CEO Alert: The KPI you may be undervaluing has big growth potential [Impressions]

In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, it's easy to get caught up in the allure of clicks and conversions. But what if I told you that the real gold mine lies in a metric many executives overlook? Welcome to the often misunderstood realm of digital impressions.

For years, the mantra has been "clicks drive business." However, recent data paints a compelling picture that challenges this view. In 2023, studies from industry leaders like Google, Forrester, and eMarketer have revealed a startling truth: impressions pack a punch far beyond their perceived value.

From boosting brand awareness without a single click to driving significant increases in return on ad spend, impressions are quietly revolutionizing the way smart businesses approach their digital strategies. Let's dive into the numbers that are making marketers and CEOs alike rethink their approach to digital advertising.

First let's get clear on the definition. In digital marketing, an "impression" occurs each time your content is displayed, regardless of whether it was clicked or not. This includes impressions on:

• Social media posts

• Display ads

• Search engine results pages (SERPs)

• Website pages

• Email marketing campaigns
  

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Top 5 Ways Skilled Marketers Can Help Brokerages Maximize Impressions

1. Implement Cross-Channel Impression Strategies - A fractional CMO can develop a cohesive strategy that maximizes impressions across multiple platforms (social media, property listing sites, Google ads, etc.), ensuring your brokerage's brand and listings gain maximum visibility in a fragmented digital landscape.

2. Optimize Local SEO for Increased Organic Impressions - By fine-tuning your brokerage's local SEO strategy, a fractional CMO can significantly boost organic search impressions. This includes optimizing for neighborhood-specific keywords, enhancing Google My Business profiles, and implementing schema markup for real estate listings.

3. Leverage Data Analytics for Targeted Impression Growth - Using advanced analytics tools, a fractional CMO can identify which types of content and which platforms generate the most valuable impressions for your brokerage. This data-driven approach allows for precise targeting and resource allocation.

4. Implement Retargeting Campaigns to Multiply Impressions - A skilled fractional CMO can set up sophisticated retargeting campaigns that dramatically increase impressions among potential clients who have previously interacted with your brokerage's digital assets, keeping your listings and brand top-of-mind.

5. Develop a Content Strategy to Drive Consistent Impressions - By creating a robust content marketing strategy tailored to the real estate industry, a fractional CMO can ensure your brokerage generates a steady stream of impressions through valuable, shareable content such as market reports, home buying guides, and neighborhood spotlights.

10 Reasons Why Executives Should Care About Impression KPIs

1. Measure of Reach and Visibility According to Neil Patel, digital marketing expert: "Impressions are the foundation of digital visibility. They tell you how many times your content was seen, forming the top of your marketing funnel." A study by Google found that increased ad impressions led to a 50% lift in brand awareness. Source: Google/Ipsos, "Impact of Search Ads on Brand Awareness".
   

2. Indicator of Campaign Effectiveness Avinash Kaushik, Digital Marketing Evangelist at Google, states: "Impressions are a vital metric for understanding the potential reach of your campaigns. They're the first step in assessing whether your content is being served to your target audience." Research shows that campaigns with higher impressions generally lead to better overall performance. Source: Hootsuite, "Social Media Advertising Statistics", 2023
   

3. Basis for Calculating Engagement Rates According to Social Media Examiner: "Impressions are crucial for calculating meaningful engagement rates. Without impression data, you can't accurately measure how well your content resonates with your audience." Engagement rates (calculated using impressions) are 20% more accurate in predicting campaign success than absolute engagement numbers. Source: Sprout Social, "2023 Social Media Industry Benchmark Report"

   
   

4. Key to Understanding Ad Frequency AdAge reports: "Impression data allows marketers to control ad frequency, preventing audience fatigue and optimizing ad spend." Studies show that the optimal ad frequency is between 3-7 impressions per user for most industries. Source: Nielsen, "Digital Ad Ratings Benchmarks", 2022
   

5. Critical for SEO Performance Analysis Rand Fishkin, founder of Moz and SparkToro, emphasizes: "Impression data from search consoles is invaluable for understanding your SEO performance and identifying opportunities for growth." Websites that optimize based on impression data see an average 25% increase in organic traffic. Source: SEMrush, "State of Content Marketing Report", 2023
   

6. Basis for Calculating Cost Per Mille (CPM) According to eMarketer: "Impressions are the foundation of CPM pricing models, which remain a standard in digital advertising." CPM remains the pricing model for 61% of all digital display ad spending. Source: eMarketer, "Digital Ad Spending Report", 2023

   
   

7. Indicator of Brand Presence Leslie Pascaud, Executive VP at Kantar Added Value, states: "In the digital age, brand presence is increasingly measured by impressions. They're a key indicator of how often your brand is appearing in front of your target audience." Brands with consistent high impressions across platforms show 3.5 times more brand equity growth. Source: Kantar, "BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands", 2023
   

