Social Media Glossary

Essential terms every content creator should know. Clear, accurate definitions with practical tips.

Metrics & Analytics

Key performance indicators and analytics terms

Engagement Rate

The percentage of your audience that interacts with your content through likes, comments, shares, and saves.

Reach

The total number of unique users who see your content.

Impressions

The total number of times your content is displayed, including multiple views by the same person.

Watch Time

The total amount of time viewers spend watching your video content.

Completion Rate

The percentage of viewers who watch your video from start to finish.

Algorithm & Discovery

How platforms recommend and distribute content

For You Page (FYP)

TikTok's main discovery feed that shows personalized video recommendations to each user.

Shadowban

When a platform silently restricts your content's visibility without notifying you.

Algorithm

The automated system that decides which content gets shown to which users.

Monetization

Terms related to earning money as a creator

CPM (Cost Per Mille)

The cost advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions on your content.

RPM (Revenue Per Mille)

The actual money you earn per 1,000 views after the platform takes its cut.

Creator Fund

A pool of money platforms allocate to pay creators based on video performance.

Brand Deal / Sponsorship

Paid partnerships where brands pay you to promote their products or services.

Content Creation

Terms related to creating and optimizing content

Hook

The opening seconds of your video designed to capture attention and stop viewers from scrolling.

Trending Sound/Audio

Music or audio clips that are currently popular and being used by many creators.

UGC (User-Generated Content)

Content created by regular users rather than brands, often used in marketing.

Growth & Strategy

Terms related to growing your audience

Viral

Content that spreads rapidly and reaches a massive audience beyond your existing followers.

Niche

A specific topic or audience segment you focus your content on.

Call to Action (CTA)

A prompt telling viewers what to do next, like 'follow for more' or 'link in bio.'

Technical Terms

Platform-specific technical terminology

Aspect Ratio

The proportional relationship between your video's width and height.

Link in Bio

The clickable URL in your profile, often managed with a landing page tool.

Hashtag

A word or phrase preceded by # used to categorize content and improve discoverability.

Analytics / Insights

Platform-provided data showing how your content and account are performing.

Community Guidelines

Platform rules defining what content is and isn't allowed.

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