Glossary
Social intelligence, without the fog.
Definitions for the signals you use to decide what to create, with an emphasis on evidence rather than vanity metrics.
10% Instagram Engagement Rate
A 10% Instagram engagement rate means the chosen engagement numerator equals one tenth of the stated denominator: for example, 50 interactions from 500 reached accounts. It is interpretable only when the report names the formula, included actions, content scope, dates, and whether the denominator is reach, views, impressions, or followers.
Content strategy100 Content Ideas
A useful set of 100 content ideas is a governed inventory of audience questions, evidence, formats, and intended outcomes—not a promise to publish 100 pages. Build candidates from defined audience jobs, attach a source and decision to each, merge duplicate intent, score the remainder, and advance only the ideas your team can answer credibly.
Content strategy100 Content Ideas for YouTube
A useful set of 100 YouTube content ideas is a 10-by-10 planning matrix: ten verified audience questions crossed with ten video treatments. Treat the combinations as candidates, not upload commitments. Attach evidence, format, production cost, accessibility work, intended viewer action, and a measurement rule before selecting a smaller channel backlog.
Content strategy100 Facebook Post Ideas
A defensible set of 100 Facebook post ideas is a 10-by-10 candidate matrix, not a commitment to publish daily filler. Cross ten verified audience questions with ten useful post treatments, then attach evidence, Page-access requirements, audience settings, accessibility work, moderation ownership, intended action, and a measurement rule before selecting a smaller calendar.
Measurement100% Share of Voice
A reported 100% share of voice means the measured entity received every counted unit inside a declared comparison set, source set, query, geography, language, and time window. It does not mean universal awareness, complete market coverage, audience preference, or guaranteed results. The numerator, denominator, exclusions, and missing-data rules determine what 100% actually describes.
Research2010 Social Media Trends: Evidence, Population and Limits
The defensible 2010 picture is rapid, uneven expansion: U.S. survey research showed social-network use broadening beyond younger adults, UK measurement showed Facebook far ahead within its measured web audience, Twitter reported very high message volume, and online video use grew. These figures use different populations and units, so they form a dated evidence set—not one global market total.
Research2012 Social Media Trends
The best-supported 2012 snapshot is a shift toward visual creation, mobile access, and a broader platform mix alongside mature privacy concerns. U.S. surveys measured photo sharing, newer visual services, Twitter use, and profile controls, while Facebook reported large mobile growth. These sources use different populations and units, so they describe separate dated signals rather than one global total.
Research2013 Social Media Trends
A defensible 2013 snapshot shows broad U.S. social-network participation, growing multi-platform use, more visual creation and reposting, and continued movement toward mobile access. Pew surveys and Facebook’s filed metrics quantify different parts of that picture. Their populations and units are not interchangeable, so the evidence should remain a set of dated, scoped observations.
Research2014 Social Media Trends
The 2014 evidence points to more multi-platform participation, different visit frequencies by service, and continued growth in platform-defined mobile activity. Pew measured U.S. online adults across five services; Facebook and Twitter reported account metrics in SEC filings. Because those sources count different populations and behaviors, they support separate historical observations—not one combined market total.
Research2015 Social Media Trends
The 2015 evidence shows social networking used by nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults, continued age differences, measurable growth in visual platforms over a longer 2012–2015 window, and wider mobile messaging options. Facebook and Twitter also reported large mobile account shares. These results have different populations and definitions, so they should be read as separate dated signals.
Research2016 Social Media Trends
A defensible 2016 snapshot shows high but uneven U.S. platform adoption, stable multi-platform use, growth in disappearing-message apps, and social media serving as a news route. Facebook and Twitter also reported mobile-heavy account activity. These surveys and filings measure different populations and behaviors, so their figures belong in separate evidence rows rather than one market total.
Research2017 Social Media Trends
The strongest 2017 evidence shows social media’s role in U.S. news use widening, especially among older adults, while news audiences overlapped across platforms. Twitter also expanded its text limit after a measured test, and Facebook and Twitter reported different account-growth metrics. These observations are dated and method-specific; they do not form one global adoption total.
Research2018 Social Media Trends
The 2018 evidence shows a broad U.S. platform mix, pronounced age differences in Instagram and Snapchat use, stable social-news reach paired with skepticism about accuracy, and a major change in Twitter’s disclosed audience metric. Facebook and Twitter account figures use company rules, so none of these measurements should be combined into a single global total.
Research2019 Social Media Trends
The 2019 evidence points to stable reported U.S. platform adoption, large age and usage-frequency differences, highly concentrated activity among adult Twitter users, and expanding company-defined account measures. It is a measurement snapshot, not proof that every platform, audience, or market followed one growth pattern.
Research2020 Social Media Trends
The 2020 evidence records pandemic-era online social activity, sharply different news-attention patterns by primary news pathway, and growth in company-defined Facebook and Twitter activity measures. These bounded observations should not be reduced to a universal claim that all social-media use or outcomes rose for the same reason.
Research2021 Social Media Trends
The 2021 record shows mostly stable reported U.S. platform adoption since 2019, notable growth for YouTube and Reddit within Pew's comparison, large age and frequency differences, and continued growth in company-defined Meta and Twitter audience measures. Each finding has a different denominator and must remain separate.
Content Strategy2022 Content Ideas
A 2022 content-ideas list is now a historical research artifact, not a current publishing plan. Use its dated search and culture signals to understand the original context, then revalidate audience need, source freshness, intent, and evidence before updating or publishing any idea today.
Content Strategy2022 Social Media Calendar
A 2022 social media calendar is a historical schedule of planned posts, campaigns, owners, channels, approvals, and measurement dates. Keep it as an audit record; do not reuse its dates or topics as a current plan until objectives, evidence, platform requirements, and responsibilities are revalidated.
Research2022 Social Media Marketing Trends
The 2022 record shows why marketers had to separate audience activity, ad delivery, ad price, platform revenue, and communication outcomes. Meta reported more ad impressions but a lower average price per ad, while Alphabet reported modest YouTube ad-revenue growth. Those company measures do not establish campaign effectiveness.
Research2022 Social Media Trends
The 2022 evidence shows a U.S. teen platform mix led by YouTube, substantial teen use of TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, lower reported Facebook use than in 2014–15, and continued growth in Meta's company-defined Family activity. Survey prevalence, visit frequency, and company activity remain different constructs.
ResearchCompetitor monitoring
Watching public competitor profiles and referenced domains to understand subjects that attract market attention.
Content strategyContent intelligence
Using audience questions, market evidence and performance signals to decide which content is worth creating.
MeasurementEngagement
Observable interactions such as likes, replies, comments, shares or views, where a source exposes them.
MeasurementEngagement rate
Interactions divided by a chosen base—followers, reach or impressions—expressed as a percentage.
ResearchLookback window
The period—such as 30 or 90 days—used when ranking topics and evidence.
MeasurementOrganic reach estimate
A directional audience-size estimate used as a planning signal rather than a guaranteed view count.
MeasurementShare of voice
A brand’s or topic’s portion of relevant monitored mentions compared with selected alternatives.
ResearchSocial listening
Collecting and interpreting public conversations about selected topics, brands, competitors or customer problems.
ResearchSource evidence
The original public post URL, text, timestamp and available metrics that support a trend conclusion.
MeasurementTrend velocity
How quickly attention to a topic changes inside a defined time window.
MeasurementUnique authors
The number of distinct public accounts contributing to a topic, useful for separating broad interest from one prolific poster.
What’s Trending productWordBank
The editable set of customer terms and phrases a What’s Trending workspace watches.