Lost in the jargon-heavy, acronym-filled world of social marketing? We can help.
Here’s our quick rundown of key terms you need to know in 2025:
Analytics:
Uses click-throughs, page-views or engagement to measure the performance of social content. Tip: Use AI-powered analytics tools to gain deeper insights.
RELATED: 7 free tools to analyse and measure your social media marketing.
Algorithm:
The set of rules a computer or program follows to rank and display content in user feeds. Example: Instagram’s algorithm prioritises content based on relevance, timeliness and user interaction.
CTR (click-through rate):
How often a visitor clicks through from an ad to your site or landing page, divided by the total number of people who view the ad.
Conversion rate:
The percentage of browsers who take the desired action, such as signing up or making a purchase. Pro tip: A/B testing can improve your conversion rates.
DM (direct message):
A private message sent on a social platform. Best practice: Use automated responses for faster customer service.
eBook:
A long-form piece of content used to generate leads – like this one on social media advertising.
Emoji:
Tiny cartoon images to show emotion. Fun fact: Emojis can increase engagement in captions, email subject lines or posts.
Engagement rate:
Measures how much customers have interacted with a post through likes, shares or comments. Trend: Short-form videos have the highest engagement rate in 2025.
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format):
A looping animation used to convey reactions or responses. Best use: Add GIFs to Stories for playful interactions.
Hashtag:
A word or short phrase prefixed with a # to group posts on social media channels. Example: #SocialMediaTrends2025
Impressions:
The number of times users might have seen your content. Key insight: High impressions don’t always equal high engagement.
Influencer marketing:
Collaborating with influencers to promote your products or services. 2025 insight: Micro-influencers deliver higher engagement rates than celebrities.
Native advertising:
Paid ads that blend seamlessly with organic content. Why it works: Consumers are more likely to engage with ads that don’t look like ads.
News feed:
The ‘home page’ where social media users see the most recent or relevant updates from friends, groups and brands they follow. Tip: Consistency is key to staying visible in the feed.
Retargeting:
A strategy targeting users who have previously interacted with your site or ad. New trend: Cross-platform retargeting is gaining traction, allowing advertisers to re-engage users with personalised ads across multiple devices and platforms based on their previous interactions.
Social commerce:
The buying and selling of products directly through social media platforms. Key platforms: Instagram Shop, TikTok Shop and Facebook Marketplace.
Social listening:
Monitoring social media channels for mentions of your brand, competitors and industry. Why it matters: Helps brands respond to feedback and trends in real time.
Story:
A series of videos or images with links, text, animated images and stickers, that disappears after 24 hours. Trend: Brands now use interactive polls and Q&A stickers for higher engagement.
Tag:
Used to connect posts to people or businesses. Best practice: Tagging influencers can expand your reach.
Thread:
A series of comments on a post or on a website that make up a conversation. Example: Reddit threads are great for storytelling.
UGC (user-generated content):
Blogs, posts, or videos created by social media users. Businesses can tap into this content by partnering with users or linking to relevant content. Take a look at our guide to user-generated content for examples. Pro tip: Encourage customers to share experiences using your products.
Feeling more social savvy already? Download our free eBook: How to choose the right social media platform for your business to learn more.
