Glossary of Social Media Terms

Large sites that host multiple communities comprised of people with profiles who have with similar interests. These sites offer a place where people engage with one another online and share content. Example communities include:

  • – An online community for people to connect or re-connect with others. Enables people to share videos, pictures and information about themselves. One of the fastest growing social networks of the past two years.
  • – A professional online community used to network with fellow professionals; an online resume sharing site
  • – An online site for uploading and discussing videos; Videos can also be embedded from YouTube onto other social media sites such as blogs or social networks
  • –Online site for storing, sharing and commenting on photos
  • – A micro-blogging community where posts and links are 140 characters or less
    • – The post/entry made on Twitter
    • – Similar to regular tags, these are keywords associated and assigned to an item of content with a hash mark (#) attached to the front of the word. Hashtags make it easier to follow a topic of interest discussed on Twitter

A web-based tool or desktop application that collects syndicated content.
They are graphical images representing people. They are what you are in virtual worlds. You can build a visual character with the body, clothes, behaviors, gender and name of your choice
An image, usually squared and displayed on a blog, which signifies the blogger’s participation in an event, contest, or social movement
Content published on a blog. Entries may include pictures or embedded videos and links URLs for online sources used.
An explanation to those who will be blogging on a company's behalf what is acceptable topically, language, linking and guidelines for comments.
An assembly of blog URLs – blogs that the blogger reads regularly – displayed at the sidebar of the blog
Blogs may allow readers to add comments under items, and may also provide a feed for comments as well as for main items
Posing a question or problem to a large group of people to try to get to the best answer quickly.
To copy HTML from one website and paste it into another. Embedding is very common with videos and widgets.
Someone who helps people in an online group or forum manage their conversations. They may help agree a set of rules, draw out topics for discussion, gently keep people on topic, and summarize.
The means, by which you can read, view or listen to items from blogs and other RSS-enabled sites without visiting the site. Feeds contain the content of an item and any associated tags without the design or structure of a web page.
Discussion areas on websites, where people can post messages or comment on existing messages asynchronously – that is, independently of time or place
Descriptive words that summarize the contents of a piece of media for the purpose of making it easy to find in a search of the words
An online discussion site; people looking to discuss particular issues or needing support post threads (a message) on the forum or message board in hopes to gain more information or start a conversation
Blogging in tiny doses usually in a "stream" with many others' tiny updates, i.e. Twitter
This is the address (URL) of an item of content, for example a blog post, rather than the address of a web page with lots of different items. You will often find it at the end of a blog post
Online audio or visual recordings syndicated on the Internet and available to download to portable media players such as an iPod
Used to measure the amount of traffic a URL receives, as well as data about the readership (demographics, psychographics, etc.)
Really Simple Syndication; a system that generates frequently updated information from a site (i.e. blog posts, online articles) • Reader – Aggregates information from RSS Feed into one site
Making changes to a website in order to increase traffic from search engines. Example, using keywords or inbound linking
A 3D virtual world where residents create their own images, Avatars, and real estate
A method for people to search, organize, store and share items (i.e. blog posts, online articles, pictures, etc.) of interest using the item’s URL
An online marketing method which utilizes social networking spaces and user-generated content platforms to promote a product or service
Chatting or phoning by using a free downloadable computer program that allows you to communicate with anyone who is also using Skype or any of the numerous peer-to-peer telephony technologies
A keyword or term associated and assigned to an item of content (i.e. blog post, video, photo, etc.). Usually added to an item of content to enhance search engine optimization and make it content easier to organize and find
Used to determine the number of times a keyword or URL are mentioned and linked in blogs
Strands of conversation.On an email list or web forum they will be defined by messages that use the same subject. On blogs they are less clearly define, but emerge through comments. On Twitter, this can be found through #hashtags
Related to "word of mouth marketing," viral marketing uses online media such as social networks to increase awareness about a product, company or idea
An online seminar
A mini application that performs a specific function and connects to the Internet
Webpage(s) used to collect content about a topic. Anyone with access to the page(s) can edit or modify the information

Helpful How-To Lists from Mashble.com
(To be redirected to the How-To pages click the below links)

How to Use Social Media in your PR pitch plan
How to use Twitter's Lists
How to use Twitter's new Retweet Feature
How to Measure Social Media ROI
How to Organize an Event on Facebook
How to Integrate Facebook with your Blog
How to use Wikis for Small Business
How to Gather Feedback with Social Media

 

Glossary of terms is a collaboration of lists by: Marinel Mones, www.livingstonbuzz.com, www.guestpulse.com, and www.thesocialmediaquite.com.au