Social Media Vocabulary Words and Phrases - A to Z

Social media is a collective term for digital channels and interactive applications that focus on communication, community-based input, content-sharing and collaboration of other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks

People use social media to stay in touch and interact with friends, family and various communities. Businesses use social applications to market and promote their products and to track, measure and analyze the attention the company gets from social media, including brand perception and customer insight.

Social Media Vocabulary Words with Meanings

Following are common terms related to social media world:

A/B Testing: A/B testing also known as split testing, measures two social media posts against each other to see which performs best.
Ads Manager: Ads Manager is Facebook’s tool for creating, running and analyzing social ads.
Algorithm: Algorithm In general, an algorithm is a defined set of rules used to solve a problem.
Amazon: A large, strong, and aggressive woman
Analytics: Analytics is the way you interpret and find patterns in data.
Application Programming Interface: Application Programming Interface (API) An API is a set of building blocks that programmers can use to develop computer programs..
Array: An impressive display or assortment
Audience: Audience Your audience on social media is the group of people you’re able to reach with your content.
Authenticity: Authenticity: Used to describe “real” people behind blog posts and other social profiles.
Avatar: Avatar Your social media avatar, also known as your profile picture, is a small image that represents you on a social network.
Average Response Time: Average response time Average response time is a social customer service metric.
Behemoth: Someone or something that is abnormally large and powerful
Bio: Your social media bio is a short description in your profile that tells people who you are.
Blog: Blog: A site updated frequently by an individual or group to record opinions or information.
Boosted Post: A boosted post is a Facebook post that you put money behind to increase its reach.
Brand Advocate: A brand advocate on social media is a customer who posts positive messages, leaves positive reviews, or otherwise supports your brand on social.
Brand Awareness: Brand awareness is the level of familiarity consumers have with your brand. It’s often considered one of the main goals of social media marketing.
Business Manager: Business Manager is a software that helps organizations manage their Pages, ad accounts, and team members.
Chat Bot: A chat bot is an artificial intelligence program that can automate customer interactions for a company.
Click Bait: Click bait is content that uses manipulative copy to convince users to click on it.
Click Through Rate: Click through rate (CTR) On social media, the click through rate is the percentage of people that see your post who click on it.
Conversion Rate: In social media terminology, conversion rate is the percentage of users who see your post or ad who then take a specified action.
Cost Per Click: Cost per click is a social media advertising metric that tells you how much you’re paying for each click on your ad on average.
Cost Per Mile: Cost per mille is another social advertising metric. It refers to how much you pay per 1,000 impressions
Crisis Management: Social media crisis management is how you handle events or interactions that could potentially damage your company’s reputation..
Critique: Appraise or judge in an analytical way
Cross Channel: In social media marketing, each network (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) Is also a marketing channel.
Crowdsourcing: Crowd sourcing on social media means using a large group of people to generate ideas, services, or content via a social network.
Dark Post: A dark post is a social media ad that doesn’t appear on the advertiser’s timeline.
Dark Social: Dark social is often confused with dark posts, but the two social media terms actually have nothing in common.
Database: An organized body of related information
Direct Message: A direct message on social media is a private message sent directly to a user’s inbox.
Disappearing Content: Disappearing content, sometimes called ephemeral content, refers to posts on social media that delete themselves automatically after a set amount of time has passed.
E-Book: E-Book: A book published in digital form.
Elements: Violent or severe weather
Employee Advocacy: Employee advocacy is when co-workers at your company support and promote your brand on social media..
Engage: Engage: If you are communicating to other social media users, you are engaging.
Engagement Rate: Engagement rate is a social media metric that tells you much a post is motivating people to interact with it.
Evergreen Content: In content marketing, evergreen content is content that ages well and maintains its value over time.
Feed: A feed on social media is a generic term for the stream of content you see from other users.
Follower: A follower is a user on social media who has subscribed to see your posts in their feed. Both personal and business accounts can have followers.
