“Teens and Social Media,” PEW Internet, 12.19.07
“How to Become Popular on YouTube (Without Any Talent), version 1.5,” Kevin Nalts, 1.08
“Frames of Reference: Online Video Advertising, Content and Consumer Behavior,” Online Publishers Association, 6.07
“Video Sharing Data,” PEW Internet, 1.9.08
“The Dynamics of Viral Marketing,” Jure Leskovec et al. 4.07
“Online Video,” PEW Internet, 7.07
Have a question regarding a term you've heard on our site or blog? Have you come across a social media term on the web that you just don't know? Pandemic Labs has aggregated many of the terms we use and have heard during our time with viral and social media. The result is the viral dictionary.
We understand that new terms are emerging all the time, and older terms are always evolving, so if you have a suggestion for another entry, an update to an existing entry, or a correction please contact us. This dictionary will be more complete with the help of internet users like you. Help us out and help everyone learn in the process.
BUZZ MARKETING - (n) A form of marketing (both online and offline) characterized by the well-controled creation of buzz and discussion around a certain product or service, often using existing social networks and societal infrastructures.
Buzz marketing has seen new success with the advent of huge social networks such as MySpace and Facebook.
see also - Word of Mouth, Viral Marketing
ENTERTAINMENT DRIVERS - (n) Theme, genre or idea that causes people to be entertained.
The most common entertainment driver on Youtube is humor.
see also - Word of Mouth, Viral Marketing
HOST - (n) Host is a synonym for seed, a site where the viral is hosted and can be viewed by others.
The campaign currently has 30 hosts combining for over 20,000 views.
see also - Seed
INFECTION - (n) A link to or embed of a seed.
There are over 100 infection to the YouTube seed, most of which are forums and blogs
see also - Mention
MEGA-MOUTH - (n) A participant who, usually through online means, has the ability to spread a viral or social media element to extremely large numbers of people. This is generally accomplished via successful blogs, books or celebrity.
Perez Hilton is one of the web's best known mega-mouths; when he talks about something, a lot of people hear about it.
see also - Super-Particpant
MENTION - (n) A link to or embed of a seed.
There are over 100 mentions of the YouTube seed, most of which are forums and blogs
see also - Mention
NODE - (n) A location, online or otherwise, that reaches large numbers of people and can facilitate the initial seeding of a viral. Nodes are generally disassociated with individuals.
Youtube is the most used video-based node on the internet today.
see also - Mention
PARTICIPANT - (n) A viewer or receiver of a viral that passes the viral on to at least one new person.
The participant-to-view ratio is an important way to discern how well you've targeted your viral.
see also - Mention
PRIMARY SEED - A seed which was placed purposely by the viral's creator
You video appears on over 100 websites, 50 of which are primary seeds.
see also - Seed
SECONDARY SEED - (n) A seed which was placed by an unknown third party (a sign of viral spread)
We have found 5 secondary seeds of your video, showing that people are actively spreading it.
see also - Seed
SEED - (n) A individual instance of a viral on a media hosting site such as YouTube or Flickr
Your campaign currently has seeds on YouTube and Google Video.
SEED - (v) to upload or otherwise place a viral on a hosting site such as YouTube or Facebook
We have seeded your campaign to more than 50 websites
see also - Primary Seed, Secondary Seed
SOCIAL MARKETING - A catchall term often used to encompass other forms of new media marketing such as viral marketing and buzz marketing
Social marketing is an important part of a comprehensive marketing campaign.
see also - Social Media
SOCIAL MEDIA - (n) A form of online marketing characterized by the use of user-submitted and community-moderated content sites such as social news sites, social networks, social bookmarking sites, photo, and video sharing sites in order to propagate a marketing message. Viral Marketing can sometimes be considered a subset of social media marketing.
Digg and Mixx are good examples of sites often overlooked in social media marketing campaigns.
see also - Social Marketing
SUPER PARTICIPANT - (n) A participant who, usually through online means, has the ability to spread a viral or social media element to extremely large numbers of people. This is generally accomplished via successful blogs, books or celebrity and is generally tied to one person.
The positive mention of your viral by a super-participant often provides a view spike that can still be seen days, or even weeks, later.
see also - mega-mouth
TRACKING - (n) The accurate gathering and reporting of viral or social media success. Any number of metrics may be tracked with the most common being view count, number of downloads and comments.
It is hard to assess the success of a viral without accurately tracking the related data.
see also - Monitoring
VIRAL (n) - An individual unit of viral media such as a video, song, or game
It is important to track the spread of your viral.
VIRAL (v) - the act of spreading from person to person like a virus.
Proper seeding ensures that your video will viral.
see also - Agent
VIRAL MARKETING -(n) A form of online marketing characterized by the voluntary spread of a piece of media from person to person, or host site to numerous people.
Online video sites have really expanded the possibilities for viral marketing.
see also - Word of Mouth
WORD OF MOUTH - (n) A form of marketing (both online and offline) characterized by the spread of a marketing message by person to person communication.
Some say word of mouth marketing is the oldest form of marketing.
see also - Viral Marketing