The Ultimate Guide to Social Media Acronyms and Slang in 2025

Acronyms are abbreviations of longer phrases typically formed by taking the first letter from each word of a phrase. For example, the acronym “ttyl” is an abbreviation for “talk to you later.” They’re a type of slang, or informal language, used between friends or colleagues on messaging and social media platforms.

Social media acronyms first became popular as texting and internet messaging gained popularity. It’s a faster, easier way to communicate common sayings to one another than typing each word out. For instance, typing “FWIW” instead of “for what it’s worth” saves time and space in a message. Acronyms help people share their attitudes or feelings, which can be difficult to express in digital communications. Text abbreviations like “JK” for just kidding are a quick way to let others know you’re being lighthearted or teasing them.

These acronyms only grew in popularity with the development and popularity of social media channels, becoming a form of internet shorthand that’s embedded in our modern communications. Now, social media acronyms are used everywhere: across social media, in digital advertisements, and even used as everyday slang in face-to-face conversations.

Since more and more businesses rely on social media channels for lead generation and other marketing purposes, it’s critical to know the most commonly used acronyms and internet slang, what they stand for, and how to incorporate them into your own communications.

What are social media acronyms?

Social media acronyms are simply abbreviations of longer phrases. They’re a type of shorthand people use not only for social media marketing but also in text messaging, emails, and sometimes even everyday conversations.

Recognizing and using acronyms on social media is key for two main reasons. First, it lets you understand what other people communicate through posts, comments, or direct messages (DMs). Knowing popular acronyms and how to speak the language prevents you from being confused by a message or wondering if a customer is satisfied or frustrated—so you can respond accordingly.

Marketers and sales teams may also use numerous acronyms instead of longer industry phrases in everyday communications. You may see industry-related terms like “CTA (call-to-action)” or “EOD (end of day)” in emails or other messages.

Remember, many social media platforms have short character or word limits, making acronyms essential for getting your message across as efficiently as possible. There are acronyms for many common or well-used phrases, such as “by the way (BTW)” or “I don’t know (IDK)” simply because they save space.

37 Social Media Acronyms You Should Know

Understanding social media shorthand is key for improving customer experiences and communication on your channels, as well as for boosting your social media marketing campaigns. That’s why we’ve put together a list of top acronyms and slang, explaining what each stands for and showing how you can use it in your everyday communications.

AFAIK – As Far As I Know

You can use this acronym for customer or other business conversations. It’s a way to say that the information you’re sharing is accurate based on the facts in front of you: “AFAIK, your package is on the way.”

AMA – Ask Me Anything

This term is typically used for sharing insights or knowledge about specific topics or when starting an informal interview: “I’m the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for [Business Name], AMA about our Instagram marketing strategy.”

A/S/L – Age/Sex/Location

A way to learn more about a person. In the marketing world, it refers to demographic information to segment customers: “Do we have their A/S/L? I’d like to focus on marketing this product to men 35-50.” Don’t get this confused with ASL—that’s American Sign Language. Context matters!

B2B – Business-to-Business

A type of business that sells products or services to other businesses, such as a marketing agency selling their services to an auto dealership. Example: “Next quarter, I’d like to increase our B2B sales.”

B2C – Business-to-Consumer

A business that sells products or services to consumers, including ecommerce and brick-and-mortar retailers. Example: “Using social media DMs is an important part of your B2C customer service strategy.”

BRB – Be Right Back

A quick way to tell someone you’re taking a quick break. In the business world, you can use it if you need time to find information: “BRB, John, I need to locate a document.”

BTW – By The Way

A gentle way to correct someone or share additional information: “BTW, our company policy is actually [explain policy].”

CC – Carbon Copy

The term carbon copy predates modern technology, when people had to place a sheet of carbon paper under a document to make copies of it. But it’s still used today when you want to send a copy to someone else. Much like with emails, you can use the term “CC” to ensure the right people see your social media message. For example: “Don’t forget to CC their Instagram handle in your post.” You can also use it in everyday conversation: “Make sure you CC Jennifer on that.”

CMS – Content Management System

A business acronym for the software or platform that helps you create, store, and publish content for your website and social media channels. Example: “Did you add the latest Facebook campaign to our CMS yet?”

CPC – Cost Per Click

A marketing term that measures how much each click of a paid ad costs your company. Example: “We need to watch our CPC budget this month.”

CPM – Cost Per Thousand

This marketing acronym looks at the cost of impressions, or views, of ads on social media channels, which is measured per 1,000 impressions. Example: “What’s our last Instagram ad campaign CPM?”

CRM – Customer Relationship Management

This term can refer to the strategies or software your business uses to organize and manage customer data and interactions. “Let’s use data from the CRM to target specific customers with our next marketing campaign.”

CTA – Call to Action

A marketing acronym that describes what you want customers to do. For instance, “Include a CTA saying ‘learn more’ in this Instagram post.”

CTR – Click-Through Rate

This marketing term measures the amount of people who click on a specific link, whether in a marketing email or social media post. “Our social media marketing goal is to increase CTR by 12% this quarter.”

