Glossary page
Browse the most important social media marketing terms below. Don’t get lost in the social media jargon, this glossary breaks it all down for you.
A/B testing compares two versions to find the best performer like testing headlines, images, or call-to-action buttons.
AI, short for Artificial Intelligence, is technology that mimics human thinking to automate tasks like content creation or chat responses.
AMA is the short for "Ask Me Anything," a Q&A format where creators or brands answer audience questions live or in comments.
Ads refers to paid posts designed to promote content, products, or services on social media platforms.
A dashboard for creating, managing, and analyzing paid social media campaigns.
An algorithm is the set of rules on a platform’s system that decides what content users see based on behavior and relevance.
Algospeak is a coded language used to avoid algorithm filters on platforms like TikTok or Instagram.
Audience segmentation is the process of dividing users into groups based on traits to deliver targeted content or ads.
B2B is short for business-to-business, referring to companies that market their products or services to other businesses rather than individual consumers.
Creating multiple pieces of content at once to streamline the social media process.
BeReal is a social app that prompts users to post unfiltered photos at a random time daily.
A bio is the short description in a social media profile that explains visitors about who you are, what you do, or what your page is about.
Bluesky is a decentralized social app built as an alternative to traditional social platforms.
Instagram Boomerangs are a looping video format that plays forward and backward quickly.
Boosting a post means paying to promote an existing social media post to reach a larger or more targeted audience.
Bot followers are fake or automated accounts that inflate follower count but don’t engage with content.
A brand advocate is a loyal customer or fan who shares and promotes your brand voluntarily through social media or word-of-mouth.
Brand awareness refers to how familiar and recognizable your brand is to your target audience.
A brand mention is when someone tags or references your brand in a social media post, comment, or story, with or without a link.
Branding is the process of creating a unique identity for your business through visuals, messaging, tone, and overall online presence.
CPC means cost per click and refers to how much you pay each time someone clicks on your social media ad.
CTA stands for call to action, which is a prompt that encourages users to take an action, like clicking a link, subscribing, or making a purchase.
CTR stands for click through rate, which is the percentage of users who clicked a link after seeing a post.
A campaign is focused effort (usually a series of planned posts or ads) designed to achieve a specific marketing goal over a set period.
A caption is the text that accompanies a social media post and can provide context, prompts, or calls to action.
A carousel is a social media post format with multiple images or videos users can swipe through.
Character count refers to the total number of letters, symbols, and spaces used in a post or caption.
A chatbot is an automated tool that responds to messages or comments, often used for customer service or FAQs.
Clickbait is a misleading or exaggerated headline or thumbnail meant to attract attention and get more clicks.
Close Friends is an Instagram feature that lets users share private Stories with a selected group of followers.
Co-marketing is when two brands team up to promote a campaign or content to both of their audiences.
A collab, short for collaboration, refers to a joint content created by two or more users or brands.
A community manager is a professional responsible for engaging with followers, responding to comments, and building online relationships.
Content calendar is a planning tool for planning, scheduling and organizing social media posts.
Content marketing involves creating and sharing valuable content to attract and engage your target audience.
Content pillars are key themes or topics that guide a brand’s social media strategy across channels.
A conversion happens when a user completes a desired action, like signing up or purchasing.
A cover photo is the large banner image at the top of a social media profile or page.
A creator is someone who produces original content shared on social media platforms.
The creator economy refers to the digital ecosystem where creators earn income through content.
A creator marketplace is a platform that connects brands with content creators for collaboration.
Cross-posting refers to sharing the same content on multiple social media platforms to maximize reach and save time.
Cross-promotion is a marketing strategy where two or more brands, products, or platforms promote each other to expand their audiences and boost visibility.
Crowdsourcing is gathering ideas, content, or feedback from a large group of people, typically through social media.
A DM, or direct message, is a private message sent between users on social media platforms.
Dark social refers to content shared privately via DMs, emails, or messaging apps that’s difficult to track with analytics tools.
Discouraging followers from buying products, often due to overhype.
Dislikes are negative reactions on social media that indicate users didn’t enjoy or agree with a post, video, or comment.
Doomscrolling is the act of continuously scrolling through negative or upsetting news and content on social media.
