The Plain-English Dictionary of Internet, Social Media, and Digital Marketing Terms
Every platform comes with its own words. Marketing has its own acronyms. TikTok has its own slang. The problem is not that these words exist — it is that people use them as if everyone already understands them. A lot of people know the word but not the meaning. This dictionary exists for that gap. It translates internet culture, social media language, and digital marketing terms into plain English: no textbook tone, no fake performance, just clear definitions and simple examples.
Use it as a reference — do not try to memorise every word. Search the page when a term appears in a dashboard, post, caption, article, client message, or feed. The goal is not to make you sound more “online.” It is to help you understand what people are talking about, because when language gets unclear, decisions get weaker.
Core social media
Algorithm
The system a platform uses to decide what content appears to each user.
Example: If Instagram keeps showing you cooking videos, the algorithm has probably learned that you interact with that kind of content.
Analytics
The numbers that show how your content, website, profile, or campaign is performing.
Example: If a video got 10,000 views but almost no profile visits, the analytics may show attention without deeper interest.
Audience
The group of people your content, brand, or offer is trying to reach.
Example: A fitness coach and a football club may both post on Instagram, but they are not speaking to the same audience.
Bio
The short profile section that tells people who you are, what you do, and why they might follow or click.
Example: A good bio makes the account easier to understand before someone scrolls through the content.
Caption
The text that sits with a social media post.
Example: The video gets attention, but the caption can add context, a question, or a reason to comment.
Carousel
A post made from multiple slides, images, or cards that people can swipe through.
Example: A brand might turn one article into a carousel by breaking the key idea into five clear slides.
Comment
A public reply under a post.
Example: Comments matter because they can show recognition, disagreement, questions, or real audience interest.
Community
A group of people connected by a shared interest, identity, goal, platform, or brand.
Example: A strong community does not only watch content. It talks, responds, helps, asks, and contributes.
Creator
Someone who makes content for digital platforms, usually around a topic, skill, personality, or point of view.
Example: A creator can be a filmmaker, writer, educator, athlete, founder, designer, or someone documenting a process.
Cross-posting
Publishing the same content across multiple platforms.
Example: Posting the same Reel to Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Facebook is cross-posting.
DM
Direct message — a private message sent inside a platform.
Example: “DM me” means “send me a private message here.”
Engagement
The interactions people make with your content.
Example: Likes, comments, shares, saves, replies, reactions, and clicks can all be forms of engagement.
Engagement rate
A metric that compares interactions against reach, impressions, followers, or another audience number.
Example: A smaller account with strong comments and saves may have a better engagement rate than a large account with passive views.
Evergreen content
Content that stays useful for a long time.
Example: “How to write a clearer bio” is more evergreen than “this week’s Instagram update.”
Feed
The stream of content a platform shows users.
Example: Your Instagram feed, LinkedIn feed, and TikTok For You Page all show content, but are shaped by different behaviours.
Follower
Someone who subscribes to your account so they can see more of your content.
Example: A follower count tells you size, but not necessarily trust, attention, or buying intent.
GIF
A short looping animated image.
Example: People often use GIFs in comments or chats to react without writing a full sentence.
Handle
Your username on a platform, usually starting with @.
Example: If your handle is consistent across platforms, people can find you faster.
Hashtag
A word or phrase with a # symbol used to label or group content.
Example: #BookTok helps people find TikTok content about books.
Impression
Counted when content appears on someone’s screen.
Example: If one person sees the same post three times, that can count as three impressions.
Insight
A useful piece of information found inside data, comments, behaviour, or audience response.
Example: “People save the carousel but do not click the link” is more useful than just knowing the post performed well.
Like
A basic signal that someone appreciated or acknowledged a post.
Example: Likes are easy to get, but usually weaker than saves, shares, comments, or clicks.
Mention
When someone tags an account using its handle.
Example: If someone writes @ainitiation_media in a post, that is a mention.
Notification
An alert that tells you something happened on a platform.
Example: A notification may tell you someone followed, commented, liked, replied, or sent a message.
Organic reach
The number of people who see your content without paid promotion.
Example: If 2,000 people see your post without ads, that is organic reach.
