Social Media Glossary: Key Terms Explained
Reach, engagement rate, UGC, whitelisting and dark posts all get plain definitions in this social media glossary. It covers the terms used across Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook and paid social.
About this social media glossary
Entries are grouped into metrics (reach, impressions, engagement rate, saves, shares, watch time, completion rate), content and formats (Reels, Shorts, carousels, Stories, UGC), creator work (micro-influencer, whitelisting, usage rights, affiliate code) and paid social (dark posts, lookalike audiences, frequency, creative fatigue). Definitions note where platforms calculate the same metric differently, which matters when comparing reports.
Use it when briefing creators, reading platform insights or reviewing agency reports. Knowing that reach counts people while impressions count views, for instance, stops a lot of confused comparisons between months and platforms. It also helps when agreeing creator contracts, where terms like usage rights and whitelisting decide what you can do with content after it is posted, and for how long you can run it as an ad.
Algorithm #
The system a platform uses to decide which content each user sees.
Community management #
Engaging with followers through comments, messages and groups on behalf of a brand.
Related: Community Management Services
Engagement rate #
Interactions (likes, comments, shares, saves) divided by reach or followers.
Influencer marketing #
Partnering with creators who have trusted audiences to promote a brand.
Related: Influencer Marketing Services
Organic reach #
The number of people who see unpaid content.
Reels / short-form video #
Vertical videos under about 90 seconds, currently the most-distributed format on most platforms.
UGC (user-generated content) #
Content created by customers or creators rather than the brand itself.
Related: User Generated Content Services
Case studies & resources
Real-world results and practical reading to help you plan your next step.
Client stories
How similar work has played out for other businesses.
Helpful resources
Guides, tools and articles our team recommends on this topic.
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Social commerce #
Buying products directly within social media platforms.