Broaden Your Social Media Vocabulary

Hello everyone. Today I decided to focus a little less on public relations and more on social media. I found this website that basically provides anyone in need with a social media glossary. Now, I don’t know about you, but sometimes the terms used to describe social media and its various forms can be confusing. So I thought that I would bring a little more enlightenment to the most heard and used terms used when discussing social media. This is a list that I compiled of the most used and misunderstood terms when dealing with social media according to OurMedia.org:

1. Creative Commons: This term is used to describe a “not-for-profit” organization and licensing system that offers creators the ability to fine-tune or adjust their copyright. It basically provides people with information on how others may use their works (OurMedia.org).


2. Digital story: This term refers to a short personal nonfiction narrative that is written often for online publishing or publishing to a DVD. They are usually 2-5 minutes long and can include anything, from music to video (OurMedia.org).


3. Mash-up: This term can refer to many definitions, but there are two that are the most widely used. The most commonly used mash-ups are video mash-ups. This is generally what’s done on YouTube. It is when one combines two or more pieces of video to create new content. Music mash-ups are more of the same. They are a combination of two or more songs, usually with the vocals of one song overlaid on top of the melody of another (OurMedia.org).


4. Personal Media: This term refers to user-created media. It is generally used to describe at-home work, such as videos and audio. It can be shared on social networking sites, as well as, various types of social media (OurMedia.org).


5. Prosumer: This term is a combination of the words “consumer” with “producer”. The term was coined by Alvin Toffler in 1980 and it refers to an “amateur” who has the specific skill set of one who is trained as a producer (OurMedia.org).


I have seen and heard these terms quite often the past few semesters and I decided that it would be a pretty good idea to look them up. In the process I thought that it could be beneficial to all of those who read this blog to see these definitions as well. As future PR practitioners, it is not only important to know how to use social media and all of its accompanying technologies, but to also know the language. This is just a small collection of terms and definitions. I encourage all of you to go out and look up the words that you don’t necessarily understand, because it will come in handy when you enter the workforce. How do you feel about learning the new social media “cyber-language”? Do you believe it’s important or do you think we should just pick it up as we go? I’d love to hear from you.

Porsche

http://ourmedia.org/learning-center/glossary