We have created this social media glossary to help marketers learn the terminology to keep up with the freshly published advice, tips etc as social media marketing has become a tipping point for every brand in today’s rapidly changing business environment.
If you’re a Social Media Marketer who schedules their work with social media scheduler indulged in keeping a record of these changing algorithms and trends, understanding acronyms and technical words becomes a tough task.
Well, until you spend every waking moment on this vast online community.
Don’t worry, we have prepared this ultimate repository of all your Social Media terms.
Sounds great right?
Everything you want in a single place – a social media glossary of all the social media deets.
Go ahead and bookmark this page, you never know when the time calls for a little social geekspeak.
– A –
AddThis
AddThis is an old term and most bloggers have heard of them. They are not as popular today as they used to be, but they definitely earn a place in this social media glossary.
AddThis is a web-tracking technology company that offers social media and content tools – It ranges from responsive sharing buttons, custom follow buttons to recommended content plugins – specifically designed to help you increase engagement on your website and earn more followers on social media.
Algorithm
Scientists and engineers usually design algorithms, but the technology used by us require us to understand this term and hence we added it to this social media glossary.
The algorithm is a technique used by social media Post Schedule platforms to analyze which piece of content gets priority on the user’s news feed, based on their interests, activities, searches, and interaction. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat functions via an algorithm, whereas Twitter still uses chronological feed.
Analytics
It is Google’s extension used to analyze data and create detailed statistics of web visitors. Whenever a website uses cookies or another tracking tag, it stores users’ activities for Google Analytics. This absolutely free service helps generate traffic from social media, tracking links, running A / B testing, and providing traffic data in real-time. For most people, analytics means Google analytics tool, so add that word to your social terminologies with a pinch of salt.
Alt words
A text which appears when website visitors are impaired of the contents of a picture. An attribute added to HTML codes for the image, the alt text should have a description of the image.
Audience Selector
A tool to segment your audience. If you want to share something on Facebook only with a targeted audience, including pages of your own, you can use the Audience selector.
Anchor text
A set of clickable keywords highlighted with a backlink to another webpage. It is an SEO technique, Google uses external anchor text to help understand what your page is about and also for which keywords the page should rank.
AMA
AMA stands for “Ask me Anything.” It was popularized as a subreddit community where users use the term AMA to prompt other users to share information and ask questions. Since then, the acronym has gone viral on various other platforms, Instagram also launched its infamous Questions story feature on similar lines.
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Banner Ads
Banner Ads are simply image-ads for undertaking online advertising activities. The primary purpose of banner ads is to promote a brand and get web traffic from the host website to the advertiser’s website.
Bitly
Bitly is a tool used for URL shortening. Specific social media platforms like Twitter are limited to a certain count of characters. Bitly helps them to condense the long URLs and save a little on the character count.
Backlink
The backlink is a hyperlink that one website draws from other websites using HTML href code. Backlinks are a prominent factor in determining organic search rankings.
Let’s say Website X has backlinks from Website Y, Z, and W .Then website X has the vote of Y, Z, and W for Seo ranking. Hence, a secure backlink connection helps in better SEO.
Blog
The one you’re reading is a blog. Initially known as weblogs, blogs are used to maintain a digital footprint with quality content regarding events, information, and other resources like videos and graphics library. A blog is used to attract new users while engaging the existing ones.
Black Hat
It is a term used for Digital marketers or SEO specialists who use unethical ways of marketing to rank high on google search. They use methods like spammy link building, keyword stuffing, cloaking, and other manipulations to rank higher
BroadReader
BoardReader is a free search engine that allows users to search for keywords in posts and titles of online forums. It is a popular form of social networking.
-C-
CMS
A content management system is usually a software application or a set of related programs that are used to create and manage digital content.
Clickbait
Clickbait refers to attractive web-content created deliberately to lure visitors to increase page views and as a result, earning revenues via traffic. “Lose Weight in 10 days” ads are a perfect example of clickbait.
