You invest time and money in social media marketing. This investment should yield measurable results.
Track the right key performance indicators (KPIs) to understand how your strategy is performing
In this guide, we discuss important social media KPIs, how to pick the right ones, and how to track them.
First, let’s start with the basics.
What Are Social Media KPIs?
Social media KPIs are metrics you select to measure how effective your social media marketing is. They quantify how successful your strategy is. They also reveal which activities meet targets and which ones do not.
For example, here’s the Insights dashboard from Instagram showing various metrics you may track as KPIs:
Why Is It Important to Track Social Media KPIs?
Tracking social media KPIs is important for several reasons:
- Measure progress toward goals: KPIs create a framework for tracking progress toward your department and company objectives.
- Make informed decisions: KPIs highlight successes and reveal patterns. That data can guide your strategic decisions.
- Benchmark against the competition: Compare your performance to others in your space. Determine your market position and see areas where you stand out.
18 Social Media KPIs to Track
There are many types of KPIs for social media marketing. We’ve split them into five categories. Under each category, you’ll see common metrics that companies track:
Social Media KPIs Focused on Visibility
These metrics show how many people (followers and non-followers) see your content. Greater visibility offers more opportunities to engage users, build relationships, and drive conversions.
1. Impressions
Impressions are the total number of times your content appears on a social media feed. This includes every instance your content loads, whether as an original post or a share. It also counts multiple views by the same user. The more your content appears in feeds, the higher your impressions.
Here’s an example from LinkedIn showing impressions for a post:
Why Impressions Are Important
Impressions show how much exposure your content is getting. A high number can lead to better brand recognition, more followers, and higher engagement.
2. Video Views
Video views track how many times users watch your video content. Social media platforms have different criteria for counting a “view.” For example, Facebook counts a view when the video is watched for at least three seconds, while YouTube counts a view at 30 seconds.
Here’s an example from YouTube showing a video’s view count:
Why Video Views Are Important
Video views indicate how appealing your video content is. A high number of views suggests your videos resonate with your audience. This can guide your content strategy by highlighting which video types they want to see more often.
3. Post Reach
Post reach is the number of unique users who’ve seen your social media post. It differs from impressions. Post reach counts each user only once, even if they view the content multiple times.
Here’s an example from Facebook showing the number of people reached (“See insights and ads”):
Why Post Reach Is Important
Reach helps you see how far your content spreads beyond your existing followers. It gives a sense of how big your potential audience could be.
4. Follower Count
Follower count is how many users follow your social media profile. This includes individuals and brands. The number can rise when new people follow, or fall when people unfollow. A decrease in followers isn’t always negative—it can mean your content is becoming more targeted and attracting a specific audience.
Here’s an example from an X (formerly Twitter) profile showing its follower count:
Why Follower Count Is Important
Follower count reflects how popular your brand is. It also indicates whether people like your content and want to see more of it.
5. Audience Growth Rate
Audience growth rate measures how quickly your social media following is growing (or shrinking). It’s expressed as a percentage change over time. Calculate it by taking the difference between the ending follower count and the starting count, then dividing by the starting count. Multiply by 100 to get a percentage.
Here’s an example from an Instagram profile showing audience growth in a week:
Why Audience Growth Rate Is Important
Audience growth rate reveals how fast you’re gaining new followers. Rapid growth may mean a strong social media strategy. Slow growth might prompt changes to your social media calendar or overall approach.
Social Media KPIs Focused on Engagement
Engagement metrics track how users interact with your social media content. They reflect how involved your audience is and how much they value your posts.
6. Reactions
Reactions are the simplest form of engagement, such as clicking “Like” or “Love.” Each platform offers different reaction options. For instance, Facebook has “Love,” “Angry,” or “Sad,” while Instagram focuses on “Likes.”
Here’s an example from LinkedIn:
Why Reactions Are Important
They reveal which content resonates most. A high number of reactions suggests your content hits the mark and can guide future social media content strategy.