Fomo: On social media, FOMO is the feeling users get when seeing posts about events or opportunities they want to be a part of.
Framework: The underlying structure
Frequency: Frequency is a Facebook/Instagram advertising term that refers to how many times your ad was shown to the average user in your target audience.
Geo Targeting: In social media marketing, geo targeting is the technique of adjusting your ad content based on the location of a user.
Hashtag: A hashtag (#) is a way of connecting your posts on social media to other posts on the same subject or trending topic.
Header Image: Your header image, or cover photo, is the visual you place at the top of your social media profile.
Impressions: Impressions are a social media metric that measures how many times your post has been shown in users’ feeds..
Informative: Serving to instruct or enlighten
Interactive: Capable of influencing each other
Key Performance Indicator: A key performance indicator, or KPI, is a metric you use to measure your progress toward business goals. In social media marketing,
Link Bait: Link bait: Designed to attract incoming links. News and widget hooks are good examples.
Listicle: A listicle is a list-based article. This type of content is often popular on social media because of its quick, easy-to-digest format.
Medium: The surrounding environment
Meme: Meme: A means of taking viral concepts and making them everyday lingo. Check out “Know Your Meme.”
Metric: A social media metric is a statistic that measures the performance of your posts, ads, or overall account.
Microblogging: Microblogging: Short message postings from a social media account. Facebook statuses and Twitter posts are two examples.
Native Advertising: Native advertising on social media is the method of showing paid content to users in a way that looks organic.
News Jacking: News jacking is the technique of hopping on current events with your social media content.
Objectives: In social advertising, objectives are the results you want to achieve through your ad campaign.
Opinion: A personal belief or judgment
Oriented: Adjusted or located in relation to surroundings
Pay Per Click: PPC is a social media marketing term for an ad model where you pay each time a user clicks on your ad.
Platform: The term social media platform is often used to mean the same thing as “social media network” or “social media channel”.
Reach: Reach is a social media metric that tells you how many people have seen your post.
Relevance Score: Relevance score is a metric available in Facebook Ads Manager that tells you how well your target audience is responding to your ad on a scale of 1 to 10.
Retargeting: In social media advertising, retargeting is the technique of targeting ads at users who have interacted with your page or website before.
Search Engine Optimization: Search Engine Optimization (SEO): The process of organizing your website to give it the best chance of appearing near the top of search engine rankings.
Sentiment Analysis: Sentiment analysis is the way software analyzes the attitude of a piece of text.
Shareable Content: Shareable content on social media is content that’s likely to get users to share it with their networks.
Sift: Move as if through a sieve
Social Customer Service: Social customer service (or social customer care) is customer service via social media.
Social Listening: Social listening is how social media managers track conversations around key topics, terms, brands and more, often with a specialized tool.
Social Media Monitoring: Social media monitoring is often confused with social listening, but there are some important differences between the two.
Social Media ROI: Social media ROI, or return on investment, is a measurement of how much revenue your activities on social media are generating for your company versus how much you are spending on them.
Social Selling: Social selling, put simply, is using social media to make sales. Often, this takes place when salespeople interact with potential customers on social, establishing a relationship they can leverage for a future sale.
Socialization: The adoption of the behavior of the surrounding culture
Synergy: Synergy: Dare we simply say teamwork between companies online?
Targeting : Targeting is a social media advertising term that refers to how you select the potential audience for your ads.
Theory: A belief that can guide behavior
Traffic: Traffic is the number of users who visit a given website or page.
Transparency: Transparency: Social media users expect to engage in considerate online conversations with individuals and businesses. We all aspire to be transparent, but are we?
Trending: Trending: A word, phrase or topic that is popular on Twitter at a given moment.
Trending Topic: A trending topic is a subject or event that has a sudden surge in popularity on social media.
Tweeps: Tweeps: twitter + people = tweople.
