English for marketing agencies
Social media and community management English
The words, replies and phrases US clients expect from social media and community managers. Built for social teams, creators and influencer marketers in Buenos Aires.
Book a trial classPlatform vocabulary
Features change often, so check each platform's current names before you write to a client. The core words below stay stable.
| Term | What it means | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| post | Any piece of content you publish on a profile | We publish three posts a week on Instagram. |
| story | A short post that disappears after 24 hours (Instagram, Facebook) | Add a poll sticker to the story. |
| reel | A short vertical video on Instagram or Facebook | The reel is 20 seconds long. |
| carousel | A post with several images or slides you swipe through | The carousel has seven slides. |
| thread | A series of connected posts, common on X | I'll turn the report into a thread. |
| live | A live video broadcast (to go live) | We go live at 2 pm ET. |
| DM | Direct message: a private message | Please send us a DM with your order number. |
| handle | Your username, like @brandname | Is the handle the same on every platform? |
| hashtag | A word after # that groups posts by topic | We use one branded hashtag per campaign. |
| tag | To link an account in a post or photo so it gets notified | Tag the client in the first slide. |
| mention | When an account is named with @ in a post or comment | We got a mention from a local magazine. |
| pin | To keep a post at the top of a profile or a comment thread | Let's pin the announcement for a week. |
| repost | To share someone else's post on your own profile | Can we repost the customer's video? |
| Photo, reel and story platform. Feed, stories, reels and DMs | Instagram is our main channel for this client. | |
| TikTok | Short video platform driven by a recommendation feed (the For You page) | The video landed on the For You page. |
| Professional network. Common for B2B, hiring and thought leadership | LinkedIn works best for their B2B audience. | |
| X | Platform for short text posts and threads, formerly Twitter | We reply to customer questions on X. |
| YouTube | Long and short video platform. Videos, Shorts and live streams | The tutorial lives on YouTube. |
| Platform with pages, groups, events and ads | The customer group on Facebook is very active. | |
| Visual search platform where people save pins to boards | Pinterest brings steady traffic to the blog. | |
| Forum platform organized in communities called subreddits | Be careful: Reddit users dislike obvious promotion. |
Content types and formats
| Term | What it means | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| short-form video | Vertical video, usually under a minute (reels, TikToks, Shorts) | Short-form video is our priority this quarter. |
| long-form | Longer content, like a YouTube video or an article | We repurpose long-form into clips. |
| static post | A single image with a caption | Static posts still work for announcements. |
| explainer | Content that teaches one idea simply | The explainer reel is our top performer. |
| behind the scenes (BTS) | Content that shows how something is made | The BTS story shows the team packing orders. |
| user-generated content (UGC) | Content made by customers or fans, or by creators who imitate that style | We reshare UGC with permission. |
| meme | A funny image or video that spreads and gets remixed | Only use a meme if it fits the brand. |
| poll | A question with vote options | Let's run a poll in stories. |
| Q&A | A session where the audience asks and you answer | We are planning a Q&A on Friday. |
| giveaway | A contest where people enter to win a prize | Check the platform rules before a giveaway. |
| repurpose | To reuse one piece of content in other formats | We repurpose the webinar into five clips. |
| cover image | The still image that represents a video or reel | Please update the cover image so the grid looks clean. |
| alt text | A written description of an image for screen readers | Add alt text to every image. |
| captions (subtitles) | On-screen text that shows what is said in a video | Add captions, since many people watch on mute. |
Publishing and planning
US clients often think in Eastern time. Confirm the time zone every time you say a publishing time: 9 am ET, not just 9 am.
| Term | What it means | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| content calendar | A schedule of what you will publish, where and when | The content calendar for May is in the shared sheet. |
| content pillars | The three to five themes a brand posts about | Our pillars are education, product, community and culture. |
| batch | To make many pieces of content in one work session | We batch the reels every second Monday. |
| schedule | To set a post to publish automatically at a set time | I'll schedule the posts for 9 am ET. |
| evergreen | Content that stays useful over time | Evergreen posts fill the gaps in the calendar. |
| trending audio | A popular sound many creators use in their videos | Check that the trending audio is cleared for commercial use. |
| tone of voice | The personality of a brand's writing | The tone of voice is warm, not silly. |
| brand guidelines | The rules for how a brand looks and sounds | Please check the brand guidelines for the emoji policy. |
| approval | The client's sign-off before something is published | We need approval by Wednesday to publish on Thursday. |
| approval workflow | The steps and people a post goes through before it goes live | The approval workflow has two steps: the client, then legal. |
| turnaround | The time it takes to finish and deliver a task | Our turnaround for edits is one business day. |
| time slot | The day and hour chosen to publish | Let's test a new time slot for the reels. |
| asset | A file used in a post: photo, video, logo | Could you share the assets in the shared folder? |
| campaign | A planned set of posts with one goal | The launch campaign runs for three weeks. |
| content audit | A review of what you published and how it performed | We did a content audit before planning next quarter. |
Metrics and reporting
Name the period and the comparison, and say what the rate is calculated on. Numbers in the examples are samples, not benchmarks.
