Social networking Guide

Advanced Audio Coding (also MPEG-2 AAC)

An audio compression scheme that is a continuation of the MP3
CODEC, but uses better filtering methods, noise shaping and
quantization resolution to produce higher-quality audio files at
smaller bit rates. AAC is designed for use in digital broadcasting
systems as well as for multi-channel and surround audio (such as
5.1), and based on its capability to support up to 96kHz
sampling rates and 48 channels [including LFE], AAC could be
the basis for audio in multimedia for the foreseeable future.
Some streaming audio formats that have adopted the AAC
scheme already are Liquid Audio (.lqt), AT&T's already fading
.a2b format, and the soon-to-be-realized MP4 format.

Adverblog

Short for “advertising blog,� a blog used for advertising
purposes.

Aggregation

The process of gathering and remixing content from multiple
websites that provide RSS feeds such as blogs. The results may
be displayed in an aggregator website like Bloglines, or directly
to desktops using software often called a newsreader.

Aggregator

A site, such as Bloglines or Google Reader, that displays
information related to user-specified keywords. The information
is gathered and remixed from multiple websites via RSS feeds.
Also, the name given the software, often free, that automatically
gathers the RSS-based summaries of a set of user-based blogs
or sources for easy browsing.

AJAX

An acronym standing for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML.
This is a web development technique for creating interactive
web applications. By shifting a great deal of computation to the
web surfer's computer, web pages don't have to reload when a
change is made due to user interaction. Ajax can increase the
web page's interactivity, speed, and usability.

Alerts

A service available from various online news sources and
aggregators that will automatically send updates on
user-selected topics whenever those topics appear online or in
the specifiic news source.

Architecture Of Participation

A phrase, coined by open source media advocate Tim O'Reily,
used to describe the nature of systems created for user
contribution, such as Wikipedia. The phrase has come to define
one of the key elements of what's been called Web 2.0,
describing the collection of companies, technologies and
projects that are designed around the culture and economics of
openness.

Astroturfi ng

This describes a supposed grass-roots social site which is
actually supported by some powerful organization – private or
public – with an agenda.

Asynchronous Communications

Online communications independent of time or place, such as
email lists, bulletin boards and forums. Messages go to and
fro rather than appearing in one place nearly simultaneously
(synchronous communication).

Audio Blog

Another name for a podcast. Despite the casual nature implied
by the word blog in this term, audio blogs can have a wide
range of production values from very casual audio journals to
professionally produced shows including music, sound effects
and other production values.

Audio On-Demand

Another expression for audio podcasting, referencing the ability
of listeners to start, stop, replay and skip sections or whole
recordings at any time, virtually any place in their daily lives.
See Podcast and Time-shifting.

Avatars

Graphical images used in virtual worlds to represent people.
Users can create Avatar visual personalities selecting a gender,
body type, clothing, behaviors and name.

Bed

Audio that is reused as a background element, such as music
or effects.

Blegging

Derived from “blog� and “beg�, this term means to send a query
through the blogosphere in search of an answer.

Blogcast

Another name for a podcast

Blogerati or Blogophiles

Two terms used to describe sophisticated blog authors and
readers.

Blogosphere

The universe of blogging and bloggers.

Blogroll

A list of sites displayed in the sidebar of a blog, which shows
who the blogger reads with regularity.

Blogs

Shortened from the original term “Weblogs,� these
self-published websites containing dated material, are usually
written in a journal format. Content such as text, pictures, video
and/or audio have URLs plus other ways of identifying them by
keywords (tags). This allows visitors to pull items to their
desktop through subscriptions or aggregators without having to
visit the actual website. Blogs often have links to other relevant
online content, plus invite feedback through “posts� which are
comments from readers.

Board

Short for mixing board, a tool for combining multiple audio
sources into one signal for recording.

Bookmarking

Saving a website address or item of content, either in a
browser, or on a social bookmarking site such as del.icio.us.

Bookmarklets

Also called favelets, these are free tools to help with repetitive,
difficult and/or time-consuming tasks when using a web
browser.

Bulletin Boards

An early forum for online collaboration, where users are
connected with a central computer to post and read email-like
messages.

Business-Class Podcast

A term to describe podcasts directed toward a professional
audience. Business-class podcasts can be casual in nature,
although typically don't have the garage-band feel or outreach
that more lifestyle podcasts have. Lifestyle podcasting or
trendy casts are generally targeted at the youth market, and
have little long-term branding goals.

