--- title: "What is Mention? — Social Media Glossary | Postpone" canonical_url: "https://www.postpone.app/social-media-glossary/mention" last_updated: "2026-10-08T07:18:28.847Z" meta: description: "A mention is a tag or reference to another user's handle in a post or comment, which usually sends that person a notification." "og:description": "A mention is a tag or reference to another user's handle in a post or comment, which usually sends that person a notification." "og:title": "What is Mention? — Social Media Glossary" "twitter:description": "A mention is a tag or reference to another user's handle in a post or comment, which usually sends that person a notification." "twitter:title": "What is Mention? — Social Media Glossary" --- **Community & Engagement** # Mention A mention is a tag or reference to another user's handle in a post or comment, which usually sends that person a notification. [**Reddit **post scheduler](https://www.postpone.app/platforms/reddit-post-scheduler) [** X **post scheduler](https://www.postpone.app/platforms/twitter-post-scheduler) [** Instagram **scheduler](https://www.postpone.app/platforms/instagram-post-scheduler) [** Facebook **scheduler](https://www.postpone.app/platforms/facebook-post-scheduler) [** LinkedIn **scheduler](https://www.postpone.app/platforms/linkedin-scheduler) [** TikTok **post scheduler](https://www.postpone.app/platforms/tiktok-post-scheduler) [** Threads **scheduler](https://www.postpone.app/platforms/threads-scheduler) [** Pinterest **scheduler](https://www.postpone.app/platforms/pinterest-scheduler) [** YouTube **Shorts scheduler](https://www.postpone.app/platforms/youtube-shorts-scheduler) [** Bluesky **post scheduler](https://www.postpone.app/platforms/bluesky-post-scheduler) [** Tumblr **scheduler](https://www.postpone.app/platforms/tumblr-post-scheduler) [** Mastodon **post scheduler](https://www.postpone.app/platforms/mastodon-post-scheduler) When someone includes your @handle in a post or comment, that's a mention. It's the simplest way one user can bring another into a conversation publicly. On most platforms, mentions trigger a notification, putting your name directly in front of the person you're referencing — and making the interaction visible to both audiences. Mentions work slightly differently across platforms. On Twitter/X and Threads, you @mention someone directly in your post text. On Instagram, you can mention users in captions, comments, and Stories. On LinkedIn, mentions work in posts and comments and notify the tagged person's network. On Reddit, typing u/username in a comment pings that user. The mechanic varies, but the result is the same: you're publicly pulling someone into a conversation. ## Why Mentions Matter for Brands Every mention of your brand is a data point. Positive mentions are social proof you can amplify — retweet them, reshare them in Stories, or screenshot them for your website. Negative mentions are early warning signals that something needs attention before it snowballs. The mentions you don't see are just as important. Not everyone tags your handle when talking about your product. Some people use your brand name without the @, discuss you in Reddit threads without linking your account, or reference you indirectly. That's why pairing mention tracking with broader social listening gives you the full picture. ## Mention Etiquette Don't mention people or brands without a reason. Tagging a bunch of large accounts in a post hoping they'll reshare your content is a well-known spam tactic, and it annoys everyone involved. Mention someone when you're genuinely referencing them, crediting their work, asking them a question, or continuing a conversation. For brands, responding to mentions quickly shows your audience you're paying attention. Even a simple like or brief reply to a positive mention signals that there's a real person behind the account. Ignoring mentions — especially from customers asking questions — sends the opposite message. Track your mention volume over time. A sudden spike could mean a post went viral, a PR crisis is brewing, or an influencer just recommended you. Each scenario demands a different response, and you want to catch it early rather than discover it a day late. **Example** A customer tweets '@PostponeApp just saved me 3 hours this week on scheduling' — that mention shows up in Postpone's notifications, gets retweeted to their 15,000 followers, and drives 200 profile visits in a single day. ## **Why It Matters** Mentions are how conversations start publicly on social media. They're also a key signal for social listening — tracking who mentions your brand and what they say gives you real-time insight into reputation, customer satisfaction, and emerging opportunities. See how Postpone handles this in our [**unified social inbox**](https://www.postpone.app/features/social-inbox). ## **Related Terms** [Direct Message (DM)](https://www.postpone.app/social-media-glossary/direct-message) [Engagement Rate](https://www.postpone.app/social-media-glossary/engagement-rate) [Handle](https://www.postpone.app/social-media-glossary/handle) [Social Listening](https://www.postpone.app/social-media-glossary/social-listening) [Tagging](https://www.postpone.app/social-media-glossary/tagging) [**← Back to Social Media Glossary **](https://www.postpone.app/social-media-glossary)