How does 'reach' differ from 'impressions' in social media marketing?

In social media marketing, 'reach' is used to represent the number of unique users who have seen a particular piece of content, such as an ad. This metric provides insight into how many different individuals are exposed to the content, allowing marketers to understand the breadth of their audience.

On the other hand, 'impressions' count the total number of times that content has been displayed, regardless of whether it was viewed by the same user multiple times. This means that one user can contribute multiple impressions, leading to a higher total count if the content is shown repetitively to the same audience.

Thus, the distinction lies in the fact that reach counts each unique user only once, providing a sense of audience size, while impressions can indicate how often the content is seen, including repeated views. This understanding helps marketers in strategizing their campaigns, focusing not just on how often something is seen, but also on how many unique individuals are engaging with their brand.