Buzz

Online “chatter,� or social discussion and interaction
characterized by frequent expressed interest and/or mentions
of a subject among the online community.

Channel

A group of podcast items, each of which represents one MP3
audio file (or show). When subscribing to podcasts, it is the
channel you subscribe to.

Chat

Real time interaction on a web site, with a number of people
adding comments via text entries.

Chat Room

A designated online location for chat to take place. Unlike
forums, chat room conversations are real-time exchanges.

Chicklet

Nickname for the small buttons used as links to RSS files
(usually orange with a graphic resembling waves or ripples
expanding out). Many podcatchers allow you to drag chicklets
onto them to quickly add a subscription.

Clodpasting

A lame attempt to use online audio programming to launch a
career into show business. Noun: clodpast, a poorly conceived
and/or executed digitally broadcast audio message.

Collaboration

Being able to discuss and work with people across physical and
temporal boundaries through the sharing of information enabled
by a variety of online media (email, blogs, forums, chatrooms,
podcasts, websites and various social networking sites).
Collaboration is considered one of the higher goals of social
networking and software.

Communitainment

Coined by investment bank firm, Piper Jaffray, this term
describes a trend involving consumers moving
communication beyond a mere exchange of information to
facilitate an exchange of content, ideas, and entertainment
within an online social context.

Compensated Consumer-Generated Media (CCGM)

This is media where marketers pay consumers to do certain
things, or when publishers compensate artists or content
creators for submissions frequently based on their popularity,

i.e. number of unique hits.
Consumer-Generated Media (CGM)

First-person commentary posted or shared across a host of
expression venues, including message boards, forums, rating
and review sites, groups, social networking sites, blogs,
video-sharing sites, etc..

Consumer-Generated Multimedia (CGM2)

Consumer created sight, sound, and motion components
posted online using sites such as YouTube, MySpace, iTunes,
etc.

Consumer-Fortified Media (CFM)

Advertiser created digital media that is shaped and promoted
by consumers through online commentary and debate.

Consumer-Solicited Media (CSM)

Often called “co-creation� or “participator advertising,� CSM
involves an online advertiser who provides a format and invites
visitors to add their content. Examples include “create your own
30 second commercial�, “upload your sponsor-relevant photo
or video,� or “send us your best recorded memory of how our
brand impacted your life.�

Content Management Systems (CMS)

These are versatile software suites very important to social
media, offering the ability to create static web pages, document
stores, blogs, and wikis, among other tools.

Creative Commons License

A copyright license that spells out how proprietary online
content can be shared, reused or altered.

Crowdsourcing

This refers to harnessing the skills and enthusiasm of those
outside an organization who are prepared to volunteer their time
contributing content and solving problems.

Directory

There are dozens of directories listing podcasts, serving as
vertical search engines for podcasts; examples include iTunes,
Yahoo! Podcast, Podcast Alley, Singing Fish, Podcast Pickle, etc.

Download Fraud

In a pay-per-download podcast advertising model, there is the
possibility that someone could maliciously download a podcast
to get advertising fees.

Ear Fatigue

The literal translation is ‘tired ears.' Ear Fatigue is not really a
clinically recognized state, but audio professionals have been
referring to it for years. It's caused by a combination of TTS
(Temporary Threshold Shift) and general fatigue. The condition
we call ear fatigue usually occurs after many hours of listening
to- or working with audio, especially when working at relatively
high SPL's. It causes us to not hear the sound in the same way
we do when we are fresh. Suffice it to say that making critical
audio decisions while in a fatigued state is not advised and
generally results in doing the work over again.

Enclosure

An addition to RSS that allows multimedia files (such as those
used in podcasts) to be included along with each item in an
RSS file.

Feeds

The means by which you can read, view or listen to items from
blogs, podcasts and other RSS-enabled sites without visiting the
site, by subscribing to a directory or aggregator such as iTunes
or Bloglines.

Flog

A fake blog, frequently created by an agency to look as if it
were created by consumers. These are often “outed� by vigilant
bloggers who dislike the practice.

Folkmind

Described by some as the “virtual mind of humanity,� it
represents the dynamic sum of the accumulated intelligence
existing and interacting online.

Folksonomy

A term for the collaborative, but unstructured, way in which
information is categorized on the web. Instead of using one,
centralized form of classification, users are encouraged to
assign freely chosen keywords (called tags) to pieces of
information or data.

Forums

Discussion areas on websites, where people can post
messages or comment on existing messages asynchronously

– that is, not part of any real time discussion. Chat rooms offer
the synchronous equivalent.
Imaging

Term for using audio effects, spoken phrases or music to
create an “image� or brand for a radio station or show.

