share it.

The identification or estimation of the real-world geographic location of an object, such as a radar source, mobile phone, or internet-connected computer terminal. In social media, users can "check-in" at various locations, which can be useful for businesses wanting to understand customer behavior.

Social media accounts that are inactive or do not engage in any activity. They follow other accounts but do not engage, making them irrelevant for brands looking for meaningful engagement.

Content that is only available to users who take a specific action like filling out a form or making a purchase. It's a way to generate leads or to qualify existing leads and prospects.

The act of broadcasting yourself in real-time to your social media audience. Many platforms now offer this feature, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Visual elements like images, infographics, and videos used to enhance or illustrate the text. Graphic content is crucial in social media as it's more engaging than text-only messages.

A video production technique that allows you to replace the background of the subject in real-time or during post-production. It's often used in short-form video content on social media.

A word or phrase preceded by a hash sign (#), used on social media platforms to identify messages on a specific topic. Hashtags are a way to categorize content and track topics on platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

A clickable word, phrase, or image that takes you to a new URL when you click it. Hyperlinks are used in blog posts and web pages to guide users to relevant content.

The standard markup language for documents designed to be displayed in a web browser. While not strictly a social media term, HTML knowledge can be useful for advanced social media tasks like embedding content.

A social media management platform that allows you to schedule posts, track social media conversations, and analyze results across multiple social media platforms.

The banner image at the top of a profile on some social media platforms, such as Twitter and LinkedIn. It's separate from the profile picture and often used for branding.

A form of highly targeted and specific advertising or marketing that is focused on a particular geographic area or community. On social media, this can be achieved through geofencing or geotagging.

Someone who gains unauthorized access to computer systems or data. In the context of social media, hackers often target high-profile accounts to spread misinformation or for financial gain.

A data visualization tool that shows the most clicked areas of a webpage. Heatmaps can be used to optimize the user experience and effectiveness of a webpage.

A central place through which all social media channels are managed. This can be a physical location, like a social media command center, or a software solution that allows for centralized social media management.

Events that combine both in-person and virtual elements. These have become increasingly popular due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of virtual event platforms.

Text that is visible to search engines but not to users. This is considered a black-hat SEO tactic and is penalized by search engines.

The protocol over which data is sent between your browser and the website you're connected to. HTTPS indicates a secure connection.

A branded graphical presentation developed by Gartner to represent the maturity, adoption, and social application of specific technologies. It's often cited in tech and marketing discussions.

An email that has failed to deliver for permanent reasons, such as the recipient's address being invalid or the domain name not existing. Monitoring hard bounces is crucial in email marketing, which often complements social media efforts.

A video service from Google that allows both one-on-one chats and group chats with up to ten people at a time. While not strictly a social media platform, it's often used in conjunction with other Google services like Google+.

An individual who has the power to affect purchase decisions of others because of their authority, knowledge, position, or relationship with their audience. Influencers often have a strong presence on social media platforms.

The number of times a post appears in someone's timeline, feed, or search results. Impressions measure how often your content is displayed, regardless of whether it was clicked or not.

A photo and video sharing social media platform owned by Facebook. It's known for its square image format, as well as its filters and Stories feature.

An extension of Instagram that allows for longer video content. Unlike Instagram, which limits videos to 60 seconds, IGTV allows for videos up to an hour long.

Analytics or data that show how well your content is performing on social media. Insights can provide information on metrics like engagement, reach, and follower demographics.

A marketing strategy that focuses on attracting customers through content and interactions that are relevant and helpful. Social media is often a key component of an inbound marketing strategy.

A type of online chat that offers real-time text transmission over the internet. While not exclusive to social media, IM features are commonly integrated into platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

Content that requires active engagement from the audience, beyond reading or watching. Examples include polls, quizzes, and highly engaging videos that prompt user action.

A full-screen ad that covers the interface of a website or app. In social media, interstitial ads might appear between different user actions or activities.

The percentage of impressions that your ads receive compared to the total number of impressions that your ads could get. It's used in paid social media advertising to gauge the visibility of your ads.

The buying of goods and services within an application on a mobile device. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram offer in-app purchase options for ads and other features.

The ability of software to identify objects, places, people, or actions in images. This technology is used in social media platforms for features like tagging.

A unique string of numbers separated by periods that identifies each computer using the Internet Protocol to communicate over a network. Knowing the IP address can be important for tracking user activity in social media analytics.

A form of social media marketing involving endorsements and product placements from influencers, people and organizations who possess an expert level of knowledge and/or social influence in their respective fields.

The process of proving that you are who you say you are. In social media, this often involves uploading some form of identification to prove your identity.