Conversion Rate
CR is the percentage of visitors who complete a desired goal compared to the total visitors.
Crawler
It is a program designed to scan across websites for their content and purpose. It is used by search engines like Google, Yahoo, etc. for their index. Because of it, you are able to find relevant content on the internet easily.
Cookie
A cookie is a small file sent from a website to the user’s computer and stored on the user’s browser. They store relevant information about the user’s browsing activity like products listed on the shopping cart, name, address, passwords, etc.
Clickthrough Rate
CTR is the number of times a viewer clicks on a specific link divided by the total viewers of the link. It is widely used in web advertising.
A high CTR is a good indication that users find your ads helpful and relevant. The higher the rate, the more effective the advertising is
CrowdSourcing
If the term crowdsourcing is split into two: crowd and outsourcing, it becomes self-explanatory. Through crowdsourcing, large work projects can be broken down into smaller chunks called microtasks and then outsourced for fast, efficient completion
Creative Commons (CC)
It is an American non-profit organization that provides licenses to creators to share their work. Any original content created is subject to copyrights that prevent its further use. CC allows the creator to select how they want others to use their work.
CTA
CTA stands for “Call to Action.” It is the next action that asks viewers to engage further with a brand. For example. Sign up, Subscribe, Join, Reach out to us, etc.
Community Manager
An individual responsible for building, engaging, and monitoring communications and relationships between members of an online business community.
Cross Channel
This refers to the practice of communication across channels like SMS, email, chat, messenger, etc. between marketers and customers. It is also known as multi-channel or omnichannel.
Content Marketing
Content Marketing is an art of attracting and retaining customers using content. It is in the form of photos, videos, blogs, vlogs, etc., any type of content which stimulates the interest of viewers in a particular brand or business.
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Dashboard
It is a social media management tool that is used by individuals or companies to coordinate social media presence across multiple channels through a single interface.
Dark Web
Dark Web refers to content on the World Wide Web that exists beyond regular searches. It uses the internet but can be accessed only after specific software, configurations, and authorizations.
It uses a masked IP address so that the user’s anonymity is maintained.
Digital Assistant
It is a computer program designed to assist a user by answering specific questions and performing certain tasks. For example, Siri on iPhone, Amazon’s Alexa, auto attendants for cloud PBX system, Chatbots or instant messaging tools for various service-based brands, etc.
DM
DM or Direct Message is information exchanged between two users on social media privately.
Disqus
It refers to a blog comment hosting service for online communities who uses a networked platform.
Deflection rate
The percentage of issues in customer service that are transferred from social media to other channels such as emails, phone.
Doxing
It is the unethical practice of tracing someone via Internet databases, social media, etc. Its methods include searching, hacking, broadcasting one popularly for coercion, online shaming, extortion.
-E-
Engagement rate
It is the percentage of interactions (in the form of likes, shares, comments, etc.) that a piece of content receives on social media concerning viewers. It is usually used to determine the success of a campaign run by a brand on Pinterest Pins or any other social media accounts.
Ebook
It is an electronic form of a traditional print book. It can be accessed by a computer or specially designed hand-held device. As a result of e-books, it has become easier than ever to carry hundreds or thousands of books at once.
Endorsement
It is an exclusive feature of LinkedIn wherein a user can vouch for one or more of your skills.
Email Marketing
As can be seen, email marketing is a way of marketing used by businesses to potential and current customer base. It is one of the most widely used and successful forms of marketing.
Embedded Media
It refers to a piece of media content or files embedded from outside on a web page or a particular social media. Examples include gif, sound clips, youtube video, google maps, google calendar, etc.
-F-
Feed
On social media channels, feed is the stream of the content usually displayed on the homepage as updates or data created by other users.
Filter
It refers to effects that can be applied to photographs before publishing them. These effects could be created by changing shades, colors, pixels, adding frames, etc.
Forums
It is a public media or a message board that hosts discussions in the form of likes, comments, etc.
-G-
Geo-targeting
It is a way of delivering content to a website visitor based on the user’s location. This includes segmenting the users based on country, state, zip code, etc. It helps optimize advertising.
