Social Media Terminology and Acronyms

An Aggregator is a person, tool or application that collects syndicated content from the World Wide Web for the purpose of publishing, broadcasting or distributing information about a particular category or item of interest to your readers or followers. Also see Content Curation.

Algorithm refers to a rules-based procedure that makes calculations and solves problems. In social media, the most important algorithms are those that determine which content we see. For example, your Facebook News Feed doesn’t show every status update and every photo from every one of your friends. Instead, it displays an algorithmically curated set of content that Facebook thinks is most worth seeing. Similarly, Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus use algorithms to define which topics and hashtags are currently trending. ↬ Hat Tip! to Hootsuite.

A content stream determined by AI or machine learning based on user behavior, rather than strict chronological order.

A secondary profile a user creates to post content separately from their main identity, often for privacy or niche interests.

Application Program Interface (API) is a set of routines and protocols that develop software applications. Users benefit from these applications because when developers use a common API, it makes the interface familiar and therefore easy to use from site to site. An example of this is signing in with Facebook when joining a particular site.

Short for "Authenticated Transfer Protocol," this is the open-source framework powering Bluesky, allowing users to control their identity and data across platforms.

Social Media Badges represent achievements as would a physical badge or trophy. They are used to show achieved training, reputation, affirm status or to identify roles within a group or social media site. It’s a great way to motivate and engage your readers. Also see Rewards.

A blog is an online journal that you update on a regular basis. You enter posts on your topic and the posts will appear on your site in reverse chronological order. Most blogs include a utility named "Comments" that encourages interaction from your readers. See also Comments.

A unique identifier on Bluesky (e.g., @username.bsky.social) often tied to a domain name, signaling ownership and identity portability.

A feature (especially on livestream platforms like Twitch or YouTube Shorts) that lets users grab and share short highlights from longer content.

Comments are written replies by end-users to a post either on social media or a private web site. It conveys your expression of an opinion or reaction to the post.

Content Curation is name of the process wherein you collect (aggregate), organize and display information for a particular topic. People that actively pursue content curation are called curators.

In the marketing realm of business CRM (customer relationship management) is to manage your interactions with current and future customers. Technology may be used to organize, automate, synchronize sales, marketing, customer service, and technical support. In general, it means customers really matter. Right? So, if your customer relationship management brings good results, your customers will know they really matter.

A social networking model where user data and content are not owned by a single company; platforms like Bluesky and Mastodon use this approach.

A trend where creators actively recommend against certain products or brands, countering traditional influencer culture.

Small, private online spaces like group chats, Discord servers, or close friends lists where intimate, trusted sharing happens.

Direct message (DM) is a direct message sent via Twitter that only you and the recipient can see, kind of like a Twitter text message. The user you want to send a direct message to must be following you. I have also seen it used in context with the messaging system on Facebook.

An eBook is an electronic book that is either downloaded or read online. There are many types of eBooks with corresponding software to create, publish and read them. A PDF document is an example of one form of eBook. Another more complicated example is to use a particular type of software to publish an eBook to Amazon. Then use the Amazon Kindle eBook software to download and read on a variety of electronic devices.

Community spaces where users share content around specific interests or topics.

A dashboard for managing, scheduling, and analyzing content performance.

A profile setting that lets individuals monetize and access insights without a business page.

A network of interconnected, decentralized platforms (like Mastodon, PeerTube, and now Bluesky), allowing users to interact across services.

Goals are our desired results. Goals can be short-term or long-term. They can be spiritual, physical, financial or a combination of all three. Without goals, we flounder and become unproductive.

Hashtag is a tactic used to add additional context to your social media posts. An example is #followfriday or #JointheTalk.

A private list for sharing Stories with a select audience.