Reach

Definition

Reach is a digital marketing metric that measures the number of unique users who see your content or ads over a specific period. Unlike impressions, which count every time an ad is displayed, reach counts each person only once, providing insight into the size of your audience and how widely your message is being distributed.

Why It Matters

Reach is crucial for understanding brand awareness and campaign effectiveness. A high reach indicates that your content is being exposed to a broad and diverse audience, while low reach may suggest targeting issues or limited distribution. For marketers, balancing reach with frequency — the number of times each person sees an ad — ensures campaigns are memorable without overwhelming users.

Example

Think of a fashion retailer running Facebook Ads to promote a new seasonal line. The campaign delivers 50,000 impressions but reaches 30,000 people, meaning some users saw the ad more than once. By looking at reach, the brand can see how many individuals actually came across the campaign and use that insight to fine-tune targeting and budget.

Additional Insights

Reach is especially useful when running awareness campaigns, where the priority is getting your brand or message in front of as many relevant people as possible. It pairs closely with impressions: if reach is high but impressions are low, it may mean people only saw the ad once; if both are high, you’re hitting the same audience multiple times, which can help with recognition but also risks fatigue. Looking at reach alongside engagement and conversions gives a more rounded view of how well a campaign is actually performing.

Bottom Line

Reach tells you how many unique people your ads are getting in front of. When you track it alongside impressions, engagement, and conversions, you get a clearer picture of whether your campaigns are truly building visibility and driving impact.