| Term | What it means | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| reach | The number of different people who saw your content | The post had a reach of 12,000 (sample number). |
| impressions | The total times your content was shown, including repeat views | Impressions are higher than reach because people saw it twice. |
| engagement | Interactions with your content: likes, comments, shares, saves | Engagement is strongest on carousels. |
| engagement rate | Interactions divided by reach or followers (say which one) | Engagement rate is calculated on reach in this report. |
| saves | How many people saved the post to look at later | The checklist carousel got a lot of saves. |
| shares | How many times people sent or reshared the post | Shares tell us what people want to pass on. |
| watch time | The total or average time people spent watching a video | Average watch time went up after we shortened the intro. |
| completion rate | The share of viewers who watched a video to the end | Completion rate is better on the shorter cut. |
| follower growth | How many followers you gained over a period | Follower growth slowed in June. |
| click-through rate (CTR) | Clicks divided by impressions | The link in the story has a good CTR. |
| share of voice | Your brand's share of all the conversation in your category | Our share of voice is smaller than our main competitor's. |
| sentiment | Whether the mentions of a brand are positive, neutral or negative | Sentiment turned negative after the delay. |
| response time | How long it takes to reply to a message or comment | Our average response time is under two hours (sample number). |
| organic | Results you did not pay for | Organic reach is down this month. |
| paid | Results that come from promotion you pay for | Paid reach added most of the impressions. |
| vanity metric | A number that looks good but does not show real results | Follower count can be a vanity metric. |
Community management: replies
Keep public replies short, human and calm. Use the customer's name, say sorry once, and move private details to DMs. Words in [brackets] are for you to fill in.
| Situation | Say this |
|---|---|
| Thank a happy customer | Thank you so much, Ana! We're so glad you love it. Tag us in your next photo. |
| Answer a simple question | Great question! It ships in 3 to 5 business days. Let us know if you need anything else. |
| Handle a complaint in public | We're sorry about this, Sam. That's not the experience we want you to have. Can you DM us your order number so we can fix it? |
| Move the chat to DM | Thanks for flagging this. We've sent you a DM so we can look into it with you. |
| Say you are checking | Thanks for your patience. We're looking into it and will update you by [time] today. |
| Admit a mistake | You're right, and we got this wrong. Here is what we're doing to fix it. |
| Follow up after a fix | Hi Sam, just checking that everything is sorted on your side. We're here if you need us. |
| Reply to a troll | We hear you. If you'd like help with an order, DM us. Otherwise we'll leave it there. |
| Reply to a hateful comment | This comment goes against our house rules, so we've removed it. Please keep the conversation respectful. |
| Say no to a request | Thanks for asking. We can't do that right now, but we'll share your idea with the team. |
| Reply to praise for a person | That means a lot to the team. We'll pass it on! |
| Answer when you do not know | Good question. We don't have that answer yet, but we'll get back to you by [day]. |
Moderation, escalation and crisis
Agree on the moderation policy with the client before you need it. Know who you escalate to and how fast.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Moderation policy | The written rules for what we remove, hide or report, and who decides. |
| House rules | The public rules of the community: be respectful, no spam, no personal information. |
| Hide a comment | The comment stays, but only the author and their friends can see it. |
| Delete a comment | We remove it. Do this for spam, hate and personal information. |
| Block or ban | We stop an account from interacting with ours. Use it for repeated abuse. |
| Report | We flag the content to the platform for review. |
| Escalate | We hand the issue to someone with more authority, such as the account lead or the client. |
| Escalation path | Who we tell first, second and third, and how fast. |
| Off-hours coverage | Who watches the channels at night and on weekends. |
In a crisis, speak first with a short holding statement, then follow up with facts.
