Meta is introducing a new metric called Views to simplify content performance tracking across Facebook and Instagram. This unified metric will apply to reels, videos, publications, and stories, providing a clearer and more consistent view of content performance.
Understanding Views
Views measure the number of times your content is played or displayed on the screen, regardless of the format. For reels and videos, Views replace “Plays” without changing the calculation method. For stories, text posts, or photos, Views take the place of “Impressions” and count each time a person views the content again.
This change could result in higher numbers, better reflecting the interest your content generates. For example, if someone views your photo three times in one day, three Views will be recorded instead of one Impression.
New Video Metrics
Meta has also updated video-related metrics, introducing two key indicators: Minutes Displayed and Average Minutes Viewed. These metrics replace the old “Viewing Time” and “Average Viewing Time” metrics.
- Minutes Displayed measures the total time people spend watching your videos, including replays.
- Average Minutes Viewed shows the average duration of views per viewer.
These metrics aim to provide a more detailed perspective on the impact and retention capacity of your videos. Other popular metrics, such as Reach, Reactions, Comments, and Shares, remain unchanged.
The Importance of Simplification
By introducing the Views metric, Meta aims to align metrics between Facebook and Instagram, making it easier for creators to understand how their content resonates on both platforms. This simplification will also reduce the complexity of multiple indicators, making data clearer and actionable, and helping to optimize content strategies.
In the coming weeks, these updates will be available on Meta Business Suite and in the professional panel, in addition to extending to ad measurement tools.