Traditionally, marketing has been all about getting in front of as many people as possible. TV commercials, radio spots, newspaper ads, and billboards focused on one main goal: exposure. If enough people saw the message and sales went up, the campaign was considered a success. Simple. But in today’s digital world, especially with social media, that old approach has evolved into something much more trackable—and much more interesting.

The World of Social Media

Social media has changed the way brands communicate with consumers. Instead of broadcasting messages into the void, businesses now operate in a space where almost everything is measurable. Not only can you see how many people your content reached, you can also see how they reacted to it.

That’s where the conversation around expression and impression really matters.

On platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), TikTok, and LinkedIn, marketers can now answer questions like:

• How many people saw this post?
• How many people actually did something with it—liked, commented, shared, or reposted?
• Those two ideas—impression and expression—are key to understanding modern marketing performance.

What Are Impressions?

An impression is the number of times your content is displayed. In other words, how many eyeballs landed on your ad, post, or video. Impressions tell you:

• How far your message has traveled
• How many people had the opportunity to see it

This metric has been around for decades, long before social media. A TV spot, a print ad, a banner on a website—all of these generate impressions. But impressions alone don’t tell you how people felt about your content or whether it moved them to act.

That’s why smart marketers don’t stop at impressions anymore. They want to know: did that impression or expression of the message actually resonate?

What Are Expressions?

Expressions go a level deeper. While impressions measure views, expressions measure reactions.

On social media, an expression might be:

• A like or reaction
• A comment
• A share, repost, or retweet
• A save
• A click through to your website

These actions show that the viewer did more than just scroll past your message. They engaged with it. That extra moment of time and attention—no matter how small—is incredibly valuable.

This is the heart of expression and impression in digital marketing: impressions tell you how many people saw something; expressions tell you how many people cared enough to interact with it.

Why Expressions Matter So Much

Expressions help answer questions impressions alone cannot:

• Did the message resonate?
• Did people find it useful, entertaining, or interesting?
• Are they willing to attach their own profile or reputation to it by sharing?

Expressions also amplify your reach. For example, if one person with 300 followers shares your post, a portion of their audience is now exposed to your content too. One impression and expression from the original viewer can lead to many more impressions down the line.

Impressions vs. Expressions: Which Is More Important?

It’s not about choosing impression or expression—you need both.

• Impressions show how far your message travels.
• Expressions show how deeply it lands with your audience.

A healthy campaign usually has a strong base of impressions with a meaningful rate of expressions layered on top. Lots of impressions and almost no expressions? That might mean your content isn’t compelling enough. Great expressions but low impressions? It might be time to broaden your reach.

Working With Your Marketing Team

When you talk to your marketing team or agency, don’t just ask, “How many people will see this?” Go further and ask:

• How will you track both impression and expression?
• What counts as a valuable expression for our brand—shares, comments, clicks, saves?
• How will you optimize the campaign based on what people respond to?

Marketers who understand the balance of expression and impression are better equipped to read real consumer behavior, adjust quickly, and create campaigns that actually connect—not just appear.