Definition:
Impression is the frequency with which an advertisement is published on a digital medium and is, presumably, seen by visitors. If the same ad appears on multiple pages at once, this statistic may underestimate the number of ad impressions, due to browser caching. It is the equivalent of net impressions in traditional media. There is currently no way to know if an ad actually loaded.
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Impression metric
Impressions are a fundamental metric when measuring the performance of certain ads: in a display ad the objective will be to achieve the maximum number of impressions with the aim of making a brand or product known to the largest possible target audience.
Impressions are also one of the components of other basic indicators in the measurement of online ads: the Click Through Rate (CTR) which is the number of clicks divided by the number of impressions, and the CPM, which is the cost per thousand impressions. This last indicator, which has been the usual one in online advertising, is giving way in importance to the Cost per Click (CPC) and even the Cost per Acquisition (CPA).
Differences between impressions and reach
To make estimates on social networks, reach and impressions are used, two terms that are sometimes confused even though they do not mean the same thing.
Reach measures the number of users who have seen one of our social media posts.
Impressions, on the other hand, is the number of times a publication has appeared on the timeline or wall of our followers. In this case, this measurement is less accurate than the scope since a user has been able to see the same post more than once if a third person has shared it, for example.
Frequently asked questions about Impression
What does Impression mean in digital marketing?
Impression refers to the concept described in this glossary entry: Definition: Impression is the frequency with which an advertisement is published on a digital medium and is, presumably, seen by visitors. If the same ad appears on multiple pages at once, this statistic may underestimate the number of ad impressions, due to browser caching. It gives teams a shared vocabulary for analysing digital projects.
When should teams pay attention to Impression?
Teams should review Impression when it affects acquisition, measurement, user experience, content, automation or campaign performance. The important step is to connect the definition with a real decision.
How is Impression used in a digital strategy?
Impression is used by translating the concept into practical checks: where it appears in the funnel, which data or channel is involved and whether it needs optimisation, monitoring or documentation.
What is a common mistake when interpreting Impression?
A common mistake is using Impression too broadly. It is better to verify the context, the tool or the metric involved before making strategic or technical conclusions.