Blog- an online commentary on personal or professional experiences or opinions that are updated on a regular basis and displayed in chronological order.
Consumer Generated Media (CGM)- the act of end-users creating content that favors or opposes a particular product or service. This is most often seen on the Web in forms of blogs, chat rooms, reviews, etc., but CGM can also take the form of any video, audio, or other multimedia developed by a consumer.
Online Forum- an avenue for users to pose and respond to questions and topics in real time regarding a topic of interest.
Podcast- an audio and/or visual broadcast that users listen to and/or watch on their own iPod.
Real Time- akin to a live broadcast; real time refers to seeing or hearing content as the message is created.
RSS Feed- an acronym for Real Simple Syndication, an RSS feed is a way for one Website to publish content from another site in real time. Primarily used for content that is updated frequently, such as a daily news source or a blog, a Website can benefit from timely updates from another source without having to manually keep track of changes.
Search engine optimization (SEO)- using keywords to trigger a higher placement in search engines, such as Google, Yahoo, AOL, etc.
Social Networking- a group of online users sharing information and opinions on a certain topic. Examples include chat rooms, discussion groups, Linked In, My Space, etc.
Streaming Video- a compressed media file that is accessed over the internet, allowing users to watch the video at the same time it’s downloading, as opposed to waiting for the whole file to finish downloading before viewing.
Viral Marketing- when an organization employs marketing tactics that leverage social networks so that consumers ultimately become brand advocates and voluntarily promote a certain product or service. Examples include games, text messages, video clips, and word-of-mouth.
Web 2.0- the catch-all phrase for the next wave of online technology. It can involve consumer generated media, blogs, forums, streaming video, podcasts, sound bytes, etc., but does not have one defining element. The common theme is that all elements are designed to engage consumers.
Webcast- an audio and/or visual broadcast that is viewed via the internet.