What Social Media KPIs Should I Track?

Key Takeaways

• Tracking the right social media KPIs ensures you measure the success of your strategy, from engagement and reach to conversions.
• Tailor your KPIs to align with your specific business goals, whether it’s brand awareness, lead generation, or driving sales.
• Regularly review and optimize your KPIs to adapt to evolving platforms, audiences, and campaign objectives.

Introduction: Why KPIs Matter in Social Media Marketing

In the fast-paced, ever-evolving world of social media, success isn’t measured by likes or followers alone. It’s about tracking Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that align directly with your business objectives. Whether you’re focused on brand awareness, generating leads, or increasing customer retention, KPIs provide actionable insights to refine your strategy and maximize ROI.

This article dives into essential KPIs every marketer should monitor, the importance of aligning them with your goals, and practical tips for ongoing optimization.

1. Engagement Rate

• Definition: Measures how actively your audience interacts with your content, including likes, comments, shares, saves, and clicks.
• Why it matters: A high engagement rate indicates that your content resonates with your audience and is relevant to them.
• Tips to improve: Post consistently, use trending topics, include clear CTAs, and optimize your content for each platform.

What’s a good engagement rate?

• General benchmarks by platform:
• Instagram: 1-5% is average; 5%+ is considered high engagement.
• Facebook: 0.5-1% is common; 1%+ is excellent for organic posts.
• Twitter: 0.02-0.09% is typical, but 0.1%+ is above average.
• TikTok: 4-18% engagement is normal, depending on video quality and virality.
• Industry examples:
• Retail and e-commerce: Aim for 3-5% as your audience often expects visuals and offers.
• B2B industries: A lower engagement rate of 1-2% can still indicate success because decision-making cycles are longer.

2. Reach

• Definition: The total number of unique users who saw your content.
• Why it matters: Reflects how well your content is spreading and expanding your brand's visibility.
• Tips to improve: Post at optimal times, use relevant hashtags, and collaborate with influencers or other brands to extend reach.

Did you know? Businesses that monitor social media KPIs can pinpoint what’s working and what’s not, leading to a 30% higher ROI on average for campaigns that are regularly optimized based on performance data.

What’s a good reach?

• Organic reach benchmarks:
• Instagram: 10-20% of your followers is a strong organic reach.
• Facebook: Organic reach can be as low as 2-5% of your followers due to algorithm restrictions.
• Twitter and LinkedIn: Organic reach often aligns closely with impressions, but exceeding 15% of your audience is solid.
• Paid reach benchmarks:
• For targeted campaigns, aim to reach 50-80% of your defined audience over the campaign's duration.
• Retargeting campaigns often achieve 80-90%+ reach due to narrower, more engaged audiences.

3. Impressions

• Definition: The total number of times your content is displayed, including multiple views by the same user.
• Why it matters: Demonstrates how often your audience is exposed to your brand and helps assess the frequency of your messaging.
• Tips to improve: Create eye-catching visuals and headlines that stand out in users' feeds to encourage repeated views.

What’s a good number of impressions?

• General expectations:
• Impressions should be at least 2-3x your reach for strong visibility.
• A high impressions-to-reach ratio (3-5x) means users are repeatedly seeing your content, which can build familiarity and recall.
• Platform variations:
• Instagram and TikTok often see 2-5x follower count in impressions for well-performing posts.
• Twitter impressions tend to grow based on the frequency of posting, with consistent posters seeing 10-20x impressions over followers.

4. Follower Growth Rate

• Definition: The percentage increase in followers over a specific time period.
• Why it matters: Tracks how effectively your content and outreach strategies are attracting new audience members.
• Tips to improve: Run follower growth campaigns, engage with your audience, and create shareable and value-driven content.

What’s a good follower growth rate?

• Healthy growth:
• 2-5% per month is sustainable and indicates a growing audience without excessive churn.
• Viral campaigns or collaborations can spike growth to 10% or more in a short period, but this should be complemented with retention strategies.
• Platform specifics:
• Instagram and TikTok typically see higher growth rates due to discoverability features like Reels or For You pages.
• LinkedIn or Twitter follower growth is often slower; 1-3% per month is a solid benchmark for B2B industries.

5. Click-Through Rate (CTR)

• Definition: The percentage of users who click on a link in your social media post or ad.
• Why it matters: Reflects the effectiveness of your calls-to-action (CTAs) and how well your content drives traffic to other platforms.
• Tips to improve: Use strong CTAs, optimize link placements, and A/B test captions, headlines, or visuals.

What’s a good CTR?

