Likes Don’t Pay Bills: The Social Metrics That Matter
The other day I had a client say to me… “I’m almost at XXX followers on Instagram!”
I congratulated them (because it is exciting), but I also mentioned that follower count shouldn’t be their main goal. They were confused - which is totally fair.
So here’s the breakdown of vanity metrics, why they can throw your strategy off, and what to focus on instead.
What are vanity metrics?
Vanity metrics are numbers that look impressive at a glance, but don’t clearly connect to business growth.
They usually:
Make you feel like you’re “winning” (or failing) without showing why
Go up easily (or can be bought - WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS STRATEGY)
Create great screenshots
Don’t reliably lead to sales, enquiries, or bookings
Common vanity metrics include:
Total followers
Likes
Impressions
Page views
Having 50K followers sounds great. But if that audience is not clicking, enquiring, booking, or buying, the number is not doing much for you.
Why vanity metrics cause problems
Vanity metrics are tricky because they create a false sense of progress.
Think of it like having a packed café where everyone is using the free WiFi, but no one is ordering.
Here’s what they can do:
Pull your strategy off track. You start making content that gets quick attention, not content that leads to enquiries.
Waste money on the wrong outcomes. It is easy to spend on ads that grow followers, without any plan for conversion.
Hide what is actually working. You can have lower reach, but higher bookings. Vanity metrics can make you miss that.
The metrics we care about instead (the ones tied to outcomes)
If your goal is growth, focus on the numbers that show action and intent.
1) Engagement rate (quality, not just quantity)
Engagement rate tells you whether your content is resonating.
A smaller post with real comments, saves, and shares is often more valuable than a large post with quick likes.
2) Click-through rate (CTR)
Are people taking the next step?
CTR shows whether your content is getting people to:
Tap your link
Click through to your website
Read a blog
Download a freebie
Enquire
3) Conversion rate
Of the people who click, how many do the thing you actually want?
Examples:
Enquiry form submissions
Booked calls
Purchases
Email sign-ups
4) Cost per lead (or cost per customer)
If you are running ads, you want to know what a real result costs.
Follower growth is not a result unless it leads to customers.
5) Leads and enquiries attributed to social
This can be as simple as tracking:
How many DMs you received this month
How many enquiries mention Instagram
Which post formats lead to questions (Reels, carousels, stories)
If you want the simplest version, start with one question:
“Did this piece of content create a conversation?”
How to improve the metrics that matter
Here are a few practical shifts that help:
Start with facts, not feelings
Look at what your audience already responds to:
Saves and shares
Replies and DMs
Clicks
Watch time
Then create more of what performs and aligns with your offer.
Make your content easy to act on
Every post should make the next step obvious.
Examples:
“Reply ‘INFO’ and I’ll send details.”
“Book via the link in bio.”
“DM us ‘MENU’.”
“Save this checklist for later.”
Create content people want to share
A simple test:
Would someone send this to a friend?
Content that is genuinely useful, relatable, or specific gets shared.
Talk to your actual customer (not everyone)
You are not trying to appeal to everyone scrolling past.
Aim your message at the people most likely to buy, book, or enquire.
Track, tweak, repeat
Pick 2 to 3 key metrics and watch them for a month.
Then adjust one thing at a time:
Hook
Format
CTA
Topic
Posting time
Bottom line
Vanity metrics are seductive because they are easy to measure and they make us feel good.
But they do not pay bills.
Next time you hit a follower milestone, ask:
“How many of these people are taking action with us?”
That’s the number that matters.
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