Social media is a very popular form of communication among people in today’s society.  But what do all the social media terms mean?  Below is a list of some of the most relevant social media marketing terms.

Adwords- Google’s advertising product and main source of revenue. Adwords offers pay-per-click advertising for text and banner ads. When advertisers use Adwords to promote their product or service, their ads appear on any related website that is using Adsense.  Adwords advertisements are short, and consist of a title and two content lines. Advertisers pick keywords that relate to that their ad, and then bid on these keywords. They pay each time someone clicks on their ad. The advertisement will take the clicker to the merchant’s website.

Affiliate- When you become an affiliate with a specific company, or affiliate program, you are awarded for every visitor, subscriber and/or customer that you provide to the company. Affiliate marketing is one of the most popular forms of business on the web, and an effective way to promote businesses and products.

Autoresponders- Autoresponders are automatic e-mail response programs. Autoresponders also allow Internet business people to effortlessly follow up with their clients from time to time.

Banner ad- An online ad on a web page that links to another website or landing page.

Blog- Blog is a shortened term for “weblog.” Either term refers to a website where entries are made similar to a journal or diary. The entries are presented in reverse chronological order, with the newest entry on top. Although blogs were originally used like a personal journal on everyday events, they have evolved into a multipurpose tool. There are blogs on every topic imaginable, from food to politics to celebrity gossip. Generally, blogs combine the text entries with images, links to other blogs and other related media.

Branding- In marketing, and especially Internet marketing, branding is important to establishing the company identity. Branding is the result of an accumulation of experiences that consumers have with a particular company or product.

Copywriting- The process of writing words to promote a business, person, opinion or idea. Copywriting can include plain text messages and a variety of other online media. The main purpose of copywriting is to persuade the reader to act somehow, whether that is buying a product, signing up for an e-course or clicking on a link.

Crawler- A crawler (also called a spider) is a program that searches the Internet and locates new public resources. These resources can include web documents and other types of files. Crawlers report their finds to an Internet database (called indexing). Each search engine has its own crawler program that crawls the Internet for new material to list on the search engine. Spider technology is necessary because the amount of information being added to the Internet on a daily basis is more than any human team can index.

Domain Name-This is the address or URL of a particular website. For example www.Google.com is the domain name for the Google search engine. The domain name is the text name that covers up the numeric IP address of a computer that is hooked up to the Internet.

Double Opt-In- A technique used in opt-in or permission based marketing. It ensures that a potential customer actually wants to receive the marketing materials and is a way to prevent unwanted spam. The basic process is as follows:

• A potential customer requests information from a website and is asked to confirm that they want the information to come to their e-mail address.
• The potential customer then receives a confirmation e-mail in their inbox. This e-mail requires them to click on a verification link to receive further information.
• Once the potential customer receives verification, they will receive the future messages from the mailing list, e-course or autoresponder series

E-mail Marketing Campaigns- This is a form of direct marketing that uses electronic mail to communicate commercial and fundraising messages. These focus on gathering e-mail addresses of web visitors. These addresses are added to a potential customer mailing list, and the list receives updates on the site, free e-courses, and special offers. Autoresponders are an essential part of e-mail marketing campaigns.

Facebook– Facebook is a social networking website launched in February 2004 that is operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc., with more 800 billion users worldwide.  It is currently the social media giant of giants.

Forums- An Internet forum is a place on the World Wide Web for holding discussions. Normally, forum members will either discuss one specific topic or have a common thread among all of the members. For example, there are discussion groups for Work At Home mothers where they will discuss not only business related topics, but parenting, budgeting and time-management as well.

FTP- The standard method for downloading and uploading files on the Internet. The term is an anagram for “file transfer protocol.” There are many FTP public archive sites online that you can access with your e-mail address. Understanding FTP is necessary if you want to create your own website.

Google–  Brand name of a leading Internet search engine, founded in1998.

Google+ – Is a Google social networking site that allows users to group it’s followers into subject ‘Circles’, post pics, photos, text, links, and perform video conferencing.

