The social media metrics that really matter
Saves, shares and profile visits versus likes: what to look at and what to do about it.
Patricia Lugo · October 12, 2026 · 5 min read
Likes and followers are the first things we see, which makes it easy to give them more weight than they deserve. A post with lots of likes may not have brought in a single client.
Useful metrics tell you whether your content genuinely interests people and whether it’s bringing them to your business. These are the ones I review in the projects I manage.
Vanity metrics
Followers and likes aren’t useless, but on their own they say little. They’re easy to inflate and don’t show whether content is meeting a business goal. Use them as context, not as results.
The ones that do matter
| What it tells you | |
|---|---|
| Saves | The content is useful: people want to come back to it. |
| Shares | The content resonates so much that someone recommends it. |
| Reach beyond followers | You’re reaching new people. |
| Profile visits | The content sparks curiosity about your brand. |
| Link clicks | Social media is driving traffic to your website. |
| Messages and enquiries | There’s real interest in what you offer. |
A metric is only useful if it helps you decide what to do next month.
Choose based on your goal
- If you want to get known: reach beyond followers and shares.
- If you want to build trust: saves, comments and profile visits.
- If you want to sell or generate leads: link clicks, messages and what happens next on your website.
For the latter, your social media needs to be connected to your website analytics. That way you can see how many visits come from each platform and how many end in a lead or a sale.
How often to review them
Checking daily leads to anxiety and rushed decisions. What I recommend is a monthly review with three questions:
Monthly review:
- Which three posts performed best, and why?
- Did the metrics tied to our goal grow?
- What will we repeat, change or stop doing next month?
In the projects I manage, this report is part of the regular check-in with the company, together with website and campaign data. That way social media stops being a gut feeling and becomes a decision.
