Reach vs impressions
Reach vs impressions comes down to people against views. Reach counts the unique accounts that saw your post. Impressions count every time it was shown, repeat views included. Divide impressions by reach to get frequency: 10 impressions across 5 accounts gives a frequency of 2.
Reach vs impressions
Formula
Frequency = impressions / reach
Example
Example: 5 accounts each see a post twice. Reach = 5. Impressions = 10. Frequency = 2.
Related documents
Related terms
- Impressions
- Organic reach
- What is engagement rate? Definition and formula
In Weekbird
Weekbird reports metrics per connected network and exports them as CSV or HTML, so you can calculate frequency from each network's own reach and impressions.
Reach vs impressions defined
Reach is the number of unique accounts that saw a post. Each account counts once.
Impressions are the number of times the post appeared on screen. An account that scrolls past it twice adds two.
Impressions are equal to or higher than reach.
Frequency formula
Frequency = impressions / reach. It tells you how often the average account saw the post.
| Reach | Impressions | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 10 | 2.0 |
| 1,000 | 1,800 | 1.8 |
| 1,000 | 1,100 | 1.1 |
Example
Example: a post reaches 1,000 accounts and gets 1,800 impressions. Frequency = 1,800 / 1,000 = 1.8. On average each account saw it close to twice. If your next post reaches 1,000 accounts with 1,100 impressions, frequency drops to 1.1: the same audience size, fewer repeat views.
What platforms call them
Names and counting rules vary by platform, so read each definition before you put two networks in one report.
| Network | Unique audience | Total views |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram (developer insights) | Reach | Impressions |
| LinkedIn (post analytics) | Members reached | Impressions |
Related terms
- Impressions: the times content was shown.
- Organic reach: accounts reached without paid promotion.
- Engagement rate: interactions divided by followers, reach or impressions.
Use it in your week
Weekbird analytics shows metrics for each connected network and exports them as CSV or HTML. It keeps each network's numbers separate, so you compare reach with reach on the same network. Feed the numbers into the engagement rate calculator to see which denominator moves your rate.