What is ad frequency in advertising?
How is frequency calculated?
Divide impressions by reach. Impressions count each time an ad is shown. Reach counts the people who saw it at least once. Meta gives this formula, and strictly it counts Meta accounts rather than people1.
Always state the period and the source. "Frequency 4.0 over the campaign, as Meta estimates it" is a number. "Frequency 4.0" is not.
Why can an average mislead?
An average of four can hide a lot. One group may have seen the ad once and another group ten times. The figure does not show the spread.
So the useful question is not "what is our frequency?". It is "what happens to results as people see the ad more often?" That is where creative fatigue comes in: a drop in an ad's results after the audience has seen it too often. Meta's own help page says that if performance drops as frequency rises, the audience may be experiencing ad fatigue1.
Is there a good frequency?
No single number is right for every account. Meta says frequency depends on budget, audience size and schedule1.
Our view: a threshold quoted without the account's own data is a guess. Be wary of rules like "keep it under X".
The better test is to look at your own results at different frequencies, over a stated period. For what to do when frequency rises and results fall, read how to fix creative fatigue.
For how frequency fits into channel decisions by margin, see paid media strategy for ecommerce.
Worked example
Easily confused with
Frequency vs Reach
The number of different people who saw the ad. Frequency is how often, on average.
Frequency vs Impressions
Every showing, including repeats to the same person.
Frequency vs Creative fatigue
A drop in results. High frequency is one possible cause, not proof.
FAQ
What does an average frequency of 3 mean?
On average, each person reached saw the ad three times. Some saw it once and some many more times.
Is high frequency always bad?
No. It depends on the ad, the audience and the goal. Judge it against your own results, not a rule of thumb.
Is frequency exact?
No. Meta labels it estimated and calculates it from sampled data1. Treat it as a guide.
Sources
- Frequency (Meta Business Help Center)Primary source
Let’s find what’s actually working.
Next step. Check what your results look like against margin. Use the Is your ROAS real? calculator.