Jane publishes two LinkedIn posts:
- Post A received 10,000 impressions, 40 likes and 22 comments.
- Post B received 250 impressions, 4 likes and 2 comments.
Which post performed better, A or B?
The truth is, we don’t know. We don’t have enough information.
Well, that’s not entirely true. From the perspective of LinkedIn, the social media platform, Post A was the clear winner. When people engage with content – view, like, comment and so on – they spend more time on the platform. And crucially, more time in front of advertisers. In LinkedIn’s eyes, high engagement → more time on site = winner.
But Jane doesn’t work for LinkedIn. Publishing a post that receives thousands of views and likes may give her a warm feeling of accomplishment, but it won't necessarily drive signups or improve her company’s bottom line.
Vanity metrics
Impressions, page views, followers, and likes are vanity metrics – they look nice, and it feels good when they improve, but they don’t provide us with insightful information. You may be happy to see that last week's post received 20 likes, but those likes won’t cover next month’s payroll.
And that’s how vanity metrics can lead you astray. You think you're doing well because your follower count is increasing or your posts are getting likes, but you may be wasting time and resources that could be better spent elsewhere.
You can avoid falling into the vanity metrics trap by focusing on the metrics that truly matter – those that align with your core business objectives.
Instead of tracking how many likes a post receives, focus on who liked it. Are they potential users of your product? Did they visit your website after viewing your post? Are they converting into new signups or customers?
In a similar vein, don’t simply measure the size of your newsletter list. Connect it to your CRM and use a lead-enrichment tool like Clearbit to determine who is signing up. Are they in your ideal customer profile (ICP)? Are they opening your emails and clicking on the links?
It takes time to create good content, and for startups, time is in very short supply. So remember: a room of qualified, motivated prospects is far more valuable than a stadium of people randomly picked from the street. If you’re going to invest your time and energy into marketing activities, make sure they’re the right activities.
Skip the vanity metrics, and focus on things that matter.