DM – Direct Message

Social media platforms offer users a personal inbox for private conversations with others. Sending a direct message to a user’s inbox is a quick way to get their attention or send them important information. You can even use them to get lead information or for customer support purposes: “Comment with the word ‘LEARN’ and we’ll DM you with the latest info about our new product launch.”

FOMO – Fear of Missing Out

This acronym describes the anxiety a customer may feel about missing out on a sale or big announcement. “Get rid of your FOMO by signing up for our email list and be the first to hear about [your product or business name].”

FTW – For The Win

A way to show your support or approval for something or someone. For example, you could use “[Name of person], FTW!” when someone on your team has a great idea or meets a marketing goal.

FYI – For Your Information

This acronym can be used in both business and customer conversations when you need to share information. Example: “FYI, [name of customer], you can find our complete shipping and returns policy here: [link].”

G2G – Good to Go

An acronym that reassures your customer or colleague that you’re all set on your end or ready to do something. For instance, “Ok, Linda, I have your contact information, and we’re G2G on our end.”

HMU – Hit Me Up

A slang term that means you want someone to contact you: “I’d love to hear more about this. HMU when you have the chance.”

ICYMI – In Case You Missed It

This acronym is great to use when catching people up on past events. For example: “ICYMI, our agency just won a prestigious marketing award!”

IDC – I Don’t Care

An abbreviation to show something doesn’t bother you. For example: “IDC about that social media trend, it’ll be dead in a week anyway.”

IDK – I Don’t Know

A quick way to say you aren’t sure or don’t have the information. “I think the conversion rate rose by 5% last month, but IDK about retention rate.”

IYKYK – If You Know, You Know

An abbreviation that indicates something is an inside joke or that you’re sharing an insider’s perspective. “[Name of product]—IYKYK.”

IKR – I Know, Right?

This informal phrase shows you feel the same way as someone else or that you’re agreeing with them. Take this conversation, for example: “I love their new mobile app.” “IKR, it’s way easier to navigate.”

IMHO – In My Humble Opinion

A way to express your opinion in an honest but respectful way. “IMHO, the old version of [product] was better.”

IRL – In Real Life

This abbreviation helps distinguish between the digital world and offline interactions with people and products. For instance, if you work remotely you may say, “I’ve worked with Mark for years but have never met up IRL.” Or, customers may describe how your product compares “IRL” to how it looks online.

KPI – Key Performance Indicator

A marketing and analytics abbreviation that measures your performance: “Let’s compare this month’s KPIs to the previous three months to see if we’ve made improvements.”

LMK – Let Me Know

A fast way to see if someone needs more information or has decided about something: “Did you want to exchange it for a new size or start a return? LMK and I’ll get the next steps started.”

LOL – Laughing Out Loud

Internet shorthand to express that you find something funny or show you’re laughing. “That Facebook ad made me LOL.”

NSFW – Not Safe For Work

An abbreviation for a term that means the content you’re about to click on isn’t appropriate for the workplace or other formal settings. “This Reddit post is really informative, but it’s NSFW so we can’t show it in our client pitch.”

OMW – On My Way

A quick way to let others know you’ll be there soon. “I’m stuck in traffic but OMW to our meeting!”

ROI – Return on Investment

A business abbreviation to evaluate an investment’s profitability. In marketing, it refers to the sales or revenue generated from investing in marketing campaigns. “Our TikTok ads are netting us higher ROI than our Facebook ads.”

SMH – Shaking My Head

The abbreviation of choice when expressing disbelief, frustration, or disapproval. “He didn’t meet the deadline, SMH.”

TBH – To Be Honest

A way to quickly state that you’re expressing an opinion or admitting something to another person. “TBH, I thought the email marketing campaign would perform better.”

TFW – That Feeling When

Internet slang for describing a relatable feeling or scenario, such as: “TFW, you accidentally hit ‘reply all’ in an email.”

YOLO – You Only Live Once

A way to encourage others to take a chance or be spontaneous—or to share that you were—because life is short. “Booking that cruise to Antarctica because…YOLO!”

How To Use Social Media Acronyms Effectively

While acronyms are a great way to keep your communications concise and engaging on social media, it’s important to be mindful of your audience and brand voice when using them. You’ll want to use terms your audience easily understands and avoid being too casual in settings that call for a more professional approach. For instance, your business may want to use acronyms in social media posts, when replying to customer comments, or as hashtags, but refrain from using them where a more serious tone is needed.

Slack offers a great example of using multiple acronyms on a Twitter (X) post, featuring “FYI,” “BTW,” and “ICYMI” to share new features with users. You can also use them in customer support as Alaska Airlines did when asking a customer to DM them information to resolve their problem.

Boost Your Social Media Marketing With Podium

Using social media acronyms in your marketing campaigns and customer communications is a great way to connect with your audience and keep them engaged. To increase the effectiveness of your social media marketing strategies even further, consider a tool like Podium’s AI Employee.

Podium’s AI Employee helps grow your business through personalized, data-driven campaigns and communications. It helps automate your workflows and communicates with customers in human-like conversations to increase customer engagement and conversions. Learn more about how our AI Employee can help your company.