Are you feeling satisfied viewing your social media account’s likes, comments, and shares? What if they don’t really indicate your social media account’s success, but are like a fake indicator? That’s where the vanity metrics vs actionable metrics debate comes in.
Your account’s high follower activity might feel like real proof that your content strategy is working. But it is not a valid concept. You should try to understand the difference between these two items to find the actual truth behind your social account figures, and not just judge from the apparent scenarios. It will help you make smarter decisions for the growth of your social media account.
What Are Vanity Metrics?
Numbers that look good on the surface but actually offer no insight about the actual performance of your social media account are called vanity metrics. Hence, the word ‘Vanity’ is used as it’s all about appearance rather than impact. Some common vanity metrics include:
- Number of likes
- Page views
- Followers or subscribers
- Shares or retweets
The Misleading Impact Of Vanity Metrics
In the vanity metrics vs actionable metrics comparison, it is the vanity metrics that show false progress. No need to get excited about big numbers. A post with thousands of likes may feel like a success, but if none of those people become customers, it doesn’t add real value to your brand.
What are Actionable Metrics?
Actionable metrics provide real numbers that reflect the actual performance of your brand or personal social media account. Such stats are ‘Actionable’ because they represent the real facts, helping you make informed decisions. Some actionable metrics examples include:
- Conversion rate (number of people buying up, signing up, or downloading after visiting)
- Click-through rate on ads or links
- Customer retention rate
- Average order value
- Engagement rate (meaningful comments or interactions)
The Power of Actionable Metrics
Actionable metrics help you make changes in your content strategy that matter. You can gain sustainable growth for the long term by investing in only those actions that bring real results, like a social campaign that really increases your followers and helps retain them as well.
Balancing Both Types of Metrics
This comparison doesn’t tell you that vanity metrics are completely useless. Such metrics help build brand awareness. However, they can’t measure the real success of your social media account. You gain a comprehensive understanding by combining vanity metrics with actionable ones to get information about the real figures.
Take the example of views that tell you how many people saw your content. However, the click-through rates and conversions tell you whether those visiting took action or not. By connecting both, you can understand the bigger story.
Bottom Line
You should always pay attention to the vanity metrics vs actionable metrics comparison, instead of getting excited about your vanity figures alone. It is because vanity metrics may look good and give temporary satisfaction. However, actionable metrics showcase the actual reality of your social account’s performance.
The next time you think of celebrating your excellent vanity stats, think twice! Do these numbers realistically represent success? Then, turn to actionable metrics and combine them to see the real whole picture.
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