Welcome back to another edition of Salty Social Media Vocabulary, where we cover all things social media, CX, and everything around and in between. Because we’ve recently covered social media strategies, including proactive and listening strategies, we thought it prudent to also cover some phrases and abbreviations that may help you along the way. We’ve chosen a few that you may encounter while listening or engaging on social. Some of these are more complex than others, and we’ve provided a further explanation where one might be necessary.
Side note: when researching social media vocab, it’s important to vet your sources. For example there have been a few popular social media slang guides for parents, which were meant to help parents decode and understand social media slang—specifically what their kids might be saying on social. The word “SUGARPIC” shows up on many of these lists. However a quick search on Twitter will reveal that SUGARPIC has little to zero usage, and in fact, its inclusion may have been a simple act of trolling. Just a small sampling of responses:
Always. Vet. Your. Sources.
That being said, here’s a few verifiable social media vocab phrases you should know for 2019.
- RIP [your, my, his/her/their] Mentions is a prediction that your twitter account is about to be swarmed by mentions, usually as a result of misspeaking in a public forum. Here’s a situational example:
[During a podcast interview]
You: “Remember when Harry Potter took the ring to Camelot?”
Interviewer: “That literally never happened…”
You: “…did I misremember Lord of the Rings?
Interviewer: “RIP your mentions.”
- T4TU is short for “thanks for the update,” essentially thanking someone for an update on a particular situation.
- WOM is an abbreviated form of “word of mouth,” indicating—perhaps obviously—something was heard word of mouth instead of via an announcement or ad.
- Brand Dropping is similar to a name drop, but instead of a name you’d drop a brand name. Think of it as the modern take on product placement, but is more commonly practiced with influencers when a brand contracts said influencer to mention a product.
- FTFY is short for “fixed that for you,” which is often used as a snarky correction (photoshopped and/or edited copy) usually in the form of an @reply or RT.
- Headdesk refers to the act of smashing one’s head into desk out of frustration—like a hyperbolic take on facepalm. But with a head and a desk.
That’s a wrap. Have you encountered these while engaging on social? What are some of your favorite social slang phrases? Let us know in the comments below. Come back on the next day that starts with “T” for more Salty Social Media Vocabulary.
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