GIF
It’s an acronym for Graphics Interface Format. It is a file that supports both static and animated versions of an image. It’s basically a more interactive image.
Geofilter
This is a specific filter added to photographs before broadcasting that describes the geographical location. Snapchat users put geofilters often. These geofilters are accessible only in a particular geographic area, and the time snap has been taken.
Google AMP
Here, AMP stands for Accelerated Mobile Pages. Google AMP is a website publishing technology by google to create mobile-optimized content. It was created so that a user does not have to wait long for loading websites on a mobile phone.
Geotag
It is a directional coordinate attached to a photograph, video, or social media message. For example, on Instagram, users add a location to a picture conveying where it was taken.
Gravity Forms
It is a WordPress plugin used for contact forms. It allows site owners to create forms to collect information.
-H-
HARO
It’s an acronym for ‘Help A Reporter Out’. It is an online service that journalists use to obtain feedback from the public. It allows journalists to connect with experts in issues relevant to their reporting.
Handle
It refers to the username of a person on social media.
HTML
It stands for Hypertext Markup Language. It is a programming language for webpages.
Header Image
It refers to the massive image placed on top of a social media profile. It is larger than the profile picture, often in landscape format acting as a banner.
-I-
Impressions
It is the total number of views that a post receives on social media.
Influencer Marketing
It is a marketing strategy that marketers use to promote their business products, services, or campaigns through an influential person on social media.
Inbound Volume
It is the volume of messages directed at a particular social media account within a given time frame.
Inbound Marketing
It is a marketing strategy of attracting customers to a business using tactics like content marketing, search engine optimization, etc. The content could be in the form of a blog post, photos, podcasts, e-books, webinars, etc.
-K-
KPI
KPI stands for Key Performance Indicator. It is a metric system to understand and analyze the success or failure of social media. Examples of a few KPIs include brand awareness, cost per lead, online conversion rate, etc.
Klout
It is an indicator of how influential your social media activities are. The Klout website allows you to connect your social accounts to the service, which can then scan them to see how engaging and influential your activities are.
Keyword
The keywords are SEO phrases in your web content that makes it possible for people to find your site via search engines. A website that is well optimized for search engines “speaks the same language” as its potential visitor base with keywords for SEO that help connect searchers to your site.
Keyword stuffing
Web content that includes a large number of keywords and meta tags with the motive to increase the ranking of the page and traffic on the internet.
-L-
Lead
Lead refers to a person who shows interest in your business. He/She has the potential to become a customer.
Lookalike Audience
Lookalike Audience is a replica of your real audience; who look similar to the audience who are already interacting with your business, i.e., a list of potential customers who share the same interest as existing ones.
Longtail Keyword
Longtail keyword is 3 or more words long search phrases. These are highly relevant for a niche audience rather than those keywords that generate high traffic. For example, keywords could be shoes whereas longtail keyword is “converse all star white women’s shoes.”
LinkedIn is a social network for professionals. It’s like Facebook for your career, a place where your work lets you stand apart.
Like baiting
Like baiting is the practice of explicitly requesting likes, shares and other engagement forms on social media.
Listicle
A listicle is a list-based article popular on social media, especially on Facebook because of its list-style format which is easy and quick to fathom. For example, “10 must-visit places in India.”
-M-
Meme
A meme, essentially, is a photograph with text. It pokes fun at a cultural symbol or social idea.
The majority of modern memes are photos with text. People create these memes (meems) for entertainment and often in a way that publicly ridicules human behavior. Other memes can be videos and verbal expressions.
ML
Machine learning is an application of artificial intelligence (AI) that provides systems the ability to learn and improve from experience without explicit programming.
Marketing Automation
It is a software that automates marketing action. It is a medium through which marketing people depend upon automation for their repetitive tasks. These tasks may include social media posting, emails, broadcasts, and more.
Because of it, people are able to concentrate more on those activities that need thinking.
