16 Top Social Media KPIs to Track Client Success

Imagine being a master chef in the digital marketing kitchen, skillfully blending various ingredients to create an impressive feast for your clients. Those ingredients? They're a business's social media strategy and your agency's social media campaigns. The feast? It's client success.

Just like a chef relies on kitchen thermometers, timers, and taste tests to ensure the perfect dish, a social media manager relies on specific measurements to track their client's success. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are the bread and butter of any successful campaign.

In the world of social media management, social media KPIs are not just metrics. They are valuable insights that a social media marketer uses to drive the social media strategy and inform decision-making.

Throughout this guide, we'll unpack various key performance indicators, helping you make sense of these critical measurements for each social media account. We'll also provide you with a practical social media report template, a tool to compile and present your findings in a digestible format. This isn't just about data collection; it's about data interpretation and effective communication of results.

We’ll also delve into some examples of social media KPIs, examining how to set social media KPIs while understanding how each contribute to the bigger picture of your client's social media marketing and digital marketing success. 

By mastering these important social media KPIs, you'll elevate your role from a social media manager to a strategist and a trusted partner in your client's success. You will clearly understand what's working and what isn't and how to constantly optimize social media channels for better results.

The Importance of Social Media KPIs

A Key Performance Indicator (KPI) is a measurable value that organizations use to track their progress towards achieving key business goals.

When running social media marketing campaigns, knowledge isn't just power—it's everything. The more accurately an agency can measure the impact of its social media efforts, the better it can optimize and drive results. 

That's where social media Key Performance Indicators, or KPIs, come into play. These social media metrics offer insights into the performance of your agency's social media marketing strategy, shedding light on what's working and what needs more elbow grease.

Looking at social media KPIs through the lens of actionability gives them a whole new meaning. When tracking social media KPIs like post engagement rate, you might notice that social media posts with certain image sizes consistently perform better. Here's an insight right at your fingertips–optimize your social media image sizes for better engagement!

What Social Media KPIs Are and Why They Matter

Social media KPIs are quantifiable metrics that provide data on the performance and effectiveness of social media campaigns in reaching a client's business goals. These measurements might include social media metrics like reach, engagement, and conversion rates. But they aren't just a collection of numbers—they're the heart of your social strategy.

Think of KPIs as the vital signs of your social media marketing strategy. Much like a doctor uses a patient's heart rate and blood pressure to assess their health, a social media manager uses KPIs to evaluate the health of a client's social media channels.

The 'social conversions' metric gives you a snapshot of how effectively your social media content is nudging users down the sales funnel. Low conversions? Perhaps, you need to tweak your content strategy or the way you're targeting users at various lifecycle stages.

'Post impressions' and 'post clicks' can reveal the best posting times, when the target audience is most active and most likely to engage with content. Observing patterns over time will provide a roadmap to scheduling social media posts for maximum impact.

By monitoring these indicators, agencies track progress toward marketing goals, make data-informed decisions, and demonstrate the value they deliver to clients.

The Role of a Social Media Manager in KPI Tracking

Social media managers act as the custodians of these metrics. Their role is to identify, track, and analyze KPIs. But it's more than just number crunching. They decode complex data, translating it into actionable insights that shape campaign strategy. The ability to read these digital signposts effectively transforms managers from campaign overseers into strategic consultants.

For our clients, the KPIs are pretty simple: It's leads, revenue generated, and Cost Per Acquisition. Our clients are typically local, service-based businesses and thus don't care too much about brand awareness or percentages. The marketing dollars need to translate to top-line revenue, and so it's our job to help our clients connect the dots to that in our reporting.

Lane Rizzardini, Co-Owner, Marion Relationship Marketing 

By combining all these insights and more, you can perform a complete social media audit. This comprehensive evaluation of your client’s social media strategy based on actual data allows you to tweak, optimize, and pivot for increased success. So, social media KPIs aren't just numbers–they're the breadcrumbs leading you to a treasure trove of actionable insights!

Vanity Metrics vs. Actionable KPIs

Not all metrics are created equal, so there’s a (sometimes) clear distinction between vanity metrics and actionable social media KPIs.

