Social media comes with its own vocabulary, and much of it shows up in tools, reports and advice without explanation. This glossary explains the terms small business owners meet most often, in plain language, with links to our guides where a term needs more than a few sentences.
Definitions are general. Each network uses some words slightly differently (for example, how it counts views or engagement), so check the network's own help pages when exact numbers matter.
A
- A/B test
- Posting two versions of something (a hook, an image, a caption) to see which one performs better. Change one thing at a time, or you will not know what made the difference.
- Algorithm
- The set of rules a network uses to decide which posts each person sees and in what order. It looks at signals such as what people watch, like, save, share and comment on.
- Alt text
- A short written description of an image, read aloud by screen readers for people who cannot see it. Several networks let you add it when you post, and it also helps search.
- Analytics
- The numbers a network or tool shows about your account and posts: reach, views, likes, comments, followers and so on. Useful for spotting which topics and formats work for you.
- Aspect ratio
- The shape of an image or video, written as width to height. 1:1 is square, 4:5 is a tall portrait and 9:16 is full-screen vertical. Each network accepts different shapes. Read more
- Audience
- The people who follow you or see your content. Knowing who they are (age, location, interests, problems) helps you choose topics and tone.
B
- Bio
- The short text at the top of your profile that says who you are, what you offer and where you are. For a local business it should answer what, where and how to book or buy.
- Boosted post
- An existing organic post you pay to show to more people. It is the simplest form of paid social, but gives fewer targeting and goal options than a full ad campaign.
C
- Call to action (CTA)
- The line that tells people what to do next: book, call, visit, comment a keyword, tap the link. One clear CTA per post usually works better than several.
- Caption
- The text that goes with your image or video. It adds context, tells a short story or explains the offer, and usually ends with a call to action.
- Carousel
- A post with several images or videos people swipe through. Good for step-by-step tips, before and after, menus, product ranges and short stories.
- Comment-to-DM
- An automation that sends a private message when someone comments a chosen keyword on your post, for example a price list or a booking link. Turns comments into conversations without manual work. Read more
- Content calendar
- A plan showing what you will post, where and when. It keeps posting regular and stops the daily question of what to post today. Read more
- Content pillar
- One of the three to five recurring themes your content is built around, for example tips, behind the scenes, results and offers. Pillars keep content varied but on topic.
- Conversion
- When someone takes the action you wanted: books, buys, calls, signs up or sends a message. The step that turns attention into business.
- Cover image
- The image shown before a video plays or at the top of a profile or page. A clear cover makes people more likely to tap.
- CTR (click-through rate)
- The share of people who clicked a link after seeing it, usually shown as a percentage of impressions. A higher CTR means the post or ad made people want to know more.
D
- DM (direct message)
- A private message between you and one person (or a small group). Many sales and bookings for small businesses start in DMs.
E
- Engagement
- Any interaction with your content: likes, comments, shares, saves, clicks, replies. It shows that people did more than scroll past.
- Engagement rate
- Engagement divided by reach, impressions or followers, shown as a percentage. Networks and tools calculate it differently, so compare it only within the same method.
- Evergreen content
- Content that stays useful for a long time, such as how-to tips, FAQs or a guide to your services. You can repost or reuse it months later.
F
- Feed
- The main scrolling stream of posts on a network. Feed posts stay on your profile, unlike Stories.
- Follower
- Someone who subscribed to your account so your posts can show up for them. More followers does not always mean more customers.
G
- Google Business Profile
- Your free business listing on Google Search and Maps, with address, hours, photos, reviews and posts. For local businesses it is often the first thing customers see. Read more
H
- Hashtag
- A word or phrase after a # sign that groups posts on the same topic. A few specific, relevant hashtags help people find you better than many generic ones. Read more
- Hook
- The first line or first seconds of a post or video, designed to make people stop scrolling. If the hook fails, the rest is rarely seen. Read more
I
- Impressions
- How many times your content was shown on screen, including repeat views by the same person. Always equal to or higher than reach.
