Social Media Marketing Glossary
Your guide to the world of social media lingo.
F
What is it?
Facebook remains the largest social media platform with billions of audiences worldwide. It is largely used for personal networking, sharing life updates, posting videos and photos for family and friends.
How does it work?
Users can connect, share content, or interact with each other, post written or visual content on their own profile, or join pages of businesses, organisations, or communities.
How could a business use it:
A local restaurant could showcase their menu, daily chef specials, or news updates on their business page. They can also share links to their main website, engage with the audience directly, answer questions, or provide insights into the culinary world.
I
What is it?
Instagram operates in a similar way to other key social media channels but focuses on sharing photos and videos primarily with short descriptions or captions.
How does it work?
It is widely used by individuals, influencers, and businesses wanting to showcase anything from their creativity to their business and even their lifestyle. Stories and IGTV offer more interactive, live, and long-form content.
How could a business use it:
A motorcycle company could post on Instagram to showcase their range of bikes, connect with enthusiasts, and build a passionate community interested in learning more about the vehicles.
L
What is it?
LinkedIn is a platform designed for career development, business networking, and professionals to connect.
How does it work?
Users can create professional or business profiles and build up a network. Content shared includes everything from industry news and tips to job openings. It’s particularly useful for job seekers, businesses operating in the B2B space, and professionals.
How could a business use it:
Recruitment agencies commonly use LinkedIn to find and connect with professionals. They seek to build relationships with potential candidates and establish themselves as a leader in their area.
P
What is it?
Pinterest is a visual discovery platform. Users can discover, search, and save ideas for projects or on topics of interest to them. It’s most commonly used to find inspiration from a pooled source of ideas.
How does it work?
Creators can share just about anything and everything on their ‘boards’. They then ‘pin’ images according to the topic of their choosing. For example, fashion, home decor, DIY projects, recipes, storage solutions, automobiles, sport, etc.
How could a business use it:
An interior design firm could curate their own board showcasing their own projects, designs, inspiration, and before/after transformations. Potential clients could be impressed and attracted to engage with the business.
S
Snapchat
What is it?
Snapchat is a multimedia messaging app where users can send photos and videos that disappear after being viewed. It also features Stories, which are short-lived collections of photos and videos that can be shared with friends.
How does it work?
Individuals have the ability to send temporary Snaps to their friends listed on the app. Additionally, they can craft and share Stories, apply filters and lenses to their content, and explore Discover content from a diverse range of publishers.
How could a business use it:
Companies can use Snapchat to engage with a younger audience by creating and sharing creative and engaging content, running advertising campaigns, and providing behind-the-scenes glimpses of their brand.
T
TikTok
What is it?
This incredibly popular platform features short-form videos. The audience can scroll through a selection of videos based algorithmically off their interests and past usage.
How does it work?
You can can create, share, comment on, like, or follow videos of all types. Popular videos are set to music, follow trends, feature dances, or encourage challenges. Though it has mass appeal to a wide range of audience, it is particularly popular among younger age.
How could a business use it:
A pet supply store, for example, could reach a younger audience of pet owners and animal lovers by posting content featuring pets using their products, videos with useful pet care tips, or just cute videos of animals doing entertaining things.
X
X (formerly known as Twitter)
What is it?
This recently rebranded platform allows the audience to share short messages with optional images, videos, and links. It’s used for real-time updates, news sharing, quick conversations, and connecting with people throughout the world.
How does it work?
X is used by individuals, organisations, and public figures in a variety of ways. Some people like to share their opinions or comment on recent news, while others use it to follow their favourite celebrities or accounts of interest to them.
How could a business use it:
A medical research centre could use Twitter to share updates on their research, promote upcoming conference presentations, or links to recent publications. They can further engage with researchers, institutions, and conferences related to their research throughout the world and follow specific hashtag trends to participate in discussions online.
Y
YouTube
What is it?
YouTube is a video-sharing platform that allows users to upload, view, and share videos. It has a wide range of content, from educational tutorials to entertainment.
How does it work?
Users can upload their own videos, subscribe to channels, like and comment on videos, and discover a vast array of content on virtually any topic.
How could a business use it:
Businesses can use YouTube to create and share video content, including product demonstrations, tutorials, vlogs, and advertisements. It’s an excellent platform for reaching a global audience through video marketing.