The short version
- Reach counts people. Views count how many times something appeared on a screen, so one person can add several.
- A local business only needs to watch 3 things: reach, comments and messages, and new follows.
- A single bad day or a single big day tells you almost nothing. Look at a month at a time.
- Meta changes its labels now and then, so use its help pages when a name on your screen doesn't match this guide.
You opened your Page's numbers and now you're staring at a wall of charts. What do Facebook Insights mean, and which of them should you care about? Most of them, honestly, you can leave alone.
This guide explains the main numbers in plain words, using Meta's own help pages where they define a term. Then it tells you the 3 worth a glance each month.
Why the numbers feel confusing
Facebook has used a few different names for similar things over the years. Reach, impressions and views sound the same and aren't. Meta's own guide to Page views, reach and impressions (opens in a new tab) exists because people mix them up.
What do Facebook Insights mean, number by number?
Here are the numbers you'll run into most. The meanings for reach, impressions, page views and views come from Meta's help pages. Interactions, follows and link clicks are described in general terms.
| Metric | Plain meaning | What to do about it |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | The number of people who saw any post from your Page or about your Page. Meta says this figure is an estimate. | Watch the trend over a month. If it's flat, post more often or add more photos of real work. |
| Impressions | The number of times any post from your Page or about your Page entered a person's screen. It counts appearances, not people. | Ignore the total. Use reach instead, since it counts people. |
| Views | Meta's newer count of how many times a post appears on a screen, including repeat views. It replaces impressions for photo and text posts and stories. | Treat it as a rough size of the audience, not a count of customers. |
| Page views | The number of times your Page's profile was viewed, by people logged in or out. | A rise can mean people are checking you out before they call. Make sure your hours and phone number are right. |
| Interactions | In general, the things people do on a post: reactions, comments, shares and clicks. Meta's exact list may differ. | Read the comments and messages behind the count. One question from a neighbor beats 20 likes. |
| Follows | In general, new people who chose to follow your Page. Meta's wording may differ. | Notice which posts came just before a bump. Do more of those. |
| Link clicks | In general, how many times people tapped a link in your post. Meta's wording may differ. | Only worth watching if you post links, such as a booking page. Otherwise skip it. |
One more thing from Meta: its page on organic, paid and post reach (opens in a new tab) says organic reach counts people who had an unpaid post from your Page enter their screen. A person reached by both paid and unpaid posts counts in each.
Reach vs views: the one difference that matters
Reach counts people. Views count showings. If one regular scrolls past your post 3 times, that's 1 person in reach and 3 in views.
Meta's announcement about the change says Views is now the main distribution number (opens in a new tab) and that reach stays unchanged. So if your views look bigger than your old impressions, nothing broke. The new count includes repeat views.
The 3 numbers a local business should watch
You aren't running a media company. You need to know if your neighbors see you, talk to you and keep coming back.
- Reach: are more local people seeing your posts than last month?
- Comments and messages: are real people asking real questions, like price, hours or availability?
- New follows: is your Page picking up local people at a steady pace?
Which numbers to ignore
Do
- Compare this month to last month.
- Check which 2 or 3 posts got the most comments, then do more like them.
- Look once a month, at the same time, with a cup of coffee.
Don't
- Panic over one slow day or one slow post.
- Compare your numbers to a big brand or another town's shop.
- Chase impressions or views totals as if they were customers.
- Pay to boost a post only to make a chart climb.
If you're wondering about spending to lift a number, read is boosting a Facebook post worth it first.
What to do when the numbers are low
Check that you're posting every week
A page that goes quiet for weeks shows lower numbers. A steady rhythm matters more than any one post. See how often a business should post on Facebook.
Use real photos of real work
A van in the driveway or a finished job beats a graphic. Our tips are in how to take good photos for your business page.
Ask a question people can answer
A simple question gives neighbors a reason to comment. Reply to every comment within a day or two.
Give it a month before you change anything
One week is noise. Four weeks is a pattern.
Sources
Outside numbers in this article come from these pages.