Sprout Social Releases First-Ever Social Media Dictionary, Unveiling the Viral Words That Defined Culture in 2025

Rhea-AI Summary

Sprout Social (NASDAQ: SPT) released its first-ever 2025 Social Media Dictionary, analyzing the words, phrases and viral movements that shaped culture in 2025. "Aura" was named Word of the Year after generating 31.9 billion impressions. Other highlights include Labubu (5.8 million mentions), the catchphrase 6–7 (3.8 million mentions), marketer terms GEO (116 billion impressions) and Substack (117 billion impressions). The report notes rising backlash terms like AI Slop and Clanker (2 million mentions combined) and predicts continued growth of niche communities such as Group 7 into 2026.

News Market Reaction

+1.27%

1 alert

+1.27% News Effect

+$8M Valuation Impact

$616M Market Cap

2K Volume

On the day this news was published, SPT gained 1.27%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction. This price movement added approximately $8M to the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $616M at that time.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

Aura impressions: 31.9 billion impressions Labubu mentions: 5.8 million mentions 6–7 mentions: 3.8 million mentions +3 more

6 metrics

Aura impressions 31.9 billion impressions Named Word of the Year in 2025 Social Media Dictionary

Labubu mentions 5.8 million mentions Online mentions during its viral rise in 2025

6–7 mentions 3.8 million mentions Catchphrase usage in 2025 social conversations

GEO impressions 116 billion impressions Generative Engine Optimization as a key 2025 marketing term

Substack impressions 117 billion impressions Mentions across social platforms in 2025

AI Slop & Clanker mentions 2 million mentions Combined mentions expressing skepticism toward low-quality AI content

Market Reality Check

Price: $9.81 Vol: Volume 921,470 is below t...

normal vol

$9.81 Last Close

Volume Volume 921,470 is below the 20-day average of 1,288,603, suggesting muted pre-news interest. normal

Technical Price at $11.10 is trading below the 200-day moving average of $17.46 and far under the $36.30 52-week high.

Peers on Argus

SPT was down 0.27% while peers were mixed: SMWB +0.39%, DCBO -0.27%, VERB +3.72%...

SPT was down 0.27% while peers were mixed: SMWB +0.39%, DCBO -0.27%, VERB +3.72%, PDFS +0.41%, SEMR 0.00%, pointing to stock-specific dynamics rather than a sector-wide move.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Dec 08 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Dec 08	Product recognition	Positive	-0.5%	G2 2026 Winter Reports ranked Sprout #1 in 40 reports.
Dec 03	Brand insight report	Positive	+1.3%	Released 2025 Social Media Dictionary highlighting viral cultural trends.
Nov 18	AI platform launch	Positive	-1.5%	Introduced Sprout AI and Trellis to turn social data into intelligence.
Nov 05	Quarterly earnings	Positive	+0.4%	Q3 2025 results showed revenue growth and narrower GAAP net loss.
Nov 04	Market research survey	Positive	-1.7%	Pulse Survey underscored social media’s central role in holiday shopping.

Pattern Detected

Recent positive news (awards, product launches, surveys) often saw mixed-to-negative 24h reactions, with 3 divergences vs 2 alignments, suggesting sentiment has not consistently rewarded good headlines.

Recent Company History

Over the last few months, Sprout Social reported Q3 2025 revenue of $115.6M with improving profitability, launched its Sprout AI platform and Trellis agent, and highlighted social commerce trends in a Q4 2025 Pulse Survey. It also earned strong recognition in G2’s 2026 Winter Reports. The current Social Media Dictionary release extends this focus on social data and cultural insight, positioning the company’s analytics and listening capabilities as central to understanding digital conversation.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement highlights Sprout Social’s role in mapping online culture through its 2025 Social ...

Analysis

This announcement highlights Sprout Social’s role in mapping online culture through its 2025 Social Media Dictionary, with terms like “Aura” generating 31.9 billion impressions and marketer concepts like GEO and Substack surpassing 100 billion impressions each. It reinforces the company’s focus on social intelligence and trend detection. In context with recent earnings growth and AI product launches, investors may watch how these insight products support customer adoption, pricing power, and future revenue contributions.

Key Terms

generative engine optimization, ai-driven discovery

2 terms

generative engine optimization technical

"GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) emerged as a key term, reflecting the..."

Generative engine optimization is the process of improving a computer system that creates content—like text, images or code—so it produces more accurate, faster, and less costly results. For investors, it matters because better optimization can boost a product’s quality and speed to market, lower computing costs, and create a competitive edge similar to tuning a car engine to get more miles per gallon and smoother performance.

ai-driven discovery technical

"Drawing on a year of cross-platform conversations, Sprout’s analysis shows how hyper-niche trends, AI-driven discovery..."

