Instagram is making a major change in how it measures content performance. Starting soon, the platform will use “views” as the primary metric for all types of content, including Reels, Stories, photos, and more. This update, announced on Instagram’s creators account, is expected to be rolled out in the coming weeks.
Adam Mosseri, Instagram’s chief, explained that traditionally, different metrics were used for different content formats, which made it harder to get a clear picture of overall content performance. By focusing on “views,” Instagram aims to simplify and standardize how creators track their content’s success.
What’s the Difference Between Views and Reach?
In a video accompanying the announcement, Mosseri clarified that “views” and “reach” are different metrics. “Views” count the number of times a piece of content is watched, even if the same user views it multiple times. On the other hand, “reach” measures how many unique users see the content. While views will now be highlighted as the main metric, Mosseri also suggested keeping an eye on “sends per reach” to gauge how well content is performing.
This shift reflects Meta’s broader strategy to prioritize views as a key performance indicator. For example, Threads, Meta’s other platform, now shows total view counts for posts. This trend is also seen on Twitter, now known as X, which has emphasized views under Elon Musk’s leadership.
By standardizing metrics and focusing on views, Instagram hopes to give creators a clearer and more unified understanding of their content’s impact across all formats.