Microblogging
It is a medium that allows users to create short messages. It has immediate availability. As a result, it is trendy as it has short content.
Multi-Channel Attribution
It refers to the process of which marketing channel leads you to sale. Additionally, each marketing channel has credit according to their role.
Mashup
It is a technique by a website that uses data from existing different sources and as a result, creates new content.
-N-
News Feed
It refers to seeing the latest things on your social media wall. On newsfeed, continuous transmission of data takes place so that new and most recent news updates.
Newsjacking
It refers to injecting or putting your idea in the current events going around and promoting your product.
NPS
‘Net promoter score’ is a tool for checking the loyalty of your customers. Because of this, businesses determine whether or not would their customers recommend them to others.
As a result, businesses come to know which of their customers are the most loyal with the brand.
-O-
Organic reach
Organic reach is basically the number of people you were able to reach without using any paid advertising service.
Omnichannel Marketing
It is the same as cross channel marketing.
-P-
Paid reach
Paid reach is basically the number of people you were able to reach by using a paid advertising service. For example, Instagram ads or Facebook ads.
Permalink
It is a link that will remain unchanged and will direct you to a particular post.
Phishing
It is a fraudulent activity that intends to obtain sensitive information such as passwords and usernames.
Platform
It helps in developing and managing social media problems and solutions.
Podcast
It is an audio file that is available for downloading to your device, it is available in series or installments.
-Q-
Quora Marketing
Quora marketing refers to selling your product/service on quora. The best part is you mainly reach your target audience. It helps in lead generation and as a result, adds traffic to your websites.
Quote Tweet
Quote Tweet means you are sharing someone’s tweet (just like sharing a Fb post) with your comment/mention/thought about the tweet. Here, you still have 140 characters to share besides the tweet content of the other person/business.
Quantcast
It is a measurement tool for a web audience that collects real-time data and the traffic that the site is getting from a marketing perspective.
-R-
Real-time Search
It refers to looking at the material published in real-time. Here, there is no delay between the composition and publishing.
Real-Time marketing
It refers to creating a strategy focusing on current, relevant trends and customer feedback.
ROI
ROI is an abbreviation of Return On Investment. It refers to the revenue that you are generating in relation to the investment you have made.
Studying ROI makes it easier for businesses to judge whether or not was their investment worth it. This, as a result, makes decision-making easier.
Relevance Score
It is a rating that tells how well your ads are doing based on relevance. The higher the rate, the more relevant your ad is.
Response rate
It is the measurement of the rate at which a number of people respond to a specific action of yours. As a result, businesses come to know about their active audience.
Retargeting
It is a method of targeting those users who visited your page but did not complete the task, such as a purchase. One can track their activities and thus retarget them.
-S-
SEM
Search Engine Marketing is a way of marketing through which websites increase their visibility through advertising. Because of SEM, websites enjoy higher levels of user interaction.
SEO
SEO or Search Engine Optimization is the structured approach to increasing the quality and quantity of website traffic. Because of SEO, your content appears in searches and potentially increases engagement.
Shared Content
It is the content that one shares through social media. This content can evoke reactions and also drive action.
Social Listening
Social Listening is simply the process through which a business monitors its customers’ responses. Because of this, brands can keep a check of their reputation in the market and judge what people think.
Social Selling
It’s simply a process of developing relationships between sellers and consumers.
Because of this, people answer the questions of consumers and interact with potential customers so to increase their sales.
Scheduling
Scheduling refers to the identification of media channels that can be used for marketing, duration of messages, position, etc.
Share of voice
It is a measure to track your brand against competitors. Because of this, you can improve your performance against the marketing channels.
SoLoMo
It refers to ‘social – local – mobile’. This helps the salesperson to pass the notifications to the near-by users for the purpose of marketing themselves.
Spam
Spam refers to the widespread sharing of irrelevant or unsolicited messages to a large number of people. A central party does so to falsely advertise or phish people.
Sponsored Content
Sponsored content is said to be the content that is paid for to be advertised on social media. Businesses do so to engage their target audience.
