Reach vs. Engagement: Which is More Important?

As social media specialists, we often get asked about the differences between reach and engagement, and which one is more important. While both are important metrics to track, they measure different aspects of your social media performance. Understanding the differences between these two metrics is key to crafting a successful social media strategy.

Reach is the number of people who see your content on social media. It is the total number of unique users who have been exposed to your content through a social media platform. Reach can be measured in a few different ways, including organic reach, paid reach, and viral reach.

Organic reach is the number of people who see your content without any promotion. It is the reach you get from posting on your social media pages without paying for advertising. Paid reach is the number of people who see your content because you have paid for it to appear in their feed or as an ad. Finally, viral reach is the number of people who see your content because it has been shared by other users, which can help increase the overall reach of your content.

Engagement, on the other hand, is the number of interactions your content receives on social media. It is the total number of likes, comments, shares, and clicks your content receives. Engagement measures how actively your audience is interacting with your content, and can provide insights into how engaging your content is.

So, which one is more important: reach or engagement? The answer is that it depends on your social media goals. Both metrics are important and can help you achieve different goals. 

Here are a few things to consider as you are crafting your goals around social media marketing:

If your goal is brand awareness and exposure, then reach is important. The more people who see your content, the more likely they are to remember your brand and consider it in the future. A high reach can also help increase your follower count, as people who see your content may choose to follow your page for future updates.

However, if your goal is to build relationships with your audience and drive conversions, engagement is more important. High engagement rates indicate that your audience is interested in your content and actively engaging with it. This can help build brand loyalty and trust, as well as increase the likelihood of conversions.

It's important to note that engagement rates can also impact your reach. Social media platforms use engagement rates as a signal of high-quality content, which can help boost your organic reach. So, while reach may be more important for building brand awareness, engagement can help improve your reach over time.

Ultimately, the best approach is to focus on both reach and engagement. Tracking both metrics can provide insights into how your content is performing and help you optimize your social media strategy. Here are a few tips for improving both reach and engagement:

To Improve Reach:

- Post regularly: The more frequently you post, the more opportunities you have to reach new audiences.

- Use hashtags: Hashtags can help increase the visibility of your content and reach new audiences.

- Use paid advertising: If you have the budget, paid advertising can help increase your reach and target specific audiences.

To Improve Engagement:

- Post engaging content: Focus on creating high-quality, interesting content that resonates with your audience.

- Ask questions: Encourage your audience to engage with your content by asking questions or soliciting feedback.

- Respond to comments: Engage with your audience by responding to comments and messages in a timely manner.

As you can see here, reach and engagement are BOTH important metrics to track on social media. While reach can help increase brand awareness and exposure, engagement can help build relationships with your audience and drive conversions. Ultimately, the best approach is to focus on both metrics and use them to optimize your social media strategy over time.

Here at GoldBear Media, we’re highly focused on engagement first as our tool for growing your reach and converting your audience into customers. We work with our clients to build content that connects with and builds trust for your brand. We believe this results in a more engaged following that converts into paying clients to help your business grow. Call us today to learn how we support our clients, or start with a free digital audit of your entire brand.