Paid social
Paying a platform to distribute content or ads to a selected audience.
Example: Boosting a post on Facebook or running a TikTok ad is paid social.
Pinned post
A post fixed to the top of a profile.
Example: A pinned post can explain who you are, what you offer, or what someone should watch first.
Platform
A digital place where content, communication, community, or publishing happens.
Example: Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Reddit, YouTube, Substack, Discord, and Pinterest are all platforms, but they do not work the same way.
Post
A piece of content published on a platform.
Example: A post can be a video, image, carousel, text update, poll, article, or link.
Reach
The number of unique people who saw your content.
Example: If one person sees your post five times, that may count as five impressions but only one person reached.
Reaction
A platform-specific way to respond to content.
Example: Facebook reactions include Like, Love, Haha, Wow, Sad, and Angry.
Repost
When someone shares content again, from their own account or someone else’s.
Example: Reposting work without credit is poor practice; sharing with credit and permission is cleaner.
Save
When someone keeps a post for later.
Example: Saves are strong for educational content because they suggest reference value.
Share
When someone sends or reposts content to another person, group, or audience.
Example: Shares matter because they show someone thought the content was worth passing on.
Social listening
Paying attention to what people say online about a topic, brand, product, or category.
Example: Reading comments, Reddit threads, reviews, and tagged posts can reveal what people actually care about.
Sticker
An interactive or decorative element added to stories or short-form content.
Example: Polls, question boxes, countdowns, links, and emoji stickers can add interaction to Stories.
Stories
Temporary posts, usually vertical and designed to disappear after a short time.
Example: Stories are useful for behind-the-scenes updates, quick polls, and lower-pressure content.
UGC
User-generated content — content created by users, customers, fans, or creators rather than by the brand itself.
Example: A customer filming themselves using a product can become UGC for the brand.
Viral
Content that spreads quickly through sharing, recommendations, reactions, or platform discovery.
Example: A viral video is not just viewed by followers — it travels beyond the original audience.
Archive
A feature that lets you hide posts from public view without deleting them.
Example: If a post no longer fits your profile but you do not want to lose it, you can archive it.
Boomerang
A short looping video effect that plays forward and backward.
Example: A quick movement, like raising a glass, can become a Boomerang.
Branded post
Content that shows a formal collaboration or brand partnership between accounts.
Example: When two accounts appear as collaborators on the same post, it can reach both audiences.
Explore
The discovery area where users find content from accounts they may not follow.
Example: If your post appears in Explore, it can reach people outside your current followers.
Finsta
A secondary or private Instagram account, often for a smaller group of friends or less polished posts.
Example: Someone might use a main account for public posts and a Finsta for close friends.
Geotag
A location tag added to a post or story.
Example: A café can benefit when customers tag the location in their photos.
Grid
The visual layout of posts on a profile.
Example: A clean grid can help a profile feel organised, but it should not matter more than useful content.
Highlights
Saved Stories that stay visible on a profile after the original Story expires.
Example: A brand might use Highlights for FAQs, products, testimonials, or behind-the-scenes content.
Instagram Live
A live video broadcast inside Instagram.
Example: A creator can use it for Q&As, conversations, launches, or direct audience interaction.
Link in bio
Means the clickable link is in the profile bio rather than inside the post caption.
Example: If a caption says “link in bio,” go to the profile and click the link there.
Reels
Short-form videos on Instagram.
Example: A brand can turn one longer idea into several Reels, each focused on one sharp point.
Regram
The act of sharing someone else’s Instagram content again.
Example: If you regram a customer’s post, credit the original account clearly.
Reply
A response to a message, comment, or Story.
Example: Replying to Story responses can turn casual views into real conversations.
Shadow ban
The term people use when they believe a platform has limited their content visibility without a clear public notice.
Example: If a creator suddenly loses reach and disappears from hashtag results, they may suspect a shadow ban.
Shopping
Features that let brands show products and connect people to purchase paths.
Example: A fashion brand can tag products in posts so people can tap through to learn more.
Shoppable post
A post where products can be tagged or explored.
Example: Someone sees a jacket in a post, taps the tag, and finds product details.
Story poll
An interactive sticker that lets people choose between options.
