Social Media Glossary

Social media glossary of termsA to Z of Social Media Terms



Fret no more! Here for the first time, in my wonderfully simplified Social Media Glossary are my definitions for all the latest social media buzzwords doing their rounds.

Did I miss something?  CLICK HERE to tell me about the missing social media term and I’ll add it.



Advanced Audio Coding

(also MPEG-2 AAC): An audio compression scheme that is a continuation of the MP3 CODEC, but uses better filtering methods, noise shaping and quantization resolution to produce higher-quality audio files at smaller bit rates. AAC is designed for use in digital broadcasting systems as well as for multi-channel and surround audio (such as 5.1), and based on its capability to support up to 96kHz sampling rates and 48 channels [including LFE], AAC could be the basis for audio in multimedia for the foreseeable future. Some streaming audio formats that have adopted the AAC scheme already are Liquid Audio (.lqt), AT&T’s already fading .a2b format, and the soon-to-be-realized MP4 format.


Short for “advertising blog,” a blog used purely for advertising purposes.




A site, such as Bloglines or Google Reader, that displays information related to user-specified keywords. The information is gathered and remixed from multiple websites via RSS feeds. Also, the name given the software, often free, that automatically gathers the RSS-based summaries of a set of user-based blogs or sources for easy browsing.


An acronym standing for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. This is a web development technique for creating interactive web applications. By shifting a great deal of computation to the web surfer’s computer, web pages don’t have to reload when a change is made due to user interaction. Ajax can increase the web page’s interactivity, speed, and usability.



Architecture Of Participation

A phrase coined by open source media advocate Tim O’Reily, used to describe the nature of systems created for user contribution, such as Wikipedia. The phrase has come to define one of the key elements of what’s been called Web 2.0, describing the collection of companies, technologies and projects that are designed around the culture and economics of openness.




This describes a supposed grass-roots social site which is actually supported by some powerful organization “private or public” with an agenda.

Asynchronous Communications

Online communications independent of time or place, such as email listsbulletin boards and forums. Messages go to and fro rather than appearing in one place nearly simultaneously (synchronous communication).

Audio Blog

Another name for a podcast. Despite the casual nature implied by the word blog in this term, audio blogs can have a wide range of production values from very casual audio journals to professionally produced shows including music, sound effects and other production values.

Audio Boo

Is a website and mobile device application designed to allow users to post and share sound files on the AudioBoo website. AudioBoo was developed by UK based BestBefore,  partially funded by Channel 4 and was launched in March 2009

Audio On-Demand

Another expression for audio podcasting, referencing the ability of listeners to start, stop, replay and skip sections or whole recordings at any time, virtually any place in their daily lives. See Podcast and Time-shifting.






Audio that is reused as a background element, such as music or effects in radio, television, video or podcasts.

Back channel

Communications which are private emails or other messages sent by the facilitator or between individuals during public conferencing. They can have a significant influence on the outcomes of public conversations.


Derived from blog and beg, this term means to send a query through the blogosphere in search of an answer.


Shortened from the original term Weblogs these self-published websites containing dated material, are usually written in a journal format. Content such as text, pictures, video and/or audio have URLs plus other ways of identifying them by keywords (tags). This allows visitors to pull items to their desktop through subscriptions or aggregators without having to visit the actual website. Blogs often have links to other relevant online content, plus invite feedback through “posts” which are comments from readers.

Blogs and Blogging

The word blog is a contraction of the term Web log and is a web site of commentaries, or postings, on a particular subject and may include events, graphics and videos. Blogs can be personal or corporate but are usually maintained by one individual and include a signature and picture. Common blog tools include SuperBlogsBloggerType Pad, and


Another name for a podcast.

Blogerati or Blogophiles

Two terms used to describe sophisticated blog authors and readers.


The term used to describe the totality of blogs on the Internet, and the conversations taking place within that sphere. i.e. “The universe of blogging and bloggers.”




Saving the address of a website or item of content, either in your browser, or on a social bookmarking site like Delicious. If you add tags, others can easily use your research too, and the social bookmarking site becomes an enormous public library. If groups agree the tags they’ll use, it makes collaborative research much easier.


Also called favelets, these are free tools to help with repetitive, difficult and/or time-consuming tasks when using a web browser.



Bulletin boards


Business-Class Podcast

A term to describe podcasts directed toward a professional audience. Business-class podcasts can be casual in nature, although typically don’t have the garage-band feel or outreach that more lifestyle podcasts have. Lifestyle podcasting or trendy casts are generally targeted at the youth market, and have little long-term branding goals.