| Situation | Say this |
|---|---|
| Crisis holding statement | We're aware of the issue and we're looking into it. We'll share an update by [time]. Thank you for your patience. |
| Apology after a mistake | We got this wrong, and we're sorry. Here is what happened and what we're doing next. |
| Update to a holding statement | Update: we've found the cause and are working on a fix. We'll post again by [time]. |
| Pause scheduled posts | We've paused all scheduled posts while we handle this. |
| Ask for a client decision | Could you confirm by [time] whether we publish this statement? |
Influencer marketing vocabulary
Disclosure: in the US, the FTC expects a sponsored or gifted post to say so clearly, for example with #ad or #sponsored near the start of the caption. Confirm the current rules with the client's legal team.
| Term | What it means | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| influencer | A person with an audience who promotes brands | We are shortlisting influencers in the fitness niche. |
| creator | A person who makes content, often for brands too | We work with creators, not only big accounts. |
| micro-influencer | An influencer with a smaller, often more engaged audience | Micro-influencers fit this budget better. |
| brief | A short document that explains the goal, message and rules of a collaboration | The brief includes the key message and the dos and don'ts. |
| deliverables | What the creator agrees to make and publish | The deliverables are one reel and three stories. |
| usage rights | Permission for the brand to reuse the creator's content, and for how long | Usage rights are for six months on our channels. |
| whitelisting | When a brand runs ads through the creator's handle (also called partnership ads) | They asked for whitelisting, so we need to agree on the fee. |
| rate card | A creator's list of prices for each type of content | Could you send your rate card? |
| gifting | Sending free products with no fixed fee | We start with gifting, then move to paid. |
| paid partnership | A collaboration where the creator is paid, often with a platform label | Please use the paid partnership label. |
| affiliate | A partner who earns a commission on sales from their link or code | Affiliates get a unique discount code. |
| commission | A percentage of each sale paid to the partner | The commission is [X] percent per sale. |
| discount code | A code the audience uses to get a deal and to track sales | Each creator has their own discount code. |
| exclusivity | A clause that stops the creator from working with competitors for a period | Exclusivity for 30 days would change the rate. |
| media kit | A creator's summary of audience, past work and rates | Please attach your media kit. |
| content approval | The brand's review of a draft before the creator publishes | Content approval takes one business day. |
Outreach email and negotiation
Keep the first email short, specific and personal. Mention one real post and ask for one thing.
- Subject: Collab idea for [Brand] x [Creator name]
- Hi [Name],
- I'm [Your name] from [Agency] and I work with [Brand]. I've followed your [type of content] for a while, especially your video about [specific post].
- We'd love to work with you on [short campaign description]. The deliverables would be [number] [format], published between [date] and [date].
- Could you send your rate card and media kit? I can share a full brief once we know it's a fit.
- Happy to jump on a quick call if that's easier.
- Thanks,
- [Your name]
| Situation | Say this |
|---|---|
| Ask for the rate | Could you share your rate for one reel and three stories? |
| Explain the budget | Our budget for this campaign is [amount]. Is that workable for you? |
| Counter an offer | Thanks for the rate card. Could we do [deliverables] for [amount]? |
| Ask for a bundle | If we book three posts, is there a package rate? |
| Ask about usage rights | How long would the usage rights run, and is whitelisting included? |
| Ask about exclusivity | Would you be open to exclusivity for [number] days? We'd adjust the fee. |
| Set a deadline | Could you send the draft by [date] so we can review it before publishing? |
| Decline politely | Thanks for your time. It's not the right fit for this campaign, but we'd love to keep in touch. |
Social listening
Listening tells you what people say when they do not tag you. Report insights, not only numbers.
| Term | What it means | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| social listening | Tracking what people say about a brand, a topic or competitors online | Social listening flagged a spike in complaints. |
| brand mention | Any time your brand is named, with or without a tag | We track brand mentions every day. |
| keyword | A word or phrase you set up to monitor | Let's add the product name as a keyword. |
| alert | An automatic notice when something you monitor happens | Set an alert for spikes in negative mentions. |
| trend | A topic, sound or format that many people are suddenly using | Is this trend a fit for the brand? |
| spike | A sudden rise in a number | We saw a spike in mentions after the launch. |
| competitor benchmark | A comparison of your numbers against a rival's | The competitor benchmark is in slide six. |
| insight | A useful conclusion you draw from the data | The main insight is that people ask about shipping. |
| pain point | A problem your audience keeps mentioning | Delivery time is the top pain point. |
Dialogue: the weekly social sync
A weekly team call about performance, approvals, community and the next batch.