HTML– HyperText Markup Language (HTML) is a language that was designed for the creation of web pages. While many people directly use HTML to create web pages, there are many intermediary programs that allow you to create websites without using HTML. However, it is helpful to understand how HTML works. There are three main types of mark-ups that are used, structural, presentational and hypertext. Structural markups allow you to set up headings, paragraphs and lists for your web page. Presentational markups can create bold, italic, and underlined text and also change the size of the text. Hypertext markups create a link from one page to another. Keep in mind that when information is in HTML it is “sandwiched” between two tags. For example, if you wanted to make the word “cat” bold, you would write: <b>bold</b>

Hosting- The business of providing the equipment and services that is required to display websites. Hosting also involves maintaining files and providing fast Internet connections. If you run a website or do business on the Web, you need to find a reliable host. Hosting packages are available for very reasonable rates. Do research based on customer service and quality of technical service before choosing a hosting company based only on price.

Internet-The Internet is also referred to as just the Net, and is a worldwide system of interconnected computer networks. The computers are connected through copper wires, fiber optic cables or wireless connections. The Internet consists of millions of smaller networks that have been established by businesses, academic institutions and government networks. All together these networks carry information and services (like electronic mail, online chat and Web pages).

Internet marketing- This is also known as online marketing and web marketing. This form of marketing combines traditional marketing principles with the unique interactive elements of the World Wide Web. The purpose of Internet marketing is to promote products and services online.

Keyword- A term that you type into a search engine to begin an online search. Keywords are also used in HTML to help search engines identify and index a Web site.

Keyword research-The search for keywords related to your Web site, in order to analyze which ones yield the highest return on investment for PPC and other types of advertising. Wordtracker (www.wordtracker.com) and other keyword research tools help advertisers pick appropriate keywords for their campaigns.

Link- This is reference to another document, resource or web page. Links are “clickable,” meaning that placing your cursor over the link and clicking will take you directly to the information that you are looking for. Links are a short form the official term “hyperlink.”

Links can also be used as a form of “internet” currency. Google ranks websites based on the number of related links that they have to and from their website. Many online businesses seek links to add to their websites so they can increase their ranking on Google and other search engines.

Meta Tags- Meta tags are part of the HTML code that makes up what you see on a website. When webmasters create web pages, meta tags are used to provide structured information about a web page. These tags are placed in between the <head> and </head> sections of an HTML document.  However, the meta tags are not visible to the person looking at the website through an Internet browser. Meta tags are part of the hidden code of the web page that is recognizable to the web browser only. Meta tags are used by search engines (like Google or Yahoo) to generate and display a list of search results based on what a user enters into the search engine. Tags do the same thing, however Meta Tags refer to the overall keywords for the entire website, while tags refer to the specific web page.

Niche and Niche marketing– A niche is a focused and target-able portion of the market. A business that focuses on a niche market is attending to the need for a product or service that is not being addressed by the mainstream market. The niche market narrowly defines a group of potential customers.

Opt-in & Permission-based marketing- This is a popular sales approach that is used online to make sure that the customers being contacted are actually interested in the products being sold. This developed out of the distrust and annoyance of spam marketing. The terms “opt-in” and “permission based” are interchangeable.

Page impressions- Also known as page requests or page views. Page impressions refer to the number of times that a web page is requested from a server. This is the preferred method for counting traffic.

Plugins- A plugin (sometimes spelled plug-in) is a software program that can extend the capabilities of your Internet browser. It can give your browser the ability to play audio files or movie files. Normally, if a website requires a plugin to be viewed properly, there will be a link from the website to a site when you can download the plugin. Some of the most common plugins are Shockwave, Flash, Acrobat, Real Player and Quicktime. Once you download a plugin, the small program will be on your computer to be used by other websites.

PM- Acronym for “private message.” PMs can be received in online chat, IM programs, e-mails, blogs and forums.

Post- This is a noun used to describe a message entered onto a message board, shared e-mail list or newsgroup. The message is called a “post” and the act of sharing the message is called “posting.”

PPC advertising- Pay Per Click Advertising, or PPC, is an online advertising payment model in which the payment is based on the number of “clicks” that are generated. PPC can also be called “cost per click.”

Retweet – To forward a Twitter post that someone sent you. It is accomplished by starting the tweet with “rt@” or “retweet@” followed by the name of the person who sent it to you and then your comments; for example, rt@sendername or retweet@sendername.

RSS- RSS is the format used for syndicating web content. The acronym stands for Really Simple Syndications, Real-time Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary. RSS is a technology that allows websites to distribute new content to Internet users, without the user having the revisit the website. In essence, it is equivalent to a daily or weekly newspaper.

RSS Feeds– RSS Feeds are the syndicated information that are sent through RSS technology from websites to Internet users. Users can subscribe to feeds from a variety of websites, and then new information from those websites is sent directly to them through an RSS reader. It is similar to receiving e-mail. An RSS reader acts like an “inbox” for RSS feeds. Instead of having to check multiple websites for updates, the new information is located in one convenient place. The use of RSS feeds has increased as blogging has become more popular.

