19 May What Does Meta’s Shift to Views From Impressions Mean for Your Social Reporting?
If you’ve noticed your Instagram metrics changing lately, you’re not alone. As of April 21, 2025, Meta has officially deprecated “Impressions” and “Plays” across all versions of the Instagram API and introduced a new, unified metric: Views.
At Zoomph, we’ve already updated our platform to reflect these changes, ensuring a seamless transition for our partners across sports properties, brands and agencies. Let’s unpack what this shift really means for your social strategy, sponsorship reporting, and how to adapt with confidence.
Meta’s decision to replace Impressions with Views isn’t just a name change — it’s a fundamental shift in how content visibility is measured.
Views count every display, even if it’s the same user multiple times. That means your numbers may look higher. Our research shows Views can be 25%+ higher than Impressions.
More exposure isn’t a bad thing. This shift reflects how users actually consume content – watching, rewatching and if the content resonates – they are returning for more.
Reporting Across the Transition: What About YOY?
One of the first questions we’ve heard from our customers: How can we do accurate year-over-year (YoY) comparisons when the metrics have changed?
Here’s how we recommend handling it:
- Historical Data Preserved: At Zoomph, we’ve retained Impressions for content published before April 17, 2025. You’ll still be able to run historical reports with those numbers.
- Clear Labeling: All Zoomph dashboards and exports now use “Views/Impressions” to show cross-platform performance while distinguishing Instagram’s new data format.
- Call Out the Change: Communication is key. Platform shifts happen and they are outside of everyone’s control. When preparing reports for sponsors or key stakeholders, be sure to flag the April 2025 shift and avoid direct Impressions-to-Views comparisons.
Add a note to explain the change. An asterisk or footnote can make all the difference.
For now, use percentage change less often in any YoY recaps. Focus instead on engagement rate, rankings vs. competitors, follower growth or get more granular on specific content format performance. Fortunately, Zoomph can provide all of the reliable data you need.
Strategic Shifts: Adapting to the New Metric
With Views as the new standard, it’s time to pivot your content and programming strategy.
Here’s how sports properties and their partners can maximize the impact:
1. Create for Repeat Viewing
Design content that rewards repeat views — like shorter highlight loops, fan reactions, and storytelling in carousels. Shorter, more snackable content should deliver stronger numbers. Personality driven content from athletes will always resonate. Can these changes help make the case for better access to players? Content that earns a second glance will yield strong results.
2. Refocus Engagement Goals
Views are about reach, but engagement should always be the goal. Track comments, shares, and other granular engagement metrics to get a better understanding of what content is working – and what can be improved.
3. Empower Sponsorships
More views = more value. Lean into higher exposure counts when building sponsorship decks. Make sure your branded content strategy highlights consistency, duration on screen, and partner recall.
Use Zoomph’s updated Social Value calculations, which now apply Views against Instagram CPM to provide updated ROI analysis for all new posts.
4. Update Your Internal Processes
Be sure to replace “Impressions” with “Views” in templates and reports. Train your team and educate brand partners on what the change means. Embrace it as an opportunity to benchmark against platforms like TikTok and YouTube, which also rely on Views as a core metric.
Instagram Isn’t Alone. It’s an Industry Shift
Instagram is just the latest to redefine how content visibility is measured. Twitter/X, TikTok, and YouTube have all prioritized View-based metrics, reflecting evolving user behavior. The way fans consume content is changing – your content and measurement strategy should too.
As a social media manager, strategist, or partnership executive, your job just got more exciting. This metric shift provides:
- A chance to highlight stronger reach
- Better cross-platform alignment
- An opportunity to refresh your approach to social content. Changes like this can yield creative solutions.
At Zoomph, we’re here to help you navigate the change — with updated dashboards, exports, and support for both Owned and Earned content.
