Looks like your ad is pulling in some huge impression numbers. Everything must be going well right? If you think that is a sign of success then you need to read this.
A post that has great impression numbers but little engagement might as well not be seen by anyone. How many times have you been scrolling through your Instagram looking at your friend’s vacations pics and you’ve come across an ad? Sure, you see it but you don’t engage with it or pause to look at it; you just keep scrolling. How long do you think it takes for someone to forget that they even saw it? This is why impressions aren’t a good success metric; those numbers simply show how many times your content has been displayed, regardless if it’s been clicked on or not. That’s why at Adapting social, we don’t want you to assume what you post is doing great based on those numbers. We believe in focusing on concrete data so that we can analyze the success of a social media post, advertisement, or email. Letting the numbers speak for themselves is the simplest and most realistic way to understand if you have accomplished your goals.
The Adapting Social team strives to bring entrepreneurs everywhere the highest-quality content, allowing their small business to be more than a little blip on people’s social media timelines. You might be wondering why we would tell you this and it is because we want you to know that you aren’t just a client to us, you’re family. We want your posts to be successful and filled with the best content possible so you can take your engagement to the next level. The first step in being a success on social media or with advertisements is understanding the numbers. As it’s said in the epic film Pacific Rim, “Numbers are the language of God.”
Impression Numbers ≠ a Good Measuring Tool
It’s easy to be tricked into thinking your content was a success just by looking at the impressive numbers. 3,000 impressions look great, but if you have gotten zero messages, likes, or comments then what was the point? Now, we are not going to tell you that this aspect should be ignored, it’s a very good way to track the progress of an ad, but impression numbers don’t make or break your content. What good is the perfect ad for the perfect product if no one is interested or engaging with it? When we formulate an advertisement, we are always sure to do mass amounts of research and strategizing to ensure that your business has the opportunity to reap the benefits.
The Difference Between Reach and Impressions
Do you know the difference between reach and impressions? If you don’t it’s understandable, a lot of people tend to get these terms confused. Impressions are how many times your content is displayed. Reach, on the other hand, is the total number of people who have seen an advertisement or social media post. Knowing the difference is key to posting successful ads and content. Just viewing one without taking into account the other is not how you should be measuring success. Not all of your content will reach your followers, that’s a fact. Don’t worry though, this is where impressions come in. They will show you just how many times its been on someone’s screen, regardless if they are following you or not. It also counts every time it is on a user’s screen. It is possible for someone to come across a post 3 times and it would be registered as 3 separate views. Reach counts how many times individual people have seen your content. Knowing the difference is key to being successful in today’s online world.
Don’t Let Smaller Numbers Scare you
It’s easy to get scared and begin feeling like you failed when you see the difference between the numbers. Just as the impression numbers give you a false sense of success, lower ones can do the same in making you feel like an ad crashed and burned. Some important questions to ask yourself is how much interaction your post got? Did you gain any new followers from it? How many messages came from the content? These are the crucial questions to ask yourself. It’s better to get a handful of interactions than to have a million impressions and nothing to show for it. By providing followers as well as those who don’t follow you yet with valuable content they will be more encouraged to show love to the content that you have posted by liking or commenting. Our AS team deeply believes in allowing businesses to leverage their credibility through cutting-edge marketing tactics and we are always sure to analyze social media analytics so that we achieve positive results.
Your social media and overall digital presence are MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN EVER and it will only become more so as the years go on. If your small business isn’t online, it needs to be now and our team at Adapting Social is ready to help you accomplish your goals. We will do everything in our power to take your digital footprint to the next level. As the leading experts in marketing and design, we will provide authentic and high-quality content in your voice that will help you gain brand recognition, grow your follower count, increase your customer base, and maximize your overall sales. We are ready to get to work!
