What is a social media glossary?
A social media glossary is a list of the words people use when they talk about social media and online marketing, each explained in a sentence or two. It helps when a report, a client or a comment uses a term you half know.
This one covers 120 terms: numbers from your analytics, words for types of posts and ads, and slang you'll meet in comments.
The numbers people mix up
The terms people confuse most are the ones in their analytics. They sound alike but count different things, so a post can have a high reach and a low engagement rate at the same time.
| Term | What it counts |
|---|---|
| Reach | Different people who saw your post |
| Impressions | Times your post was shown, counting repeats |
| Engagement | Likes, comments, shares, saves and clicks on a post |
| Engagement rate | Engagement divided by reach or followers, as a percent |
| CTR | Clicks divided by impressions, as a percent |
Put the words to work
Knowing the terms helps you read your numbers. To see them for a real account, try the Twitter analytics tool, or look up any profile's best posts with the Twitter viewer.