Example: “Which cover should we use?” is a simple Story poll.
TikTok
Alt TikTok
The more alternative, surreal, or niche side of TikTok culture.
Example: If a video feels strange and nothing like polished dance trends, someone might call it Alt TikTok.
BookTok
The TikTok community built around books, reading, reviews, and literary discussion.
Example: A novel can gain serious attention when it spreads through BookTok.
Caught in 4K
Means someone was clearly caught doing something, usually with obvious evidence.
Example: If someone denies liking a post but there is a screenshot, they got caught in 4K.
CEO of
A phrase used to say someone is extremely good at, known for, or strongly associated with something.
Example: “CEO of overthinking” means someone overthinks everything.
Cheugy
Describes something that feels outdated, overdone, or trying too hard in a specific millennial-coded way.
Example: A trend that felt stylish in 2014 but now feels forced might be called cheugy.
Crop
Often used when people ask the creator to upload an image or video without text or interface covering it.
Example: If a meme is blocked by captions, someone might comment “crop?”
DC
Usually means dance credit — giving credit to the original creator of a dance or choreography.
Example: A caption might include “DC: @username” to credit the dance’s creator.
Digital wellbeing
Tools or settings that help users manage screen time and content exposure.
Example: Setting app time limits is a digital wellbeing habit.
Duet
A feature that lets someone post their video side-by-side with another creator’s video.
Example: A creator might Duet a video to react, add commentary, or respond.
FYP
For You Page — TikTok’s main recommendation feed.
Example: If someone says “this landed on my FYP,” TikTok showed it to them in their personalised feed.
IB
Means inspired by — used to credit the source of an idea, trend, or format.
Example: “IB: @username” acknowledges where the idea came from.
Lip sync
Matching your mouth movements to pre-recorded audio.
Example: Many TikTok videos use lip sync to act out songs, jokes, or audio clips.
Mid
Means average, mediocre, or not as good as people claim.
Example: If a hyped movie disappoints people, someone might call it mid.
NPC
Non-player character — used to describe someone who seems to repeat common opinions or act without independent thought.
Example: Calling someone an NPC suggests they are behaving like a background character.
Original sound
Audio uploaded or created by a TikTok user that others can reuse.
Example: A random sentence from one video can become an original sound used in thousands of others.
POV
Point of view — often labels a video that puts the viewer inside a specific situation.
Example: “POV: you opened your laptop to do one task and now have 47 tabs open.”
Ratio
When a reply or comment gets more attention than the original post, usually critically.
Example: If a comment gets more likes than the post it responds to, the post may have been ratioed.
Rizz
Means charm or flirting ability.
Example: If someone says “he has rizz,” they mean he is good at attracting romantic interest.
Stitch
A feature that lets someone take a short part of another video and add their own response after it.
Example: A creator might Stitch a bad take and explain why they disagree.
Straight TikTok
The more mainstream side of TikTok, often associated with dances, trends, and popular creator formats.
Example: If a trend feels very polished and mainstream, people may place it on Straight TikTok.
Sus
Means suspicious.
Example: If someone’s story does not add up, people might call it sus.
TBH
Means to be honest.
Example: “TBH, that advice sounds useful but is impossible to maintain.”
TFW
Means that feeling when.
Example: “TFW you open TikTok for five minutes and lose half an hour.”
Marketing & advertising
A/B test
Comparing two versions of something to see which performs better.
Example: A brand might test two headlines to see which gets more clicks.
Advertising
Paying to promote a product, service, message, or brand to a selected audience.
Example: Running ads on Meta, TikTok, Google, or LinkedIn is advertising.
BOFU
Bottom of funnel — the stage where someone is close to making a decision or buying.
Example: A pricing page, product demo, or direct offer usually sits closer to BOFU.
CAC
Customer acquisition cost — how much it costs to acquire a customer.
Example: If you spend $500 and get 10 customers, your CAC is $50.
Conversion
When someone takes the action you wanted them to take.
Example: A purchase, signup, booking, download, or enquiry can all be conversions.
CPC
Cost per click — how much you pay on average for each click.
Example: If your ad spend is high but clicks are cheap and relevant, the CPC may be efficient.
