What Are Impressions on Instagram? They’re How You Go Viral!

You leave an impression every time someone views your content on Instagram. This could mean they see a post, Story, or other content you share. So, what are impressions on Instagram? They are every time you leave an impression!

When someone looks at a picture you uploaded, this adds to your total number of impressions. When they flip through your Stories, they increase your impressions.

The great thing is that you don’t just get one impression. You get a first impression, a second, and a third, and this could go on and on. Your content has the potential to have as many impressions as possible.

Right now, you may not see how that is a good thing. Soon, you will understand that this is the key to virality on the platform. We will explain what we mean. 

Read this article to find out what are impressions in Instagram?

Distinguishing Impressions From Other Metrics

You finally saw the magic in business accounts on Instagram. It’s like you are your own social media manager. But now, there are so many terms that you have to keep up with.

There are many Instagram metrics that you have to consider. No, you can’t use them interchangeably. We don’t want there to be any confusion. 

Let’s talk about how impressions differ from other Instagram key metrics.

1. Reach

Your Instagram reach is the number of Instagram accounts your content contacts. This metric only counts the accounts. Therefore, one Instagram account can only add to your reach one time. This is no matter how many times that person views a photo or watches an Instagram Reel.

Each piece of social media content has a counter for its reach. This means that a photo carries its numbers. An Instagram Reel will carry its own counter. They may differ for each piece of content.

2. Follower Count

Your follower count is the number of Instagram accounts that follow your page. This is different from your impressions. You can leave an impression on accounts that don’t follow your page. 

People can view your content and keep scrolling. They don’t join the number of followers that you have. Ideally, you want impressions to lead to an increase in your follower count.

3. Engagement Rates

Ideally, people will do more than just view your content. You want them to interact with it as well. You want them to leave comments, like it, save it, and share it with their friends. These activities all go towards your engagement rate on Instagram.

Gaining impressions is not that difficult. You just have to put your content in front of an Instagram user. You could put the content in front of a user multiple times to increase your impressions. 

Engagement is more tricky to attain. The user has to take positive steps to engage with you.

Of course, to engage with your content, you must first make an impression on a user.

How You Can Increase Your Impressions

You should leave good impressions. But what’s also important is to leave many of them! It may seem like this is the easiest metric to score on. The reality is that you still have to work hard to increase your impressions. 

Here are three ways to make better impressions on Instagram:

1. Incorporate more video content. Many content creators grew their pages exponentially by incorporating Reels. It’s not difficult to learn how to make Reels. You can even use templates to save your time.
2. Create a content calendar. This tool will help you have a clearer picture of what you need to post. You can refer to it when it’s time to interpret how well your content performs. Make a note of the date and time that you posted on Instagram. Then, capitalize on the content that gets the most impressions.
3. Make carousel posts. Your post will appear on the feed multiple times when you post multiple photos. This gives your post more opportunities to make impressions.

Why Impressions Are an Important Metric for Instagram Users 

Are you wondering what are post impressions are on Instagram? Whether you are a creator or a brand, you should care about your impressions on Instagram. Knowing what your impression means is a game changer. 

Hopefully, you will use these great tips to learn what these numbers should mean.

Content Creators

Influencers want to know that people can see their content. If they can see the content, they are one step closer to following the page. As you know, many followers can come with great financial benefits.

You could appeal to brands with a strong grasp of a target audience. They will like that you have a direct link to possible consumers. You get in their heads if you know how to make impressions on these users.

The first step to purchasing is knowing that a particular product exists. That is what an impression does. The next time consumers want to purchase something, they will remember the product that a content creator spoke of. 

The more impressions they make, the more opportunities to reach a potential consumer. When a consumer sees content about a product, they can engage with it. They may save the post or share it with a friend. 

It may not seem like a lot, but impressions are important. Fortunately, you have many opportunities to make an impression on Instagram. There are Instagram Stories, the feed, and Direct Messages. Work on maximizing the way people can see your content.

Brands 

Brands need to pay attention to the impression metric. It’s important to keep track of how well your content does. Maybe you aren’t seeing a growth in your followers right now. 

Are you still racking up impressions? This could mean that people see your content but don’t follow your account. It could also mean that your content only gets in front of existing followers.

Either way, it calls for a massive rebound in your social media strategy. Reading your Instagram analytics can help you pivot and make important decisions. Your impression count will tell you if Instagram is still promoting your content.

Are the impressions low on an individual post? Then, this may not be concerning. However, if your impressions steadily decline, it could be due to an Instagram shadowban. Maybe you should consider buying Instagram ads. This is a very critical metric. You should watch it over time.

Frequently Asked Questions About Instagram Impressions

There is much confusion surrounding impressions, views, reach, and likes. If you’re still wondering what are impressions on IG, read on!

We have the answers to some of the Internet’s most popular questions.

FAQ: What counts as an impression on Instagram?

You secure an impression on Instagram when an Instagram user sees your content. If the content is a photo, an impression happens when the person sees a photo. If the content is a Reel, it occurs when a person watches the Reel.

To create an impression, the person does not have to interact with the post to make an impression. Simply seeing the post on their screen is an impression.

FAQ: What is the difference between views, reach, and impressions on Instagram?

Your Instagram reach counts the social media accounts that interacted with your content. Instagram limits this number to the number of accounts.

If you watch a video for at least three seconds, Instagram counts that as a view. An impression happens every time someone sees a piece of content. For Instagram Reels, a user does not have to watch the video. It is sufficient that they come across the video on their screens.

FAQ: Are impressions the same as views?

Impressions are not the same as views. Users must watch a video for at least three seconds to secure a view. To ensure an impression, Instagram users simply have to see the thumbnail of the Reel.

There is one way in which they are similar. An Instagram user can give a video multiple views. It can also provide various impressions of a video. 

FAQ: Are impressions the same as likes?

Impressions and likes are very different. Social media users do not have to do much to add to the number of impressions on a post. They simply have to come across the photo or video while using Instagram.

A like is a form of social media engagement on Instagram. All forms of engagement require deliberate action on the part of the Instagram user. While users can only like something once, they can be responsible for multiple impressions on a post.

What Are Impressions on Instagram Going To Do? We Will Show You!

There are hundreds of millions of Instagram accounts. We can bet that you are not scratching the surface with your impressions. There is so much more potential for you to attain on Instagram. Do you think you’re limiting yourself? You might be.

You might think that millions of followers are out of reach. But leaving an impression on them is possible, right? We believe it is. We can help you reach your goals. We’ve left an excellent impression on our clientele. You should be next.

Our advanced AI technology is the reason for our great results. Just ask our social media influencers who come to our page for expert advice. You might be asking, “what does impressions mean on Instagram” or “What are impressions on Instagram going to do for growth?” You will see that we know what we’re doing.

Are you ready to leave a lasting impression on Instagram? Sign up with Plixi today!