The network of physical objects embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies to collect and exchange data. While not a social media term per se, IoT has implications for social media, especially in data collection and automation.

An automated telephony system technology that interacts with the callers, gathers the required information, and routes the calls to the particular appropriate recipient. It's increasingly integrated with social media customer service solutions.

A programming language commonly used to create interactive effects within web browsers. In the context of social media, JavaScript is often used for analytics tracking and dynamic content loading.

A commonly used method of lossy compression for digital images, particularly for those images produced by digital photography. It's one of the image formats supported by most social media platforms.

An open-source content management system (CMS) for publishing web content. While not a social media platform, Joomla often integrates with social media to enhance content distribution and visibility.

An open, secure, ad-free alternative to consumer instant messaging (IM) services like AIM, ICQ, MSN, and Yahoo. In the context of social media, Jabber can be integrated into platforms for real-time chat features.

In social media lingo, "joiners" are people who have recently joined a particular social media platform. Understanding the behavior of joiners can be crucial for brands looking to target newer audiences.

Unwanted or unsolicited messages sent over the internet, typically to a large number of users, for the purposes of advertising, phishing, spreading malware, etc. Social media platforms often have filters to manage or block junk mail.

A fast, small, and feature-rich JavaScript library. It makes things like HTML document traversal and manipulation, event handling, and animation much simpler with an easy-to-use API that works across a multitude of browsers.

A slang term for journalists who are active on social media platforms. They often use social media to source stories, distribute content, and engage with their audience.

Special words or expressions used by a profession or group that are difficult for others to understand. In social media, jargon can include terms like "reach," "impressions," and "engagement rate."

An inventory strategy companies employ to increase efficiency and decrease waste by receiving goods only as they are needed in the production process, thereby reducing inventory costs. In social media, JIT can refer to timely content production and posting.

A lightweight data-interchange format that is easy for humans to read and write and easy for machines to parse and generate. It's often used in APIs for social media platforms.

A tool that aggregates all of your brands' hashtag and social media posts into a single beautiful social media feed on your website.

The fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect. In social media, this can refer to the content strategy of placing contrasting images or ideas close together to create a striking or thought-provoking effect.

A high-level, class-based, object-oriented programming language that is designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible. While not directly related to social media, Java is often used in the backend of many social media platforms.

A community platform that offers a range of social collaboration tools for businesses. It includes features like an intranet portal, employee directory, and the ability to create blogs and forums.

A specific term or phrase that describes the contents of a webpage. Keywords are used in search engine optimization (SEO) to improve a page's search ranking and visibility. In social media, keywords can be used in hashtags or content to make posts more searchable.

A measurable value that demonstrates how effectively a company is achieving key business objectives. In social media, KPIs often include metrics like engagement rate, reach, and conversion rate.

An online service that measures a user's social influence by analyzing their social media networks. Though Klout has been discontinued, the term is sometimes used colloquially to refer to one's online influence.

A mobile messaging app that allows users to send text messages, photos, and videos. Kik is popular among younger audiences and offers a range of social features like group chats and video calls.

The adjustment of space between characters in a proportional font. In social media, good kerning ensures that text in graphics and visual content is easy to read and visually appealing.

A term used to express praise or approval for an achievement. In social media, giving "kudos" often involves liking or sharing someone's post or giving them a shoutout.

A free mobile instant messaging application for smartphones with free text and free call features. It is used primarily in South Korea but has a global user base. Businesses often use it for customer service and advertising.

A centralized repository for information: a public library, a database of related information about a particular subject. In social media, a knowledge base might include FAQs, how-to articles, and troubleshooting guides.

A measure of social media influence that takes into account not just how many followers you have, but how often you interact with them and how wide your overall social reach is.

An open-source platform designed to automate deploying, scaling, and operating application containers. While not directly related to social media, Kubernetes can be used to manage the backend of social media platforms.

A scheduling system for lean and just-in-time (JIT) production. In social media, Kanban can refer to a visual system for managing work as it moves through a process.

The action of recording (logging) the keys struck on a keyboard, typically covertly, so that the person using the keyboard is unaware that their actions are being monitored. This is a security concern for all internet users, including those on social media.

An XML notation for expressing geographic annotation and visualization within two-dimensional maps and three-dimensional Earth browsers. In social media, KML can be used for geotagging and creating location-based services.

Pertaining to or denoting a learning style in which learning takes place by the students carrying out physical activities, rather than listening to a lecture or watching demonstrations. In social media, kinesthetic experiences can be created through interactive content like polls, quizzes, and highly engaging videos.

A measure of the growth rate of websites, apps, or a customer base. In social media, a high K-factor indicates rapid growth, often due to viral sharing.

