Social media marketing can be pretty daunting, especially if you’re just starting out. What’s even worse is scouring the internet for advice and only finding a bunch of words that you don’t understand. If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. I was SO confused when I was learning all this for the first time. Luckily, you have me! Below, I’ve compiled a list of 25 Social Media Marketing terms every small business owner should know.

 Algorithm – An algorithm is a set of formulas that help the computer to perform a certain function. Search engines and social media sites alike, use algorithms to determine things like how they will rank websites and user’s posts

Bitly – Bitly allows you to shorten long URLs to make them easier to share on social media such as Twitter and Instagram

Bio – Bio is short for autobiography. In the world of social media, a bio is a short bit of text that explains who a user is.

Blog – a blog is a content-based website usually focused on a specific niche. Typically run by an individual or a business, blogs differ from most websites in that they are regularly updated with new content and other resources. The word blog can be used as a noun or a verb.

Canva – Canva is a web-based graphic design tool ideal for non-designers who want to create stunning graphics for social media blogs websites and more

Clickbait – Clickbait is a marketing term used to describe advertisements with attention-grabbing headlines that attract clicks

Conversion Rate – A conversion rate is a common measurement in social media that represents the percentage of people who completed a desired action ( i.e. subscribing to a newsletter, buying a product, following a social account)

Crowdsourcing – Crowdsourcing is the process of gathering content and ideas from a group of people typically done in an online setting

Engagement Rate – Engagement rate is another social media measurement used to describe the number of interactions a piece of content gets this includes likes shares and comments

Follower – A follower is someone who subscribes to a social account in order to receive updates

Geotag – A geotag is a location you can attach to a post or piece of content that lets users know where the poster is or was

Handle – A handle is the @username a person uses for social accounts such as Twitter and Instagram, among others

Header Image – A header image is the large picture at the top of your Twitter account. It is synonymous to the Facebook cover image or LinkedIn banner

Link Building – Link building is a strategy a person uses to generate links back to their website from other websites and blogs. This helps improve their search engine rankings

Live Streaming – Live streaming is the act of sharing video content in real-time

Mention – A mention is when a user includes another user’s @username or, handle, in their comment or post

Native Content – Native content is a type of content in which the format and wording of a post match what is typically found on the website, allowing it to blend seamlessly into the network’s regular content

Permalink – A web address that usually never changes

PPC – PPC, or pay-per-click, is an advertising bottle in which advertisers display ads on websites or blogs and pay only when the ad is clicked on

Bid-Based PPC – Bid-Based PPC is a form of pay per click advertising in which an advertiser determines the maximum amount they’re willing to pay for each click on their ad.  When a user activates an ad spot, the bidding process begins on which ad will be shown. The winner is the advertiser who is willing to pay the largest amount per click.

SEO – SEO, or search engine optimization is the process of increasing unpaid traffic to a website or blog from search engines such as Google and Bing

Tag – A tag is a link within a post that leads to a profile, person, or business which the post is targeting

UGC – UGC, or user-generated content, is content that is created by consumers followers and audience members, often sourced by businesses to add to their own social media profiles

Vlog – a vlog is a type of video content used to tell a story or provide information. Much like blogging, vlogging involves regular sharing of niche-specific content

Webinar – a webinar is a web-based seminar, or presentation, that allows people in a specific industry to gather and discuss, or share, information via video chat or hang out on an online platform

Any must-know words I missed? If you think of any, share them in the comments below!

Thanks for reading! If you want to keep up with the latest happenings, you can subscribe or contact me if you’d like to talk personally.

XOXO

Nikita Barry

Your life. Simplified.