Facebook Ad Reach and Impressions
Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2024 4:57 am
So how do we know if any of the “reach” or “impressions” we’re getting are actually real? To answer that question, Facebook breaks impressions into two categories: “served” and “viewed.”
Facebook also says that a video “doesn’t have to start playing to count as an impression.” A better way to put it is that impressions measure how many times your content may have been seen.
If an ad is “served,” it simply means that the ad was paid for and the system delivered it somewhere (at the top of a highly visible news feed, in an ad box in the sidebar, etc.).
“Served” ads don’t have to appear on japan phone number library screen (remain “below the fold,” as Facebook puts it) or finish rendering to count as a “served” impression.
On the other hand, “viewed” impressions are not counted unless the user sees the ad appear on their screen. If the user doesn’t scroll to see the ad or navigates away from the page before it loads, the ad is not counted as “viewed.”
When a Facebook Ad is served, it means that the publisher has told the system to serve an ad. As long as the system records the delivery of that ad, it counts as a success, i.e. a served impression. This is a bit sneaky because it counts as a success regardless of whether an ad was seen or not. =)
Served impressions include ads that no one sees because they appear below the fold or leave the page before they can finish rendering. It’s flawed and leaves a huge gap between the number of ads served and the number seen.
However, impressions viewed are counted from the moment the ad enters the screen of a desktop browser or mobile app. If it does not enter the screen, it is not counted.
Twitter
As you can see, there are many similarities between reach and impressions, but there is still a fundamental difference in terms of engagement. Similar to our first example, let’s say you have 100 followers on Twitter and you post a Tweet. If every one of your followers sees that Tweet, you have a reach of 100 users and 100 impressions.
Facebook also says that a video “doesn’t have to start playing to count as an impression.” A better way to put it is that impressions measure how many times your content may have been seen.
If an ad is “served,” it simply means that the ad was paid for and the system delivered it somewhere (at the top of a highly visible news feed, in an ad box in the sidebar, etc.).
“Served” ads don’t have to appear on japan phone number library screen (remain “below the fold,” as Facebook puts it) or finish rendering to count as a “served” impression.
On the other hand, “viewed” impressions are not counted unless the user sees the ad appear on their screen. If the user doesn’t scroll to see the ad or navigates away from the page before it loads, the ad is not counted as “viewed.”
When a Facebook Ad is served, it means that the publisher has told the system to serve an ad. As long as the system records the delivery of that ad, it counts as a success, i.e. a served impression. This is a bit sneaky because it counts as a success regardless of whether an ad was seen or not. =)
Served impressions include ads that no one sees because they appear below the fold or leave the page before they can finish rendering. It’s flawed and leaves a huge gap between the number of ads served and the number seen.
However, impressions viewed are counted from the moment the ad enters the screen of a desktop browser or mobile app. If it does not enter the screen, it is not counted.
As you can see, there are many similarities between reach and impressions, but there is still a fundamental difference in terms of engagement. Similar to our first example, let’s say you have 100 followers on Twitter and you post a Tweet. If every one of your followers sees that Tweet, you have a reach of 100 users and 100 impressions.