What is KPI?

A KPI, or key performance indicator, is a specific, measurable number a business tracks to see whether it is reaching an important goal.

KPIs keep your social media focused on results that matter. Without them, it is easy to chase likes or followers that do not help your business. Choosing the right KPIs makes it clear what success looks like and helps you decide where to spend time and money.

Social media KPIs depend on your goals. For awareness, you might track reach or impressions. For engagement, comments, shares or engagement rate. For sales, website clicks, leads or conversions. Each network reports different metrics, so you may combine numbers from several sources into one view.

Pick a small number of KPIs linked to your business goals, and set realistic targets. Review them on a regular schedule, such as monthly. If a KPI is not improving, change one thing at a time in your content or approach and see what helps.

Example

A dental practice chooses appointment bookings from social media as its main KPI, alongside website clicks from its posts.