Marketing Metrics That Actually Matter: Stop Tracking Vanity Numbers
Most business leaders say they want “more marketing results.” But what does that really mean?
In an era where everyone’s chasing likes, followers, and impressions, it’s easy to mistake activity for progress. Vanity metrics—like post engagement or total followers—can look impressive on a dashboard but rarely tell you if your marketing is actually working.
At TACT, we believe clarity starts with measuring what matters: metrics that connect marketing effort to real business outcomes.
Let’s break down the numbers that actually deserve your attention.
1. Brand Visibility and Awareness
Before anyone buys from you, they have to know you exist. But visibility isn’t just about how many people see your name—it’s about how many remember it.
Branded search volume: How often are people searching for your brand or products? As this grows, your awareness grows, too.
Share of Voice (SOV): Your visibility compared to competitors across search, media, and social channels.
Sentiment analysis: Tracks whether mentions of your brand are positive, neutral, or negative—an early indicator of reputation health.
Impressions and reach: These are fine to monitor, but they’re most useful when tied to downstream results like clicks or conversions.
TACT Tip: Don’t stop at “reach.” Ask, Who’s reaching back?
2. Performance and Engagement
This is where you find out if your message is landing.
Click-through rate (CTR): Measures how many people take the next step after seeing your content.
Conversion rate: The percentage who complete a key action—like filling out a form or booking a call.
Pipeline progression and close rate: Tracks how well leads move through your funnel to revenue.
MQL to SQL ratio: Reveals how aligned your marketing and sales teams really are.
Action completions: Downloads, video views, or form fills—whatever actions signal real engagement.
TACT Tip: Engagement without intent is noise. Focus on metrics that show momentum toward revenue.
3. Lead and Customer Acquisition
Every lead has a cost—and understanding that cost helps you scale wisely.
Cost per lead (CPL): What you spend to generate a lead.
Customer acquisition cost (CAC): The total cost of winning a new customer (including marketing + sales).
Lead-to-customer conversion rate: The percentage of leads that become paying customers.
Cost per acquisition (CPA): Great for analyzing campaign efficiency, especially in paid channels.
TACT Tip: The answer isn’t just to lower your CPL. We want to improve the quality of leads that become customers.
4. Financial Outcomes
At the end of the day, marketing is an investment. The question is: what’s the return?
Return on investment (ROI): Compares revenue generated to total spend—by campaign, channel, or period.
Customer lifetime value (CLV): How much total revenue a single customer generates during their relationship with you.
Multiple touchpoint attribution: Connects the dots between marketing efforts and actual conversions.
Average session duration: A helpful indicator of content relevance and on-site engagement.
TACT Tip: Use financial metrics to validate your strategy, not just justify it. They show you what’s working—and what’s worth cutting.
So, What Should You Stop Tracking?
Follower counts. They don’t tell you who’s in your audience—or if they’ll ever buy from you. (And if you ever purchased followers—yikes! We definitely need to talk.)
Post likes. They’re encouraging but often disconnected from meaningful action.
Email opens alone. Modern privacy rules make these unreliable. Focus on clicks, replies, or conversions instead.
Marketing success isn’t about more metrics—it’s about better ones.
Clarity Over Vanity
When your metrics align with your goals, decision-making gets easier. You know where to invest, what to optimize, and how to measure progress without the noise.
At TACT, we help businesses move beyond vanity metrics and build systems that tie marketing to measurable growth. Whether you’re refining your strategy, evaluating your campaigns, or trying to see the full picture, clarity is the most powerful metric of all.
Ready to Measure What Matters?
Let’s make sure your marketing strategy is built on clarity—not clutter.
Book a complimentary 30-minute consultation with TACT to refocus your metrics and align your marketing to your business goals.
