Social Media Terminology

social-media-terminology

[[p]]Some key terminology is used across all social media platforms. However, platforms also have their own distinct terminology.[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Newsfeed:[[/strong]] Also referred to as the home feed or timeline, the newsfeed is a center of content discovery on each social platform. It&rsquo;s where you see posts from friends, brands you are connected with, and advertisements from organizations that want to connect with you. Meta has rebranded newsfeed to just feed.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Engagement:[[/strong]] An engagement is any interaction that users take on a social post and includes likes/reactions, comments, reposts, shares, and so on.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Username/Handle:[[/strong]] People and brands use usernames and handles to identify themselves on X, Instagram, and Snapchat. They are usually preceded by the @ symbol.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Blocking:[[/strong]] The blocking feature allows users to remove followers, and prevents them from re-following, mentioning, direct messaging, or otherwise contacting you on the platform.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Mention:[[/strong]] A mention is a post or comment that contains another user&rsquo;s username anywhere in the body of the message.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Follower/Fan:[[/strong]] A follower or a fan is another user who has subscribed to receive and view your posts in their (news)feed.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Story:[[/strong]] A Story is a feature that allows users to share ephemeral moments from their day, which appear together in a slideshow format, creating a visual story.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Hashtag:[[/strong]] A hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by a hash symbol (#), which is used to categorize and group related content together.[[br /]]
	&nbsp;[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]These key terms are specific to Facebook.[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Profile: [[/strong]]A profile is for non-commercial use and represent individual people. Through your profile, you can amass friends. You can also follow profiles to see public updates from people you&rsquo;re interested in, but aren&rsquo;t friends with.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Page: [[/strong]]A page looks similar to personal profiles, but offer unique tools for businesses, brands, and organizations. Pages are managed by people who have personal profiles. You can &lsquo;like&rsquo; a page to see updates from that business in your newsfeed. Businesses would always choose to create a page and not a Profile for their social activity.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Carousel: [[/strong]]Carousel is a popular post or ad format which allows up to 10 images or videos to be displayed in one scrolling post. Businesses can highlight different products, showcase specific details about one product, service, or promotion, or tell a story about the brand.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Event: [[/strong]]An Event is a calendar-based resource that can be used to notify users of an upcoming event or occasion. It can reach a large number of people in a short amount of time.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Live:[[/strong]] The &lsquo;Live&rsquo; feature allows people, public figures, and pages to stream and share live video with followers and friends.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Messenger: [[/strong]]Messenger is a communication tool that can be used by marketers to engage with customers via private messages.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Reel: [[/strong]]A reel is a short, entertaining video set to music, incorporating various creative effects and editing tools.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Group: [[/strong]]Facebook groups are communities of people with shared interests, hobbies, or goals who can connect, interact, and engage in discussions and activities.[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]These key terms are specific to Instagram.[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Feed: [[/strong]]The algorithm-based home feed shows the photos and videos that Instagram thinks are most interesting to the user.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Search and Explore: [[/strong]]This is where content of interest can be discovered from accounts you don&rsquo;t yet follow.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Filter: [[/strong]]A filter is a photographic enhancement that can be applied to content before publishing.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Highlights: [[/strong]]The Highlights feature enables you to save Stories in folders on your profile, so they remain longer than 24 hours.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Effects: [[/strong]]These are visual enhancements and augmented reality (AR) experiences that users can apply to their photos and videos.[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]These key terms are specific to TikTok.[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[strong]]For You Page (FYP): [[/strong]]The FYP is the personalized feed on TikTok that showcases videos recommended specifically for each user based on their preferences and interactions.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Duet: [[/strong]]The duet feature that allows users to create a split-screen video by collaborating with another TikToker&rsquo;s video.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Stitch:[[/strong]] The Stitch is a feature that enables users to incorporate a segment of another user&rsquo;s video into their own.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Hashtag challenge:[[/strong]] A hashtag challenge occurs when users create and participate in challenges associated with a specific hashtag, often initiated by brands or influencers.