Unbiased: Without prejudice
Underlying: In the nature of something though not readily apparent
User Generated Content: User generated content, or UGC, is fan-created content promoting a brand. UGC can come in the form of videos, images, posts, audio, reviews, articles, and more.
Vanity Metric: A vanity metric on social media is a statistic that may look like a positive indicator of performance but doesn’t actually provide you with valuable insights.
Vast: Unusually great in size or amount or extent or scope
Viral: Viral: Anything shared across social networks that get passed along rapidly. Youtube videos are a great example.
Virtually : In essence or in effect but not in fact
Web 2.0: Web 2.0: Refers to the second generation of the Web which means people now blog and create websites without needing specialized technical knowledge and training.
Widget: Widget: A widget is a small, attractive applications on a website such as a hit counter. Gizmos can make good link bait. Speaking of link bait…
Wiki: Wiki: Simple web pages that can be edited by other users.
Direct Message: This is a private form of communication, seen only between the sender and the recipient.
Modified Tweet: Tweets that begin with MT indicate that the Tweeter has edited the content they’re retweeting for brevity or other reasons.
Private Message: Private messages are the same as direct messages.
Partial Retweet: This is very similar to a RT, but is used to show that you’re only quoting part of what the other Twitter user said originally.
Retweet: Instead of hitting the retweet button, or retweeting with a comment, some Twitter users repost a tweet and use “RT” plus the user’s handle for attribution.
As Far As I Know: Used when sharing facts or stating something that you believe to be true, but typing AFAIK shows that you aren’t completely sure.
Ask Me Anything : Amas are social question-and-answer sessions. Companies, influencers and brand representatives might host amas on Twitter, Reddit
Be Right Back : This is one of the original social media abbreviations, It’s from the chat forum era, but finds its way back on social when the right occasion calls for it.
Behind The Scenes : Nope, not the Korean boy band named. This abbreviation is used to offer followers a behind-the-scenes look at your brand.
By The Way: This social media acronym is used to add extra info, go on a tangent, or throw some shade.
Change My View: You’re sharing an opinion, but are aware that your opinion might be flawed. You’re open to having a civil conversation.
Did You Know: Did you know the DYK abbreviation is a great way to share a fun fact with your social media audience?.
Explain It To Me Like I’m Five : This social media abbreviation is popular on Reddit, and is a way to introduce that you’re explaining something complex in a simple way.
Flashback Friday : A way to throw it back to the past on a Friday.
Fear Of Missing Out : If you haven’t heard of FOMO, you’ve been missing out. This social-bred phobia expresses the anxiety of absence.
For The Win: This social media acronym is commonly used to express one’s opinion, but in a way that isn’t rude or overbearing.
For What It’s Worth: This social media acronym is an informative abbreviation, sometimes delivered with a hint of sass.
Hat Tip : Sometimes just HT, a hat tip is a virtual nod that credits an original source for intel or an image. It can also stand for heard through.
In Case You Missed It: A way to highlight content or news that might have been missed in the everlasting blitz that is social media.
In My Opinion / In My Humble Opinion : A disclaimer that someone is sharing their opinion, not facts, about something.
In Real Life : IRL is used to distinguish when something happens in reality, not on social media, in games or anywhere else on the internet.
Let Me Know : When someone uses this social media abbreviation, they’re waiting for feedback or information.
No Big Deal : Often used as a humble brag for something that is actually a big deal for the writer of the social post.
Not Safe For Work : This one is literally not safe for work. Think twice before using it — and sharing any NSFW content — on a corporate account.
Original Content: Another way of showing that you are sharing your own content, not someone else’s ideas or words.
Working From Home: Probably the social media acronym of 2020. Often used in online chats with colleagues, but this can be useful for social media as well.
Shaking My Head: For the times when it’s necessary people know that you’re unimpressed or incredulous, and quite possibly, literally shaking your head behind that screen.
To Be Honest: Much like IMO, this social media abbreviation is used as a humble flex, to share an opinion or show you agree or disagree with something.
