The Vanity Metric Trap
Follower counts and likes feel rewarding but tell you almost nothing about whether your content strategy is actually working. Here are the 7 metrics that do.
1. Engagement Rate
Formula: (Likes + Comments + Shares + Saves) ÷ Reach × 100
A 3% engagement rate is average. Above 6% is strong. Above 10% is exceptional. Track this per post — not as an account average — to see which specific content topics your audience responds to.
2. Saves (Instagram) & Bookmarks
Saves are the strongest quality signal on Instagram. They mean your content is reference-worthy. Build at least 30% of your posts to be "save-worthy" — checklists, tutorials, frameworks, and templates perform best.
3. Watch Time / Average View Duration
For TikTok, YouTube, and Reels, watch time percentage reveals whether your hook and content are holding attention:
- Below 30%? Your hook is weak — fix the first 3 seconds
- 30–60%? Solid — optimise your mid-content pacing
- Above 60%? Scale this content type immediately
4. Reach vs. Impressions Ratio
Reach = unique accounts who saw your content. Impressions = total views including repeats. A high impressions-to-reach ratio (above 1.5) means your existing followers are watching multiple times — one of the strongest bullish signals for algorithm amplification.
5. Click-Through Rate (CTR)
For YouTube thumbnails: below 2% means fix your thumbnail. Industry average is 2–5%. Above 7% is exceptional and the algorithm will push your video aggressively.
For paid ads: CTR below 1% means your creative or targeting needs work.
6. Follower Growth Rate
Don't count followers — track weekly growth rate percentage. A consistent 3–5% weekly growth rate compounds dramatically over 6 months. Sudden spikes followed by flatlines indicate viral luck, not sustainable strategy.
7. Revenue Per 1,000 Views (RPM)
The ultimate monetisation metric. Track RPM across platforms:
- Finance / investing content: $15–$40 RPM
- Tech / software: $10–$25 RPM
- Lifestyle / vlog: $1–$5 RPM
- Gaming: $2–$6 RPM
Building Your Weekly Analytics Dashboard
Track all 7 metrics in a simple spreadsheet every Monday. After 6 weeks, patterns emerge that tell you exactly what to double down on and what to cut. Data removes opinion from your content decisions.