7. Comments
Comments are written responses on your social media posts. They can reply to the post itself or to other comments. Users can also tag your account or other users, leading to more conversation around your content.
Here’s an example from Reddit showing how many comments a post has:
Why Comments Are Important
Comments indicate a deeper level of engagement than reactions. Content with many comments may get more visibility. Monitoring comments as part of your social media management strategy can help you learn about your audience’s preferences.
8. Shares
Shares happen when users repost your content to their own profiles, either as-is or with added commentary. Extra commentary can supply more context or a new perspective.
Here’s an example from TikTok:
Why Shares Are Important
When users share your content, it expands your reach and endorses your brand. A high number of shares can draw new followers, increase your social media visibility, and widen your audience.
9. Saves
Saves occur when users save or bookmark your post to view later. On X, “Saves” appear as “Bookmarks.” Some platforms let users group saved posts into collections, which helps them organize valuable content.
Here’s what the save button looks like on Instagram:
Why Saves Are Important
Saves show users find your content valuable enough to revisit, which is a strong sign of interest and engagement.
10. Average Engagement Rate
The average engagement rate is usually the percentage of people who interact with your posts compared to your total followers.
One way to calculate average engagement rate is to take the total engagements (likes, comments, shares, etc.) on your posts in a given time, then divide by the total number of posts and by your follower count. Multiply by 100 for a percentage.
Why Average Engagement Rate Is Important
A high engagement rate shows your content resonates with your audience. It means your posts are relevant and generate interest.
Social Media KPIs Focused on Conversions
Conversion metrics measure how well your content leads users to take a desired action, such as making a purchase or filling out a form.
11. Click-Through Rate
Click-through rate (CTR) is the percentage of people who clicked a link in your post compared to the total number who viewed the post. It’s a common metric for ads but also applies to organic posts.
CTR is calculated by dividing clicks by impressions and multiplying by 100:
Why Click-Through Rate Is Important
CTR shows which content best drives traffic to specific pages or resources. A high CTR means your message compels users to take action.
12. Conversion Rate
Conversion rate is the percentage of users who complete your desired action after clicking your post or ad. This could be anything from signing up for a newsletter to buying a product.
Conversion rate is calculated by dividing the number of conversions by the number of users who clicked, then multiplying by 100:
Why Conversion Rate Is Important
A high conversion rate means your social media content succeeds at encouraging user actions. It measures the impact of social media on business goals like lead generation or sales.
13. Cost Per Click
Cost per click (CPC) is the amount you pay each time someone clicks your ad on a social platform. It’s only relevant for paid ads. Calculate it by dividing your total ad cost by the number of clicks:
Why Cost Per Click Is Important
CPC reveals how cost-efficient your social media ads are. It shows if you need to optimize your strategy to reduce costs.
14. Sales Revenue
Sales revenue from social media is the total amount you earn that can be traced back to your social media efforts. You can track this by using special codes in URLs or using analytics tools that follow users from social clicks to completed purchases.
Why Sales Revenue Is Important
Tracking revenue proves the financial impact of your social media campaigns. It justifies the time and resources spent.
Social Media KPIs Focused on Customer Satisfaction
These metrics gauge how satisfied your customers are. Higher satisfaction often leads to stronger loyalty and more sales.
15. Review Ratings
Social media reviews are customer feedback about your product or service. They often come with a star rating on a scale from one to five. You can average these ratings to measure satisfaction in a straightforward way. To calculate an average rating, add up all ratings and divide by the total number of reviews.
Here’s an example from Facebook showing a business’s ratings and reviews:
Why Review Ratings Are Important
They deliver direct customer feedback. They also show areas that may need improvement.
16. Customer Satisfaction Score
A customer satisfaction score (CSAT) measures how satisfied customers feel about a product, service, or experience. To calculate it, ask customers to rate satisfaction on a scale of one (very unsatisfied) to five (very satisfied). Then, divide the number of satisfied customers (ratings of four or five) by the total number of responses and multiply by 100 for a percentage.