-T-
Tag
A tag allows users to engage with individuals or any entity. When someone tags someone else in a post or a comment, they receive a notification.
The notification contains pop-up news which the mentioned party then reads and interacts with.
Thread
Thread refers to the sequence of messages on the initial post that then allows you to join the discussion.
Triage
Triage refers to how to respond to a comment, the tone of response, and whether to respond or not.
Troll
An internet troll is a person that aims to start quarrels and arguments among people. He/She does so by creating inappropriate content or by making aggressive or notorious responses. Consequently, they ruin the integrity of social media.
Traffic
Web traffic refers to the number of users who visit a website or webpage. Increasing traffic on your website or any social media platform has also become a very challenging goal. It is so because every website is trying to grab users’ attention.
-U-
UI/UX
The user interface simply refers to the area on a website that a user interacts with. This includes graphic design, and navigation visual elements required by an individual so they can browse with ease.
User experience is the process of developing, researching, and refining the user’s interaction with the company.
UGC
User-Generated Content is simply the content that your audience creates for your brand. Consumers talk about the brand’s products so to share their experience with it.
You can use this to your advantage to display how reliant your product is. It’s one of the best forms of marketing because it develops trust between the brand and the consumers.
Upvote
It is a method through which you can show appreciation for a post so as to display your gratitude.
URL Shortener
It refers to a website that reduces the length of a uniform resource locator (URL). It helps so as to reduce the web page address to something that is easy to remember.
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Vine
Vine used to be a video hosting service. It allowed its users to create short 6-second entertainment videos so that they can share them on social media.
Viral
Viral is simply a synonym for ‘popular’ on social media. When something is ‘viral’, it means that it is gaining rapid popularity.
Virtual Reality
It is a technology that allows users to experience an artificial environment. It is possible with the help of a headset and controls so that they can immerse themselves in a game story.
Vanity Metric
Vanity metrics are things like registered users, downloads, and also raw pageviews. They can be manipulative.
Vlog
A vlog is simply a video version of a blog where people post video content so to receive engagement.
Verified
Verified is a badge of check that appears next to your account name. When an account is verified, it means that your account is official.
-W-
Webinar
A web-based seminar conducted in the form of presentations, lectures, and workshops. People then share these over the web using video conference software.
White Hat
White Hat refers to honest, legal, and fair means of digital marketing.
-Y-
Yammer
Yammer refers to a freemium enterprise social networking service. It helps in making private communication within an organization.
YouTube Ads
YouTube advertisers pay per view of their ad with an average cost-per-view ranging between $.10 – $.30. The views also count toward your overall YouTube views.
Yelp
It is a review site where users post their reviews and rate businesses. As a result, it helps understand how a business operates.
Meanwhile, give RecurPost, one of the most trusted coschedule alternatives, a thorough test. RecurPost is one of the best free Hootsuite alternatives on the market, thanks to features like advanced Analytics and social media Bulk scheduling.
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Zapier
Zapier connects the apps that you use daily to automate your work so as to decrease workload.
RecurPost-supported social media platforms
RecurPost helps you in driving more traffic to your site by scheduling posts on multiple channels targeting the right audience and posting at the best time.
You can schedule Facebook posts and schedule Instagram posts to engage your audience with entertaining posts. It is possible to post on your profiles, pages, and groups on Facebook. You can post on your personal and business profiles on your Instagram account.
You can schedule tweets with RecurPost by creating variations. RecurPost enables you to schedule LinkedIn posts on your personal and business pages and start networking with global leaders in your industry.
RecurPost is the perfect Pinterest scheduler for you if you’re big on visual marketing. It also allows you to schedule Google My Business posts with CTAs of your choice, which helps improve your business ranking on google.
Debbie Moran is a Digital marketing strategist with 5+ years of experience producing advertising for brands and helping leaders showcase their brand to the correct audience. She has been a part of RecurPost since 2019 and handles all the activities required to grow our brand’s online presence.