Throwback Thursday: Like FBF, this is another social media-designated day of nostalgia.
Thanks For The Follow: Twitter slang. This social media abbreviation is a way to interact in a positive way with someone who recently started following you on social.
That Feeling When: Precedes an often relatable experience, and is usually accompanied by a meme.
Thank God It’s Friday : Because everybody’s working for the weekend.
Too Long; Didn’t Read : Usually used to offer a pithy summary on something too lengthy for Internet attention spans. Or it’s the summary typed out before or after the long explanation, kind of like the Coles Notes version of a social media caption.
Wayback Wednesday: Wayback Wednesday takes a trip down memory lane on hump day.
Woman Crush Wednesday : A day of the week to celebrate a self-identifying woman, usually on Instagram, for whatever reason!
Business To Business : Shorthand for a company with business-facing priorities.
Business To Consumer: Describes a company that offers products or services directly to customers.
Community Manager: Community managers cultivate a brand’s relationships on social media.
Call To Action: A call-to-action is a verbal, written, or visual prompt. It offers people a directive on what to do next, whether that’s “Sign up,” “Subscribe,” or “Call us today.”
End Of Day : Usually to show a deadline. For example, “Please get this report back to me by EOD Monday.”
Email Me: There’s no need to schedule another Zoom meeting. This can be figured out in writing.
Estimated Time Of Arrival: The abbreviation used when guessing when a deliverable is due. For example, “What’s the ETA on that article we’re waiting on?”
Face To Face: Not exactly used a lot during the pandemic, but this abbreviation is used when wanting to arrange an in-person meeting.
In A Meeting: An abbreviation to show that now is not the ideal time for a phone call or an endless barrage of text messages.
Key Performance Indicator: A key performance indicator is a broad measurement that tracks how effectively a company is accomplishing its goals.
Month Over Month: Used to show growth or quantitative changes happening each four weeks. Commonly used for changes in revenue, active users, page views or sign ups.
Out Of Office: Usually included in an automated email, scheduled to be sent when someone knows they will be away from the office on holiday, travelling for work, or in an extended workshop.
P/E: Price To Earnings: A ratio or metric often used by investors and business analysts to determine the value of a company.
Return On Investment: ROI measures how much profit is delivered for given corporate initiatives.
Search Engine Marketing: Search engine marketing is a method of advertising on the Internet. It involves purchasing ads on search engines to increase website traffic.
Search Engine Optimization: Search engine optimization aims to improve organic search engine results and increase the visibility of content on the web.
Search Engine Results Page: These are the paid and organic page results that are displayed by a search engine after a user performs a search.
Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely: A common business acronym used in goal-setting. It reminds the person setting the goals to create ones that can be tracked and actually achieved.
Small And Midsize Businesses: Small businesses are businesses with less than 50 employees. Midsize (or medium-sized) businesses typically have less than 250.
Social Media Platform: A social media abbreviation that is sometimes used to refer to a particular social network.
Social Media Marketing: The practice of increasing brand awareness and consideration on social media, with the objective of building relationships and generating leads.
Social Media Optimization: Social media optimization ensures the use of the appropriate platforms for brand marketing. It’s very similar to SMM.
Social, Local, Mobile: Social, local, mobile describes the convergence of mobile and locally targeted social media marketing that’s grown in popularity thanks to geo-location technology.
Social Relationship Platform: An SRP is a centralized platform that uses enterprise-grade technology to allow companies to publish on multiple social media sites, as well as monitor, moderate, and analyze.
Terms Of Service: Terms of service are the legal rules users agree to follow to use a social platform.
User-Generated Content: User-generated content refers to any content, including posts, images, or videos, created by users of a platform rather than a brand.
Word Of Mouth: Word-of-mouth marketing refers to the viral passing of brand conversation online through the active encouragement of a company.
Application Programming Interface: An API is a set of tools, definitions, and protocols that allows software developers to backend one system with another.