Vanity metrics—like the raw number of followers or social media post impressions—might inflate the ego, but that’s about it. A million social media followers do look mighty impressive when taken in isolation, but they don't necessarily contribute to your client's bottom line. The value of that 1 million follower count is negligible if they're not engaging with your client’s content or contributing to conversions.

On the other hand, actionable KPIs—like engagement rate, click-through rate, or conversion rate—provide valuable insights into how audiences interact with a brand. They help agencies discern whether campaigns reach the right people, resonate with audiences, and compel users to take desired actions.

And follower count doesn't always have to be a vanity metric, if you look at the growth rate and not the pure numbers. If a client's follower count is growing at a reasonable rate, that is a valuable social media KPI to measure.

It's like the difference between a beautifully decorated birthday cake that tastes bland and a less ornate cake with an irresistible flavor. Which would you choose? In social media marketing, the substance—not just the style—truly matters. Or better yet, a beautifully decorated cake that tastes amazing. That should always be the goal! 

Tracking the Social Media KPIs That Matter

In social media, data is abundant. In fact, the lack of data is rarely a problem, but identifying and narrowing down to the critical social media marketing metrics and KPIs that matter can be. With this deep dive into the essential social media KPIs that marketing agencies need to monitor, you’re better equipped to optimize campaigns and showcase success to clients.

The following are the top 16 social media KPIs that matter the most. 

1. Audience Growth

Audience growth measures how many new followers or subscribers are gained over a specific time frame. As mentioned earlier, the growth in follower count is a direct reflection of the effectiveness of your content and your reach. Tracking this metric helps agencies spot trends and understand what kind of content drives follower growth. 

For example, if a particular influencer marketing campaign lead to a significant spike in new followers, replicate elements from it in future initiatives.

2. Organic vs. Paid Followers

The divide between organic and paid followers shows your natural audience growth versus growth from paid advertising campaigns. Organic growth springs from non-paid strategies like post optimization and social content marketing. Paid growth comes from advertising spend such as sponsored posts. Understanding this breakdown helps agencies determine the ROI of their paid strategies versus organic content efforts.

3.  Post Likes

A simple yet telling engagement metric, Post Likes provide a snapshot of how much the published content resonates with the target audience. If a post garners more likes, it suggests that the content type or topic strikes a chord with the audience and helps shape future content strategies.

4. Audience Demographics

This metric provides insights into the social media audience, including age, gender, and other demographic characteristics. It's crucial to ensure that the content on a client's social media channels aligns with the interests and preferences of the target audience. A disconnect here can mean there is a dire need to rethink the social content strategy.  

For instance, a younger demographic might respond better to video content or off-the-wall memes, while an older audience may prefer to consume in-depth articles or infographics on their favorite social media platform.

5.  Audience Geographics

This involves the geographical location of your audience. Knowing where your audience is located helps optimize posting times, localize content, and target advertising more effectively. 

For example, if a significant audience segment is from a different time zone, you should adjust your posting schedule to when they're most active to improve engagement metrics.

6. Reach

Reach measures the number of unique users who saw your client’s social media content. It also shows how far the spreads beyond current followers.

Reach is a fundamental metric when it comes to measuring social media KPIs as it directly ties into business goals such as enhancing brand visibility. For example, high reach indicates broad exposure, which helps build brand awareness. While reach varies across different social media platforms, it remains one of the key performance indicators for gauging the potential size of your audience and the extent of your client's online visibility.

7. Post Impressions

Post Impressions represent the total number of times a post is displayed, whether clicked or not. It's a measure of potential visibility and offers insights into your content's visibility potential. 

For instance, social media posts with higher impressions could be re-purposed for high-performing channels to maximize visibility.

8. Post Shares

Post Shares is one of the best social media KPIs, as it is an interactive barometer of your agency's marketing efforts. It's a testament to the value, relevance, or sheer entertainment of your content that motivates the audience to hit the 'share' button.

On most social media platforms, when your content is shared, it's not only seen by your immediate audience but also extends to the network of the person who shared it. This multiplies reach and boosts the client's brand visibility, making 'post shares' a significant KPI for any social media campaign.

It's the digital equivalent of a high-five for your content strategy, signaling that your messaging is on-point and your campaign is hitting the right notes.

9. Post Clicks

This metric indicates the number of times social media users have clicked on social posts. It's a measure of audience interest and content relevancy. Post clicks drive users toward a desired action, be it a product page visit, video view, or sign-up form.

