What does "reach" refer to in social media metrics?

In social media metrics, "reach" specifically refers to the actual number of unique individuals who see a particular piece of content. This metric is crucial for understanding how many different users your message or post is reaching, as it helps gauge the effectiveness of your content distribution and audience engagement strategies.

When a post is shared, commented on, or liked, many users may see it, but reach focuses on counting each unique viewer only once, regardless of how many times they may have engaged with that content. This approach provides valuable insights into the potential audience engagement and helps brands and marketers assess the impact of their messaging.

The other options focus on different aspects of social media interaction. Total views measure frequency but do not account for uniqueness, while comments reflect engagement rather than reach. The engagement rate measures the level of interaction relative to the total reach or views, but again, does not define the unique audience that "reach" represents. Understanding this distinction is important for developing effective social media strategies.