Social Media Terms: A Comprehensive Glossary by Buffer
With clear definitions and helpful examples, Buffer’s social media terms glossary has everything you need to know to succeed on social.
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Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing strategy where brands reward affiliates for driving traffic or sales to their products.
Algospeak
Algospeak refers to the clever use of alternative words or phrases to bypass content moderation algorithms on social media platforms.
Algorithm
An algorithm is a set of rules used by social media platforms to determine which content to display to users and in what order.
Analytics
Analytics refers to both the data collected from activity on social media and the process of cataloguing and interpreting that data.
b
Batching
Batching is a productivity technique where you group similar tasks together and complete them in one focused block of time.
BeReal
BeReal is a social media app that asks its users to post unfiltered photos of themselves once a day.
Bluesky
Bluesky is a decentralized social media platform known as the main alternative to X/Twitter.
Brand awareness
Brand awareness refers to how familiar your target audience is with your brand and how easily they can recognize it.
Boomerang
An Instagram boomerang is a short, looping video format created by Instagram that plays forward and backward in a continuous loop.
Boosted post
A boosted post is when you pay to have your organic social media post reach more people.
Bio
A social media bio is a short descriptive piece of text found at the top of a user’s social media profile.
c
Creator economy
The creator economy is a dynamic digital ecosystem where creators monetize their unique content and personal brand directly with their audience.
CFBR
CFBR stands for “Comment for Better Reach,” a social media strategy in which creators encourage followers to leave comments to boost a post’s visibility.
Community manager
A community manager is someone responsible for building and nurturing relationships between a brand and its audience.
Crowdsourcing
Crowdsourcing in social media is when brands or individuals ask their online communities for ideas, content, or feedback.
Content pillars
Content pillars are the core themes or topics that guide the content you choose to post to your social channels for your brand.
Cross posting
Cross posting is the practice of sharing the same piece of content across multiple social media platforms.
Campaign
A social media campaign is a series of connected posts that strategically work together to achieve a specific goal.
Caption
A caption is a brief piece of text that accompanies an image or video on social media.
CAC
CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost), is the total cost of acquiring a new customer, including marketing expenses, advertising, and other efforts.
Carousel post
A carousel post is a multi-content format used on various visual social media platforms to display images and videos consecutively.
Character counter
A character counter is a tool or feature that helps users keep track of the number of characters in their social media posts to stay within platform-specific character limits.
Clickbait
Clickbait refers to an exaggerated or misleading headline, image, or piece of content designed to get users to click on a link and visit a specific webpage.
Our Community
An online community refers to a group of individuals who come together on digital platforms to share common interests, values, or goals.
d
Duet (TikTok)
Duets on TikTok are a popular feature where you can create a split-screen video alongside an existing one.
Decentralized
Decentralized social media is a network that runs across multiple independent servers, rather than one central organization.
Demure
Demure is an adjective that describes a person who is quiet, reserved, or modest.
DM
A DM (Direct Message) is a private form of communication between users on social media platforms.
e
Evergreen content
Evergreen content is any type of content that remains relevant and valuable to readers over a long period of time.
Engagement rate
Engagement rate is a key metric in social media marketing that measures the level of interaction your content receives from your audience.
Emoji
Emoji are small icons used to express an emotion, idea, or concept online, particularly on social media and messaging apps.
f
Follower growth
Follower growth is the increase in the number of people following your social profiles over a given time period.
Feed
A social media feed is a stream of content you see on apps like Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
Fediverse
The fediverse is a decentralized network of social platforms that operate independently but are interconnected.
Finsta
A finsta is short for “fake instagram” and is a secondary Instagram account to post more unfiltered content.
FYP
FYP, For You Page, is a personalized video feed that appears when users first open the TikTok app.
g
GRWM
“GRWM,” which stands for “Get Ready With Me,” is a type of social media video where creators or vloggers share their getting-ready routine.
GIF
A GIF, which stands for Graphics Interchange Format, is an animated image file that loops endlessly, creating a short, moving picture.
Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile is a free tool used to help manage and optimize the online presence for your business.
Generation Z
Generation Z, shortened to and popularly known as Gen Z, is the demographic group born between 1997 and 2012.
h
Hashtag
Hashtags are words preceded by the "#" symbol, used to categorize content by topic on all the major social media paltforms.
i
Instagram Broadcast Channel
Instagram Broadcast Channels are one-to-many messaging channels, a new way for creators to deepen connections with their followers.
Instagram Insights
Instagram Insights is an in-app analytics tool that offers detailed performance metrics for anyone with an Instagram business or creator account.
Instagram Close Friends
Instagram’s Close Friends feature lets you share Stories with a select group rather than your entire follower list.
Instagrammable
Instagrammable refers to anything visually appealing enough to be shared on Instagram.
Impressions
Impressions refer to the number of times your social media content is displayed on someone’s screen.
Instagram Reels
Instagram Reels are 90-second short, snappy videos that users create and share on Instagram.
Instagram Notes
Instagram Notes are short thoughts or status updates that you can share with your mutual followers in the Direct Messages section of your Instagram app.
Influencer
An influencer is a content creator with an engaged online audience who has the power to shape brand perception.
Instagram Story Highlights
Instagram Story Highlights are collections of Stories you curate, located at the top of your Instagram profile.
j
JPEG
A JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) is a popular image file format known for its ability to compress images without sacrificing too much quality.
k
Keyword
A keyword is a specific word or phrase that users type into a search bar to find content, products, or information.
KPI
A KPI, or Key Performance Indicator, is a measurable value that shows how effectively a business is achieving its key objectives.
KOL
KOL, or Key Opinion Leader, is an influential individual within a specific industry or niche.
l
Link in Bio
A link in bio refers to the link found in a user’s social media bio, directing followers to a separate website.
LinkedIn Articles
LinkedIn Articles are long-form content pieces you can publish directly on LinkedIn, helping you establish thought leadership.
LinkedIn Company Page
A LinkedIn Company Page is your brand’s public profile on LinkedIn, designed to help your business establish and grow its presence on the platform.
LinkedIn Creator Mode
LinkedIn Creator Mode is a profile setting designed for those looking to build influence and share expertise on the platform.
LinkedIn Newsletter
A LinkedIn newsletter is a recurring publication you can share directly with your network on the platform.
LinkedIn Showcase Page
A LinkedIn Showcase Page is a sub-page to your main LinkedIn Company Page.
Long-form video
Long-form video is content that typically lasts longer than a few minutes, allowing people to dive deeper into topics.
m
Marketing funnel
A marketing funnel is a step-by-step process that guides potential customers from first hearing about your brand to becoming paying customers.
Main character energy
Main character energy is the social media buzzword for living like you’re the protagonist of your own movie.
Meta verified
Meta Verified is Meta’s subscription bundle that offers a blue verification badge on Instagram and Facebook.
Meta Business Suite
Meta Business Suite is a centralized space created by Meta to help businesses manage their presence on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
Meme
A meme is an image, video, or text that is humorous in nature and that spreads quickly across the internet.
n
NPS
NPS (Net Promoter Score) is a metric used to gauge the overall quality of your customer experience and understand how customers feel about your business.
o
OOTD
OOTD (Outfit of the Day) is a popular social media trend in which users snap a photo or video of their outfit of the day.
Organic marketing
Organic marketing is a long-term approach that prioritizes non-paid marketing tactics.
p
Photo dump
A photo dump is a carousel-like post of images and/or videos that show a more authentic, messy vibe.
POV
POV stands for “Point of View,” and it refers to TikTok or Instagram Reel videos that put viewers in the filmmaker’s shoes.
PFP
A PFP (Profile Picture) is a photo that users upload to their social media profile to represent their identity on social media.
q
Quite Mode
Quiet mode on Instagram is a feature designed to help you take a break from notifications without having to mute everything manually.
Quality Control
Social media quality control is the process of ensuring all your social media posts, comments, and messages align with your brand’s quality standards.
r
Reddit is a forum-style social media platform where users share content, ask questions, and engage in discussions within niche communities.
Reach
Reach is a metric that represents the number of unique people that were exposed and saw a piece of social media content.
ROI
ROI (return on investment) is a financial metric that calculates the amount of return on an investment; it measures whether your investment is profitable.
s
Stitch (TikTok)
Stitches on TikTok are a popular feature that allows you to take a snippet (up to five seconds) from someone else’s video and add your own video as a follow-up.
Short-Form Video
Short-form videos are quick, engaging clips, usually under 60 seconds, designed to grab attention fast.
Stickers
Instagram Stickers are interactive elements you can add to your Stories to make them more engaging.
Shadow Banned
Being shadow banned means your content’s visibility is reduced on social without you even knowing it.
Sentiment Analysis
Sentiment analysis is the process of collecting and analyzing information related to how people talk about your brand on social media and to determine the emotional tone behind that message.
Smart Goals
SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals are one of the most popular frameworks for setting goals and objectives for businesses.
Social Media
Social media encompasses all the platforms and apps that allow people, creators, and businesses to communicate with one another, create online communities, exchange ideas, and share content.
Sponsored Post
A sponsored post is any type of post that you spend money on to help you reach a wider audience.
t
Touch Grass
“Touch grass” is an internet phrase that tells someone to step away from their screen and spend time outside.
Thought Leader
A thought leader is a person recognized as an expert in their industry or area and who shares valuable insights.
Threads (Instagram)
Threads is a social media platform developed by Instagram that lets users share text-based content, with the option to include videos, links, and photos.
TikTok Shop
TikTok Shop is an e-commerce feature that allows businesses and creators to create a storefront on TikTok and sell their products.
TikTok Challenge
A TikTok challenge is a strategy for creators and brands to boost engagement by prompting followers to create videos that perform an action, like a dance move.
Twitter Threads
Twitter threads are a series of connected tweets that make it easier for users to tell a longer story.
Trending
Trending is when a specific topic, hashtag, or keyword becomes popular and receives more visibility and engagement than usual on a given social media platform, like Twitter, TikTok, or Instagram.
u
UGC
UGC (User-Generated Content) is any piece of content created by customers or fans to help a brand sell its product or service.
URL Shortener
A URL Shortener is a tool that shortens up long, complicated links into short, polished links to make them easier to share on social media while still directing to the same page.
UX
UX (User Experience) is a user’s overall experience when interacting with a product or service, like a website or app.
v
Vlog
A vlog, short for video blog, is a type of blog that consists of video content rather than written content.
Vanish Mode
Vanish mode is a feature that lets users send each other disappearing direct messages on Instagram and Messenger.
Viral
Going viral is when a piece of content spreads quickly across social media platforms, being shared by thousands or even millions of users in a very short time span.
w
Watermark
A watermark is a superimposed logo or text that appears on a piece of digital content indicating the original creator and origin.
x
X/Twitter Advanced Search
X/Twitter Advanced Search is a feature within X’s social platform that allows users to narrow their search down.
X/Twitter App
Twitter’s “X” is the new identity of the social network, introduced by Elon Musk as the new “everything app.”
y
YouTube Studio
YouTube Studio is a tool within Youtube where users can manage and edit their videos and channels.
z
Zapier
Zapier is a web automation tool used to connect web apps and services.