10. Post Comments

Comments represent direct engagement with the audience. It's a space where followers can voice their opinions, ask questions, or share their experiences. High comment numbers reflect active audience participation and can provide valuable insights into audience sentiment.

11. Post Engagement Rate

Post Engagement Rate shows the level of interaction (likes, shares, comments) specific pieces of content receive. It's a measure of how well the target audience connects with published content. High engagement rates suggest that the content strategy is well-aligned with audience preferences.

12. Video Views

Video Views count the total views a video content receives. In an era where video content is king, this metric helps measure the performance of video marketing efforts. High video views indicate content popularity and audience interest.

13. Social Web Traffic

Social Web Traffic, particularly tracked via Google Analytics 4 (GA-4), provides insights into the number of visitors driven to your website through social media. 

Easily incorporate Google Analytics 4 reporting into your agency’s processes with just a few clicks. Start your 14-day free trial today. 

This metric might differ from "Clicks" inside the native platform as Google Analytics tracks users who land on and engage with your website, filtering out bounced clicks or non-loaded pages that might show up in the platforms' native social media analytics.

14. Social Conversions

Social Conversions are the desired actions taken by users coming from social media platforms, like making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or filling out a form. Monitoring conversions helps agencies evaluate the effectiveness of their social media campaigns in driving tangible results.

15. Social Revenue

Social Revenue refers to the income generated from social media marketing strategies. It quantifies the financial impact of your agencies social strategies. Coupling this metric with ad spend data allows for accurate calculation of ROAS (Return on Ad Spend).

16. Social Media ROI

Social Media ROI is the return on investment for your agency’s social media efforts. It's calculated by dividing the revenue generated from social media by the total cost of social media marketing activities, including paid ads and social media management fees.  

This critical metric underlines your social media strategy's financial viability and success.

Remember, these metrics don't exist in isolation but interact in a dynamic ecosystem. The power lies in understanding their interplay and using that knowledge to create, tweak, and optimize campaigns for client success.

Classifying the Top Social Media KPIs by Type 

Understanding how to track social media KPIs is half the battle; the other half is knowing how they interconnect and influence each other. Let's delve into the different categories of key performance indicators and see how they correspond to the various stages of a social media user's journey.

Social Reach KPIs

Social Reach KPIs gauge how far your content extends beyond your immediate followers. It's like having a microphone in a crowded room: how many people can hear your voice over the noise? 

This category includes the Reach and Social Media Post Impressions metrics. Together, these KPIs help paint a picture of the potential visibility and the breadth of your content's impact.

Social Engagement KPIs

Imagine hosting a party. You've got the attendees (reach), but are they dancing, chatting, and enjoying the party (engaging), or are they standing in a corner, checking their phones? Social Engagement KPIs help answer the burning questions about user engagement. 

These social media KPIs measure how actively users interact with the posted content. This category houses metrics like Post Likes, Post Shares, Post Comments, Click-Through Rate, and Post Engagement Rate. High engagement means the audience is actively participating in the conversation, not just standing around sipping their drinks.

Follower Growth KPIs

Here's where we look at your fan club and the follower count. Follower Growth KPIs track the rate at which your client’s audience grows on various social channels. Social Media analytics such as Audience Growth and the division between Organic vs. Paid Followers, fall into this category. 

Growth is always good, but organic growth on social channels means you've got charm and charisma, not just a reasonable advertising budget.

Social Traffic KPIs

It's lovely to have a crowd at your party (reach), enjoying themselves (engagement), and even becoming regular attendees (followers). But the real win is when they leave the party to visit your coffee shop (website) for a late-night bite on the way home.  

That's what Social Traffic KPIs monitor: the amount of website traffic you drive from your agency's social media strategy. This category includes the Social Web Traffic metric, usually reported through Google Analytics, which shows how many partygoers are interested enough to leave the shindig and check out your client’s place of business.

Social Conversion KPIs

Next, we've got the ultimate in social media success: conversions. After all, what's the point of throwing a party if no one's buying what your client is selling? Social Conversion KPIs, including Social Conversions, Lead Generation, and Social Revenue, measure the tangible actions users take: making a purchase, filling out a form, or signing up for a newsletter.

