Glossary
Social media glossary
The words behind the work, explained plainly. Definitions of the metrics, formats and tactics that decide whether your social media actually moves the business — each with why it matters and how to improve it.
Metrics 8 terms
- CTR (click-through rate) The percentage of people who saw a link or ad and then clicked it. Read definition
- Dwell time How long a person stays on or watches a piece of content before moving on. Read definition
- EMV (earned media value) An estimate of what earned exposure would have cost to buy as paid advertising. Read definition
- Engagement rate The share of the people who saw a post who then interacted with it. Read definition
- Impressions The total number of times your content was displayed, including repeat views. Read definition
- Reach The number of unique accounts that saw your content at least once. Read definition
- ROI (return on investment) The profit earned from an activity relative to what it cost, as a percentage. Read definition
- Social ROI The measurable business return generated by social media activity relative to its cost. Read definition
Content 3 terms
- CTA (call to action) The explicit instruction that tells a viewer the single next step to take. Read definition
- Evergreen content Content that stays relevant and useful long after it is first published. Read definition
- UGC (user-generated content) Content created by customers or fans about a brand, rather than by the brand itself. Read definition
Formats 3 terms
Distribution 5 terms
- Algorithm The ranking system that decides which posts each person sees and in what order. Read definition
- FYP (for you page) An algorithmic discovery feed that shows content based on interests, not who you follow. Read definition
- Hashtag A keyword or phrase prefixed with # that groups a post into a searchable topic. Read definition
- Link in bio A single profile link used to route social followers to multiple destinations. Read definition
- Shadowban A suspected, unannounced suppression of an account’s reach without a formal notice. Read definition
Strategy 5 terms
- Best time to post The times when your specific audience is most active and likely to engage. Read definition
- Content pillar A core recurring theme that organises what a brand posts about. Read definition
- Sentiment analysis Classifying whether mentions of a brand are positive, negative or neutral. Read definition
- Share of voice Your brand’s slice of the total conversation in your market versus competitors. Read definition
- Social listening Monitoring social conversations about your brand, competitors and category for insight. Read definition
Stop guessing which of these numbers to move
Social Media Digital Marketer plans, publishes and measures your social in one place — so the terms in this glossary become dashboards you act on, not jargon you look up.