Search Engines- A search engine is a website that acts similar to a card catalog for the Internet. Search engines use spider programs to index and locate desired information. The search engine program will find information on the Internet based on the keywords that are entered by the user.

SEO- An anagram for Search Engine Optimization. SEO is the process of using targeted keywords in the content, tags and meta-tags of a website in order to gain traffic through search engines. SEO techniques also include testing the search engine results to make sure that the site is well placed in the keyword results.  For example, if you run a website that sells dog bones, you can use SEO to increase your chances of appearing under the keywords “dog bones.” You can add the word dog bones to your website content, and in the tags and meta tags of each page of your website. The better the SEO, the higher your web page will appear in the search engine results for that keyword.  SEO is a constantly evolving portion of the Internet. The process is a combination of art and science, and there are firms that are now dedicated to providing specialized SEO services.

Site/Website- A place on the Internet or the World Wide Web. The term site refers to the body of information as a whole for a domain name. A web site is a collection of Web pages. The pages can contain text, graphics, audio or video content.

Social Media-  Social media is an electronic form of social communication used on the Internet

Social Media In 7 Minutes- A series of 50+ online training videos designed to educate small business owners on how to create and implement a social media marketing plan.  What makes ‘Social Media In 7 Minutes’ unique is that in addition to social media marketing education, it also comes with an all in one social media marketing platform that will allow you to manage all your posts from one location (Seven Minute Dashboard).

Social networking- The process of meeting and networking with people through the use of specific Internet technology. The largest social networking site on the Internet today is Facebook (www.Facebook.com). In these communities, initial sets of founders send out messages inviting people in their own personal networks to join the site. The process repeats, and the total number of members grows. The process is also called “viral marketing.” Social networking sites offer several things to their members, including the opportunity to meet members that share similar interests.

Spam- E-mail messages that are sent to a number of people without their consent. Spam is also known as “Unsolicited Commercial E-mail” or junk e-mail. It is normally sent to promote a product or service. Spam can also be found in newsgroups and forums when users post information that is not relevant to the pertinent topic.  The most common forms of spam that reach inboxes everyday are:

• Chain letters
• Pyramid schemes (fake job opportunities)
• “Get Rich Quick” and “Make Money Fast” schemes
• Offers for adult websites and services
• Offers of software that collect e-mail addresses and send spam
• Offers for bulk e-mailing services
• Stock offerings in unknown start-up corporations
• Fake health products and remedies

Spam is not protected by the national Free Speech laws, which is contrary to popular belief. Therefore, anti-spam techniques are not a form of censorship.

Spam blockers- Also referred to a spam filter. A spam blocker program is used to detect any unsolicited or unwanted e-mail in your mail program’s inbox. This prevents spam messages from getting into your inbox. A spam blocker will filter through messages based on a certain criteria.  Spam blocker programs are normally available through an Internet Service Provider or through a third party program that is downloadable from the Internet.

Spiders– Another term for Crawler. Spider software is used by search engines to search the Internet for new content to display in the search results.

Spyware-This type of software is similar to viruses, in that it is “contracted” from using the Internet. Spyware, however, gathers information about the web sites that you visit in order to build a “profile” of your preferences for the purpose of marketing. Spyware is often included in free downloads that you get from websites. The license agreement for these free programs may mention the use of spyware, but very few people actually read the details of these agreements. As a result spyware often gets onto a computer without the user’s knowledge.

Tags- A Tag is a keyword or descriptive term that is associated with a piece of information, sound clip or video on the World Wide Web. Tags have become one of the most prevalent forms of classifying information on the Internet. What makes the use of tags interesting is that the tags are selected by the author/creator of the website, blog entry or other form of media.

Target Market- This refers to the market segment to which a particular product is marketed. Members of a target market have similar interests that can be based on age, gender, life style or socio-economic grouping. By using target marketing, an Internet marketer can develop a product that speaks to a certain group of people. A key step in developing a product is deciding what the target market is and how to meet the target market’s needs.

Traffic- Internet traffic is the term used to refer to user activity on a web site. Each time someone visits a web page, an entry is automatically registered on the web page server’s log file. The log file records the number of times that a piece of information has been requested from the server. This request is commonly referred to as a “hit.”