Social ROI KPIs

Let's not forget the Social ROI KPIs, the heroes that bring balance to the universe. Imagine you're the host of our metaphorical party again. You've poured time, energy, and money into planning. But did you get a return on your investment? Were your guests impressed? Did you achieve the client's business goals?

These social media metrics are the measuring tape of effectiveness, showcasing the value gained from the resources invested in social media. So, remember to keep an eye on your Social ROI KPIs – they'll tell you if your social media party is a wise investment or an expensive vanity project.

By understanding how these KPI categories function and intersect, agencies can comprehensively understand their client's social media performance. And remember, it's not just about the numbers but what those numbers represent in the larger social media narrative. Keep that story in mind as you analyze and strategize, and the rest is a piece of cake—or in our party metaphor, the perfect cocktail.

How to Select the Right Social Media KPIs for Clients

Picking the right KPIs for social media reporting is like picking the right tool for a job. You wouldn't use a wrench to hammer in a nail, right? I mean, you might in a pinch–but you really shouldn’t.  

Similarly, the right KPIs depend on the task at hand. Let's break it down and see how agencies should choose the right social media KPIs for their clients.

KPIs Based on Campaign Objectives

The first step is understanding what your client hopes to achieve. Are they seeking to increase brand awareness? If so, social reach KPIs like Reach and Post Impressions are your new best friends. 

To build an engaged community, focus on social engagement KPIs such as Post Likes, Comments, and Shares. Every campaign objective has a set of related KPIs. Aligning social media KPIs with campaign objectives is like having a GPS for your strategy—it gives you direction.

KPIs Based on Client Reporting Needs

While every campaign needs to have its goals, let's not forget who's steering the ship: the client. Understand what success looks like to them and what KPI reporting needs they have. 

Our clients care about their budget and how many phone call leads they can get from it. All other metrics are tossed aside.

Rebecca Pena, Marketing Director, Investigator Marketing

If your client is all about that bottom line, prioritize ROI-focused KPIs. Follower growth KPIs might be more relevant if a start-up seeks to expand its audience. In other words, align your KPIs with your client's vision of success.

KPIs Based on Current Performance

Sometimes, your client’s past performance can illuminate your path. Look at the existing data to understand what's working and what isn't, and set the KPIs based on beating those current state metrics.  

For example, if a client's social media engagement is already stellar, focusing on amplifying reach might be the next logical step. On the flip side, if a client's reach is impressive, but their engagement is low, it's time to change the tune and prioritize engagement KPIs.

KPIs Based on Industry Benchmarks

Last but not least, don't ignore what your competition is doing. Industry benchmarks and social media listening tools give you an idea of what's achievable and can include reach, engagement, share of voice, or conversion metrics, as well as which platforms they are targeting to drive customer acquisition. 

Benchmarks provided by industry publications as well as your agency's findings using social listening tools help guide the selection of social media KPIs and help set realistic expectations. After all, it's good to shoot for the stars, but let's not forget to keep one foot on the ground.

KPIs Based on Resource Availability

An additional consideration when selecting KPIs is the resources available for the campaign. Some metrics, like Social Media ROI, require advanced tracking setups and significant data analysis capabilities. 

Understand the available resources—both human and technological—to ensure that selected social media KPIs can be tracked and analyzed efficiently and effectively.

Remember, selecting the right KPIs is a strategic choice that can make or break a campaign's success. It's like choosing the right spices for a dish—you need to consider the main ingredient (the campaign objective), the taste preferences (client reporting needs), what you've cooked successfully before (current performance), what the other chefs are doing (industry benchmarks), and of course, what spices you have in your kitchen (resource availability). 

Creating an Effective Social Media Report Template

Building a compelling social media report is a bit like constructing a high-rise building. You need a blueprint, the right materials, and some good ol' elbow grease. 

It's our job to tell a simple story through reporting to our clients.  The report is the client's proof that what we are doing is benefiting their business in a positive way.

Brian Ferritto, Partner, 42connect

However, in this case, the blueprint is your social media report template, and the materials are your social media KPIs. Now, let's roll up our sleeves and see how this construction project takes shape.