AI-driven discovery uses computer algorithms to analyze large, complex datasets and spot promising candidates, patterns or opportunities—often in drug research, materials or product development—like using a metal detector instead of searching by hand. For investors it matters because it can accelerate development, lower costs and boost the chance of valuable breakthroughs, while also shifting risk due to data quality, regulatory review and commercialization uncertainty.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

‘Aura’ named Word of the Year after generating 31.9B impressions and showcasing how social moments reshape culture and language

CHICAGO, Dec. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sprout Social (Nasdaq: SPT), an industry-leading provider of social media management and analytics software, today released its first-ever Social Media Dictionary, a comprehensive analysis of the words, phrases and viral movements that shaped global culture in 2025.

Drawing on a year of cross-platform conversations, Sprout’s analysis shows how hyper-niche trends, AI-driven discovery and community-led content reshaped language and culture. The Dictionary highlights how social intelligence not only reveals what resonated in 2025, but also helps brands anticipate the emerging trends that will keep them competitive in the year ahead.

The Top Words of 2025

At the top of the list, Aura is Sprout’s 2025 Word of the Year, which generated 31.9 billion impressions across major social networks. From “aura-farming” to “aura-maxxing,” the term’s explosive rise exemplifies how viral micro-moments can rapidly transform into global cultural phenomena.

“Social media didn’t just reflect culture in 2025—it created it,” said Paul Quigley, General Manager of Listening at Sprout Social. “The Social Media Dictionary reveals that massive movements in culture often start from niche communities, like the Aura seeding from sports fans and fashion enthusiasts before going big. Tracking these emerging conversations is invaluable for predicting where social, and culture, is headed and how we can best engage with audiences and create relevant, meaningful content.”

The other top words of 2025 included Labubu, a furry gremlin character created by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung and produced by Chinese toy company Pop Mart. Originally obscure, Labubu went viral thanks to unboxing videos and celebrity influence, amassing over 5.8 million mentions online and reaching peak frenzy between May and July 2025.

The year also saw the rise of absurdist humour and chaotic digital slang. The catchphrase 6–7, originating from Skrilla’s song “Doot Doot,” became a playful inside joke among younger audiences. It was mentioned 3.8 million times in 2025 and represented the nonsensical, “brainrot” humour that dominated online conversations.

The Year’s Top Marketing Words

The Dictionary also identified the top words used by marketers in 2025. GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) emerged as a key term, reflecting the growing importance of optimizing content for AI-driven discovery, with 116 billion impressions.

Substack was another top word, with more than 117 billion impressions across social platforms. This showcases how brands are leaning into owned, niche communities to reach highly engaged audiences through long-form storytelling.

Looking Ahead to 2026

While the Dictionary looked back, it also looked forward to the words that are set to define the digital conversation in 2026. AI Slop and Clanker are both terms expressing skepticism towards the low-quality and inauthentic content created by AI. With over 2 million mentions combined, this underscores a growing frustration and preference for human-led content in the new year.

Meanwhile, terms like Group 7 are highlighting the growing appeal of niche, exclusive, and personalized online communities, a trend set to expand in 2026.

Read the full 2025 Social Media Dictionary [here] or learn more about Sprout Social [here].

About Sprout Social

Sprout Social is a global leader in social media management and analytics software, built on the belief that All Business is Social℠. Sprout’s intuitive platform puts powerful social data into the hands of approximately 30,000 brands so they can deliver smarter, faster business impact. Named the #1 Best Software Product by G2’s 2024 Best Software Award, Sprout offers comprehensive publishing and engagement functionality, customer care, influencer marketing, advocacy, crisis management, and AI-powered, predictive business intelligence. Sprout’s software operates across all major social media networks and digital platforms. For more information about Sprout Social (NASDAQ: SPT), visit sproutsocial.com.

Social Media Profiles:
www.x.com/SproutSocial
www.x.com/SproutSocialIR
www.facebook.com/SproutSocialInc
www.linkedin.com/company/sprout-social-inc-/
www.instagram.com/sproutsocial

Contact
Media:
Kaitlyn Gronek
Email: pr@sproutsocial.com
Phone: (773) 904-9674

Investors:
Lexi Johnson
Email: lexi.johnson@sproutsocial.com
Phone: (312) 528-9166

FAQ

What did Sprout Social (SPT) name as its 2025 Word of the Year and how many impressions did it generate?

Aura was named Word of the Year and generated 31.9 billion impressions across major social networks in 2025.

Which viral character and artist are highlighted in Sprout Social's 2025 Social Media Dictionary (SPT)?

The character Labubu, created by artist Kasing Lung and produced by Pop Mart, amassed over 5.8 million mentions in 2025.

What marketing terms did Sprout Social (SPT) report as top words for marketers in 2025 and their impressions?

Sprout Social listed GEO (116 billion impressions) and Substack (117 billion impressions) as top marketing words in 2025.

What phrases indicated audience dissatisfaction with AI content in Sprout Social's 2025 report (SPT)?

The Dictionary identified AI Slop and Clanker as terms expressing skepticism toward low-quality AI content, with over 2 million mentions combined.

How does Sprout Social (SPT) say niche communities influenced culture in 2025 and what trend is expected for 2026?

Sprout Social says niche communities seeded major movements (e.g., Aura) and expects growth of exclusive, personalized communities like Group 7 into 2026.