Intro

The beginning of a podcast; can include a music lead-in with an
announcer naming the show, the episode and possibly the
sponsor.

Frogmeat

A neutral term describing a podcast that has a lot of content
(meat) to offer but suffers from organizational issues, like
jumping around from topic to topic.

Guest

Someone invited to participate in a podcast because of their
point-of-view, expertise or experience. Often times, guests
provide testimonials or experiential stories. Guests may also be
representatives of a sponsor.

ID3 Tag

An addition to MP3 files that allows data such as the file's title,
performer, category and even cover art to be stored directly in
the file: see enclosure

iPodder

One of the original podcast clients, iPodder is a free program
that can automatically download new shows when they become
available, and synchronize them with portable digital audio
players.

Item

A single entry in a news feed or podcast channel. In podcasts, each
item contains the enclosure linking to the podcast file and various
information about the file such as title, author, category, etc.

iTunes

Apple's multimedia player software. As well as playing
multimedia files, iTunes links to a directory of podcasts and
acts as a podcatcher by allowing users to subscribe to
podcasts.

Learning Style

There are three basic ways people learn: visual (reading,
watching demonstrations, reviewing charts), auditory (listening,
making a presentation) and tactile or kinesthetic (performing
a task, actively doing). Most people use a combination of all
three. Podcasting, either audio only or video, allows marketers
to add depth to their communications and offer prospects more
ways to learn about their product or service.

Lick

A small piece of music often used in an intro or exit of a show;
can also be used to break a podcast into segments.

Lifestyle Podcast

Typically personal commentaries on what is “cool� for a
targeted demographic, psychographic or cultural group.
Topics include music, movies, fashion, gaming, TV and other
pop cultural trends. Because such podcasts rely so heavily on
fleeting fads, they are not considered long-term branding
opportunities. Marketing strategies, whether a business is
considering series sponsorship or podcast commercials,
should focus on short-term marketing goals based on the
population of the audience.

Lilypod

A derogatory term describing a podcast that doesn't provide
the audience with meaningful information; may be used when a
sponsored podcast becomes too commercial; can also
describe lifestyle podcasts that are boring or a narcissistic rant
of the producer or host.

Link Baiting

The process by which websites, blogs, etc. encourage links from
other sites to improve popularity and raise positions on search
engines. The enticement may include content, online tools, free
downloads, or anything else that another site owner might find
worthy of a link.

Links

The highlighted text or images that, when clicked, jump you
from one web page or item of content to another.

Listening

The art of skimming feeds in the blogosphere to see what
topics are creating buzz, including establishing “alerts� with
various aggregators which will automatically monitor when
certain topics or terms are mentioned.

Lurkers

People who read but don't contribute or add comments to
forums.

Mashups

An online service or software tool that skilled “techies� develop
by combining two or more tools to create an entirely new
service.

Meme

A unit of cultural information such as a popular tune,
catch-phrases, beliefs or fashions that can virally propagate
from one mind to another. Online, it may be shared among
bloggers or participants of social sites as a game, activity or
quiz (e.g., name 50 favorite authors, the 100 worst songs, 10
favorite movies).

Moblog

Abbreviated from “mobile blog,� this is a blog dedicated to
the distribution, sharing and/or rating of digital/camera-phone
images.

MP3

An audio compression format that allows almost CD-quality
fidelity with only 10% of the filesize by discarding frequencies
that cannot be heard by the human ear or that clash with similar
frequencies. The name comes from MP(EG-1 layer) 3.

Narrowcasting

A term used in opposition to “broadcasting� to describe a
podcast's ability to reach a narrowly focused, highly interested
audience.

Netroots

A term coined to describe political activism organized through
blogs and other online media including wikis, podcasts and
various social networking sites.

News Feed

A collection of headlines, news or story highlights, made
available on the Internet in a standard format, often from a blog
or news source made available in RSS format so that other
sites and programs can check and download them
automatically. News feeds can be used to publish information
about podcasts. Podcast clients can subscribe to podcast
news feeds, and use their information to find new shows to
download.

Newsreader

A website or desktop tool that acts as an aggregator,
gathering content from blogs and similar sites using RSS
feeds, so you can read the content in one place, instead of
having to visit different sites.

Open-Source Software

Software often developed in a public, collaborative manner
whose license permits users to study, change, improve and
share the software, in a modified or unmodified form.