Understanding the Basic Building Blocks

In essence, any report is all about data. Yet, presenting raw data to your clients is akin to tossing a thousand random puzzle pieces at someone–it can be quite overwhelming. This is where KPIs come to the rescue, functioning like the picture on the puzzle box, providing the necessary context and meaning. The key lies in choosing the appropriate set of KPIs, as explored in the previous section.

Importance of Clear, Concise Reporting

Nobody enjoys reading a 500-page report—especially not your clients. The goal is to keep it as straightforward and concise as possible. Stick to relevant KPIs and avoid overwhelming your clients with unnecessary information. They don't need to know every tiny detail—just the bits that genuinely matter.

Creating easy-to-understand reports utilizing annotations and goals is a great way to craft a client success story that keeps them coming back for more.  Try AgencyAnalytics free for 14 days. 

Leverage AgencyAnalytics Social Media Report Template

The AgencyAnalytics social media report template is a beast when it comes to simplifying your agency’s reporting process. It's like having a well-equipped toolbox at your disposal.

AgencyAnalytics’ social media report template provides a comprehensive view of your client's social media performance across multiple accounts. It compiles all the crucial social media KPIs, including reach, engagement, and follower growth, in one easily digestible dashboard. The best part? It's fully customizable, so you can tweak it to your client's needs.

This platform also saves you from the hassle of manually pulling in data. Instead, it auto-populates your reports with the latest data from all of your clients' social media accounts alongside key metrics from more than 80 marketing platform integrations, keeping your clients updated with real-time insights and providing much-needed data to inform your agency's social strategy. 

Encouraging Client Engagement

An often-overlooked aspect of reporting is client engagement. You want your clients to read, understand, and interact with the reports. AgencyAnalytics' platform presents the data visually appealingly, with charts, graphs, and tables–all white labeled with your agency’s logo and brand colors. It makes your reports not just digestible but also professional and enjoyable to read. 

We start with a template for our new clients, and during their onboarding, we ask what their top KPIs are. We make sure to include those on the first page for them. As we have our first few strategy meetings, we take a look at these reports and ask our clients about their reports, and make edits to the templates with our clients as another customization tool.

Christina Cypher, Director of Marketing, Click Control Marketing

In conclusion, a well-crafted social media report template, such as the one provided by AgencyAnalytics, takes the complexity out of client reporting. It helps you serve up the data from multiple social media accounts in an engaging, easy-to-understand format that meets your clients' reporting needs and demonstrates the value your agency brings to their business. 

Using a Live Dashboard to Showcase Social Media KPIs

Something akin to a social media report’s cousin, a live social media dashboard is like a digital command center where all your client’s data from their social media accounts is dynamically displayed in real-time, available 24/7, and constantly updated. 

Dashboards are great because they allow the entire team to see the KPIs and data they need daily to make good decisions.

Brian Ferritto, Partner, 42connect

No need for clients to wait for the next report to land in their inbox, they can see the action in real-time, every social media platform, every post, every like, every link click.  

With a live social media reporting dashboard, your clients see the performance of their social media campaign as it happens, from reach and engagement to follower growth, across all of their social media platforms. It's all there, unfolding in real-time.

Why 24/7 Access Matters

What good is a 24-hour diner if it's only open from 9 to 5? Not much, right? The same principle applies to your client's data. 

Our clients get the benefit of looking at their analytics whenever they wish, having a dashboard set up by a professional who understands the KPIs so they're not overloaded with data causing their own analysis paralysis, and giving them peace of mind to trust us as marketing experts within the industry.

Lisa Cutter, President, Vertical Insight Marketing

Having 24/7 access to the live dashboard gives your clients the freedom to check their social media performance whenever they want, even in the wee hours of the night when insomnia strikes and counting sheep doesn't help.

Plus, with custom user permissions, you control exactly what your client has access to so they don’t end up buried too deep in the rabbit hole of metrics. 

Enter the AgencyAnalytics Social Media Dashboard

Now, let's talk about AgencyAnalytics. Their social media dashboard is like a buffet, offering all-you-can-eat data in one place. But instead of burgers and fries, you have reach, impressions, engagement, and so on—all served up in real time.

AgencyAnalytics is one of the most essential tools we use as an agency. Not only do we use it daily with our internal team to check specific KPIs we are tracking through various dashboards, but it has also saved us countless hours with our monthly reporting. The reports we output, and email to our clients have the data clearly visualized and look professional, giving our clients a report they can finally understand!

