31 Social Media KPIs You Should Track in 2025

You’re investing generous time and money into social media marketing—but how do you know if they’re paying off? 

The answer is social media KPIs or key performance indicators. 

Over 4.89 billion people use social media globally (that’s more than half the world’s population!), platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram are more influential than ever. On average, people spend 151 minutes a day scrolling through social feeds, and social media ad spending is expected to hit $268 billion in 2024.

Despite such massive opportunities, many businesses fail to engage with sizable audiences as they haven’t yet figured out which KPIs to focus on for their brand. 

Social KPIs are like guiding stars showing whether your strategy is effective or needs refining. 

However, businesses and social media managers frequently need help understanding which KPI indicates which aspect of social performance. And that’s why we are writing this blog! 

This is a repository of the best KPIs for social media that you can always go to when in doubt.

What are Social Media KPIs?

A Key Performance Indicator or KPI, is a measurable data or value that shows how effectively a business is achieving its objectives. In social media marketing, KPIs are the metrics that reveal whether your campaigns are hitting the mark.

Social media KPIs are tied to specific goals and provide clear targets to measure your campaign performance. They tell you what’s working, what’s not, and where you need to make adjustments.

For example, the Instagram Insights dashboard shows you metrics that can be tracked as KPIs—such as reach, engagement, and conversion rates. 

To help you measure the success of your social media campaigns, we’ve broken down the social media KPIs into five main categories: 

• Reach
• Engagement 
• Conversion 
• Social Customer Service
• Social Commerce

Social Reach KPIs

Reach KPIs is the number of users who come across your social content and provide insights into brand visibility. With these KPIs, you can gauge the size of your current and potential audience, growth over time, and overall brand awareness. 

1. Impressions

Impressions refer to the number of times your content appeared in a user’s feed or timeline, regardless of whether they interact with it. 

Each instance of your post display counts as one impression—even if the same user sees it multiple times.

Why Impressions Are Important

Impressions help you understand how often the audience circulates and sees your content. 

Higher impressions suggest broad content distribution, a good signal of increased brand visibility.

For example, a post with high impressions can be repurposed for other high-performing channels to maximize exposure.

2. Reach

Social Reach is the number of unique users who saw your post. 

Unlike impressions, which count every instance a post is viewed, reach only counts unique users, meaning each audience counts as one, even if they saw the post multiple times. 

Why Reach Is Important

Reach indicates how far your content is spreading beyond your existing followers. 

It shows the potential size of your audience and highlights how well your content is penetrating different social media circles. High reach helps build brand awareness with new audiences and expands online visibility.

3. Video Views

Video Views are the times users have watched your video content. 

The definition of a “view” varies by platform, though. On Facebook, a view is counted after 3 seconds, while YouTube counts a view after 30 seconds. 

Why Video Views Are Important

A high number of video views indicates that your content is appealing to your audience. 

It shows audience interest and can guide you toward creating similar videos that drive engagement.

4. Follower Count

The follower is the number of users who follow your social media profile. It reflects how many people are interested in staying connected to your brand and willing to regularly receive your content.

Why Follower Count Is Important

Follower count helps gauge your brand’s popularity and whether people are interested in your content or not. 

A growing follower count suggests your content is performing well and gaining traction, while a drop indicates you need to reevaluate content strategy or targeting.

5. Audience Growth Rate (AGR)

Audience Growth Rate measures your social media follower increase (or decrease) over time. 

Calculate the audience growth rate by dividing the net new followers by the total follower count, then multiply it by 100 to get a percentage.

Audience growth rate formula: [New Followers (during a period) / Starting Follower Count (for the same period) ]×100

Example:

Company X had 1000 followers in January and gained 50 followers in that month, their AGR is 5%. 

On the other hand, Company Y had 10,000 followers in January and gained 100 new followers. They have a growth rate of 1%.

Clearly, company X is doing better than company B. 

Why Audience Growth Rate Is Important

This metric helps you understand how well your social media content attracts new followers. A rapid growth rate indicates effective content and engagement strategies.

6. Web Traffic

Web Traffic defines the number of people who click through your social media content to land on your website. 

It’s an important metric if your social strategy is focused on driving website visits. 

Why Web Traffic Is Important

This metric shows the success of social media posts in driving traffic to your main site.

It directly correlates to campaign performance, especially for lead generation or eCommerce efforts. 

You can track this through web traffic tools like Google Analytics.

Engagement KPIs

Engagement KPIs track how your audience interacts with your content and provide overall insight into brand impressions. 

Here are the key engagement KPIs to track:

7. Reactions

Reactions represent the number of times users interact with a post by clicking like love, anger, or similar buttons on a given platform. 

These are the most basic forms of engagement.

Why Reactions Are Important

Reactions provide an easy way for users to show their appreciation or sentiment toward your content. 

Track these reactions to understand what type of content resonates best with your audience. 

