Metrics & NumbersReach
What is Reach? Meaning, and How It Differs from Impressions
Also known as: audience reach
Short answer
Reach is the number of different people who saw your ad at least once. A reach of 2,000 means two thousand distinct people saw it, no matter how many times each of them did.
The simple way to think about it
Reach counts heads. Impressions count glances. Ten people who each look three times give a reach of 10 and 30 impressions.
The reach ceiling and how to spot it
When reach stops growing while cost keeps rising, your money is only buying frequency. The signs:
- Frequency climbing past 3 or 4 within a week.
- CTR falling on unchanged creative.
- CPM rising with no seasonal cause.
Widen the audience or change the creative. Adding budget to an exhausted audience only speeds up fatigue.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between reach and impressions?
- Reach counts people. Impressions count appearances. If reach is 1,000 and impressions are 4,000, each person saw your ad about four times.
- When is reach a fair target?
- When you launch a new brand or announce something many people must learn quickly. For sales, reach is only supporting evidence. Conversions still decide.
- My reach plateaued while budget rose. Why?
- Your audience is exhausted. Extra budget only raises frequency on the same people. Widen the audience, or change creative so you enter a different auction.
Related terms
Your ad numbers are only as accurate as the data behind them
Konektor captures the Click ID and sends conversions that close on WhatsApp, over the phone, or in a shop back to the ad platform.