Click-through Rate

Output

Outcome

click-through rate (CTR) of the communicated social media content (%)

Click-through rate (CTR) measures the number of specified clicks relative to the number of impressions generated by the communicated social media content. Compared with reporting clicks alone, it shows how frequently exposure to the content results in the selected click action. The click type should match the communication objective; for example, where the aim is to direct users to further information or a service, link or destination clicks are generally more relevant than a broader ‘all clicks’ measure. CTR indicates an immediate response to the content but does not by itself show whether users successfully reached the destination or completed the intended action.

Determine the indicator's value by using the following methodology:

 

1) Count the total number of impressions of the social media content you are interested in (take advantage of this guidance).

2) Using the guidance for the Clicks indicator, count the relevant clicks the same content received. Use the type of click that best matches the communication objective and apply it consistently.

3) To determine the indicator’s value, divide the total number of relevant clicks by the total number of impressions. Multiply the result by 100 to convert it to a percentage:

Click-through rate (%) = relevant clicks ÷ impressions × 100

For example, if the content received 100 relevant clicks and 10,000 impressions, the click-through rate is 1%.

If the platform reports CTR directly, you can use the reported value if it uses the same type of click and impressions as the denominator. However, do not assume that a platform metric labelled ‘CTR’ always measures the same click action as this indicator. Check what the platform counts in both the numerator and denominator before using the reported rate. For example, YouTube’s ‘Impressions click-through rate’ measures how often thumbnail impressions resulted in a video view; it does not measure clicks to an external destination.

This data can be disaggregated by social media platform, and, if relevant and feasible, also by paid versus organic content, campaign, content type, click type or other factors relevant to the communication objective. Only calculate CTR for a specific category when both the clicks and impressions relate to that same category.

1) There is no universal ‘good’ CTR. CTR can vary substantially by platform, campaign objective, audience, placement, content or ad format, paid versus organic distribution and the type of click being measured. Where possible, compare results with previous performance from the same platform using the same metric and measurement scope. Platform-provided benchmarks can also be useful where their comparison group and calculation method are clear.

2) Do not interpret a higher CTR automatically as evidence of better campaign quality. CTR shows that the selected click action occurred more frequently relative to impressions. Interpret it against the communication objective and, where relevant, complement it with measures of what happened after the click.

3) A click does not necessarily mean that the user successfully reached or engaged with the destination. Where website traffic matters, compare click data with landing-page views, website sessions or other relevant analytics. Where feasible, use campaign-specific tracking parameters to identify traffic generated by the communication.

4) Platform metric definitions and counting rules can change. For repeated monitoring, use the same click definition and measurement procedure where possible, and document any important changes.

Also consider using the following indicators:

• Clicks (defines the click actions used in the CTR numerator and provides guidance on interpreting clicks)

• Impressions (provides the exposure measure required as the standard CTR denominator)

• Reach (provides complementary information on the unique audience reached)

• Engagement Rate (provides a broader measure of interaction where clicks are only one possible audience response)