Online chatter or social discussion and interaction characterised by frequent expressed interest and/or mentions of a subject among the online community.


Pre-specified ways to organise content – for example, a set of keywords that you can use but not add to when posting on a site. They form part of a taxonomy.




A group of podcast (or video-cast) items, each of which represents one MP3 audio file (or show). When subscribing to podcasts, it is the channel you subscribe to.



Chat Room

A designated online location for chat to take place. Unlike forums, chat room conversations are real-time exchanges.


Nickname for the small buttons used as links to RSS files (usually orange with a graphic resembling waves or ripples expanding out). Many podcatchers allow you to drag chicklets onto them to quickly add a subscription.


A lame attempt to use online audio programming to launch a career into show business. Noun: clodpast, a poorly conceived and/or executed digitally broadcast audio message.




Collaborative Consumption

A business model in which goods or services are shared, swapped, or rented over networks. Websites like Airbnb, a platform for short term home rentals, and OurGoods, a bartering network for the creative community, have changed the way that we look at the traditional e-commerce model.?

Collective intelligence







Groups of people that connect using social networking technologies. The people in these communities often have common demographics and psychographics in addition to a common interest that pulls them together.

Community building



Coined by investment bank firm, Piper Jaffray, this term describes a trend involving consumers moving communication beyond a mere exchange of information to facilitate an exchange of content, ideas, and entertainment within an online social context.

Compensated Consumer-Generated Media (CCGM)

This is media where marketers pay consumers to do certain things, or when publishers compensate artists or content creators for submissions frequently based on their popularity, i.e. number of unique hits.


A connection is someone who is a user that is directly connected with another. As an example, you add connections with people you know in the LinkedIn user network to build your personal LinkedIn network.



Consumer-Generated Media (CGM)

First-person commentary posted or shared across a host of expression venues, including message boards, forums, rating and review sites, groups, social networking sites, blogs, video-sharing sites, etc.

Consumer-Generated Multimedia (CGM2)

Consumer created sight, sound, and motion components posted online using sites such as YouTube, MySpace, iTunes, etc.

Consumer-Fortified Media (CFM)

Advertiser created digital media that is shaped and promoted by consumers through online commentary and debate.

Consumer-Solicited Media (CSM)

Often called “co-creation” or “participator advertising” CSM involves an online advertiser who provides a format and invites visitors to add their content. Examples include “create your own 30 second commercial”, “upload your sponsor-relevant photo or video” or “send us your best recorded memory of how our brand impacted your life.”



Content management systems (CMS)



Social networking is difficult to control because if people can’t say something in one place they can blog or comment elsewhere. That can be challenging for hierarchical organisations used to centrally-managed websites.


Through blogging, commenting or contributing to forums is the currency of social networking. At more length: A popular perception of bloggers is of people ranting on a virtual soapbox without knowing who is listening. While that may be true for some, the real rewards of blogging come from exchanges with others. Every blogger needs an audience – and preferably one adding comments. Even better if another blogger picks up your item, adds a link and a little interpretation, publishes on their site, and puts a trackback to yours. That way you pick up readers coming in from the other site, and know from the trackback you have someone with whom to start a conversation. Even if there isn’t a trackback, you can set up searches to alert you when someone mentions your name, site or conversation thread on the Net.


Sharing through social media is enhanced by attaching a Creative Commons license specifying, for example, that content may be re-used with attribution, provided that a similar license is then attached by the new author. At more length: In the spirit of openness and sharing generally prevalent among social networkers, you will often find content labelled with a copyright license that allows you to re-use the material provided you provide an attribution. The Creative Commons site offers different licenses. One frequently used is Attribution-Share Alike, whereby you can alter and re-use the content provided you then add the same license. This may not appeal to people or organisations who like substantial control. Again, it is partly a cultural and personal issue, rather than a technical one.

Creative Commons License (CCL)

A copyright license that spells out how proprietary online content can be shared, reused or altered.

Crowd funding or crowdfunding



Crowd Sourcing or Crowdsourcing

Refers to harnessing the skills and enthusiasm of those outside an organisation who are prepared to volunteer their time contributing content and solving problems. An example of a crowdsourcing service would be Amazon Mechanical Turk










There are dozens of directories listing podcasts, serving as vertical search engines for podcasts; examples include iTunes, Yahoo! Podcast, Podcast Alley, Singing Fish, Podcast Pickle, etc.



Download Fraud

In a pay-per-download podcast advertising model, there is the possibility that someone could maliciously download a podcast to get advertising fees.




Social Media Glossary Appendix: