Reference
Social media glossary
Plain-English definitions for the terms behind social media search, listening and marketing — each one a short, cited explainer.
New to social research? Start here. Every entry links to a short guide that defines the term and shows how it works in practice, grounded in real, cited social data.
Comparisons
AI vs Manual Social Media Research
AI vs manual social media research: where each wins, where AI hallucinates, and why cited search beats both guessing and endless scrolling.
Read moreGuides
Engagement Rate Explained
Engagement rate is the share of an audience that interacts with a post. See the common formulas — and why the denominator matters.
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Free vs Paid Social Media Research
Free vs paid social media research: what you really get free, when to pay, and how Superlurk's Free, Pro, and Power tiers compare.
Read moreGuides
Micro vs Macro Influencers
Micro-influencers trade reach for engagement; macro-influencers offer scale at higher cost. Here's how to pick — and why the tiers are fuzzy.
Read moreComparisons
Nano vs Micro vs Macro Influencers
Nano vs micro vs macro influencers — how the tiers differ on reach, engagement, cost, and trust, and how to find and vet each one.
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Organic vs Paid Social Media
Organic vs paid social media — what each does best, where each costs you, and how social research makes both perform better.
Read moreGuides
Reach vs Impressions
Reach is the unique people who saw your content; impressions are how many times it was shown. The difference, plus frequency, explained simply.
Read moreComparisons
Social Listening vs Monitoring
Social listening vs monitoring — one is broad and strategic, the other catches specific changes fast. Here's when to use each, and both.
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Social Media Analytics vs Insights
Analytics tells you what your own posts did; insights tell you what the market is doing. Here's the difference — and why you need both to decide.
Read moreComparisons
TikTok vs Reels vs Shorts
TikTok vs Reels vs Shorts — how the three short-video platforms differ on audience, discovery, sounds, and where to put your effort.
Read moreGuides
What Is Sentiment Analysis?
Sentiment analysis classifies social text as positive, negative or neutral — but it's an indicator, not a verdict. Here's how to read it honestly.
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What Is Share of Voice?
Share of voice is your brand's slice of the conversation vs competitors. How to calculate it — and why social SOV is a proxy, not market share.
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What Is Social Listening?
Social listening is monitoring social platforms for mentions, then analyzing them to act. The plain definition — and how it differs from monitoring.
Read moreGuides
What Is UGC (User-Generated Content)?
User-generated content (UGC) is content made by customers, not brands. Learn what counts, why it builds trust, and how to use it with permission.
Read morePut the terms to work
Ask a question about any of these and get a cited answer from real posts — free to start.