What is an impression in marketing?

Question

Justin Parker · Accepted Answer

An impression in marketing refers to the number of times an individual views a certain advertisement, content, or information. Impressions can apply to several online formats, such as website ads and promotional emails sent to potential customers.

Impressions can also apply to in-person physical advertising, like an ad on a billboard that gets seen by the drivers that pass it.

An impression does not automatically mean that an individual has engaged with the ad or piece of content, nor does it indicate that the individual has taken any action spurred on by the impression, like clicking on an ad in the online realm or going to purchase at a store after seeing an advertisement in the physical world.

Impressions indicate that a certain number of individuals have viewed the ad or content. Impressions are used to gauge the effectiveness of marketing campaigns because they provide key data concerning how many people have been exposed to a particular ad or campaign.

They can also be used to determine other key metrics, like click-through rate (CTR) and conversion rate, which also give a great overview of a marketing campaign's effectiveness.