Read six numbers, in this order: amount spent, reach, impressions, link clicks, results and cost per result. Together they show how many people saw the advert, how many acted and what each action cost. Likes, followers and video views are not results unless they were the goal. If a report does not show cost per result, ask for it.
The six numbers
| Number | What it means | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Amount spent | What the platform charged | Does it match the advertising part of my budget? |
| Reach | How many different people saw the advert | Are these people in my area and my market? |
| Impressions | How many times it was shown in total | Is each person seeing it too often? |
| Link clicks | How many times people clicked through | Is the advert interesting enough to act on? |
| Results | How many did the thing the advert was set up for | Is the goal the thing I actually want? |
| Cost per result | Amount spent divided by results | Is this less than a customer is worth to me? |
A worked example
| Line | Figure |
|---|---|
| Amount spent | N$900 |
| Reach | 9,400 people |
| Impressions | 16,200 |
| Link clicks | 210 |
| Results (messages started) | 38 |
| Cost per result | N$900 ÷ 38 = N$23.68 |
Reading it: each person saw the advert about 1.7 times. About 1.3% of views became clicks. About one click in six became a message. Each message cost N$23.68. Whether that is good depends on what a customer is worth and how many messages turn into sales.
Two ratios worth knowing
- Click rate (CTR) is clicks divided by impressions. A low rate means the advert is not catching the right people's attention.
- Frequency is impressions divided by reach. When it climbs and results fall, people have seen the advert enough and it needs replacing.
Numbers that look good and mean little
- Likes and reactions, unless the goal was to be liked.
- Followers gained, unless those followers buy.
- Impressions on their own. A large number shown to the wrong people is waste.
- Video views counted after three seconds.
What the report cannot tell you
Whether the people who messaged went on to buy. Only your own records show that. Ask each new customer how they found you and keep a tally: how to tell which marketing is working.
What every ADA report contains
The six numbers above, taken from the platform's own figures, a sentence on what they mean, and what changes next. How we work.