What Does "Impacted" Mean?
When we say someone was "impacted" by your action, we mean they experienced something real.
Noticed Your Message
They saw your sign, note, or social post and actually read or processed the message.
Had a Positive Reaction
They experienced encouragement, hope, or a lift in their spirits, even briefly.
Not everyone who sees your sign will be impacted. Some might be distracted, some might not notice, and some might not need the message at that moment. Our estimates account for this reality.
Our Approach to Estimation
We start with research-based estimates of foot traffic, vehicle traffic, and social media engagement rates for different environments. Then we apply what we call an "impact rate" -- the percentage of people exposed who we believe were genuinely impacted.
This impact rate is intentionally conservative. For most actions, we estimate that only 15-40% of people who see your message will have a meaningful positive reaction. Some actions like Sign SWATs have higher rates (60-90%) because they're targeted and personal.
For vehicle-mounted displays (Sign Rides in a car or truck), we use entirely separate exposure rate tables rather than simply scaling down the standard rates. This is because the physics of exposure are fundamentally different: when you run or bike with a sign, every car in both directions sees it as they pass. When you drive with a sign on your vehicle, only the few cars trailing behind you in the same lane can see it, and because they travel at the same speed, there is very little turnover -- the same cars stay behind you for a long time.
We cap all impact rates at 60% maximum because we believe it's important to stay grounded in reality. Even the most powerful message won't reach everyone who sees it.
Continuous Improvement
Our methodology isn't static. We regularly review our estimates based on:
- Feedback from believers about their experiences
- Stories of people who were impacted
- Research on pedestrian and traffic patterns
- Social media engagement analytics
If you have feedback about our methodology or think we should adjust something, we'd love to hear from you.
Factors We Consider
Every action is unique. Here are the high-level categories we use to estimate impact for each one. See the full variable breakdown below.
Environment
Where did the action take place? A busy commercial area has more foot traffic than a quiet neighborhood trail. We use different exposure rates for different environments.
Traffic Level
How busy was it? Light, moderate, or heavy traffic significantly affects how many people could potentially see your message.
Duration & Distance
For walking or running with signs, we consider how long and how far. For sign lines, we consider how long the line was active.
Visible Reactions
Did people wave, honk, smile, or stop to talk? Visible reactions help us estimate how many people actually noticed and were affected by your message.
Vehicle / Display Type
For Sign Rides, the type of vehicle changes everything. A runner is seen by all traffic in both directions. A car sign is only visible to trailing vehicles in the same lane, so we use separate, much lower exposure rates.
Group Size
A group of believers is more visible than a single person. We apply multipliers based on how many people participated in the action.
Every Variable Explained
Here is a complete breakdown of every input our impact model uses to calculate the number of people impacted by each action. Tap any card to see the details.
Not every variable applies to every action. When you log an action, you're only asked about the variables relevant to that specific action type.
Where the action took place determines the base exposure rate -- how many people pass by per mile walked or per minute standing. Busier environments yield higher exposure estimates.
Quiet residential areas, parks, walking paths
Busy streets, shopping areas, intersections
Organized gatherings, rallies, sporting events
Schools, offices, indoor public spaces
Combined with environment, traffic level fine-tunes how many people were likely in the area during the action. Each environment has different exposure rates for each traffic level.
Few people around, quiet conditions
Typical activity for the area
Very busy, high foot or vehicle traffic
Reactions serve as a real-world signal that adjusts the impact rate. More reactions indicate more people noticed and were moved by the message.
No visible reactions observed
Waves, honks, smiles from passersby
People stopping, conversations, photos taken
Longer duration or greater distance means more exposure opportunities. For movement-based actions (walks, runs, rides), distance in miles is multiplied by the per-mile exposure rate. For stationary actions (sign lines), duration in minutes is multiplied by the per-minute exposure rate.
How long a stationary action lasted
How far a movement-based action covered
For Sign Ride actions, the type of vehicle fundamentally changes how exposure is calculated. A runner or cyclist is seen by all passing traffic in both directions. A car or truck sign is only visible to the few vehicles trailing behind in the same lane, traveling at the same speed -- a much smaller and slower-turning audience.
Full bidirectional exposure, similar to running; every passing car sees you
Unidirectional trailing exposure only; visible to cars behind you in your lane
Minimal trailing exposure; only the car directly behind at close range
Larger groups attract more attention and are harder to miss, increasing the number of people who notice the action. A visibility multiplier scales the exposure estimate up based on group size.
1 person
Small group
Medium group
Large group
Very large group
Applies specifically to Sign Hold actions. A longer line of sign holders creates a more prominent visual presence along a road or pathway, increasing the likelihood that people notice and read the signs.
1-3 sign holders
4-8 sign holders
9+ sign holders
For actions at events or in crowds, estimated attendance determines the base pool of people who could have been exposed to the message. This is used instead of the environment/traffic model.
Small gathering or meeting
Classroom, club, or small event
Assembly, rally, or community event
Large event or public gathering
Major event, stadium, or festival
Social media actions use engagement-based estimates rather than raw follower counts. Five variables together paint a picture of how the belief action unfolded online and who it reached.
Instagram, TikTok, Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, or Other
Their follower count: Under 100, 100-500, 500-2K, 2K-10K, or 10K+
Solo effort, 2-5 people coordinated, or 6+ people coordinated
Comments, DMs, story mentions, posts about them, or shared content
No response, acknowledged it, or responded directly
Some action types have unique inputs specific to how that action works. These are only collected when relevant to the particular action being logged.
For Sign SWATs -- the number of people present beyond the target recipient
For Belief Bombs -- how many belief notes were left for people to find
For Belief Mentorship -- how many people are being mentored
How These Variables Work Together
Exposure is calculated using environment, traffic, duration/distance, group size, and other relevant inputs.
Impact Rate is applied -- a conservative percentage of exposed people who were genuinely impacted.
Multipliers from reactions, group visibility, and line size adjust the final estimate up or down.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the "People Impacted" number scientifically accurate?
It's an estimate, not a precise count. We use reasonable assumptions based on available research, but there's no way to know exactly how many people were truly impacted by any given action. The approximate figure we show reflects our best calculation given the variables collected.
Why don't you count social media followers directly?
Follower counts don't reflect actual engagement. A post to 10,000 followers might only be seen by 1,000 and meaningfully impact 50-100 people. We use engagement-based estimates that are more realistic.
What if I think my action had more/less impact than estimated?
You may be right! Our estimates are based on averages. If you had an unusually busy day or a quieter location, your actual impact may differ. That's why we present it as an approximation rather than an exact count.
Does this account for the "ripple effect" of people sharing the message?
Partially. For some actions like Belief Bombs, we include secondary exposure estimates for notes that might be passed along. However, we're conservative about ripple effects because they're hard to measure.
Why do car/truck Sign Rides have much lower impact than running or biking?
It comes down to who actually sees your sign. When you run or bike with a sign, every car coming toward you and every car passing you sees it -- that adds up fast. When you drive with a sign on your car, only the few cars behind you in the same lane can see it, and because they're traveling at the same speed, there's very little turnover. We use completely separate exposure tables for vehicle-mounted signs to reflect this real-world difference honestly.