A dictionary of social media marketing terms for everyone who can’t keep up with social media and marketing lingo
Dear Not-So-Youngish Friends,
It’s a new year, so let’s get real about a very important topic which is near and dear to us: definitions.
We’re not talking about Merriam-Webster style flashcards (although, now you mention it–anybody up for a game of Balderdash™?) No, we’re here to talk about marketing, social media, and other industry jargon that seems to be multiplying faster than you can say lightspeed.
A great example comes from a recent Cobra Kai episode.
If you haven’t been introduced to this series yet, it’s a spin-off of the original Karate Kid movies. (Remember those ancient old things?) Well, if you’re a glutton for nostalgia punishment, it picks up 34 years after the final karate showdown between good-guy Daniel LaRusso and bad-guy Johnny Lawrence. Their rivalry reignites when the aging 50-something-year-olds (gulp, how time flies) former karate kids open competing karate dojos.
Anyway, there’s this moment when Johnny tries to ask for help advertising his new dojo from his teenage students. After recording a short promo video, he commands them to put the name of the dojo and Team Cobra Kai with a “hashbrown” at the end of it on social media.
A fried potato, huh?
He meant hashtag, not hashbrown, of course.
While this gave viewers a chuckle, the reality of things is that social media and marketing are reinventing jargon every day, and there are new trends, terms, and info appearing all the time. Some of them have multiple meanings, while some are downright headscratchers (Is TikTok a new kind of smartwatch?!)
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, have novelty fatigue, and want to plug in your old flip phone.
But good news: we’re here to help.
Enter the Social Media Marketing Glossary
It’s a helpful go-to dictionary of current terms you need to know, an uber-easy place to return to when you need quick deets about a new word or phrase.
And guess what?
There will be more to this blog series, where we break down terms into easily digestible bites. We’re going to dissect the merits of different social media platforms re: marketing, and why it’s worth it for you and/or your business to be on them. Think of us as your Social Media Sensei. We will show you the way, grasshoppers.
P.S. While we’re at it, here’s what a hashtag (not hashbrown!) really is and why it’s useful.
Lesson One: Hashtag
Hashtag: (noun) defined as a word or a phrase that is preceded by the hashtag sign (#) on social media. (verb) adding a hashtag to a word or phrase to make it a social media topic.
Like: #BlueFlamingo #hotgirlsummer or #JeepLife
Why it’s useful: Hashtags direct social media users towards topics they’d like to explore or enjoy. When you put a # symbol in front of a word or phrase that’s popular or relevant to your business, it automatically creates a link that will take you to every post on that platform with the same phrase. It’s basically a search term!
Adding a hashtag to your posts can help expose viewers to your business or brand. Let’s say somebody clicks on the hashtag #breakfastIdeas on Instagram. They’ll see every post with that hashtag included, including the one you posted last week about two-minute pancakes.
It’s a powerful tool wrapped up in one tiny symbol!
Ready To Master Social Media Marketing Terminology?
Make 2022 the year that you master new terminology with our social media marketing glossary. Keep an eye on this space for more helpful hacks, definitions, and more!
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