Content Management System: A content management system is a platform that hosts the creation and management of digital content.
Cost Per Click: Also known as pay per click (PPC), this abbreviation refers to the price an advertiser pays for each click earned on a campaign.
Conversion Rate: The conversion rate measures the percentage of people who have taken an action on your campaign such as views, registrations, downloads, purchases.
Conversion Rate Optimization: Measures taken to improve conversions.
Click-Through Rate: A click-through rate represents the percentage of people who click on a link after being presented with the option.
Customer Experience: Customer experience refers to the relationship a customer has with a company through various interactions and touchpoints.
Email Service Provider: In simple terms, an ESP is a third-party company that offers email services, such as newsletter deployment or marketing campaigns.
File Transport Protocol: A way of transferring files or copying files between computers. Often used for file transfer between a server on a network and a client’s computer.
Google Analytics: Google Analytics is an analytics platform for websites. It allows marketers to track website visitors, referrals, bounce rates, and more.
Instant Messaging: Sending a typed message to someone else’s computer immediately.
Operating System: The software that runs a computer, tablet or smartphone.
Page Views: Page views is a tally of how many visitors have landed on a given web page.
Rich Site Summary: RSS, sometimes known as Really Simple Syndication, is a format for syndicating web content.
Software As A Service: Software as a service refers to cloud-based applications that are available to customers over the Internet.
Share Of Voice: Share of voice measures the amount of exposure a company owns compared to its competitors.
User Interface: The visual part of a system that’s been designed for end users. Basically, it’s where humans and machines meet.
Uniform Resource Locator: A URL is the global web address of a website or page.
Unique Views: Unique views is the number of individual viewers of a page, video, or image.
User Experience: In digital design, user experience examines how effectively people interface with systems such as websites or applications.
Virtual Private Network: A private network that gives the user anonymity when using the internet by offering an encrypted connection, as opposed to being on a public network.
Away From Keyboard: Used to let others know there might be a bit of a delay in replying to their message because, well, you aren’t at your keyboard right now or are currently offline.
Before Anyone Else: Affectionate term for someone’s boyfriend, girlfriend, or crush.
Best Friends Forever: An acronym that shows someone is a really, really close friend. Like, the best.
For What It’s Worth: A way to chip in one’s two cents.
Greatest Of All Time: This social media acronym recognizes the very best in their field.
Hit Me Up : Call me, get in touch, slide into my dms, etc.
I Don’t Know: If you don’t know what this means, IDK how to help you.
I Love You: Sometimes also written as ILU. Also acceptable are hearts and blow-kiss emojis.
In Search Of: Often used in forums and groups where things are solicited, sold, or exchanged.
Just Kidding: A helpful add-on for when the joke’s not obvious.
Just The Messenger : Shorthand to indicate that you’re not the source of the info you’re sharing. Often used in groups and message boards.
Kk Okay: A way of saying, “cool” or “all good” or “I got it.” But when you type KK, you’re showing that you’re chill about that decision.
Laughing Out Loud: Because we can’t hear your laughter on the Internet.
Laughing My A–– Off: For when laughing normally doesn’t cut it. Or when something is really funny.
My Reaction When : A social media acronym that’s most often paired with an image or GIF to show how you’re feeling about something.
Nevermind: Just, forget about it.
Name Your Trade: Used in groups and forums where exchanges are made.
Obvs: Obviously: Obvs goes without saying.
Overheard: Precedes a direct quote or paraphrase picked up from eavesdropping.
Public Service Announcement: A way to broadcast a message considered valuable to the general public.
Too Much Information : Used before providing too much information Or to tell someone they have: “That’s gross! TMI!”
Try To Keep Up: Often used in a sassy way to call someone out when they’re not quite fast enough to understand a joke or a fact.

While social media is ubiquitous in America and Europe, Asian countries like India lead the list of social media usage. As of now more than 4.7 billion people use social media around the world.

Quick Links

Social Literacy Definition with Examples