A duet is a TikTok feature that lets you record your video alongside another, often used to react, collaborate, or respond.
Earned media means free publicity you get through mentions, shares, or customer reviews rather than paid ads.
E-commerce (electronic commerce) is the buying and selling products or services online, often integrated with social.
Email marketing is a digital marketing strategy that involves sending targeted emails to a group of subscribers to nurture leads, promote content, and convert customers.
An emoji is a small digital icon or symbol used to express emotions, reactions, or ideas in social media posts and messages.
Engagement rate is a metric that measures how actively people interact with your content through likes, comments, saves, or shares.
Evergreen content refers to a timeless content that remains relevant and valuable long after it’s published, like tips or how-tos.
The Explore page is a discovery feed on platforms like Instagram that shows trending or personalized content based on user interests.
FYP stands for For You Page on TikTok, the main feed where users discover trending and personalized content.
Facebook is a social media platform used to connect with others, share content, and market businesses through pages and ads.
A Facebook business page is a public profile for brands to share updates, run ads, and connect with their audience.
Fake followers are bot or inactive accounts that follow users, artificially inflating the follower count without real engagement.
Fediverse refers to a network of decentralized social media platforms that can interact with each other, like Mastodon.
A feed is the scrolling stream of posts a user sees on a social platform, including content from people or pages they follow.
A filter is a visual effect that alters the appearance of photos or videos to match a style, theme, or mood.
Finsta is a private Instagram account used to share more personal or unfiltered content with close friends.
Follow Friday, or #FF, is a weekly hashtag used to recommend and promote other users to your followers, typically on Fridays.
Follower growth refers to the increase in the number of people who follow your social media account over time.
A GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) is a short, looping animation format file commonly used online to convey reactions, humor, or emotions visually.
GRWM stands for “Get Ready With Me,” a popular video format where creators share their routines or prep for the day or an event.
Geotargeting refers to showing ads or content to users based on their geographic location, like city or country.
Google Business Profile is a free listing tool from Google that helps businesses appear in Google Search and Maps with important info and reviews.
Gram is a casual term used to refer to Instagram or an individual Instagram post.
Groups are online communities on social media where users connect around shared interests, topics, or goals.
A handle is your unique username or account identifier on social media platforms.
A hashtag is a keyword or phrase preceded by # that helps categorize content and improve visibility in searches or feeds.
Highlights is a feature on Instagram for saved Stories displayed on a profile beyond the 24-hour limit.
ICYMI means "In Case You Missed It" and is used to reshare or highlight older content for new or returning viewers.
IGTV was Instagram’s long-form video feature, allowing users to upload vertical videos longer than one minute.
IMO stands for "In My Opinion" and is often used in captions, comments, or replies to share personal thoughts on social media.
Impressions are the total number of times your post or ad is displayed on users’ screens, regardless of clicks or engagement.
Inbound marketing is a strategy focused on attracting customers through valuable content , SEO, and engagement rather than direct sales.
An influencer is a content creator with an engaged audience who can shape opinions and drive buying decisions.
Partnering with influencers to promote a brand or product to their followers.
An infographic is a visual way to present data or information using graphics, icons, and minimal text to make it easier to understand.
Analytics showing how posts perform across engagement, reach, and demographics.
Instagram is a social media platform for sharing photos, videos, Stories, and Reels, popular for its visual-first content.
Instagram Shops, or Instagram Shopping is a feature that lets businesses showcase and sell products directly within the Instagram app.
Visually appealing content that’s ideal for posting on Instagram.
Metrics used to evaluate success in meeting social media goals.
A keyword is a specific word or phrase users search for, used in content to boost SEO and visibility on social platforms and search engines.
A lead is a potential customer who has shown interest in your product or service, often by reaching out, signing up or downloading something.
A lead magnet is a free resource or incentive offered to users in exchange for their contact information, like an email address.
Lemon8 is a social app by ByteDance that blends aesthetics and lifestyle content, similar to Instagram and Pinterest.
A like is a basic form of engagement that shows appreciation for a post, comment, or message on social media platforms.
Link in bio refers to the clickable link in a social media profile, often used to direct users to websites, shops, or landing pages.
LinkedIn is a professional networking and social media platform for sharing career updates, building connections, and posting business-related content.
