Don’t know your geotag from your hashtag; your mashup from your meme? If you find yourself unsure about these latest social media buzzwords, this list of common terms may help.
AMA – Stands for "ask me anything", used to prompt questions from other users.
Algorithm – Social media platforms use algorithms to ensure users are alerted to the most relevant content using certain demographic predictions.
Avatar – An avatar is an image or username that represents a person online.
Clickbait – Mostly annoying advertising material that you see on your Facebook newsfeed. It usually uses a sensationalised headline to attract clicks.
Direct Message/Private Message – Referred to as DM or PM, they are private conversations that occur on all social media networks.
Follower – In a social media setting, a follower refers to a person who subscribes to your account in order to receive your updates.
Geotag – The directional coordinates that can be attached to a piece of content online. For example, Instagram users often use geotagging to highlight the location in which their photo was taken.
GIF – An acronym for Graphics Interchange Format. In social media, GIFs serve as small-scale animations and film clips.
Hashtag – Used on a variety of social networks as a way to annotate a message. A hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by a “#” (i.e. #RotaryClub). Social networks use hashtags to categorise information and make it easily searchable.
Like – An action that can be made by a Facebook or Instagram user. Click the Like button to show approval.
Meme – A thought, idea, joke or concept that’s widely shared online. It is typically an image with text above and below it, but can also come in video and link form.
News Feed – News Feed is the homepage of your Facebook account, where you can see all the latest updates from your friends and pages you follow, etc.
Retweet – When someone on Twitter sees your tweet and decides to re-share it with their followers.
Tag – Tagging allows users to create a link back to the profile of the person shown in the picture.
Troll – A person who is known for creating controversy in an online setting. They typically hang out in forums and Facebook comment sections with the intent of disrupting the conversation and providing commentary that aims to provoke a reaction.
Viral – An instance in which a piece of content – YouTube video, blog article, Facebook photo, etc. – is shared all over the internet.
Article by Evan Burrell