What makes a metric "vanity"
A metric is vanity when it goes up without your bank balance following. The test: if this number doubled, would revenue move? For most reach, impressions, likes and follower-growth reporting, the honest answer is no — they're diagnostics at best, decoration at worst, for a business whose actual goal is leads or sales rather than brand awareness.
The 4 that actually matter
- Cost per qualified lead (or booked consultation) — not raw leads.
- Conversion rate through the funnel — lead → qualified → consult/quote → sale.
- Cost per acquisition vs. customer value — the only metric that tells you if the whole thing is profitable.
- Return on ad spend / attributed revenue — the number your accountant cares about.
This is the same framework behind our full vanity-metrics audit guide, and the same reporting standard we hold our own client accounts to — see MY & SG ad benchmarks for the figures we report against.