The 21 essential social media metrics you must track for success in 2024

If you’re managing social campaigns, chasing vanity numbers won’t cut it. You need metrics that reveal true performance, show what’s working, and guide improvements. Below is a distilled breakdown of the most essential social media metrics to monitor in 2025 — grouped into categories for clarity.

Engagement Metrics

These metrics show how your audience interacts with your content (critical for signaling to algorithms and building connection):

• Engagement rate — engagements (likes, comments, shares, saves) relative to audience size
• Likes and reactions — a baseline measure of resonance
• Comments — deeper interaction and social proof
• Shares — indicates content people want to amplify

Reach & Visibility Metrics

These tell you how many people see your content and how often:

• Reach — number of unique people who saw your content
• Impressions — total views, including repeat ones
• Social share of voice (SSoV) — how much people talk about your brand vs. competitors

Conversion & Action Metrics

These metrics tie social efforts to tangible results:

• Conversion rate — percentage of posts that lead to desired actions (e.g. sale, signup)
• Click-through rate (CTR) — how many clicks per impression
• Cost-per-click (CPC) — how much you pay when someone clicks (for paid campaigns)
• Cost per thousand impressions (CPM) — cost for every 1,000 views

Audience & Demographic Metrics

Understanding who follows you helps you refine content and targeting:

• Follower count — total number of followers
• Follower growth — how fast your audience is expanding
• Sentiment — how people feel when they talk about your brand
• Demographics — info like age, gender, location, interests

Video-Specific Metrics

When you post videos, these show how engaging your video content is:

• View count — how many people started watching
• Video completion rate — how many watched until the end
• Watch time — total amount of time viewers spent watching

Customer Service & Brand Health Metrics

These metrics measure responsiveness and brand reputation via social:

• Average response time — how quickly you reply to messages/comments
• Customer satisfaction score (CSAT) — how happy people are with your service
• Net promoter score (NPS) — how likely people are to recommend your brand

Quick Answer

Start with 3–5 key metrics (like engagement rate, CTR, follower growth). Track them consistently, compare over time, and use insights to tweak your content, posting schedule, and strategy.

How to Use These Metrics Strategically

First, pick metrics aligned to your goals — awareness, engagement, leads, or sales. Then:

• Track metrics across platforms to spot what content types perform best
• Compare against benchmarks in your industry or past performance
• Identify content patterns: topics, formats, timing that get more reach or engagement
• Use feedback loops: low CTR? change your CTA or link placement. Low engagement? test new formats or hooks

Remember, metrics aren’t just numbers — they’re signals. They tell you where your strategy is succeeding and where it needs adjustment. Monitor consistently, act quickly, and let data drive smarter social decisions