A feature in many social media platforms that allows users to show approval or enjoy content. A "like" is often represented by a thumbs-up icon and is used as a quick way to react to posts, comments, or media.

The process of acquiring hyperlinks from other websites to your own. In the context of social media, link building can refer to the practice of getting other social media accounts to link to your content.

A social networking site designed specifically for the business community. LinkedIn allows users to connect with other professionals and share their work experience, skills, and endorsements.

Broadcasting live video to an audience over the internet. Many social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, offer live streaming features.

A person who reads discussions on a message board, newsgroup, social network, or other interactive system but rarely or never participates in the discussion.

An article presented in the form of a numbered or bulleted list. Listicles are popular on social media due to their easily digestible format.

Services that use the geographic location of your device to offer a range of services or information. For example, tagging your location in a social media post.

Services that use the geographic location of your device to offer a range of services or information. For example, tagging your location in a social media post.

In social media advertising, a lookalike audience is a group of people who are similar to your existing customers. This is useful for targeting users who are more likely to be interested in your product or service.

The process of attracting and converting strangers and prospects into someone who has indicated interest in your company's product or service. Social media platforms offer various tools for lead generation, such as lead forms.

A standalone web page distinct from your main website that has been designed for a single focused objective. In social media marketing, ads often direct users to landing pages.

In the context of social media algorithms, a logarithm is a mathematical function that determines what content appears in a user's feed based on various factors like engagement, relevance, and timeliness.

A keyword phrase that aims to capture search traffic from a specific and defined niche audience rather than a broad group. These are often used in social media advertising and SEO.

A video that automatically replays after reaching the end. Looping videos are popular on platforms like Instagram and Twitter, where short, engaging content is favored.

In social media marketing, this term refers to the most obvious or easiest tasks, steps, or goals that should be accomplished first, often during the initial stages of a campaign.

In social media marketing, this term refers to the most obvious or easiest tasks, steps, or goals that should be accomplished first, often during the initial stages of a campaign.

The delay before a transfer of data begins following an instruction for its transfer. In social media, low latency is crucial for features like live streaming.

A strategy to increase a business's visibility in local search engine results. Social media platforms often play a role in local SEO through features like location tagging and local business profiles.

A published false statement that is damaging to a person's reputation. In social media, libel can occur through posts, comments, or any form of published content.

Using a resource to its maximum advantage. In social media, this could mean using your network to spread content, or using your content to grow your network.

A cultural symbol or social idea that spreads virally. In the context of social media, memes can take the form of images, videos, or text, and they often incorporate humor or satire.

The act of tagging another user's handle or account name in a social media message. Mentions typically trigger a notification for that user and are a key part of what makes social media "social."

A form of blogging that allows users to write brief text updates and publish them. Twitter is the most popular microblogging platform, allowing posts of up to 280 characters.

The practice of interacting with customers using a combination of indirect and direct communication channels. In social media, this could mean using multiple platforms to reach your audience.

Content that uses a combination of different forms of media such as text, audio, images, animations, video, and interactive content. Multimedia can be recorded and played, displayed, interacted with, or accessed on social media platforms.

The data and statistics used to gauge the effectiveness of a social media marketing campaign. Metrics can include data like engagement rate, reach, likes, and more.

The act of overseeing and managing user-generated content on social media platforms. This can include deleting harmful content, responding to user comments, and generally ensuring a positive community environment.

The process of converting existing traffic being sent to a particular website into revenue. In social media, popular methods of monetization include sponsored posts and affiliate marketing.

A feature on platforms like Snapchat and Instagram where users can post photos and videos that vanish after 24 hours. Unlike regular posts, Stories allow for more casual, in-the-moment sharing.

A type of artificial intelligence that enables software applications to become more accurate in predicting outcomes. Machine learning algorithms are often used in social media platforms to personalize user feeds.

The process of dividing a broad consumer or business market into sub-groups of consumers or segments. In social media advertising, market segmentation can be done based on factors like age, location, and behavior.

The process of adjusting your website content to ensure that visitors who access the site from mobile devices have an experience customized to their device. This is crucial for social media platforms, as a majority of social media browsing is done on mobile devices.

In social media terms, mutuals are people who follow each other on a social media platform. It's a way to describe a reciprocal relationship between two users.

Data that describes other data. In the context of social media, metadata can refer to how a piece of content is tagged, its published date, or other descriptors that help platforms categorize the content.

An individual who has influence over a smaller, niche audience. Micro-influencers often have more targeted reach and higher engagement rates than macro-influencers.

A feature that allows you to remove an account's tweets from your Twitter timeline without unfollowing or blocking that account. Other platforms have similar features that allow you to hide content without severing social ties.