- Inbox
- The place where messages, comments and sometimes reviews arrive. A unified inbox collects them from several networks in one view. Read more
- Influencer
- A creator with an engaged audience who can recommend your business. For local businesses, small local creators often fit better than big names.
- Insights
- The built-in analytics inside a network, such as Instagram or Facebook insights. They show reach, interactions and audience details for your account.
L
- Link in bio
- The single clickable link on your profile, often pointing to a page with several links. Used because captions on some networks do not allow clickable links.
M
- MCP (Model Context Protocol)
- An open standard that lets AI assistants such as ChatGPT or Claude connect to outside apps and use them through chat. With an MCP connector you can manage a tool by asking the assistant. Read more
- Mention
- Tagging another account with @ in a post, caption or comment. The tagged account is notified, which can bring new eyes to your post.
O
- Organic reach
- The number of people who saw your content without paid promotion. It depends on how well your content performs and on each network's algorithm.
P
- Paid reach
- The number of people who saw your content because you paid for it through a boosted post or an ad.
- Private reply
- A private message sent in response to a public comment, so the conversation moves out of the comments. Often used to send prices or links.
- Professional account
- A business or creator account type that unlocks extra features such as insights, contact buttons and connections to scheduling and messaging tools.
R
- Reach
- The number of unique people who saw your content at least once. Unlike impressions, each person counts only once.
- Reel
- A short vertical video format on Instagram and Facebook, designed for full-screen viewing and discovery by people who do not follow you yet. Read more
- Repurposing
- Turning one piece of content into several: a blog post into a carousel, a carousel into a Reel, a FAQ into a series of posts. It saves time and keeps your message consistent. Read more
- Retargeting
- Showing ads to people who already interacted with you, for example visited your website or watched your video. They know you, so they are often easier to convert.
S
- Saves
- How many people bookmarked your post to come back to it later. A strong sign that the content is useful.
- Scheduling
- Setting a post to publish automatically at a chosen date and time, so you do not have to post by hand.
- Short-form video
- Vertical videos of roughly a minute or less, such as Reels, TikToks and YouTube Shorts. Currently one of the main ways new people discover accounts.
- Story
- A full-screen vertical post that disappears after 24 hours on Instagram and Facebook. Good for quick updates, polls, behind the scenes and reminders.
- Story highlight
- A saved collection of Stories pinned to your Instagram profile, so they stay visible after 24 hours. Useful for prices, reviews, FAQs and location.
T
- Tag
- Marking another account, a product or a location in a post so it is linked. Location tags help local customers find you.
- Thumbnail
- The small preview image of a video or post, shown before someone taps. On YouTube a custom thumbnail strongly affects whether people click. Read more
- Trending audio
- A song or sound many people are using in short videos at the moment. Using it can help a video fit what people are already watching.
U
- UGC (user-generated content)
- Photos, videos and reviews made by your customers rather than by you. With permission, sharing it is one of the most convincing forms of social proof.
V
- Vanity metrics
- Numbers that look good but say little about business results, such as follower count or likes on their own. Messages, bookings and sales matter more.
W
- Watch time
- The total or average time people spend watching your video. It shows whether the video holds attention after the hook.
FAQ
What is the difference between reach and impressions?
Reach counts unique people who saw your content. Impressions count every time it was shown, including repeat views by the same person, so impressions are always equal to or higher than reach.
Which metrics matter most for a small business?
The ones closest to money: messages, calls, bookings, link clicks and sales. Reach and likes are useful signals, but on their own they are vanity metrics.
What is a good engagement rate?
It depends on the network, the account size and how the rate is calculated. Compare your own posts with each other over time rather than chasing a general benchmark.
Do I need a professional account?
If you use social media for a business, a professional (business or creator) account is usually worth it, because it unlocks insights, contact options and connections to scheduling and messaging tools.
What is the difference between organic and paid content?
Organic content is what you post for free and reaches people through followers and the algorithm. Paid content is a boosted post or ad that you pay to show to a chosen audience.