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Sounds: [[/strong]]These are audio clips, music, or dialogue used in TikTok videos. Users can select from a vast library of sounds or upload their own.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Effects: [[/strong]]These are visual and audio filters, stickers, and special effects that users can apply to their videos to enhance creativity and engagement.[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]These key terms are specific to YouTube.[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Channel: [[/strong]]A channel is the dedicated space on YouTube where a user or a brand can showcase their videos and content.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Subscribers:[[/strong]] These are users who choose to follow a YouTube channel and receive updates when new videos are uploaded.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Playlist:[[/strong]] A playlist is collections of videos grouped together based on a specific theme or topic.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Watch Time: [[/strong]]The Watch Time is the total amount of time viewers spend watching a video or a channel.[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]These key terms are specific to X.[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Post: [[/strong]]A post is the communication unit on X. It is limited to 280 characters. However, the most common length of a post is just 33 characters. Only about 1% of posts hit the 280-character limit.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Repost: [[/strong]]A repost is a post from another user that is shared publicly with your followers.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Quote post: [[/strong]]A quote post is a repost with additional comments added, up to current character limits, before posting.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Reply: [[/strong]]A reply is a direct response to another user&rsquo;s post, beginning with the @ symbol followed by their username and then your response.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Geotagging: [[/strong]]Geotagging is the act of stamping the location details of where a post was created, which enables users to search for posts within a given area. It can be enabled or disabled.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]X trend: [[/strong]]An X trend is a particular subject or conversation topic that is popular around the globe or in a specific area. It can be used to classify posts on the platform and increase their visibility.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]X Card: [[/strong]]An X Card is an enhanced version of a post that enables the attachment of media to posts, for the purpose of driving traffic to a website.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]X Premium:[[/strong]] X Premium is a subscription service offered by X that provides additional features and benefits to subscribers including a blue checkmark.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Lists: [[/strong]]Lists are curated groups of X accounts organized by a specific theme or category, created by users to organize and follow posts from specific accounts separately from their main timeline.[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]These key terms are specific to LinkedIn.[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Connection:[[/strong]] People in your network are called connections. Your network is made up of your first, second, and third-degree connections, as well as fellow members of your LinkedIn groups. Your communication options for your extended network vary, depending on the degree of connection.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]InMail: [[/strong]]An InMail is a private email, available only to Premium account holders. InMails can be sent to fellow professionals without needing an introduction, contact information, or connection.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Company page: [[/strong]]A company page is a specific page that organizations can use to post or promote content through paid campaigns.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Premium Account: [[/strong]]A Premium Account is a paid-for subscription that is used for career progression, recruitment, generating sales leads, gaining business insights, and learning.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Groups:[[/strong]] These are communities on LinkedIn focused on specific industries, interests, or topics where users can join discussions, share insights, and network with like-minded professionals.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Job posting: [[/strong]]A job posting is a listing by companies and recruiters advertising job opportunities on LinkedIn.[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]These key terms are specific to Pinterest.[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Pin: [[/strong]]A pin is an idea that people on Pinterest create, find, and save from around the web. If you click on the pin, you can visit the website to see how to make it or where to buy it.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Board: [[/strong]]A board is where your pins are saved. You can name and arrange your boards on your profile according to your preference.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Group boards: [[/strong]]Group boards are collaborative boards with other Pinterest users, often used to share ideas and plans.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Rich pins: [[/strong]]Rich pins provide more context about an idea because they show extra information directly on a Pin. There are four types of rich pin: app, product, recipe, and article.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Pinterest browser button:[[/strong]] This is a browser extension which allows users to save ideas from around the web to a Pinterest board with one click.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Repin: [[/strong]]A repin is the act of saving someone else&rsquo;s pin to one of your own boards. Repinning allows users to curate content they find interesting or inspiring.[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

Social Media Terminology

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