The encoding of messages so that only authorized parties can read it. Platforms like WhatsApp use end-to-end encryption to secure messages between users.

The constantly updating list of stories in the middle of your home page on platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn. Your News Feed is made up of posts from the friends and pages you follow.

A form of paid media where the ad experience follows the natural form and function of the user experience in which it is placed. Native ads often appear as part of a feed and are meant to be less intrusive.

Short for "Internet etiquette," it's the unofficial code of conduct for online behavior. In a social media context, practicing good netiquette means avoiding spammy behavior, being respectful of others' opinions, and so on.

An alert or message that informs the user of some activity related to their profile or account. Notifications can come from likes, mentions, messages, and various other interactions on social media platforms.

A smaller, specialized market segment within a larger market. In social media, targeting a niche market can be an effective strategy for reaching a more specific or engaged audience.

In the context of social media, a network is a group of individuals who are connected to one another. This can refer to people connected on a professional networking site like LinkedIn, or friends on Facebook.

Some social media platforms offer special rates or advertising grants for nonprofit organizations, allowing them to advertise at a reduced cost or sometimes for free.

The practice of capitalizing on the popularity of a news story to amplify your sales and marketing success. In social media, this could mean creating content or ads that tie into a popular current event.

User actions that indicate that they want to see less of your content. This can include actions like hiding your posts, or reporting them as spam.

An individual with a very small but highly engaged social media following. Nanoinfluencers often focus on a specific niche and they usually have fewer than 1,000 followers but high engagement rates.

A set of communication protocols that enable two electronic devices to establish communication by bringing them within close proximity. In social media, NFC technology can be used in interactive campaigns to engage users.

A nofollow link is a link that does not count as a point in the page's favor, does not boost PageRank, and doesn't help a page's placement in the SERPs. On social media platforms, many links are automatically "nofollow."

Video content that is created for and published directly onto a specific social media platform, rather than being uploaded from another source. Native videos often get more visibility and engagement on the platform.

In the context of social media, neural networks (a subset of machine learning) are used in algorithms to understand the delivery and relevance of content and ads.

A term often used in the context of social media policies that determine whether or not certain content is eligible for removal or retention based on its societal importance or interest.

The number of unique individuals who have seen your post or content without paid promotion. Organic reach is often considered a measure of the quality and engagement level of your content.

A digital audio or video file series that can be streamed or downloaded from the internet. Podcasts are often integrated into social media marketing strategies to increase audience engagement and thought leadership.

In email marketing, the open rate refers to the percentage of recipients who opened the email. This metric can also be applied to social media direct messages or campaigns to gauge effectiveness.

The act of giving permission to receive digital communications from a particular company, service, or individual. In social media, this can refer to signing up for newsletters, notifications, or other forms of messaging.

The act of initiating contact with individuals or organizations for various purposes such as marketing, networking, or public relations. Social media outreach often involves contacting influencers or potential customers to create partnerships or promote content.

Any web property that you can control is considered owned media. This includes your social media profiles, your website, and your email list.

A cross-channel strategy that organizations use to improve their user experience. This approach may include channels like physical storefronts, social media, online platforms, and more.

A layer that is added to an existing image or video, often containing text, branding, or additional imagery. Overlays are commonly used in social media advertising and content creation to add information or visual interest.

Refers to all the measures that can be taken within your website to improve its position in search rankings. This can also apply to the optimization of a social media page or profile.

A technology first introduced by Facebook that allows integration between Facebook and its user data and a website. By integrating Open Graph meta tags into your page's content, you can identify which elements of your page you want to show when someone shares your page.

These are links that point to any domain other than the source domain where the link exists. In social media, outbound links are often used to direct followers to an external website, article, or resource.

An individual or organization that is considered to be knowledgeable or authoritative in a particular field. In social media, opinion leaders can be influencers, industry experts, or other individuals who have earned the trust of their followers.

A now-defunct social networking service owned by Google that was popular in Brazil and India. Although it's no longer operational, Orkut was one of the early social platforms that paved the way for others.

Unlike On-Page SEO, Off-Page SEO refers to all the measures that can be taken outside of the actual website in order to improve its position in search rankings. This includes measures to create high-quality backlinks.

An open standard for access delegation commonly used for token-based authentication on the internet. OAuth provides a process for end-users to authorize third-party access to their server resources without sharing their credentials.

Also known as personalized marketing, it is a strategy where companies tailor their content, products, and services to individual consumers.

This refers to external marketing efforts that involve a paid placement, such as pay-per-click advertising, branded content, and display ads. Paid media is an essential component of revenue growth and brand awareness for online businesses.

A digital audio or video file series that can be streamed or downloaded from the internet. Podcasts are often integrated into social media marketing strategies to increase audience engagement and thought leadership.