Pay-Per-Download

Similar to a pay-per-click ad campaign on a search engine,
some companies offer auction models where advertisers
upload commercials, content preferences and a bid for

placement. As spots become available the auction house
coordinates placing the commercials into the podcast.
Advertisers pay only if a podcast is downloaded. The
advertiser's ability to define placement in a particular podcast
depends on the auction house's stable ofpodcasts and its
willingness and abilities to target individual productions. See
also Download Fraud.

Pay-To-Play

Different than pay-per-download in that viewers foot the bill.
Consumers pay to download a video or audio file. Pay-to-play
podcasts can be training, seminars, movies, concerts, sports
programs or even TV shows.

Permalink

The address (URL) of a specific item of content, such as an
individual blog post, rather than the address of a web page
where many items or blog posts are located.

Photosharing

The social networking practice of uploading digital images to a
website such as Flickr, where tags can be added, so others
can comment or even reuse the images under certain stated
copyright license conditions.

Ping

An acronym standing for “packet Internet grouper� or “packed
Internet gopher,� this is an automatic notification sent when a
blog has been updated. It also describes the automatic
communication between networked computers/servers.

Pod Commercial

Similar to traditional radio commercial or ad; as short as
10-second long identification or ID ads or spots. Can be as
long as a 10-minute or more interview, although at that length
they are more commonly referred to as sponsorship pieces or
podvertorials (an advertorial on a podcast).

Pod Sponsorship

Companies or organizations can purchase sponsorship rights to
a podcast; packages vary widely in scope, price and
editorial control. Sponsorship packages can include any of
the following: “brought to you by ____� announcements; logos
on promotional materials; corporate subject matter experts
as guests; ads within the show; content control; links to the
sponsoring site; etc.

Podcast

A digital broadcast made available on the internet. Currently the
majority of these broadcasts are audio files sent to directories
through XML feeds and RSS – or Really Simple Syndication

– formatted XML files. The word “podcast� is derived from
“pod� as in Apple's iPod, the popular portable audio player, and
“cast� from “broadcast,� meaning “to transmit for general or
public use.�
Podcatcher

A term for programs used to automatically subscribe to and
download podcasts; also called an aggregator. Podcatchers
typically seek out new podcast episodes or items as soon as
the program is opened.

Podvertorial

A podcast where the content is provided by a sponsor; similar
to an “advertorial� in print publications which is a derivative of
editorial and advertisement.

Post

An item on a blog or forum, also the act placing a blog or
comment online.

Profile

The information someone provides when signing up for a social
networking site. This may include a picture, basic biographical
information and tags to help people search for like-minded
individuals.

Remixing

An aspect of social networking which allows, with appropriate
copyright license, the combining of different items of content in
new and different ways.

RSS

Standing for Really Simple Syndication, RSS is the XML format
that allows you to subscribe to content on blogs, podcasts and
other social networking, and have it delivered to you through a feed.

Segment

A section of a podcast that generally completes a topic; a
complete podcast might have 2, 3, or 4 segments.

Skype

An Internet telephony service that lets you make calls via an
Internet connection.

Slivercasting

The increasingly popular practice of broadcasting
niche-audience films over a high-speed Internet connection
rather than using costlier TV/network channels.

Social Bookmarking

The collaborative equivalent of storing favorites or bookmarks
within a web browser. Social bookmarking services such as
del.icio.us or Furl allow people to store their favorite websites
online and share them with others who have similar interests.

social networking

The term used to describe the tools and platforms people use
to publish, converse and share content online. These include
blogs, wikis, podcasts, and the sites dedicated to share
information, stories, photos, audio and video files, and
bookmarks.

social networking Marketing

The planned, often paid, use of social networking to create interest
and awareness of a brand, product or specific promotion.

social networking Optimization

Approaches and methodologies used to increase the positions
of various social sites and postings on search engines.

Social Networking

Sites developed to help people discover new friends or
colleagues with shared interests, related skills, or a common
geographic location. Leading examples include Friendster,
LinkedIn and MySpace.

Social Search

An online search of social sites that determines the relevance
of search results by considering the interactions or
contributions of users. Social search metrics are evolving and
currently include both automated software as well as human
judgments about the nature of web content.

Social Tagging

The placement on shared social sites of keywords that describe
the content of a website, bookmark, photo or blog post.
Tag-enabled web services include social bookmarking sites (i.e.
del.icio.us), photo sharing sites (i.e. Flickr) and blog tracking
sites (i.e. Technorati). Social tagging provides a useful way of
organizing, sharing, retrieving and discovering information.