Why Customer Satisfaction Score Is Important
CSAT reflects the quality of your product or service from the customer’s viewpoint. Tracking it over time helps you notice changes in sentiment and address any concerns.
Social Media KPIs Focused on Share of Voice
Share of voice measures how well-known your brand is compared to competitors. It gauges your “slice” of the market conversation.
17. Brand Mentions
Brand mentions occur when users reference your brand on social media, either via tags or direct mentions in posts or comments. Several tools can monitor brand mentions, even if your brand isn’t tagged.
Here’s an example from X:
Why Brand Mentions Are Important
They show how often people talk about your brand. They also provide insights into awareness, sentiment, and advocates.
18. Branded and Campaign Hashtags
Branded hashtags use your company name or slogan. Campaign hashtags serve specific marketing campaigns. Hashtags help categorize posts and make them discoverable to a broader audience.
Here’s an example of Webflow’s branded hashtag on LinkedIn:
Why Branded and Campaign Hashtags Are Important
They boost visibility. Users who click or search your hashtag see all related posts, creating more exposure for your brand or campaign.
How to Pick the Right Social Media KPIs
We’ve highlighted many social media KPIs. You do not need to track them all. Here are some tips to help you choose:
Define Your Objectives
Identify your business objectives. Align your social media objectives with them. For example, if a small business wants to boost sales, it might focus on conversion rate and sales revenue.
Look at Your Industry
Industry factors can influence important KPIs. For example, an ecommerce company may focus on conversion rates and sales revenue, while a nonprofit might focus on engagement and reach.
You can also learn from competitors by using tools like EyeOn. Enter your competitors and click “Start monitoring.”
View the overview report:
Click a competitor in the “Social Media Posts” module to see their social media activity. Scroll to view their content by week:
Choose a Handful of KPIs to Focus on
Select a few key metrics that align with your goals. Tracking too many can overwhelm you with data.
You can always add more later if needed.
How to Set Social Media KPI Goals
Once you know which KPIs you want to track, set specific goals for each.
Benchmark Yourself Against Your Competitors
Benchmarking shows how you measure up in your industry. It helps you see what’s working for competitors, spot improvement areas, and set realistic goals.
Use competitor monitoring toolslikeSocial Trackerto compare performance across major platforms.
With Social Tracker, you can:
- Monitor audience growth and engagement
- Identify top-performing posts and campaigns
- Track hashtag performance
- Stay aware of brand mentions
Connect your social accounts in Social Tracker. Then add competitors. Compare your data to theirs in audience, activity, and engagement:
Set SMART Goals
SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound:
- Specific: Clear and direct
- Measurable: Quantifiable progress
- Achievable: Realistic targets
- Relevant: Aligned with business objectives
- Time-bound: Includes a deadline
How to Track Social Media KPIs
There are two main ways to track your KPIs:
Built-In Analytics Tools
Every social platform has native analytics. They provide data on your profile, posts, and audience.
For instance, Meta Business Suite’s Insights gives detailed metrics for Facebook and Instagram:
These native tools show which content resonates most, the best times to post, and how your social efforts relate to business goals.
Third-Party Analytics Tools
Tools like Social Analytics combine data from multiple social networks into a single view. They also provide deeper insights and help you track performance trends.
Go to Social Analytics, add your social profiles:
You’ll see data for Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. This includes new followers, reach, engagement, and engagement rate, plus percentage changes over time:
Start Tracking KPIs for Social Media
There are many social media KPIs, but pick the ones that match your unique goals. Use the right tools to monitor each metric.
Semrush’s Socialtoolkit offers features for posting, analyzing brand mentions, studying performance data, and monitoring competitors’ tactics. It’s an all-in-one resource for tracking essential KPIs and boosting your impact on social media.