CPL
Cost per lead — how much it costs to collect one lead.
Example: If you spend $100 and get 20 email signups, your CPL is $5.
CPM
Cost per thousand impressions.
Example: CPM helps you compare how expensive it is to get visibility across campaigns or audiences.
CPR
Cost per result — how much each chosen campaign result costs.
Example: If your goal is signups, CPR shows the average cost for each signup.
CPV
Cost per view — how much you pay for each video view, depending on how the platform defines a view.
Example: CPV matters when the campaign is designed around video consumption.
CTR
Click-through rate — the percentage of people who clicked after seeing a link, post, or ad.
Example: If many people see your ad but almost no one clicks, your CTR is probably weak.
Customer journey
The path someone takes from first discovering a brand to becoming a customer and possibly staying loyal.
Example: Someone might discover you through a post, read your article, download a guide, join your list, then buy later.
Funnel
A way to describe the stages someone moves through before buying or converting.
Example: A simple funnel goes from awareness to interest to decision to purchase.
KPI
Key performance indicator — a metric chosen because it shows whether a goal is moving.
Example: If your goal is email growth, newsletter signups may be a KPI.
Lead
Someone who has shown interest and shared some contact or identifying information.
Example: Someone who downloads a free guide and joins your email list is a lead.
Lookalike audience
An ad audience built from people who share similarities with an existing group.
Example: Meta can create a lookalike audience based on people who already bought from you.
MOFU
Middle of funnel — the stage where someone knows about you and is considering your work more seriously.
Example: Case studies, useful emails, webinars, and comparison content often sit in MOFU.
Paid reach
The number of people reached through paid promotion.
Example: If you spend money to show a post to more people, those reached count as paid reach.
PPC
Pay per click — an ad model where you pay when someone clicks.
Example: Google search ads often use a PPC model.
Prospect
A potential customer who appears to be a realistic fit for what you offer.
Example: A lead becomes a stronger prospect when they show real buying intent.
Retargeting
Showing ads to people who have already interacted with your brand.
Example: Someone visits your website but does not buy, then later sees an ad reminding them.
ROAS
Return on ad spend — compares ad revenue against ad cost.
Example: If you spend $100 on ads and make $400 from those ads, your ROAS is 4.
ROI
Return on investment — compares the return from an investment against what it cost.
Example: ROI is broader than ad performance because it can include time, tools, and labour.
SEM
Search engine marketing — usually paid marketing through search engines.
Example: Paying to appear at the top of Google search results is SEM.
SEO
Search engine optimisation — making content easier to find through search engines.
Example: Writing a clear article around a question people search for is part of SEO.
TOFU
Top of funnel — the first stage where people discover you.
Example: A short educational video, glossary post, or platform breakdown can work as TOFU content.
Creator, brand & content
Advocacy
When people support, recommend, or promote a brand because they believe in it.
Example: A customer who keeps telling friends about your product is showing advocacy.
Brand ambassador
Someone who represents or promotes a brand publicly.
Example: An athlete wearing a brand’s gear in public may act as a brand ambassador.
Brand awareness
How familiar people are with a brand.
Example: If people recognise your name before they understand your offer, you have some brand awareness.
Brand reputation
What people believe and say about a brand.
Example: A brand can have strong awareness but poor reputation if people know it for the wrong reasons.
Clickbait
Content designed to make people click through exaggerated, misleading, or incomplete promises.
Example: “You won’t believe what happened next” is often clickbait if the payoff is weak.
Co-marketing
When two brands work together to promote something to both audiences.
Example: Two creators might publish a shared guide and promote it to both email lists.
Community manager
Someone who supports, moderates, and grows a group of people around a brand, interest, or platform.
Example: In a Discord server, the community manager keeps discussions useful and safe.
Content curation
Finding, selecting, organising, and sharing useful content from different sources.
Example: A weekly newsletter with the best industry links is a form of content curation.
Content marketing
Using useful content to attract, educate, and build trust with an audience.
Example: A free guide, article, tutorial, or video series can all be content marketing.
Crisis management
Responding when a brand faces a public issue, backlash, mistake, or serious problem.
Example: A brand needs crisis management when a campaign is misunderstood and spreads for the wrong reason.