In the context of Pinterest, a Pin is an image or video that someone chooses to save to Pinterest. For businesses, more important than the image itself is the link: Every pin links back to the original source, so Pinterest can be a great source of referral traffic.

Your profile is your gateway to your presence on a social media platform. It often includes a bio, profile picture, cover photo, and other personal information. It's what people look at when they're interested in learning more about you.

These are organic posts that have been paid to be displayed to a wider audience. They are a form of paid media on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

The practice of deliberately managing the release and spread of information between an individual or an organization and the public. Social media is increasingly being used as a PR tool for instant communication and crisis management.

In a social media context, a platform is the primary service or technology that allows users to connect to each other. Examples include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

The full URL to an individual blog post or page on your website. In social media, permalinks are often used to direct followers to more extended content.

In digital marketing, a pixel is a small piece of code that can be placed on a website to track user behavior. Pixels are used extensively in social media advertising for tracking and optimization purposes.

This is a metric that measures the level of engagement that a piece of created content is receiving from an audience. It shows how much people interact with the content and is usually calculated as total engagement divided by total followers, multiplied by 100.

An account setting that allows you to approve or deny followers and keeps your posts private to only those who you've approved.

The use of software to purchase digital advertising, as opposed to traditional processes that involve RFPs, human negotiations, and manual insertion orders. It's making buying and placement of ads more efficient, maximizing the ROI.

The practice of marketing oneself and one's career as a brand. Social media is often used as the medium to build and showcase personal branding.

This is a metric related to websites and blogs that tells you how many times a specific page on your site has been viewed. It's often used in social media when discussing the effectiveness of social referral traffic.

Messages that pop up on a user's mobile device. Social media apps often use push notifications to inform users about new messages or other activity.

An account setting that allows anyone to see your posts and follow you without requiring approval.

The total number of unique people who have seen a particular post since it was published. Unlike impressions, reach counts each user only once regardless of how many times they've seen the post.

A post that has been pinned to the top of a social media page for easy visibility. Pinned posts are used to draw attention to important updates, offers, or other high-priority information.

In the context of paid advertising, particularly Google Ads, Quality Score is a metric that Google uses to rate the quality and relevance of your keywords and PPC ads. Social platforms have similar metrics to ensure that ads are relevant and useful to users.

A question-and-answer platform where questions are asked, answered, and edited by community members. Quora can be a valuable social media marketing tool for establishing thought leadership in your industry.

These are pre-set responses within messaging platforms like Facebook Messenger that allow for quick and easy responses during customer interactions. They can be used to guide a user through a series of steps or to provide immediate answers to frequently asked questions.

This is a type of tweet that allows you to embed another tweet inside it. It's used to share someone else's tweet and add your own commentary.

A machine-readable code consisting of an array of black and white squares, typically used for storing URLs or other information for reading by the camera on a smartphone. QR codes can be used in social media marketing to quickly direct users to a website, promotion, or other digital resource.

In the realm of social media and SEO, quality content is content that provides real value to the audience. It's informative, actionable, and user-friendly, often providing a solution to a specific problem or question.

Interactive content that engages users by asking them questions and providing results based on their answers. Quizzes are often used in social media to engage followers and collect data on consumer preferences or knowledge about a subject.

In social media management, a queue is the list of posts that are scheduled to be published on various social media platforms. Tools like Buffer and Hootsuite allow you to add posts to your queue to be sent out at specific times.

A search command or a set of instructions that are used to find specific data from a database. In social media, queries are often used in social listening tools to find mentions of a particular brand or keyword across social media platforms.

These are links that are easily accessible and usually prominently displayed to guide users to important information. On social media platforms like Instagram, quick links can be added to a profile to guide users to a store, sign-up page, or other important destinations.

A social media analytics tool that helps you track, benchmark, and optimize your social media performance. It provides deep insights into your social media data to help you make better marketing decisions.

In social media marketing, QA refers to the process of ensuring that the content and interactions provided meet the company's quality standards. This can include checking posts for errors, ensuring that customer queries are answered correctly, and that all information is accurate and up-to-date.

This is a metric that indicates the total number of unique people who have seen your content on a social media platform. It's an important measure to understand how far your content is spreading.

This is a form of online advertising that targets users who have previously visited your website but did not make a purchase or take some other desired action. Retargeting ads appear on social media platforms and aim to encourage the user to return to your site.

In social media marketing, ROI refers to the returns you get from the investment made in advertising or campaigns. It's calculated by dividing the net profit by the total investment costs.

This is a web feed that allows users to access updates to online content in a standardized, computer-readable format. Many social media managers use RSS feeds to curate content for posting.

