Platforms

These are the names of popular social media platforms and common types of social media services.

English	Definition	Example
Facebook	A social networking site for connecting with friends and sharing content.	I saw your photo on Facebook.
Instagram	A platform for sharing photos and short videos.	She posts travel photos on Instagram.
Twitter	A site for sharing short messages called tweets.	I read the news on Twitter.
TikTok	A platform for creating and watching short videos.	TikTok is popular for dance challenges.
LinkedIn	A professional networking site for job searching and connections.	I updated my resume on LinkedIn.
Snapchat	An app for sending photos and videos that disappear.	He sent me a Snapchat story.
YouTube	A video-sharing platform where users upload and watch videos.	I watched a tutorial on YouTube.
Pinterest	A site for discovering and saving creative ideas and images.	I found recipe ideas on Pinterest.
Reddit	A forum-based site with communities for various topics.	There's a Reddit thread about movies.
WhatsApp	A messaging app for chatting and making calls.	We arranged the meeting on WhatsApp.

Actions

These verbs describe common activities people do on social media.

English	Definition	Example
Post	To share content online.	She posted a new photo yesterday.
Like	To show approval of a post by clicking a heart or thumbs-up.	I liked your comment.
Comment	To write a response under a post.	He commented on my video.
Share	To send or repost content to others.	She shared the article on Facebook.
Follow	To subscribe to someone’s updates.	I follow several travel bloggers.
Unfollow	To stop following someone.	I unfollowed a boring account.
Tag	To mention someone in a post or comment.	She tagged me in her photo.
Upload	To add files or content to a platform.	I uploaded a new vlog today.
DM (Direct Message)	To send a private message on social media.	He DM’d me about the event.
Scroll	To move through content on a feed.	I spent an hour scrolling Instagram.
Trend	To become very popular on social media.	That hashtag is trending worldwide.
Block	To prevent someone from viewing your profile or contacting you.	I blocked a spam account.

These nouns describe the kinds of posts and content you see on social media.

English	Definition	Example
Post	A piece of content shared on social media.	Her post got thousands of likes.
Story	A temporary photo or video that disappears after 24 hours.	I saw it in her Instagram Story.
Reel	A short, edited video, often with music.	He made a funny Reel on TikTok.
Tweet	A short message posted on Twitter.	The celebrity’s tweet went viral.
Caption	The text that accompanies a photo or video.	Write a catchy caption for your post.
Hashtag	A word or phrase preceded by # to categorize posts.	Use #travel to reach more people.
Live Video	A real-time broadcast to followers.	She did a live video Q&A.
Meme	A humorous image or video shared online.	That meme made me laugh all day.
Filter	A digital effect applied to photos or videos.	I used a filter to brighten the photo.
Giveaway	A contest where people can win prizes.	The brand is hosting a giveaway.

A profile bio

A temporary photo or video that disappears after 24 hours

A permanent post

A type of comment

A temporary photo or video that disappears after 24 hours

A Story is temporary content that usually disappears after 24 hours.

These nouns describe roles and types of users on social media.

English	Definition	Example
Influencer	Someone who has a large following and promotes products.	The influencer launched a new makeup line.
Follower	A person who subscribes to another user’s updates.	I gained 100 new followers this week.
Subscriber	Someone who subscribes to a channel, especially on YouTube.	The YouTube channel has 1 million subscribers.
Creator	A person who makes original content online.	She’s a popular content creator.
Viewer	Someone who watches videos or stories.	The live stream had 5,000 viewers.
Commenter	A person who writes comments on posts.	The commenters are very active today.
Moderator	Someone who manages and monitors online communities.	The moderator removed inappropriate comments.
Fan	A devoted follower or admirer.	The singer’s fans organized a virtual meet-up.
Bot	An automated account that performs tasks like liking or following.	Some accounts are run by bots.

A customer service agent

Someone with a large following who promotes products

A regular user

A social media developer

Someone with a large following who promotes products

Influencers use their large audience to market products or ideas.

These are useful expressions you’ll often see or hear in social media contexts.

English	Definition	Example
“Follow me!”	A request to subscribe to someone’s account.	Follow me for daily tips!
“Link in bio”	Directs users to a link in the profile section.	Check out the new product — link in bio.
“Swipe up”	An instruction to swipe up for more info (in Stories).	Swipe up to see the full article.
“Double tap”	Tap twice on a photo to ‘like’ it (Instagram).	Double tap if you agree!
“Tag a friend”	Ask someone to mention a friend in the comments.	Tag a friend who needs this advice.
“Going viral”	Becoming extremely popular quickly.	Her dance video is going viral.
“On my feed”	Appearing in a user’s main content stream.	I found it on my feed this morning.
“Check your DMs”	Look at your private messages.	I sent you the details — check your DMs.
“Content is king”	Meaning quality content is the most important.	Remember, content is king on social media.
“Engagement rate”	The level of interaction (likes, comments, shares) a post receives.	High engagement rates boost visibility.

Social media vocabulary will help you understand and join online conversations with confidence.

Definition: A social networking site for connecting with friends and sharing content.
Example: I saw your photo on Facebook.

Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025