CTA
Call to action — tells people what to do next.
Example: “Follow for more,” “download the guide,” and “book a call” are CTAs.
Dark post
An ad that does not appear publicly on the main profile but is shown to a selected paid audience.
Example: A brand may use dark posts to test different ad messages without filling its public feed.
Dark social
Traffic or sharing that is hard to track, often because it happens in private messages, group chats, or email.
Example: If someone sends your article in a WhatsApp chat, the traffic may show as direct instead of social.
Epic fail
A public mistake that goes badly enough to damage attention, trust, or reputation.
Example: A tone-deaf campaign during a sensitive event can become an epic fail.
Epic win
A campaign, post, or move that performs unusually well and strengthens the brand.
Example: A simple post that captures the mood perfectly during a cultural moment can become an epic win.
Fake news
False or misleading information presented as real news.
Example: A fake screenshot spreading on social media can become fake news if people believe and share it.
Influencer
Someone whose audience pays attention to their recommendations, opinions, or lifestyle.
Example: An influencer can affect what people notice, trust, or buy — not just how many followers they have.
Influencer marketing
When brands work with influencers to reach their audiences.
Example: A skincare brand may pay a creator to test and talk about a product.
Meme
A piece of internet culture — usually an image, phrase, joke, or format — that spreads and gets reused.
Example: The same image can become a meme when people keep changing the caption to fit new situations.
Native advertising
Paid content designed to look and feel similar to the platform’s normal content.
Example: A sponsored post in a feed is native advertising when it blends with surrounding posts.
Newsjacking
Using a current news story or trending topic to create relevant brand content.
Example: A brand can comment on a major platform update if the topic directly fits its audience.
Personal branding
The deliberate shaping of how people understand, remember, and trust a person professionally.
Example: A consultant sharing clear ideas every week is building a personal brand.
Referral
When someone sends another person to a brand, product, website, or offer.
Example: A happy customer sharing your link with a friend creates a referral.
Trendjacking
Using a trend to get attention.
Example: Joining a meme trend can work if the brand has a natural angle. If not, it feels forced.
Internet culture & behaviour
AMA
Ask me anything — a format where someone invites open questions from an audience.
Example: A founder might host an AMA after launching a product.
Avatar
A digital representation of a person, used in games, social platforms, forums, or virtual spaces.
Example: A profile picture, Bitmoji, or 3D character can all act as avatars.
Ban
Blocking or removing a user from a platform, group, or community.
Example: A user may be banned after breaking community rules repeatedly.
Bitmoji
A personalised cartoon-style avatar often used in messaging and social apps.
Example: Someone might use a Bitmoji sticker instead of typing a full reaction.
Blockchain
A digital record system where transactions or information are stored across a network.
Example: NFTs and some cryptocurrencies use blockchain technology.
Bot
Software that performs actions automatically.
Example: Some bots answer customer questions; others spam comments. The value depends on how they are used.
Browser
The software used to access websites.
Example: Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge are browsers.
Bug
An error in software or hardware that causes something to work incorrectly.
Example: If a social app crashes every time you upload a video, that may be a bug.
Chatbot
Software that can respond to messages automatically.
Example: A store might use a chatbot to answer common shipping questions.
Conversational AI
AI built to understand and respond in human-like conversation.
Example: A support bot that understands natural questions uses conversational AI.
Conversational commerce
Selling, guiding, or supporting customers through chat or messaging.
Example: A customer asking product questions through WhatsApp before buying is part of conversational commerce.
Cookie
A small file used by websites to remember information about a visitor.
Example: A cookie might remember what you added to your shopping cart.
Doxing
Publishing private personal information about someone without consent.
Example: Sharing someone’s home address online to harass them is doxing.
Emoji
A small visual symbol used to express an emotion, object, idea, or reaction.
Example: A simple thumbs-up emoji can replace “sounds good.”
FOMO
Fear of missing out.
Example: If everyone is talking about a trend and you feel pressure to join, that is FOMO.
Microblogging
Posting short updates, thoughts, links, or media on platforms built for quick publishing.
Example: X/Twitter, Threads, Mastodon, and Tumblr can all support microblogging.
