What’s changing and why it matters
Facebook is aligning its measurement with how people actually consume content. “Impressions” are being replaced by “Views,” and “Fans” becomes “Followers.”
Views count each time content is played or displayed, including repeat views. This makes exposure metrics more intuitive, especially for video and Reels.
We’ve updated Socialinsider to reflect these platform changes across the dashboard.
The big switches
Impressions → Views
Views include repeat plays or displays. Expect Views to be higher than prior Impressions.
Fans → Followers
We now use Followers across Facebook pages.
Reels clarity
All Facebook video content is now reel content. Reels Views are actuals from Meta. Competitor Reels Views are also showing the numbers from the native platform; other competitor post exposures remain estimated.
What we updated in Socialinsider
To align with these changes, we've updated all Socialinsider metrics that previously used Impressions or Fans. Additionally, we've improved our brand-level metrics to provide more comprehensive cross-platform performance data.
You’ll see these changes throughout the dashboard.
Impressions are now Views
Fans are now Followers
Video Views on Facebook are standardized on Reels Views where applicable
Engagement rate calculations switch from Impressions to Views
Note: For competitors' pages, Facebook Reels Views are actual data from the native platform. For other competitor content types, Views are estimated by Socialinsider due to limitations in the Meta API.
How this affects your numbers
Views will likely be higher than your old Impressions
Because Views count repeat exposures, totals tend to increase.
Engagement rates by Views may decrease
The denominator is larger, so ER by Views can look lower than ER by Impressions for the same content.
Cross-platform reporting is more consistent
We use platform-preferred naming and avoid double-counting Reels when they are broken out separately.
Post-level changes
For Facebook posts published by own pages:
Normal posts (photo, link, etc.): Impressions metrics were removed and added Views, including Organic Views and Paid Views
Reels: Impressions and legacy Video Views were removed and added Views, including Organic Views and Paid Views
Engagement rate: now calculated by Views (engagement rate by views)
For competitor posts:
Estimated Views for content where the platform does not provide actual values
Reels Views reflect the actual values from Meta
Profile-level changes
Engagement section
Avg Eng Rate by Impressions ⇒ Avg Eng Rate by Views
Avg Eng Rate by Fans ⇒ Avg Eng Rate by Followers
Reach section
Reach Rate by Fans ⇒ Reach Rate by Followers
Views section (renamed from Impressions)
Page Views distribution and totals
Post Views distribution and totals
Paid breakdowns, plus “day with most views” and “hour with most views”
Audience and Content Pillars
All Fans labels now say Followers
Pillars show Views and ER by Followers
Pillars “Video Views” reflects Facebook Reels only for Facebook data
Benchmarks and Brand
Benchmarks
Fans removed in favor of Followers (for Facebook pages)
All Impressions metrics renamed to Views, including Avg Eng Rate by Views
Brands (cross-platform)
“Brand Impressions” becomes “Brand Views” using platform-preferred naming
Formulas distinguish Actual vs Estimated components explicitly
Facebook competitor Reels Views are Actual; other competitor post exposures are Estimated
What This Means For Your Reports
These changes will affect your metrics in several ways:
Higher numbers for Views vs. Impressions: Because Views count repeat viewings, these numbers will likely be higher than previous Impressions figures
Lower engagement rates: With Views as the denominator (instead of Impressions), engagement rates may appear lower
Different historical comparisons: When comparing data before and after these changes, remember that you're looking at different measurement systems
Questions?
If you have any questions about these changes or need help understanding your metrics, please contact our support team. We're here to help you navigate this transition and get the most out of your social media analytics.