| Speaker | Line |
|---|---|
| Maria (lead) | Let's start with last week. How did the posts perform? |
| Lucas (social) | Reach was up on the carousels, but the reels were flat. |
| Maria (lead) | Is that a pattern or a one-off? |
| Lucas (social) | It's the second week in a row. I think the hook is too slow. |
| Maria (lead) | Okay. Let's test a shorter intro and see what happens. |
| Sofia (community) | On my side, we got a few comments about shipping times. |
| Maria (lead) | Can you draft a pinned reply and send it for approval? |
| Sofia (community) | Sure. I'll have it ready by tomorrow at noon. |
| Lucas (social) | The client hasn't approved the Thursday post yet. |
| Maria (lead) | I'll follow up today. If we don't hear back by Wednesday, we swap in an evergreen post. |
| Diego (creator) | I've batched four videos. I still need the client's logo file. |
| Maria (lead) | I'll ask for the assets in the shared folder. |
| Sofia (community) | One more thing: a customer complained in the comments, and I moved it to DMs. |
| Maria (lead) | Good. Did you log it in the tracker? |
| Sofia (community) | Yes, and I flagged it as a priority because they tagged the brand twice. |
| Lucas (social) | For the report, do we show engagement rate on reach or on followers? |
| Maria (lead) | On reach, and let's say it in the footnote. |
| Diego (creator) | Should I use the trending audio for Friday's video? |
| Maria (lead) | Only if it's cleared for commercial use. Please check first. |
| Maria (lead) | Great. Recap: shorter reel intros, pinned reply on shipping, assets from the client, and approvals by Wednesday. |
Dialogue: a crisis call
A call with the client when a post gets a wave of angry comments. Note the calm, short lines.
| Speaker | Line |
|---|---|
| Maria (lead) | Thanks for joining fast. Here is the situation: a post about the delay is getting a lot of angry comments. |
| Client | This is getting out of hand. What are people saying? |
| Sofia (community) | Most say their orders are late. A few are accusing us of ignoring them. |
| Client | Are we going to respond? |
| Maria (lead) | Yes. We recommend a short holding statement now, then a full update when we have facts. |
| Client | What would the holding statement say? |
| Maria (lead) | We're aware of the issue and we're looking into it. We'll share an update by 5 pm ET. |
| Client | Legal needs to see it first. |
| Maria (lead) | Understood. Could legal review it within thirty minutes? Every hour without a reply adds to the noise. |
| Client | I'll ask. Meanwhile, should we pause the scheduled posts? |
| Maria (lead) | Yes, we've already paused them, and the promo post is hidden from the feed. |
| Sofia (community) | I'll reply to individual complaints in DMs with a form link and keep the public replies short. |
| Client | What if the press picks it up? |
| Maria (lead) | Then we send all media questions to your press contact. We won't comment on our own. |
| Client | Okay. Who is on call tonight? |
| Sofia (community) | I am until midnight, and Lucas takes over after that. |
| Client | Fine. Send me the statement in ten minutes. |
| Maria (lead) | Will do. We'll also send a summary of the comments every two hours. |
Weak and strong wording
First, how to report to a client. Then, how to sound in captions and replies.
| Weak wording | Stronger wording |
|---|---|
| The post went well. | The post reached [number] people, 20 percent more than last week (sample). |
| We got a lot of likes. | Engagement rate was [X] percent on reach, our best result this month. |
| The reel did bad. | The reel underperformed. Watch time dropped after second three, so we will test a faster hook. |
| People are angry. | Negative sentiment rose after the delay. Most comments mention shipping times. |
| We gained followers. | Follower growth was [X] percent MoM, mostly from the giveaway. |
| I think the audience likes it. | Saves and shares suggest people find it useful. |
| The influencer is not answering. | We haven't heard back from the creator. I'll follow up today and share options by Thursday. |
| The numbers are low but it's fine. | Numbers are below target. Here is our plan to improve them next month. |
| Weak caption or reply | Stronger caption or reply |
|---|---|
| We are pleased to announce our new product. | Meet our newest product. It's here. |
| Please don't hesitate to contact us. | Questions? Send us a DM. |
| Sorry for the inconvenience. | We're sorry your order is late. We're fixing it now. |
| Your complaint has been received. | Thanks for telling us. We're looking into it now. |
| Click the link in the bio for more information. | Full guide in the link in our bio. |
| Dear customer, we regret the error. | Hi Sam, we got this wrong. Here's how we'll make it right. |
| That's not our fault. | Thanks for the heads up. Let's find out what happened. |
| Like and follow us for a chance to win!!! | Follow us and comment your favorite. We'll pick a winner on Friday. |
Caption and copywriting style
- Voice: write like a person, not like a company. Use I, we and you.