8. Comments

Comments are the responses a user writes in your post’s comment box. It reflects a deeper level of engagement compared to likes or reactions.

Why Comments Are Important

A higher number of comments generally signals that your content is sparking conversations or emotional responses, which can enhance your engagement rates. 

Make sure to monitor the sentiment (positive or negative) within the comments.

9. Social Share of Voice

Social Share of Voice, or Brand Mentions, is the number of times your brand was mentioned online compared to your competitors. 

It tracks the volume of conversations related to your brand and your industry.

Why Social Share of Voice Is Important

Brand mentions help you gauge your brand’s relevance in the industry. 

A larger share of voice signals higher brand visibility and competitive dominance. 

10. Branded and Campaign Hashtags

Branded hashtags are unique to your company (for example, #Tesla, #Google, #Nike), while campaign hashtags are created for specific marketing initiatives (#ShareaCoke, #JustDoIt, #ShotOniPhone). 

Tracking how often these hashtags are used helps you measure brand engagement and campaign virality. 

Why Hashtags Are Important

Hashtags increase the reach of your posts. When users engage with or share content using your branded or campaign hashtags, it amplifies your visibility and brings more traffic to your profile. 

11. Clicks

Clicks refer to the number of times users clicked on a link within your social media post. It can be a link to a webpage, product, or another social profile.

Why Clicks Are Important

Clicks measure how well your content drives users to take further action, such as reading more, visiting a linked page, or purchasing a product.

High click numbers indicate further interest in content and reflect the effectiveness of your calls-to-action (CTAs).

12. Shares

Shares are exactly as it sounds. It’s how often your content is reposted or shared by users to their own followers. 

This metric indicates users found your content engaging enough that they made a decision to spread it among others.

Why Shares Are Important

Shares act as endorsements from your immediate audience. A high number of shares increases your content’s reach beyond your immediate audience. 

13. Saves

Saves imply users are saving your content so they can revisit it later. 

Users can save posts for future reference on platforms like Instagram and Pinterest.

Why Saves Are Important

Saves show that your content is perceived as useful or informative for future use. 

This is a relevant metric for educational, tutorial, or resource-heavy content. A high save rate indicates you are offering long-term value.

14. Average Engagement Rate

Average engagement rate is calculated by dividing all engagements (reactions, comments, shares, etc.) by your total number of followers or reach, multiplied by 100. 

Average Engagement Rate (%) = (Total Engagements / Total Followers or Total Reach) × 100

Example:

Suppose you have 500 engagements on a post and 5,000 followers; your Average Engagement Rate is, 

(500 / 5000) × 100 = 10%

It helps you measure your content’s engagement rate over time. 

Why Average Engagement Rate Is Important

A month-over-month high engagement rate shows that your followers interact with your content, highlighting its relevance and appeal. 

It’s a critical metric to track overall audience engagement levels and helps benchmark success.

15. Amplification Rate

The amplification rate is a percentage value that measures the number of times your posts are shared compared to the total number of followers. 

Example: 

Amplification Rate (%) = (Total Shares / Total Followers) × 100

If your posts were shared 50 times during a period and you have 2,000 followers, your Amplification rate is, 

(50/ 2000) × 100 = 2.5% 

Why Amplification Rate Is Important

A high amplification rate indicates that your content resonates enough for users to want to share it with their networks, increasing your reach and visibility. 

16. Profile Visits

Profile Visits is the number of times users visit your social profile page. 

This reflects how interested users are in learning more about your brand.

Why Profile Visits Are Important

Profile visits indicate user interest. A high profile visit count means your content was interesting enough for users to explore more of your content, your brand, products, or services.

Conversion KPIs

Conversion KPIs reveal how well your social media efforts drive meaningful actions, like clicks, leads, purchases, or other engagements beyond the social platform. 

Here are the key conversion performance indicators to track:

17. Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Click-Through Rate (CTR) refers to the percentage value of clicks on your post’s call-to-action (CTA). It indicates how well your content captures attention and prompts users to take action over time.

To calculate CTR, first divide the number of clicks by the number of impressions (total views), and multiply by 100 to get the percentage.

CTR (%) Formula: (Total Clicks / Total Impression) x 100 

Example:

If your post received 200 clicks and had 10,000 impressions, your CTR is,

(200 / 10000) × 100 = 2% 

Why CTR Is Important

CTR helps you identify which content is driving traffic effectively to key destinations like landing pages or gated content. 

18. Conversion Rate

Conversion Rate is the percentage value of users who complete a desired action (such as subscribing, signing up, or making a purchase) after clicking on your social media post or ad.

Divide the number of conversions (actions taken) by the total number of clicks, and then multiply by 100 to get the percentage.

Conversion rate (%) formula: (Total Conversions / Total Visitors or Leads) x 100

Example: 

Suppose you had 50 conversions from 1,000 visitors, your Conversion Rate would be: 

(50 / 1,000) × 100 = 5%

Why Conversion Rate Is Important

A high conversion rate means your content is successfully driving users further along the sales funnel. 

