What are Views in Social Media?

Views represent the number of times your content has been seen by users on a social platform. This metric counts how many times your video, story, or post has appeared on someone's screen, regardless of whether they engaged with it further.

As platforms prioritize video content, view counts have become increasingly prominent metrics, often displayed publicly alongside posts to indicate popularity and reach.

You can see view numbers under videos, stories, or posts. This metric helps you understand how many people are watching your content, if your video is getting attention and ultimately, what kind of posts are working best.

How Different Platforms Count Views

What counts as a view? It depends on the platform!

Each platform has its own definition of what constitutes a "view".

• YouTube: Approximately 30 seconds of watch time or half the video for very short content
• TikTok: As little as 1 second of video viewing
• Instagram: 3 seconds for feed videos, immediately for Stories
• Facebook: 3 seconds of video playback with sound on or off
• LinkedIn: 2 seconds while the video is at least 50% on screen
• Twitter/X: About 2 seconds with at least 50% visibility

These variations make cross-platform comparisons challenging. For example, 1 million views on TikTok represents different audience behavior than 1 million views on YouTube.

Some platforms also track unique views, which only count the first time someone watches. Others count all views, even if one person watches it 10 times.