Algorythim – A set of specific instructions that is developed for software to perform functions. All Social Media Platforms make use of an algorythim to ensure that the users all round experience are of the highest quality for eg. specific instructions are given to ensure that trending hashtags on Twitter are shown immediately.

Bio – Short for biography, this is the small portion of your online profile that explains to new or potential followers who you are.

Circles – Google+ Circles allow you to organize people on Google+ to match the way you actually know them in real life.

Content Curation – The process of sifting through the web to find the best and most relevant content for an audience and then presenting it to them in a meaningful way.

Cover Photo – The large, horizontal image at the top of your Facebook profile or page. It can be seen by anyone and is often used by people to display a unique image to represent who they are.

CTA – Call to Action – That moment when you see this on Facebook: “Click share to enter our competition” “Like this if you agree!” – These are examples of Calls to Action. Sometimes, your Fans and Followers need to be told what to do on Social Media.

Engagement – Simply put, this means interaction. Examples of such are: Liking, sharing, tagging, posting, favourting, retweeting.

Fan – The user that clicks “LIKE” on your Business/Brand / Product Fan Page on Facebook, often these are your existing and potential Customers.

Fan Page – The preferred platform to use for a Business / Brand / Product on Facebook to connect with your Customers. Facebook frowns upon users that create Profiles for their Business Activities. Fan Pages also allow for Promoted / Boosted Posts (Paid Adverts).

Follower – The person that has subscribed to your Twitter / Google+ / Instagram Account. By following you, he/she will see your updates/activity in their News Feed.

Favourite – Easily explained as the Twitter “like” function. When someone likes your tweet, they favourite it by clicking the star icon!

Handle – Used by Twitter and Instagram users predominantly, this is the slang name given to an Account for eg our Twitter Handle is @PhambanoTech

Hangout – Google’s product that does exactly the same as Skype!

Hashtag – A hashtag is a word or phrase that is preceded by the # symbol. Once a user clicks on the term they will have access to all other users that have posted Tweets, Images or Status Updates about that specific topic at once. For e.g – head on over to Twitter after you have finished reading this and search: #Tech4Good – you will see all of our tweets regarding our workshops and services.

Impressions – The number of times what you post is displayed.

Infographic – Extremely popular on Pinterest, these illustrations display information in a combination of graphs and charts.

Insights – The metrics section of your Fan Page that allows you to analyse your Fans by means of age, demographic, gender and the like.

News Feed – The place where the Status Updates from your Friends or Business Pages you have liked are shown.

OPC – Other People’s Content. We all share other people’s content all the time.

Organic Reach – Users that have seen your Social Media posts without paid promotion. Typically they would have seen your content because they have either liked or followed you, or one of their friends have shared your content with them.

Paid Reach – Users that have seen your Social Media posts because you have paid Facebook or Twitter to deliver it to their Newsfeed.

Profile – A Facebook Profile is an account for Individuals, the one where people need to ADD you as a friend.

Reach – The number of people that see what you post.

Responsive – A Web development approach that creates dynamic changes to the appearance of a website, depending on the screen size and orientation of the device being used to view it. More and more users are searching for websites from their mobile phones, a responsive website ensures that the user can view the website in the best possible way regardless of the size of his/her screen.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – The practice of increasing the organic visibility of a website on Search Engines for eg. Having your website on page one of a Google Search. By adding certain keywords to your blog posts you are essentially telling Google to pay attention to your Website organically as opposed to paying Google with Adwords. This is seen as an SEO Practice.

Timeline – This is the name of the new Facebook Layout, released in 2011.

Tag – One of the most powerful tools on Social Media, the Tag! This function is when you highlight a friend or follower by using the @ sign before their name in a status update. Not only does this notify them that you have mentioned them, it also hyperlinks their name to allow for your friends or family to reach out to them directly.

Trend – A topic or hashtag that is popular on social media at a given moment. What Trends the most of Twitter? Events. Think of any big Sporting event. Thousands and sometimes millions of people Tweeting about that particular event at the same time cause it to Trend.

Webinar – A live presentation, meeting or training that is broadcast via the Internet.

WordPress – A free and open-source blogging / website tool. The most popular platform for website developers in the word!