Introduction
Marketing reports can be full of encouraging numbers: impressions, clicks, likes, shares and comments. These metrics can be useful, but they can also create a false sense of success if they are not connected to a larger business objective.
In this clip, Mark Jamieson explains what vanity metrics are, why businesses can become too focused on them and how to shift attention toward the KPIs that are more closely tied to real business outcomes.
Summary
Vanity metrics are numbers that may look positive on the surface but do not necessarily show whether marketing is contributing to business growth.
A social post may receive a large number of likes. A video may generate comments. An ad may produce thousands of impressions. A website may attract more clicks. These signals can all have value, particularly when brand awareness is the primary goal, but they should not automatically be treated as proof that a campaign is successful.
The more important question is what happens next.
For most businesses, marketing needs to contribute to a meaningful action such as a phone call, form submission, download, inquiry or other conversion. That means KPIs should be selected by working backwards from the desired business outcome rather than simply reporting the numbers that are easiest to measure.
The goal is not to ignore engagement metrics, but to understand what role they play and whether they are helping move the audience toward a result that matters.
In This Series
5 Videos- Strategy Starts with Research: Why Tactics Should Never Come First 1:26
- 2 Why Your Marketing Tactics Need to Work Together 2:23
- Look Beyond Vanity Metrics: Focus on What Actually Drives Results 1:58
- 4 Brand Differentiation: How to Stand Apart in a Crowded Market 1:10
- 5 Customer Lifetime Value: How It Should Influence Your Marketing Spend 1:18
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Key Takeaways
Full Video Transcript
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00:00:00:09 - 00:00:27:00
You know, we talk a lot about, you know, clients that are chasing vanity metrics. Maybe you can, first of all, tell our listeners and our viewers what vanity metrics are, and then we can get into why why we shouldn't be chasing them. Sure. Yeah. New metrics, I would say, is anything that boosts your ego. You know, we see a lot of clients who are very proud of the amount of likes they got from a social post or, you know, how many, you know, YouTube comments, maybe that they got on a video that they shot.
00:00:27:00 - 00:00:50:20
But unfortunately, you know, as much as this content could be going out, it's not producing a result that is actually driving any revenue into the business. So vanity metrics to me can be the amount of clicks that came into a website or the amount of pressures that were shown from an ad. But essentially, again, you know, we've talked about this a lot when there is no strategy added to the tactical component.
00:00:51:00 - 00:01:10:04
Typically all you will see are vanity metrics. So what metrics should they be looking at? Yeah. You know you know we need to reverse engineer the KPI. You know the end goal has to be a conversion of some kind. And you know, I will never say that there is nothing wrong with a click or a like or a share.
00:01:10:05 - 00:01:32:22
Absolutely. These are important for the brand. And a brand recognition is everything that you want to achieve. Then certainly these metrics do hold some value, but nine out of ten times when a business or a business owner is putting this much effort into a marketing campaign, they want a financial return out of that time and out of that investment.
00:01:32:23 - 00:01:52:10
So really, the ultimate, you know, metric that you want to be looking at is the conversion itself. Is it producing a phone call? Is it producing a form fill as it producing a download. You know, is it actually getting chatter about the brand? You know, here's a metric that nobody looks at. You know, we look at the likes, we look at the shares in social media, you know.
00:01:52:11 - 00:01:57:06
But is anybody actually talking about the brand. And if they're not maybe it is vanity.
Meet the Speakers
Learn From Experienced Marketing Leaders
Our educational videos are led by experienced digital marketing professionals who work with businesses every day to solve real-world marketing challenges. Each video session is built around practical insights, proven strategies, and lessons learned through hands-on client experience.
Mark Jamieson
CEO, WSI Ottawa
Mark Jamieson is the CEO of WSI Ottawa and a digital marketing strategist with decades of experience helping organizations grow through data-driven marketing, AI adoption, search strategy, and business innovation. He regularly speaks on the future of digital marketing, AI, and business growth, helping organizations understand how emerging technologies can create measurable competitive advantages.
Pat Whalen
Partner, WSI Ottawa
Pat Whalen works closely with organizations to develop practical marketing strategies that align business objectives with measurable outcomes. With extensive experience in business development, sales strategy, and client engagement, Pat helps organizations identify opportunities for sustainable growth through strategic marketing and digital transformation.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve compiled answers to some of the most common questions related to this topic. These FAQs expand on the discussion and provide additional context to help you better understand the concepts covered in the video.
What are vanity metrics in marketing?
Vanity metrics are numbers that can make a campaign look successful without necessarily showing whether it is contributing to a meaningful business outcome. Examples can include impressions, likes, shares, comments and clicks.
Are likes and impressions useless?
No. They can be useful indicators of reach, awareness and engagement. Their value depends on the objective of the campaign and whether they contribute to the next stage of the customer journey.
What metrics should businesses focus on instead?
The right metrics depend on the goal. For lead generation, that may include phone calls, form submissions and qualified inquiries. For ecommerce, it may include purchases and revenue. For content, it could include downloads or other meaningful actions.
What does it mean to reverse engineer a KPI?
It means starting with the end goal and working backwards to determine which measurable actions indicate progress toward that goal.
Can brand awareness be a legitimate marketing objective?
Yes. If increasing brand recognition is the primary goal, metrics such as reach, impressions, engagement and brand conversation can be meaningful. The important thing is to define that objective in advance.
How can a business tell if its marketing metrics are meaningful?
Ask whether each metric helps explain progress toward a defined business goal. If a number looks impressive but has no clear connection to the objective, it may be more of a vanity metric than a useful KPI.
Why are conversions so important?
Conversions represent actions that move a prospect closer to becoming a customer. They provide a stronger connection between marketing activity and business performance than surface-level engagement alone.
Measure What Matters
Your marketing reports should do more than show activity. They should help you understand whether your campaigns are contributing to meaningful business outcomes.
A Marketing Strategy Review can help clarify your KPIs, identify which metrics deserve attention and connect your marketing activity to the results that matter most.