We live in a world obsessed with numbers, BS* numbers - followers, likes, shares, impressions. But here’s the harsh reality: Vanity metrics don’t matter. They’re called “vanity” for a reason - they look good on the surface, but they don’t tell you a thing about your actual business performance.

In fact, getting caught up in vanity metrics can distract you from focusing on the numbers that really move the needle. Here’s why these metrics don’t matter and what you should focus on instead.

What Are Vanity Metrics?

Vanity metrics are surface-level stats that give the appearance of success but don’t directly correlate to meaningful business outcomes. Think:

• Follower count: How many people follow you on social media.
• Page views: How many people visited your website.
• Likes and shares: How many interactions your content received.

Sure, it’s nice to see these numbers going up, but they don’t actually tell you how well your business is performing. They don’t reflect sales, customer engagement, or loyalty - and they certainly don’t reflect profitability.

Why Vanity Metrics Don’t Matter

1. They Don’t Correlate to Sales or Conversions

You can have 100,000 followers on Instagram, but if none of them are buying your products or engaging with your services, what’s the point? Likes and shares don’t pay the bills - conversions do.

Real business growth comes from actions like purchases, sign-ups, and inquiries - not from people mindlessly double-tapping a photo.

If you want more views, like, and comments, post funny (or even better - sad) cat videos instead.

2. They Create a False Sense of Success

Vanity metrics can make you feel like you’re winning, even when your business is struggling. Seeing a post go viral or your follower count skyrocket might boost your ego, but it won’t necessarily grow your business.

This false sense of success can lull you into complacency, stopping you from making the changes you need to drive real results.

This is also one of the reasons why influencer marketing so rarely works - no one is following an influencer to hear what to add to their shopping list, they're mostly there for the drama. Though, when you're in a niche market, and work with a niche creator, it works, but that's already a different topic.

3. They Distract You from Real Metrics

Focusing on vanity metrics can take your attention away from what really matters: metrics that measure performance, growth, and profitability. When you’re constantly chasing followers or likes, you lose sight of the bigger picture - your actual business health.

What You Should Focus On Instead

1. Conversions

The most important metric to track is conversions. How many of your site visitors, ad clicks, or social media followers are taking the action you want them to take? Whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for your newsletter, or filling out a contact form, conversions show how well your marketing efforts are paying off.

Actionable Step: Set up conversion tracking for every platform and touchpoint. Focus on optimizing the customer journey to increase conversion rates, and run A/B tests to see which tactics work best.

2. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

Your CAC measures how much it costs to acquire a new customer. This is a crucial metric because it directly impacts profitability. If you’re spending too much to bring in new customers, it doesn’t matter how many followers you have - you’ll still end up in the red.

Actionable Step: Calculate your CAC by dividing your total marketing spend by the number of new customers acquired in a specific period. Once you have this number, focus on reducing it through more targeted and efficient marketing efforts.

3. Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV)

CLTV measures the total revenue you can expect from a single customer over the course of their relationship with your business. A higher CLTV means you can spend more to acquire new customers and still remain profitable.

Actionable Step: Implement strategies to increase CLTV, such as upselling, cross-selling, or loyalty programs that encourage repeat business. The goal is to keep your customers coming back, increasing the overall value of each acquisition.

4. Engagement That Leads to Action

Instead of focusing on likes or shares, track meaningful engagement. Are people commenting with real questions or feedback? Are they clicking through to your website? Are they signing up for your offers? Engagement that leads to action is what you need to focus on—not empty metrics that make you feel good.

Actionable Step: Track clicks, time spent on site, and post-engagement that moves people further down your sales funnel. Create content that drives actions, not just reactions.

Final Thoughts: Focus on Metrics That Matter

Vanity metrics can inflate your ego, but they won’t grow your business. To see real progress, shift your focus to metrics that measure business outcomes - conversions, customer acquisition cost, lifetime value, and meaningful engagement.

In the end, it’s not about looking good on social media. It’s about generating real results that grow your business and drive profitability. So stop chasing the numbers that don’t matter and start focusing on the ones that do.