What is a KPI?

A KPI, or Key Performance Indicator, is a measurable value that shows how effectively a business is achieving its key objectives. Think of KPIs as the scorecard that helps you track progress and make data-driven decisions. Within the world of social media, KPIs include metrics like engagement rates, shares, clicks, or conversions that help determine whether your campaigns are hitting the mark.

Simply put, KPIs tell you if what you're doing is actually working. Tracking them helps ensure that you're not just posting content for the sake of it, but driving real, meaningful results for your brand.

What tools can you use to track KPIs?

Social media platforms offer built-in analytics tools to help monitor KPIs, such as Facebook Insights or Instagram Analytics. These tools let you track everything from post engagement to website clicks. However, there are also a bunch of comprehensive social media analytics tools that let you measure your performance across all social media platforms, such as Buffer, Sprout Social, Keyhole, and many more.

Which KPI is most likely to be a vanity metric?

A vanity metric is a number that looks impressive on the surface but doesn't necessarily provide meaningful insights into your business’s success. Followers or likes on social media are classic examples of vanity metrics. Sure, having a large follower count can look good, but it doesn’t always translate to engagement, conversions, or revenue growth.

Instead, it's more valuable to focus on metrics like engagement rate, click-through rate, or conversion rate, which provide a clearer picture of how your content is performing and driving real value for your business.