• Benchmarks by platform:
• Facebook and Instagram ads: 0.9-1.5% is typical; anything over 2% is above average.
• LinkedIn: 2-5% is common due to its business-focused audience.
• Twitter: 1-3% is good, especially for short, snappy CTAs.
• Campaign type insights:
• For e-commerce campaigns, aim for 1.5-3% CTR to drive traffic to product pages.
• Lead generation campaigns on platforms like LinkedIn often achieve higher CTRs (up to 5%+) due to highly targeted audiences.

6. Conversion Rate

• Definition: The percentage of users who complete a desired action (purchase, sign-up, download) after engaging with your content.
• Why it matters: Shows how well your social media efforts contribute to business objectives like sales or lead generation.
• Tips to improve: Use targeted landing pages, include testimonials in ads, and streamline the user journey to make conversions seamless.

What’s a good conversion rate?

• E-commerce benchmarks:
• Average conversion rates from social media traffic are typically 1-3%, with platforms like Instagram and Pinterest often performing better for product sales.
• Lead generation benchmarks:
• Campaigns on LinkedIn and Facebook often see 5-10% conversion rates, especially with well-optimized landing pages.
• Industry variations:
• B2B industries might have lower conversion rates (2-5%) due to longer sales cycles, while consumer-focused brands may see higher rates (4-8%).

7. Social Share of Voice (SSoV)

• Definition: Your brand’s share of total mentions within your industry or compared to competitors.
• Why it matters: Helps you understand how your brand compares to competitors in terms of visibility and popularity.
• Tips to improve: Boost brand visibility by engaging in industry conversations, participating in trending discussions, and using branded hashtags.

What’s a good SSoV?

• Competitive benchmarks:
• Securing 15-25% of industry mentions positions your brand as a strong competitor.
• Market leaders often dominate with 30%+ of mentions.
• Platform-specific context:
• On Twitter, active engagement in trending topics can boost SSoV significantly.
• For Instagram or TikTok, creating highly shareable content like memes or reels can drive mentions.

8. Cost Per Click (CPC)

• Definition: The cost of each individual click on a paid social ad.
• Why it matters: Indicates the efficiency of your advertising spend and how effectively your ads drive traffic or conversions.
• Tips to improve: Optimize ad targeting, use compelling visuals and copy, and regularly test and refine bidding strategies.

Did you know? Brands that track social media KPIs are 1.6 times more likely to achieve their marketing goals by making informed, strategic decisions based on performance metrics rather than guesswork. 

What’s a good CPC?

• Benchmarks by platform:
• Facebook/Instagram: $0.50-$1.50 is cost-effective.
• LinkedIn: $2-$6 is common, reflecting its premium audience.
• Twitter: $0.50-$2 is typical, with well-targeted campaigns achieving lower costs.
• Industry-specific context:
• E-commerce campaigns often see CPCs closer to $1, while B2B campaigns may justify higher costs due to higher-value leads.

9. Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)

• Definition: Measures the level of satisfaction customers feel based on their interactions with your brand.
• Why it matters: Provides insights into how well your brand is meeting customer expectations and identifies areas for improvement.
• Tips to improve: Respond promptly to customer concerns, actively engage in conversations, and offer value through helpful interactions.

What’s a good CSAT?

• General benchmarks:
• A score of 80%+ is considered excellent, indicating satisfied customers.
• Scores of 60-79% suggest room for improvement, while scores below 60% indicate significant issues.
• Platform influence:
• Direct interactions on platforms like Instagram or Facebook Messenger often yield higher satisfaction scores when handled promptly and effectively.

10. Sentiment Analysis

• Definition: Assesses whether user mentions and interactions are positive, negative, or neutral in tone.
• Why it matters: Tracks the perception of your brand, providing insights into your reputation and how audiences feel about your content or campaigns.
• Tips to improve: Address negative feedback constructively, amplify positive feedback with user-generated content, and closely monitor trends.

What’s a good sentiment analysis?

• Positive sentiment benchmarks:
• Aim for 60-80% positive mentions to reflect a strong brand reputation.
• Keep negative sentiment below 10-15%, while neutral sentiment typically fills the rest.
• Industry variations:
• Consumer goods and entertainment often see higher positive sentiment due to emotional connections, while B2B industries may see more neutral sentiment tied to professionalism.

Final Thoughts

Tracking social media KPIs isn’t just about monitoring numbers—it’s about deriving actionable insights that drive meaningful outcomes. By aligning your KPIs with specific goals, regularly optimizing based on data, and adapting to changes in platforms and audiences, you can stay ahead in the dynamic world of social media marketing.

Implementing these practices ensures your strategy remains impactful and aligned with your broader business objectives.