8. Essential for Retargeting Strategies According to AdRoll: "Impression data is crucial for effective retargeting. It allows you to reach users who have been exposed to your brand but haven't converted yet." Retargeting campaigns based on impression data show a 70% higher conversion rate compared to standard display ads. Source: AdRoll, "State of Performance Marketing Report", 2023
   

9. Key to Cross-Channel Attribution Gartner reports: "Impression data across channels is essential for accurate attribution modeling and understanding the customer journey." Multi-touch attribution models using impression data are 35% more accurate in assessing campaign effectiveness. Source: Gartner, "Marketing Attribution Report", 2023

   
   

10. Predictor of Future Conversions According to Google's AI blog: "Machine learning models using impression data can predict future conversions with high accuracy, allowing for proactive campaign optimization." ML models incorporating impression data improve conversion predictions by up to 30%. Source: Google AI Blog, "Predicting Ad Conversions with ML"

Real Estate Industry Perspectives on Impression KPIs

• Robert Reffkin, founder and CEO of Compass: "In real estate, digital impressions are often the first step in a client's property search. Tracking these impressions gives us invaluable insights into market trends and buyer interests." Source: Inman Connect, June 2023

• Sherry Chris, President and CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate: "Impression metrics on listing photos and virtual tours directly correlate with property interest levels. They're a key indicator of how well we're showcasing our clients' properties." Source: RISMedia's Real Estate CEO Exchange, September 2023

• Glenn Kelman, CEO of Redfin: "Tracking impressions across our listings and content helps us understand what types of properties and information resonate with our audience, driving our content and listing strategy." Source: Redfin Q2 2023 Earnings Call, August 2023

• Ryan Schneider, CEO of Anywhere Real Estate: "Impression data guides our digital marketing efforts, ensuring our listings and brand reach the right audiences at the right time, maximizing exposure for our clients." Source: Anywhere 2023 Investor Day, May 2023

Evidence-Based Arguments

Rebuttal: "Impressions don't matter because they don't directly lead to conversions."

Counterargument: While impressions don't directly equate to conversions, they are a crucial part of the conversion funnel. According to a study by Google, there's a strong correlation between ad impressions and brand awareness, which in turn leads to higher conversion rates. Campaigns with higher impressions showed a 27% increase in conversion rates over time. Source: Google/Ipsos, "Impact of Search Ads on Brand Awareness and Conversion"

Rebuttal: "Click-through rates (CTR) are more important than impression numbers."

Counterargument: While CTR is important, impressions provide crucial context. A Facebook study found that 99% of ad-driven sales came from people who saw ads but never clicked on them, highlighting the importance of impression data in understanding ad effectiveness. Source: Facebook IQ, "The Value of Unclicked Ads"

Rebuttal: "Impressions can be inflated by bots and fake accounts, making them unreliable."

Counterargument: While bot activity is a concern, major platforms have sophisticated systems to detect and filter out non-human traffic. Google Ads, for example, automatically filters invalid traffic, including bots. In 2022, Google disabled 5.2 billion ads and removed 6.7 billion spam ads, ensuring more accurate impression data. Source: Google, "Ads Safety Report"

Rebuttal: "Focusing on impressions leads to vanity metrics rather than real business outcomes."

Counterargument: Impressions, when used correctly, directly tie to business outcomes. A Nielsen study found that digital ad campaigns that optimized for impressions saw a 10% higher return on ad spend (ROAS) compared to those that didn't. Source: Nielsen, "Digital Ad Ratings Benchmarks and Findings Report", 2023

Rebuttal: "In B2B marketing, quality leads matter more than impression quantity."

Counterargument: While quality leads are crucial in B2B, impressions play a vital role in lead nurturing. LinkedIn's research shows that B2B buyers are 57% through the purchase process before reaching out to companies. Higher impression rates during this research phase correlated with a 24% increase in sales pipeline value. Source: LinkedIn, "The State of B2B Digital Marketing"

The verdict is in: digital impressions are the silent powerhouses of marketing success. With a 37% lift in brand awareness without clicks, 23% higher ROAS for impression-focused campaigns, and 78% of consumers discovering products through impressions alone, the data is undeniable.

This isn't just about metrics—it's about unlocking your brand's full potential. Every impression is a seed planted in the consumer's mind, nurturing future conversions and brand loyalty. The digital landscape is evolving. Will you evolve with it? Embrace the power of impressions, and watch your brand not just grow, but thrive in ways you never imagined.

The future of digital marketing is here. Are you ready to make every impression count?

Want a review of your marketing strategy or explore ways to drive predictable growth?

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Jocelynne Haslett - Fractional CMO, Fervor Marketing Solutions