What Are Impressions on LinkedIn? The Complete Guide

Do you want to know what impressions are on LinkedIn? How are impressions different from views or reach? What are the different types of impressions? And most importantly, how can you increase your impressions? This wikiHow article explains all this and more.

Impressions on LinkedIn: Meaning

Impressions are the number of times your content is seen on LinkedIn. Any time your post is at least 50% visible on a logged-in member's screen, it is counted as an impression. Impressions are one of many metrics used to measure a post's performance.

Section 1 of 6:

What are impressions?

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Impressions are the number of times your content is displayed on LinkedIn. Anytime your posts or content is shown to a LinkedIn user, it is counted as an impression. Even if that user has already seen the content you posted.
- To be specific, your content has to be at least 50% visible on the screen of the logged-in user's device for at least 300 milliseconds to be counted as an impression. This can be in a web browser or using the LinkedIn mobile app . ^{[1]
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What are unique impressions and reach?

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Unique impressions are the number of times your content is shown to unique users. Whenever your content appears in the feed of a logged-in user for the first time, it is counted as a unique impression. If that user sees the same piece of content again, it is counted as an impression but not a unique impression.
- Unique impressions are also referred to as "reach." While reach is often confused with impressions, they are different. Reach is the number of users who saw your content, while impressions are the number of times your content was viewed. ^{[2]
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Why Impressions Matter

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Impressions help you gauge the performance of your posts on LinkedIn. The more impressions your content receives, the more people have an opportunity to view and interact with your content. This will likely result in more engagement with your content.
- It's important to remember that while impressions are an important metric in gauging the performance of your LinkedIn posts, they are only one of many metrics. Impressions should be considered along with likes, comments, shares, views, and unique impressions or reach.

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Organic Vs. Paid Impressions

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Paid impressions are impressions that are gained as a result of a paid advertising campaign. In other words, someone has paid to promote and boost the content. Paid impressions are a great way to expand your reach and gain immediate visibility, but they can be seen as inauthentic and spammy. Many people may ignore paid content due to ad fatigue.
Organic impressions are gained naturally without paid advertising. These impressions are usually seen as more authentic and generally reflect the interests of your target audience. However, they typically don't have the same reach as paid impressions, and their success often depends on the algorithm. Not only that, but it can also take quite a bit of time to build a platform that has significant reach through organic impressions.

Section 5 of 6:

Are views the same as impressions?

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With videos, a view is counted when a video is played for at least 3 seconds. With articles, a view is counted when the article completely loads in your browser. Neither of these are the same as impressions.

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How to Increase Your Impressions

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Make sure you are sharing high-resolution images and videos that are professionally edited. Share articles that are well-written and have factual information.
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Post content that your target audience likes. Before posting something, ask yourself, "Who is this for?" Know your target audience and post content they would find engaging, interesting, and informative.
- According to social media and marketing expert Carin Bennett, you have to stay within your lane. Identify your brand and stick with it. If it's not part of your brand, don't post it. Posting about too many different interests is the easiest way to dilute your brand and confuse the algorithm.
Include images, charts, and videos with your posts. Infographics, interesting pictures, and videos can make your content more engaging.
When posting content on LinkedIn, be sure to include hashtags that are relevant to the topic you are posting about and that your target audience would find interesting (i.e., #marketingideas, #businessplanning).
When writing articles on LinkedIn , write titles and descriptions that grab attention and are clear and concise.
When you see content that you like on LinkedIn, interact with it. Give it a like and comment on it. You can also share it. Interact with other people you know on LinkedIn. Network with other people.

Reid Hoffman, Entrepreneur, Founder of LinkedIn

Put effort into your professional life. "How you manage your own personal career is the exact way you manage a small business. Your brand matters."
There are lots of groups you can join on LinkedIn. Join groups that are relevant to the content that you post. Participate in the groups and interact with their members.
To reach a wider audience, you can use LinkedIn's advertising platform to boost your posts. This will allow you to gain some paid impressions. ^{[3]
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