Similar to Quality Score in Google Ads, the Relevance Score on platforms like Facebook measures the relevance of your ads to your target audience. A higher score can lead to lower costs and better ad placements.

This is a term specific to Pinterest, where users can 'repin' a pin to their own board, effectively sharing it with their followers.

A social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion platform. Reddit's registered community members can submit content, such as text posts or direct links.

On Twitter, retweeting is the act of sharing someone else's tweet to your own followers. It's a quick way to share valuable content and also to engage with other users.

This is marketing based on up-to-date events. By leveraging news, trends, and events in real-time, brands aim to get immediate feedback from their audience.

This is a design approach aimed at crafting sites to provide an optimal viewing experience across a wide range of devices. In social media, having a responsive design means your content can be properly viewed whether accessed via desktop, tablet, or mobile.

These are advertising assets that include advanced features like video, audio, or other interactive elements. In social media, rich media can be used in ads or posts to engage users more effectively than static content.

The act of reposting another user's Instagram post to your own Instagram feed. Usually, the original poster is credited in the caption.

Algorithms used by social media platforms to determine the order and presentation of posts in a user's feed. These algorithms prioritize content that is most likely to be relevant and engaging to the user.

Websites like Yelp or TripAdvisor where users can post reviews about businesses, including their products and services. These sites often integrate social features, like the ability to share reviews on social media platforms.

A feature that lets you customize your search ads campaign for people who have previously visited your site, and tailor your bids and ads to these visitors when they're searching on Google and search partner sites.

These are search listings that provide more information than typical listings, such as a thumbnail image, ratings, and other descriptive details. They can be used in social media to enhance the visibility of direct links to your website.

This is the practice of optimizing your website or social media content so that it shows up in prominent positions within search engine results. SEO is crucial for increasing visibility and driving organic traffic.

This is a broader term that includes SEO and other search marketing tactics, like paid search ads. SEM aims to increase visibility in search engines through both organic and paid efforts.

This term refers to the psychological phenomenon where people assume the actions of others in an attempt to reflect correct behavior. In social media, having a large following can serve as social proof, potentially attracting even more followers.

A multimedia messaging app used globally. One of the principal features of Snapchat is that pictures and messages are usually only available for a short time before they become inaccessible to their recipients.

This is the monitoring of your brand's social media channels for any customer feedback or direct mentions of your brand. It's important for brand management and customer service.

This is a measure used to denote the return on investment from social media activities. It's calculated by dividing the net benefit of social media by the cost of implementing social media marketing activities.

This is the use of social media by sales teams for generating leads and building relationships. It's an increasingly important strategy in B2B and high-consideration B2C sales.

A feature on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat where users can post photos, videos, and text that disappear after 24 hours. Stories are useful for timely promotions or events.

These are individual communities within Reddit, focused on a specific topic or theme. Each subreddit has its own rules and guidelines.

This is a type of advertising, usually in the form of articles or videos, that are similar to the site's actual content but are labeled as sponsored.

This measures the amount of discussion your brand generates relative to your competitors. It's often expressed as a percentage of total mentions within your industry or topic.

This is the use of natural language processing to analyze customer sentiments expressed in text about a particular service or product. It's often used in social media monitoring tools.

A social media app that allows users to create and share 15-second videos set to music. It's particularly popular among Gen Z users.

A social media platform that allows users to send and receive short posts called tweets. Twitter is widely used for both personal and professional networking.

The specific group of people you want to reach with your social media or advertising campaigns. Knowing your target audience is crucial for effective marketing.

In the digital marketing world, traffic refers to the visitors who come to your website or social media pages. Traffic can be organic or paid.

A keyword or term assigned to a piece of information, such as a social media post. Tags help describe an item and allow it to be found again through browsing or searching.

An extra layer of security used to ensure that people trying to gain access to an online account are who they say they are. It's often used in social media platforms for added security.

An official Twitter tool that allows for the management of multiple Twitter accounts and streams, all within a single interface.

A public Twitter conversation around one unique hashtag. Twitter chats are often recurring and on specific topics to regularly connect people with these interests.

This term refers to the overall experience a user has when interacting with a product, service, or platform, including social media. A good UX design aims to provide positive experiences to keep users loyal to the product or brand.

This is the space where interactions between humans and machines occur. The goal of UI design in social media platforms is to make user interaction simple, efficient, and enjoyable.

This is the action of unsubscribing from another user's account on social media platforms. When you unfollow someone, you will no longer see their posts in your feed.

This is the web address that you use to visit a website. URLs are important in social media when you're directing traffic to a website, and they're often shortened to make them more user-friendly.