A LinkedIn Company Page is a business profile where companies share updates, attract talent, and engage with professionals.
A LinkedIn Showcase Page is a sub-page under a Company Page created to highlight specific brands, products, or campaigns.
Live streaming is broadcasting video in real time to engage with your audience directly through comments and reactions.
Long-form video is extended video content that is longer in duration, often for storytelling or in-depth topics.
A lookalike audience is a group of people who share traits with your existing audience and are targeted for ads to increase reach.
Manychat is a chatbot platform that helps automate conversations on Messenger, Instagram, and other channels.
Tools that schedule, manage, and analyze marketing efforts automatically.
A marketing funnel is the journey people take from discovering your brand to becoming a customer, often shown in stages like awareness, interest, and conversion.
A blend of multiple content types, such as audio, video, or posts.
A document with stats and info creators send to brands for partnership opportunities.
A humorous image or video shared widely, often referencing trends or pop culture.
Tagging another account in a post, comment, or story to give credit or attention.
Meta’s messaging app used for private chats, often linked to Facebook.
A tool to manage Facebook and Instagram business activity in one place.
A paid verification service by Meta for increased visibility and support.
A measurable value used to track social media performance, like likes, shares, reach, or engagement rate.
A micro influencer is a content creator with a smaller but highly engaged follower base.
Microblogging refers to posting short-form content like text, images, or links on platforms such as X or Tumblr to share updates quickly.
Turning content or influence into income through ads, brand deals, affiliate links, or selling products and services.
NPS (Net Promoter Score) measures customer loyalty by asking how likely users are to recommend a brand on a scale from 0 to 10.
A network is a group of connected users or accounts that interact on a social media platform: think followers, friends, or professional connections.
A news feed is the real-time stream of posts, updates, and content from people, pages, or accounts you follow on social media platforms.
A newsletter is a recurring email sent to subscribers with updates, news, or curated content from a brand, creator, or business.
A notification is an alert that informs users about new activity on social media, like comments, mentions, messages, or follower updates.
OOTD means “Outfit of the Day”, a popular hashtag used to share daily fashion looks on social media, especially Instagram and TikTok.
Omnichannel is a marketing strategy that connects all customer touchpoints for a seamless experience across platforms, online and offline.
Organic marketing is the use of free content and engagement to attract, nurture, and convert audiences without paid ads.
Organic reach refers to the number of people who see your content on social media without paid promotion.
Outbound marketing is a traditional approach where businesses actively push messages to potential customers via ads, emails, and cold outreach.
POV means Point of View: a creative content style that shows things from a character's or creator’s perspective.
Page reach refers to the number of unique users who have seen any content from your social media page.
A paid partnership is a collaboration where a brand pays a creator to promote products or services on social media.
Paid social is when businesses pay to show ads or promoted content on social media platforms.
PPC, or Pay-Per-Click is an online ad model where advertisers pay only when someone clicks their ad.
A permalink refers to a permanent web link to a specific social media post, page, or blog.
A personal brand is how you present yourself online: your voice, values, and visuals across platforms.
A pin is a saved piece of content, like a post or image, usually on platforms like Pinterest or in comment sections.
Pinterest is a visual discovery social media platform where users find and save ideas as pins on themed boards.
A Pinterest board is a digital folder where you organize pins by topic or theme.
A podcast is a series of audio episodes people can stream or download, often focused on niche topics.
A post is any content you share on social media, like text, images, videos, or links.
A profile picture is the image that represents your account on social media platforms.
A prospect is a potential customer who may be interested in your product, service, or offer.
Quiet Mode is a feature that silences social media notifications for a set time, helping users reduce screen time and focus without distractions.
ROI, or Return on Investment in social media measures how much value or revenue you gain from your content or campaigns compared to the cost.
An RSS feed is a content stream that automatically shares updates from websites or blogs.
Reach refers to the total number of unique users who see your social media content.
Reactions are quick responses (like likes, hearts, or emojis) that show how users feel about social media posts or messages.
Reels are short, vertical videos on Instagram and Facebook designed for discovery, creativity, and engagement through trending audio and effects.
Remarketing is a strategy that targets users who’ve engaged with your brand, showing them ads to encourage return visits and increase conversions.
Repost means sharing existing content again on social media, either from yourself or others, to your own account.
Repurposing means reusing existing content in different formats or platforms to maximize its value and reach.
A retweet (now called a repost on X) is when you share someone else’s post to your followers. It's key for amplification and content discovery.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) improves website visibility on search engines like Google to drive organic traffic and reach more users.
To schedule content means to plan and automatically publish social media posts at specific times using tools like Meta Business Suite or MeetEdgar.
Sentiment analysis is the process of using technology to identify and categorize opinions expressed on user-generated content.
A shadow ban is a restriction placed on a user's content by a social media platform without any formal notification, impacting user's visibility.
Short-form video refers to bite-sized video content, used on platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
Snapchat is a multimedia messaging app, known for its filters and Stories feature, where users send disappearing photos, videos, and chat messages.
Social commerce refers to the process of buying and selling products directly within social media platforms.
A Social Inbox is a centralized dashboard or tool that consolidates all direct messages, comments, replies, mentions, and interactions in one place.
Social listening is the process of analyzing online conversations to understand audience sentiment, trends, and insights about your brand or industry.
Social media management is the process of planning, posting, and analyzing content across platforms to grow and engage your audience.
Social Media SEO involves using SEO techniques on social media to boost visibility in both platform and search engine results.
Social monitoring is the process of tracking and collecting social media mentions, tags, and keywords to stay informed about conversations around your brand.
Social proof is when people follow others' actions, trusting the crowd’s behavior as a signal of what’s right or popular.
Spamming on social media means sending repetitive, irrelevant, or unwanted messages or comments, often to promote something or get attention.
A sponsored post is paid content on social media created to promote a brand, product, or service, often created by influencers or advertisers.
Stickers are interactive visual elements that can be added to social media posts or stories.
Stories are short, time-limited photo or video posts on social media that disappear after 24 hours.
A subscriber is someone who opts in to receive content from a creator or brand regularly and directly.
Throwback Thursday (#TBT) is a popular weekly social media trend where users share nostalgic photos or memories, boosting engagement and storytelling.
Tagging is a way to link users, topics, or content using usernames, hashtags, or image tags.
A target audience is the specific group of people you want to reach with your social media content—defined by interests, behavior, location, or demographics.
Threads is a text-focused social media app by Instagram (Meta) designed for real-time updates, public conversations, and community engagement.
TikTok is a popular social media platform where people create and watch short videos with music, effects, and trends.
TikTok Shop is an in-app shopping feature that lets users discover, buy, and sell products directly through videos, livestreams, and creator content.
A timeline is a feed of posts and updates from accounts you follow on social media, your personal stream of shared content.
Trendjacking is when a brand quickly joins a viral trend or conversation to gain attention, boost engagement, or promote its message.
Trends are popular topics, hashtags, or content styles that quickly gain attention on social media, shaping what users see, share, and engage with.
Tumblr is a microblogging and social media platform where users share text, images, GIFs, and more.
Twitter (now X) is a social media platform where users share short posts, or “tweets,” to connect, engage, and stay updated in real-time.
UGC (User-Generated Content) is any content created by real users, not brands, and shared online to boost trust and engagement.
A URL shortener is a tool that makes long web links shorter and easier to share, perfect for social media, texting, and cleaner posts.
Unfollow means removing someone from your social media feed so you no longer see their posts or updates, without necessarily blocking or unfriending them.
A username is your unique name on social media or apps. It's how people find or tag you online, like your digital nickname or ID.
Views count how many times your video or post was watched or opened on social media, even if it's by the same person more than once.
Viral content refers to a post, video, or meme gets shared super fast and seen by millions. It's popular online content that spreads like wildfire.
Vlogging means making and sharing videos about your life, ideas, or interests, like a video blog, on social media.
Watch time is the total amount of time people spend watching your video content. It helps platforms know if viewers enjoy and stay on your videos.
A webinar is an online event or class where a person or company teaches, presents, or shares info live through video.
X (formerly Twitter) is a social media app where people share short posts, called tweets, to talk, share news, and connect with others in real time.
YouTube is a video-sharing website where people watch, upload, and share videos. It’s one of the world’s most popular platforms for creators and viewers.