Brian Ferritto, Partner, 42connect

With AgencyAnalytics' dashboard, your clients get a live, continuously updated view of their social media KPIs. It's customizable to match each client's preferences and simple to use—no need for a degree in data science to understand the numbers.

To top it off, AgencyAnalytics' dashboard pulls data from multiple sources. Whether your client is on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or LinkedIn, all their social media performance data is available at their fingertips.

The Relationship Between SEO, PPC, and Social Media KPIs

Take a moment to imagine the digital marketing landscape as an interconnected ecosystem. Within this ecosystem, SEO, PPC, and social media are not isolated entities, but instead, they are like intricate dances with each other, each bringing unique moves to the floor. When mastered, the interplay of these elements results in a truly harmonious digital marketing approach.

SEO, PPC, and Social Media: An Intersecting Path

While SEO and PPC are traditionally associated with search engine results and social media lives in a different neighborhood of the online world, there are numerous intersections and overlaps. 

For instance, SEO strategies can inform the keywords used in social media content, boosting organic visibility. Similarly, data from PPC campaigns, such as keyword performance or demographics, can provide valuable insights for tailoring social media ads.

Consider also that Google values user experience, and social signals, such as shares and likes, are indicators of the quality of the content. Therefore, a strong social media presence can indirectly contribute to SEO performance by increasing the perceived value of the content.

Leveraging Connections for a Comprehensive Digital Marketing Approach

Creating a comprehensive digital marketing approach means understanding and leveraging these intersections. SEO, PPC, and social media strategies should be developed in tandem, each one feeding into and informing the others.

For example, when creating a new PPC campaign, it's beneficial to consider how the campaign can be mirrored or supported on social media. Likewise, SEO efforts should take into account the kinds of searches and questions that your target audience might have, informing the type of content created for social media.

Have a blog post that is performing well and converting the target audience to a desired action? What's stopping your agency from turning that post into a series of engaging posts that can be shared on various social media platforms?

SEO, PPC, and social media KPIs are interconnected in many ways. By understanding these connections and utilizing them effectively, a digital marketing strategy can become more comprehensive, resulting in better performance across all channels.

Summary and Key Takeaways

We've taken a deep dive into the world of social media KPIs, peering into the depths of data that can be gathered and utilized to provide stunning insights and opportunities for campaign optimization. We've shared how agencies can strategically pick the right social media analytics to track based on campaign objectives, client reporting needs, current performance, and industry benchmarks.

We've talked about the importance of staying clear of reports filled with vanity metrics and, instead, focusing on actionable KPIs instead. We've also discussed the advantages of employing AgencyAnalytics' social media report template and live dashboard.

And finally, we didn't forget about the digital marketing trinity of SEO, PPC, and social media. We acknowledged their intersection and the strategic leverage that understanding this relationship can offer.

Key Takeaways

• Social media KPIs are critical tools for tracking, understanding, and improving your client's campaign success. Picking the right ones matters.

• Don't let vanity metrics lead you astray. Focus on KPIs that deliver actionable insights for decision-making.

• Catering to your client's specific needs and tailoring the KPIs to their objectives is essential. It's not a one-size-fits-all scenario.

• Don't underestimate the power of a well-crafted social media report and a live dashboard. They can keep your clients informed and impressed.

• SEO, PPC, and social media are not isolated islands. They are part of a larger digital marketing ecosystem, and their interplay can offer added advantages.

• Finally, remember to keep learning and adapting. The digital landscape is ever-evolving. To stay ahead, ensure your KPI strategy is fluid and responsive.

Ready to make your social media reporting as smooth as silk? The AgencyAnalytics client reporting platform is like having a personal assistant that never sleeps, gathering the heavy lifting of data and presenting it in an easy-to-digest, visually pleasing format. 

From automated reporting to a live dashboard, it's got you covered, taking the dread out of data. No more sleepless nights over spreadsheets or wrestling with raw data. With AgencyAnalytics, you can spend more time strategizing and less time struggling. Start your 14-day free trial and discover the benefits for yourself! 

Take the plunge and let AgencyAnalytics streamline your client reporting today. It's reporting made ridiculously simple!

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