This is content—like videos, blogs, and social media posts—created by users rather than brands or publishers. Many brands repost UGC as testimonials and for community-building.

On platforms like Reddit and Quora, users can upvote content that they find valuable, pushing it higher up on the page so more people can see it. The opposite of upvoting is downvoting.

These are tags that you add to a URL. When someone clicks on a URL with UTM parameters, those tags are sent back to your Google Analytics for tracking. They're useful for understanding the effectiveness of your social media campaigns.

A popular type of online video where products are unpacked and described in detail during the video. These are often shared on social media and can be a form of user-generated content.

This term refers to the group of users who regularly use a specific social media platform, app, or other service. Understanding the user base's demographics and behavior is crucial for targeted marketing.

This is a measure of the public shares, likes, and comments that users interact with on your social media posts. High user engagement is often a sign that your audience finds your content valuable.

A semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer based on market research and real data about your existing customers. User personas help in tailoring your social media marketing strategies.

This metric measures the percentage of users who return to a social media app or platform after their first visit. High user retention rates indicate that the platform has effective engagement strategies.

A marketing campaign that encourages users to share content about a brand or product, often through a specific hashtag. These campaigns leverage user-generated content to build brand awareness and trust.

Content created by individuals rather than brands. Brands often share UGC as part of their social media strategy to build community and authenticity.

A tool that converts a regular URL into a condensed format, often used in social media posts to save space or make the link more attractive.

In the context of social media, "viral" refers to content that has been shared, viewed, or interacted with at an exceptionally high rate in a short period. Viral content often becomes popular through sharing and word of mouth.

On platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, a verified account means that the platform has confirmed the account is authentic, usually denoted by a blue checkmark next to the username. This is commonly used for public figures, brands, and other high-profile accounts.

This involves using video as a medium to promote or market your brand, product, or service. Video marketing can be done on various platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, and is increasingly important in social media strategies.

A video blog or vlog is a form of blog where the medium is video. Vlogs are a popular type of content on platforms like YouTube and are often shared across social media.

This technology allows users to interact with a 3D world, typically using headsets and hand controllers. While not strictly a social media term, VR is becoming more integrated with social platforms.

These are metrics that look good on paper but don't necessarily translate into real business value. Examples include the number of followers or page views, which can be misleading indicators of business success.

Although the platform has been discontinued, Vine was a short-form video hosting service where users could share six-second-long looping video clips. The term is sometimes still used to describe short, looping videos on other platforms.

As smart speakers like Amazon's Alexa and Google Home become more popular, voice search is increasingly important. This has implications for keyword strategies in social media marketing.

This metric is used in digital advertising to measure how many impressions are actually viewable by users. It's particularly relevant for video ads on social media platforms.

A virtual assistant, in the context of social media, is often a chatbot or automated system designed to assist users in finding information, solving problems, or completing tasks.

This term refers to how actively viewers are interacting with content. It's often used in the context of video content to describe metrics like watch time, likes, shares, and comments.

This allows users to select and watch video content whenever they choose, rather than at a scheduled broadcast time. VOD can be an aspect of social media platforms that offer video content.

A vanity URL is a customized web address that includes the name of the business for marketing, branding, and search engine optimization purposes. Many social media platforms allow users to create a vanity URL that is easier to remember, read, and search.

A webinar is an online seminar or workshop that is conducted over the internet. It's a way for businesses to project a message to a large audience, without asking guests to spend time and money traveling to a physical location.

In the context of social media, a widget is a small application or component that can be embedded within a website to perform a specific function, such as displaying recent tweets or other social media updates.

This is the age-old practice of passing information from one person to another through oral communication, but in the digital age, it's often facilitated through social media. Positive word of mouth can significantly boost a brand's credibility and sales.

A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that informs readers concisely about a complex issue and presents the issuing body's philosophy on the matter. In social media, white papers can be used as a form of content marketing.

In the context of Facebook, the "Wall" is the space on every user's profile page that allows friends to post messages for the user to see. It's a central feature of many social media platforms, although the terminology may differ.

This is the practice of collecting, measuring, analyzing, and reporting web data for purposes of understanding and optimizing web usage. In social media, analytics tools can track the effectiveness of social marketing campaigns.

A whitelist is a list of accepted items or persons in a set. This list provides a layer of security, allowing a service, program, or device to accept communications or transactions from known sources.

In a social media context, workflow refers to the detailed process or set of procedures that are followed to execute each aspect of a social media campaign or strategy.

This refers to the amount of data sent and received by visitors to a website. High web traffic indicates popularity or effectiveness of your social media marketing efforts to drive visitors to your website.

This term describes the second stage of development of the Internet, characterized by the change from static web pages to dynamic or user-generated content and the growth of social media.