NFT
Non-fungible token — a digital asset recorded on a blockchain to show uniqueness or ownership.
Example: A digital artwork can be sold as an NFT.
NSFW
Not safe for work — warns that content may be inappropriate to open in public or professional settings.
Example: A violent or explicit link may be labelled NSFW.
Parasocial relationship
A one-sided connection where someone feels close to a public figure or creator who does not actually know them.
Example: Feeling like a YouTuber is your friend because you watch them every day can become parasocial.
Screen time
The amount of time spent using a screen, app, device, or platform.
Example: Checking your screen time can show how much of your day an app is taking.
Selfie
A photo someone takes of themselves.
Example: A gym mirror photo, travel photo, or front-camera portrait can all be selfies.
TBT
Throwback Thursday — used when sharing an old memory or past photo on a Thursday.
Example: A brand might post an old office photo with #TBT.
Platforms & tools
API
Application programming interface — lets different software systems communicate with each other.
Example: A scheduling tool may use a platform’s API to publish posts automatically.
Business Manager
Meta’s tool for managing business assets like ad accounts, Pages, pixels, and permissions.
Example: A brand running Meta ads usually needs access to Business Manager.
Dashboard
A place where important data is organised and displayed.
Example: A social media dashboard might show reach, engagement, follower growth, and link clicks.
Embedding
Placing content from one platform inside another page or website.
Example: Embedding a YouTube video in a blog post lets people watch it without leaving the page.
Google Ads
Google’s advertising platform.
Example: A business can use Google Ads to appear when someone searches for specific keywords.
Google Business Profile
The listing that helps businesses appear on Google Search and Maps.
Example: A café’s hours, reviews, photos, and location can appear through its Google Business Profile.
Hootsuite
A social media management tool used for scheduling, monitoring, and reporting.
Example: A social media manager might use Hootsuite to schedule posts across several platforms.
Link building
Getting other websites to link to your website.
Example: A useful article may earn links from other sites, which can support SEO.
Linktree
A tool that puts several links on one simple landing page.
Example: A creator might use Linktree to link to YouTube, a newsletter, a shop, and a booking page.
Mailchimp
An email marketing tool used to collect subscribers and send emails.
Example: A small brand might use Mailchimp to send a weekly newsletter.
Meta Pixel
A tracking code used to understand website actions and support advertising.
Example: A pixel can help show ads to people who visited a product page but did not buy.
RSS feed
Lets people or tools receive updates from websites in a standard format.
Example: A reader app can use RSS to collect new posts from several blogs.
TikTok Ads Manager
The platform used to create, manage, and measure TikTok ads.
Example: A brand uses it to choose an audience, set a budget, and launch an ad campaign.
UTM
A tracking tag added to a link so you can see where traffic came from.
Example: A newsletter link and an Instagram link can point to the same page but use different UTMs.
Why clear definitions matter
The internet rewards speed, and that creates a problem: people repeat words before they fully understand them. Brands use terms because competitors use them. Marketers build dashboards full of metrics they cannot explain clearly. When language gets unclear, decisions get weaker. If you confuse reach with impressions, you may misread visibility. If you confuse engagement with trust, you may overvalue likes. If you confuse repurposing with cross-posting, you may post everywhere without judgment. Plain English makes better decisions possible.
A living reference
Digital language changes quickly — some terms stay useful for years, some disappear, some shift meaning, some start as slang and become normal platform language. This dictionary is not finished. The goal is not to explain every word on the internet, but to explain useful terms clearly enough that people can understand what they are seeing, reading, measuring, and using. Save it for the next time the internet uses a word everyone pretends to understand.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between reach and impressions?
Reach is the number of unique people who saw your content. Impressions count every time content appears on a screen, including repeats. If one person sees a post three times, that is one reach and three impressions.
What does CTR mean in marketing?
CTR is click-through rate — the percentage of people who clicked after seeing a link, post, or ad. If many people see your ad but almost no one clicks, your CTR is weak.
What is the difference between repurposing and cross-posting?
Cross-posting means publishing the same content across multiple platforms unchanged. Repurposing rebuilds one idea into the format each platform rewards. Confusing the two leads to posting everywhere without judgment.