Vanity metrics
Vanity metrics are numbers that look good and are easy to grow, such as followers or likes, but don't tell you whether your posts are bringing in work.
Why it matters when you post for yourself
They aren't useless: a post nobody likes probably wasn't seen. The trouble starts when they become the goal. A post can collect hundreds of likes from strangers and bring no enquiries, while a quiet post gets one message from the right person.
If you work for yourself, track the numbers closest to work: messages and replies, enquiries that mention a post, clicks on your link in bio, and saves, which show someone wants to come back to a post.
Example
Two posts from a made-up consultant. Post A: 1,200 likes, mostly from other consultants, and no messages. Post B: 60 likes and two messages asking how she works. By likes, A won. By what she posts for, B did.
Where it shows up in Postmosis
The link-in-bio page in Postmosis counts the clicks on each link over 7 and 30 days, a number much closer to new work than likes. See the link-in-bio page
Related terms
Common questions
Start my weekAre followers a vanity metric?
On their own, usually. Followers matter when they're people who could hire you or refer you, and a follower count doesn't tell you that.
What should I measure instead?
Messages, replies, enquiries that mention a post, and link-in-bio clicks. Write the two you care about most into your social media plan.
Is engagement rate a vanity metric?
It tells you more than likes alone, because it compares engagement with how many people saw the post. It still doesn't count enquiries, so watch both.
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