Reach / Advertising

Reach refers to the total number of unique individuals who see a piece of content, advertisement or message during a specific period. Unlike impressions, which count every time content is displayed (including repeat views), reach focuses on distinct viewers. It is a key metric in both digital and traditional marketing and helps gauge the overall exposure of a campaign or brand message.

Reach can be tracked across platforms such as social media, email marketing, display advertising and television. For example, if a Facebook ad is seen by 5,000 different people, its reach is 5,000, even if some of those individuals see the ad multiple times. Most platforms offer both organic reach (unpaid exposure) and paid reach (resulting from ad spend), allowing marketers to compare performance and budget effectiveness.

For B2B and SaaS companies, reach helps assess how well brand awareness campaigns or product launches are resonating with targeted segments. For nonprofits, increasing reach is crucial for expanding awareness, attracting new donors and promoting events or initiatives. A strong reach can indicate message clarity, audience alignment and content shareability. Improving reach involves a combination of strategic targeting, compelling content, platform-specific tactics and cross-channel promotion. Monitoring reach alongside engagement and conversion metrics gives a fuller picture of campaign success.