Splogs

Blogs created by spammers for the sole purpose of
increasing site traffic and page ranks in order to generate
revenue. Splogs are filled with keywords, news (real or fake)
and links to websites.

Stinger

A brief sound or musical phrase used as “audio punctuation.�

Stream

The term is typically used as a verb: video streaming or audio
streaming. Generally it means “play� like one would play a
video or audio. More specifically, it describes a constant flow
of digital information that is displayed or played as it arrives, as
opposed to downloading a whole file and then playing. Some
misuse the term as a synonym of download. To fluidly stream
audio or video files requires some bandwidth (or, space on a
hosting server); otherwise the material stops and starts.

Synchronous Communications

Communications occurring in real time, such as online chat or
face-to-face conversations.

Tagging

A way of categorizing online content using keywords that
describe what can be found at a website, bookmark, photo or
blog post.

Tags

Keywords attached to a blog post, bookmark, photo or other
item of online content so you and others can find them easily
through searches and aggregation.

Threads

Strands of online conversation referring to messages, feedback
or content that relate to the same subject.

Time-Shift (or time-shifting)

Used as a verb, people schedule when they want to listen
or watch a program. TIVO and other digital video recorders
allow people to time shift television programs. Podcasting's
popularity is built upon the opportunity to time-shift. Someone
can download a program and listen to or view it at their
convenience, during a commute, while at the gym, while on an
airplane or any other convenient time.

Trackback

An automated feature contained in some blog software
programs that allows a blogger to determine who has seen an
original post and written another concerning it.

User Generated Content

Text, photos and other material produced by internet users and
posted online for public consumption.

USM

Universal Subscription Mechanism. Allows certain podcatchers
to automatically add a subscription from an RSS file.

Vcasting

See Video Podcast

Virality

The extent to which an issue will spread from one consumer
to another across the Internet (by e-mail, links, blogs, social
tagging, etc.). Low virality means little distribution; high virality
means wide or broad distribution.

Video Podcast

A podcast with enclosures containing video files rather than
audio ones. Unlike audio podcasts which may only contain MP3
files, various file types can be used when podcasting video.

Video Podcasting

The process of publishing video files along with news feeds
so that viewers can download them and watch them on their
computer or portable digital video player.

Viral Marketing

The planned promotion of a product, brand or service through
a process of interesting actual or potential customers to pass
along marketing information to friends, family, and colleagues.
This word-of-mouth advertising is usually accomplished by a
creative use of social networking and other non-traditional marketing
channels.

Virtual Worlds

Sites such as Second Life, where individuals can create
profiles and representations of themselves (avatars) to interact
with others in an imaginary world. Marketers have taken up
real estate on Second Life in an attempt to extend their brand
to potential new customers.

Vlog

See Video podcast

Vodcast

Another name for video podcasting. Short for Video On-Demand
Podcasting.

VoIP

An acronym for Voice over Internet Protocol, this enables you
to use a computer or other internet device for phone calls
without additional charge.

Web 2.0

A second generation of user-controlled, web-based services
such as social networking and resource sites emphasizing
online collaboration and sharing.

Webinar

Short for “web-based seminar,� webinars are interactive
presentations, lectures, workshops or seminars transmitted online,
where the audience can participate by offering, receiving and
discussing information.

Whiteboards

These are useful online collaboration tools that enable a user
to write or sketch on a web page and then remove or “wipe
off� the information when finished.

Widgets

Mini-tools that may appear as floating items on a desktop, or as
buttons on blogs. These may help users subscribe to a feed, do
a specialized search, or even make a donation. Some common
widgets include weather guides, stock lists, flight trackers,
calendars, and search boxes for various websites.

Wiki

An online, collaborative work space for multiple users of a web
page – or set of pages that can be edited collaboratively. The
best known example is wikipedia, an encyclopedia created by
thousands of contributors across the world. Once people have
appropriate permissions set by the wiki owner, they can create
pages and/or add to and alter existing pages.

What to Consider When Integrating
social networking into your Marketing Mix:

• Establish branding & messaging standards
• Create a clearinghouse for ALL outgoing media messages
• Constantly monitor all social & viral outlets
• Move swiftly in responding to distorted or inappropriate
messaging
• Measure your effectiveness
• Get help from a firm experienced in all of the above
Visit the Library at for more
integrated online marketing resources.

We have been innovators in online marketing
for more than a decade, creating integrated online
marketing plans that include natural search engine
optimization, paid search marketing, podcast
production, social networking, online market research
and marketing analytics.