Impressions are the total number of times your content or ad was displayed. If the same person sees a post more than once, each view counts as a separate impression.
Impressions underpin many metrics such as CPM and CTR. On their own they are not a sign of success; what matters is how many of them turn into clicks, engagement or sales.
In Meta and Google ads, impressions vary with budget, audience size and bids.
FORMULA
Impressions = Reach × Frequency
EXAMPLE
An ad that reaches 8,000 people who each see it 2.5 times on average gets about 20,000 impressions.
PRACTICAL TIPS
- 01Read impressions together with CTR and conversions, not alone.
- 02Avoid showing the same person too many impressions with a frequency cap.
- 03Test your posting times to grow organic impressions.