10 Must-Have Social Media Terms & Tools


The online world is constantly changing and with it comes new terms and phrases. Such as, why does every link I click on start with “bit.?” And, is “Really Simple Syndication” an official term? We define 10 words or phrases that you may have seen before, but don’t know exactly what they mean.

1. Bitly – Bitly is a website that shortens the length of URLs so they can fit into posts that limit character count (Twitter, mainly). Shortened links make your page cleaner and leaves more room for your content. With a Bitly profile, you can also save previously shortened links and track their analytics.   

2. Cloud computing – Computing is spread out over a network that many computers can access, so programs and applications can be edited simultaneously by multiple users at anytime and from anywhere.

3. Connections – A LinkedIn “connection” is similar to a Facebook “friend.” However, connections on LinkedIn provide professional networking opportunities and contacts versus the more social focus of Facebook. Through your LinkedIn connections, you can gain endorsements for your qualifications and skills, make connections with second degree contacts at other companies and receive recommendations from past or current supervisors detailing your job performance.

4. Crowd sourcing – Collaborating with people outside of the workplace who bring a variety of skills, strengths and enthusiasm to the table. This often takes the shape of fundraising and volunteering.

5. HootSuite – HootSuite is a website that allows you to schedule the publishing of your social media posts in advance. If you have several posts to be send over the course of the day or after hours, you are able to set their publish times in HootSuite. Once you’ve scheduled them to publish, you don’t have to give them a second thought throughout the day!

6. Infographic – A graphic that presents information, typically in a style that leverages iconography. Percentages, graphs, short lists and detailed information is presented in a visually appealing way using simple graphics to gain attention faster than written content.

7. Permalink – A permalink, or “permanent link” is the URL of a particular post within a blog or website. A permalink becomes the post’s URL when it gets moved from the front page to the website’s archives.

8. Podcast – A podcast is a non-streamed webcast and series of audio or video files, typically a presentation or speech, that are released in a series and often  downloaded through an RSS Feed.

9. RSS Feed – RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication,” and is synonymous to “web feed.” RSS Feeds deliver frequently updated data to the same place, eliminating the need for the user to visit individual sites for updates.

10. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) –SEO is the process of evaluating the quantity and value of the traffic to a website. The more frequently users are clicking on your website from search engine pages, the better SEO rating you have.

Are there any other terms you’d like us to add? Let us know in the comments below!


Mworks740 • May 12, 2014

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