A wiki is a website or database developed collaboratively by a community of users, allowing any user to add and edit content. Wikipedia is the most well-known example.

In a social media context, a walled garden refers to a platform that does not easily allow for content and information to be transferred out of the service. This can make it challenging for marketers who want to integrate multiple platforms into their strategies.

A wireframe is a visual guide that represents the skeletal framework of a website or app, including layout and functionality. It's often used in the planning stages of a social media application's development.

XML is a markup language that defines a set of rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable. In social media, XML can be used to syndicate content, like RSS feeds, allowing users to subscribe to updates.

XSS is a type of security vulnerability where attackers inject client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users. Social media platforms work to protect against these types of attacks to ensure user data remains secure.

In the context of social media, the X-Factor refers to a unique or exceptional quality that makes an individual, piece of content, or campaign stand out. It's that indefinable characteristic that makes something go viral or gain rapid popularity.

Short for "cross-post," this term refers to the act of posting the same content across multiple social media platforms or forums. While it can be an effective way to reach a broader audience, it's important to tailor the content to suit the norms and expectations of each community.

XHTML is a markup language that has the same depth of expression as HTML but also conforms to XML syntax. It's often used in the development of mobile web applications, including those for social media.

This is a communications protocol for message-oriented middleware based on XML. It's often used for instant messaging services, including those integrated into social media platforms.

This term refers to cross-platform strategies in social media marketing, where campaigns are designed to be compatible and integrated across multiple platforms, enhancing the user experience and reach.

In analytics and user experience design, an "X-user" refers to an unknown or anonymous user whose behavior is being studied but who has not been identified or profiled in detail.

YouTube is a video-sharing platform where users can upload, view, and share videos. It's one of the most popular social media platforms and is used for both entertainment and educational purposes. Brands often use YouTube for marketing campaigns and customer engagement.

Yelp is a business directory service and crowd-sourced review forum. Users can submit reviews and ratings for local businesses. Many businesses leverage Yelp to improve their online presence and reputation.

Yammer is a social networking service used for private communication within organizations. It's often referred to as "Facebook for the workplace" and is used to facilitate collaboration and communication among employees.

This acronym is often used on social media to describe a carefree, adventurous action or decision. It's a popular hashtag used to signify enjoying life to the fullest.

A YouTuber is someone who produces and publishes videos on YouTube, often with a large following. They may monetize their content through ads, sponsorships, and merchandise.

In the context of social media advertising, yield refers to the percentage of clicks, actions, or other desired outcomes gained from the number of impressions or views.

Yik Yak was a location-based social network that was popular among college students for anonymous chatting. Though it has been shut down, it serves as an example of the potential risks and benefits of anonymity online.

This term refers to significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people. It's often used in discussions about the impact of social media on societal change driven by younger generations.

In the context of social media analytics, the Y-axis on a graph typically represents metrics like engagement, reach, or clicks, allowing for the visual representation of performance data over time.

A unit of digital information storage used to denote the size of data. It is relevant in discussions about the massive amount of data generated by social media platforms.

In web development, the Z-index helps to specify the stack order of positioned elements. This can be crucial for social media ads and landing pages where layering can affect the user experience.

An unwanted intrusion into a video conference call, often featuring disruptive behavior. Given the rise of Zoom for social events, this term has entered the social media lexicon.

A text style used on social media to create a glitchy or "haunted" appearance. It's often used for humorous or dramatic effect but can be considered spammy or annoying by some users

A text style used on social media to create a glitchy or "haunted" appearance. It's often used for humorous or dramatic effect but can be considered spammy or annoying by some users

An extra layer of security used to ensure that people trying to gain access to an online account are who they say they are. It's highly recommended for securing social media accounts.

These are posts that feature 3D objects that can be embedded into a timeline on platforms like Facebook. They can be rotated and interacted with directly within the post.

Refers to customer service that is available at all hours. This is crucial for social media platforms where users are active around the clock.

A video recording where a view in every direction is recorded at the same time. These videos are often used on social media to create immersive experiences.

Content that is 10 times better than the best result that can currently be found in the search results for a given keyword phrase. It's a term often used in content marketing and SEO.

The aspect ratio most commonly used for web broadcasts and video platforms, including most social media videos.

Square videos or images, which are particularly popular on platforms like Instagram.

The fifth generation of mobile network technology, succeeding 4G. As 5G networks roll out, the speed and reliability of mobile internet will improve, affecting social media usage, particularly for features that require high data usage like video streaming.

A theory that suggests that creators only need 1,000 true fans to make a living. This has been widely discussed in the context of social media, where small but dedicated audiences can provide strong support through likes, shares, and financial contributions.