An ad impression refers to the number of times an advertisement is displayed on a screen, regardless of whether the user interacts with it. Impressions measure ad visibility rather than engagement, making them a key metric for brand awareness campaigns.
What You Should Know
Ad impressions are counted every time an ad is loaded and shown to a user. For example, if a user scrolls through Instagram and sees a shoe ad three times in their feed, it counts as three impressions. Impressions do not indicate clicks or actions; they measure exposure.
There are two common types of impressions:
- Served Impressions: Counted when the ad server delivers the ad to the publisher’s site.
- Viewable Impressions: Counted only when the ad meets viewability standards, such as appearing at least 50% on the screen for one second (as defined by the Media Rating Council).
How It Works
Advertising platforms like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and display networks track impressions automatically. Advertisers often purchase impressions through cost-per-thousand-impressions (CPM) bidding, paying for every 1,000 times the ad is shown.
Marketers use impression data to evaluate ad reach and adjust strategies to increase visibility. For example, a fashion brand launching a new collection may aim for high impressions on Instagram to boost awareness before a sale.
Advantages
- Boosts Brand Awareness: Repeated impressions reinforce brand messaging, especially for new products.
- Measures Campaign Reach: Provides insights into how many people are exposed to an ad.
- Informs Frequency Management: Helps advertisers identify if users are seeing ads too often or not enough.
Applications and Use Cases
A cosmetics brand promoting a new lipstick line tracks impressions from Instagram Stories and TikTok ads to measure reach. A streaming service launching a new series uses impressions to gauge how many users see their trailer on YouTube and connected TV platforms.