- Put the hook in the first line. Many platforms cut long captions.
- Use contractions (we're, it's, don't). They sound natural in American English.
- One idea and one call to action per post.
- Use casual tone with care. A friendly brand can be playful, but a bank or a clinic should not.
- Be careful with slang and internet phrases. They age fast and can sound forced. Ask the client if a phrase fits the brand.
- Avoid humor that depends on culture, religion, politics or someone's body.
- Use inclusive language: say people, folks or everyone instead of guys, and use the name and pronouns a person gives you.
- Use they for a person whose gender you do not know.
- Describe images in alt text and use CamelCase in long hashtags (#SummerSale) so screen readers can read them.
- Keep emojis to what the brand guidelines allow.
- Use American spelling: color, favorite, organization, center.
Spanish speaker traps and pronunciation
| Word | Sounds like | It really means |
|---|---|---|
| engagement | compromiso (a promise, or an engagement to marry) | in social media, interactions with content. It is not a commitment |
| actually | actualmente (now) | in fact. For now, say currently |
| target | objetivo | a number to hit or the group you aim at. For a general aim, say goal |
| audience | audiencia | the people you reach. The target audience is the group you want to reach |
| media | media (a word) | channels and outlets. Social media means platforms like Instagram |
| brand | marca | a company's identity. Say brand, not mark |
| publicity | publicidad | free attention from the press. For paid publicidad, say ads or advertising |
| copy | copia | the text of a post or ad. For a copy of a file, say copy of the file |
| lead | líder | a contact interested in buying. For a leader, say leader |
| feed | feed (the same) | used the same way, but say it with a long vowel: feed, not fid |
| like (verb) | like as a filler | avoid it as a filler word on client calls |
| comment | comentar | as a verb, say comment on a post, not comment a post |
| follow up | seguir | to write again to check on something. It is not the same as follow |
Pronunciation notes:
- Instagram: IN-stuh-gram. Stress the first syllable.
- LinkedIn: LINKT-in. The d is not pronounced.
- Pinterest: PIN-ter-est. Three syllables.
- Reddit: RED-it. Two syllables, with a soft d.
- carousel: care-uh-SELL. Stress the last syllable.
- hashtag: HASH-tag. The a is like the a in cat.
- engagement: en-GAYJ-ment. The g sounds like j.
- sentiment: SEN-tuh-ment. Stress the first syllable.
- influencer: IN-floo-en-ser. Stress the first syllable.
- niche: NEESH or NITCH. Both are common in US English.
- live (as in going live): rhymes with five, not with give.
- YouTube: YOU-toob. Two clear syllables.
- meme: rhymes with team.
- analytics: an-uh-LIT-iks. Stress the third syllable.
Questions
- What is the difference between a post and a story?
- A post stays on your profile until you remove it. A story disappears after 24 hours unless you save it as a highlight.
- What is the difference between reach and impressions?
- Reach counts different people who saw your content. Impressions count every view, so one person can add several.
- What is engagement rate?
- Interactions divided by reach or by followers. Always say which one you use.
- What does going live mean?
- It means starting a live video broadcast. Say it with the i of five: live.
- What is a content calendar?
- A schedule of what you will publish, on which platform and when.
- What are content pillars?
- The three to five themes a brand posts about, so the feed stays consistent.
- How do I reply to a public complaint?
- Thank the person, say sorry once, do not argue, and move the details to a DM.
- What is a crisis holding statement?
- A short message that says you know about the problem, you are looking into it and when you will update.
- How do I respond to a troll?
- Stay calm and short, offer help once, and follow the moderation policy. Do not feed the argument.
- What are usage rights?
- Permission for a brand to reuse a creator's content, with the channels and the length of time agreed.
- What is whitelisting?
- When a brand runs ads through a creator's handle. It is also called partnership ads.
- What is a rate card?
- A creator's list of prices for each type of content.
- Do I need to disclose a sponsored post?
- In the US, the FTC expects clear disclosure, for example #ad or #sponsored near the start of the caption. Check the current rules with the client's legal team.
- Can I use slang in captions?
- Use it with care. Slang ages fast and can sound forced, so ask the client if it fits the brand.
- Do I say engagement as a commitment?
- No. In social media, engagement means interactions like likes, comments, shares and saves.
Keep going
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