Twitter– A very popular instant messaging system that lets a person send brief text messages up to 140 characters in length to a list of followers. Launched in 2006, Twitter was designed as a social network to keep friends and colleagues informed throughout the day

URL-The term URL refers to “Uniform Resource Locater.” This is the technical term for any web address that you’d type into the address bar of your web browser. Using a URL will take you directly to the website you are looking for. When someone asks for the URL of a website, they want the full address. The basic format of a URL is www.websitename.com, although suffixes like “.net,” “.org,” and “.biz” are growing in popularity and use. The term URL is either pronounced with each letter said (Yoo Are Ell) or as an acronym (“Ural”).

Username/ User ID- A synonym for “login name” or “handle.”

Video Marketing– Video marketing is making a video for marketing purposes, and marketing an existing video to attract potential customers.  Video marketing is one of the fastest segments of social media marketing.

Viral- This term was originally coined to describe viral marketing, but the adjective has expanded to refer to any practice that moves a product from person to person. The ease of passing information on to others with e-mail addresses has made it possible for information, videos and graphics to spread like wildfire through the Internet community. There are viral videos, viral jokes, viral hoaxes, etc.

Virus- This is one of the terms that is normally familiar to everyone, but very few understands what exactly it means. Most know that viruses are bad and can be damaging to their computer, but that is the extent of the knowledge.

Web 2.0- This term refers to the “second generation” of services that are available on the World Wide Web. Web 2.0 applications include blogs, podcasts, ppc marketing, wikis, tagging and RSS syndication. Web 2.0 is a rather large category of services that share some basic themes:

• Web pages are “user friendly” and collaborative – rather than being only accessible by the webmaster

• Users can own the data on the site and modify it at their convenience

• The use of “social networking”

Web Designer- The person who is responsible for how the site looks and “feels.” The Web Designer handles the entire aesthetic and navigational creation of a Web site. A web designer is also responsible for ensuring that the graphics are clear, the links are working and the navigation on the site is intuitive. Normally, a web designer is responsible for the creative aspects of a website, rather than the programming, however a knowledge of web programming is necessary.

Web marketer- This is an alternate term for Internet marketer. A web marketer is an individual or company whose primary income comes from marketing products or services on the web. Marketing as business is very possible and popular online. Web marketers can make money by promoting other people’s products or their own.  There are a wide variety of techniques that a Web marketer can use to promote websites and products. Please see the entry for Internet marketing for more details.

Webmaster- This term can be used for a variety of individuals who are involved with creating and/or managing a Web site. A Webmaster is the person who maintains the content and functioning of a website. This can include receiving all of the feedback from Website users, maintaining graphics, supplying content updates and handling all programming matters. A Webmaster may, or may not, have designed the initial layout of the website. Some larger websites have a Webmaster that handles the content of the site, and one that handles the more technical aspects.

WIKI- A type of website that allows users to add, remove or edit most of the content very quickly and easily. The ease of interaction and operation makes wiki a tool for collaborative sites and communities. The term wiki can also refer to the software that enables users to participate in a website. The name comes from the Hawaiian term “wiki-wiki” which means fast.  Essentially, a wiki is an editable website that doesn’t require users to know HTML or any other programming language. Most systems have a record of changes, so that a page can be reverted to any of its previous states. Many wikis allow completely unrestricted access so that people are able to contribute the site without registering. There is no moderation before posting, but the content is often moderated afterward.

www- These three W’s are short for World Wide Web. The World Wide Web is a global information space, and is also called the The Web. Text documents, images, multimedia and other types of resources are identified with URLs so that each can be found in a simple way.  The World Wide Web is actually the system by which information on the Internet is categorized and not the Internet itself. The World Wide Web is like the Dewey Decimal system for the Internet.

XML- A programming language similar to HTML used to develop web pages. The main difference between XML (sometimes called XTML) and other programming languages is the ability to add customized tags to the web page design. XML provides a platform for developing websites that encompass the principles of Web 2.0. It is a lot more abstract and complex than previous programming languages, and its not quite certain whether XML will replace HTML entirely.

YouTube– YouTube is a video-sharing website on which users can upload, share, and view videos.

ZIP file- A compressed file used on Windows. ZIP is the standard technology for data compression. On the Internet, larger graphics and programs are normally compressed as ZIP files before they are made available for download. This allows downloading to go much faster. After downloading a ZIP file, you need to use a decompression software (such as WinZIP, a free program) to “unzip” it and access the data. The technology is very useful when sending photos through e-mail.