19. Cost Per Lead (CPL)

Cost Per Lead (CPL) shows how much you spend acquiring one lead through social media ads. 

It’s an important metric for measuring your paid campaign efficiency.

CPL formula: Total Number of Leads / Total Campaign Cost

Example:

If you have spent $1,000 on a campaign that generated 50 leads, your CPL is, 

1,000 / 50 = 20

Why CPL Is Important

A high CPL suggests you need to optimize your ad spend or targeting strategy. Monitoring this metric helps ensure your social media advertising budget is used efficiently.

20. Bounce Rate

Bounce Rate is a percentage value showing how soon visitors left the landing page without taking any action after clicking on your social media link. 

Bounce Rate (%) Formula: (Single-Page Visits / Total Visits) × 100 

Example:

If you had 500 single-page visits from social media and 1,000 total visits from social media, your bounce rate would be, 

(500 / 1,000) × 100 = 50%

Why Bounce Rate Is Important

A high bounce rate implies a mismatch between the user’s expectations and the content they encounter on the landing page. A low bounce rate indicates an overall better user experience. 

21. Cost Per Click (CPC) 

Cost Per Click (CPC) is the amount you pay for each click on your social media ad. 

It’s essential for paid social media campaigns where you’re spending money to drive actions by the user.

Calculate CPC by dividing the total ad campaign cost by the number of clicks the ad received.

Cost Per Click (CPC) formula: Total Number of Clicks / Total Campaign Cost

​Example: 

If you are spending $500 on a campaign and receive 1,000 clicks, your CPC is,  

500 / 1,000 = 0.50

Why CPC Is Important

CPC helps you find the cost-effectiveness of your ads. 

A lower CPC means you get more clicks for less money, indicating your ad targeting and creatives perform well.

22. Cost Per Thousand Impressions (CPM)

Cost Per Thousand Impressions (CPM) measures the cost of showing your ad to 1,000 people. This metric is primarily used for awareness campaigns where visibility is the primary goal. 

Why CPM Is Important

A low CPM indicates that your ad attracts a large audience for a relatively lower cost. 

Social Customer Service KPIs

Social customer service KPIs show how effectively your business responds to and resolves customer inquiries and concerns via social media platforms. 

Tracking these metrics helps you build brand loyalty, maintain customer satisfaction, and improve overall customer experience.

Here are the key social customer service KPIs to track:

23. Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)

How happy are your customers after interacting with your social customer service team? 

That’s what you measure with the Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT). 

This is typically gathered through surveys. 

Ask your customers to rate how satisfied they are on a scale of 1 to 5 (with five being “very satisfied”). Divide the number of satisfied customers (rating 4 or 5) by the total number of responses. Multiply the result by 100 to get a percentage.

Customer Satisfaction Score (%) formula: (Total Number of Responses / Number of Satisfied Customers) ×100 

Example: 

If 200 customers out of 250 total survey respondents said they were satisfied, your CSAT score would be, 

(200 / 250) × 100 = 80% 

Why CSAT Is Important

CSAT reflects the quality of the service experience from the customer’s perspective. 

Tracking CSAT over time allows you to spot trends in satisfaction levels and respond to potential issues before they affect your reputation.

24. Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Net Promoter Score (NPS) tells your customer’s loyalty by asking them how likely they are to refer your product or service to others on a scale of 1 to 10.

Why NPS Is Important

NPS helps you understand how loyal your customers are and how likely they are to become brand advocates. 

25. Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) measures the total revenue you can expect to earn from a loyal customer over the lifetime of their relationship.

Multiply the average purchase frequency, the average purchase value, and then by the average customer lifespan.

Customer Lifetime Value Formula: Average Purchase Value×Average Purchase Frequency×Customer Lifespan

Example:

Let’s say,

Your Average Purchase Value = $100 

Average Purchase Frequency = 4 times per year

Customer Lifespan = 5 years

Then CLV would be = 100 × 4 × 5 = $2,000

Why CLV Is Important

CLV helps you understand the long-term financial value of your customers. 

26. Average Response Time

Average Response Time measures the time your customer service team takes to respond to a customer inquiry on social media.

Simply divide the total time spent on initial customer queries by the number of queries addressed. 

Average Response Time formula: Total Response Time / Number of Responses

Example: 

If you have a total response time of 200 minutes over 20 responses, the average response time would be:

Average Response Time = 200 minutes / 20 = 10 minutes per response

Why Average Response Time Is Important

Faster response times improve customer satisfaction and prevent frustration. Remember, social media users expect quick replies. 

27. First Contact Resolution Rate (FCR)

First Contact Resolution Rate (FCR) is the percentage of customer inquiries that were resolved during the first interaction with your customer service team, without needing follow-ups.

Divide the total number of cases resolved by first agent interaction by the total number of resolved cases and multiply by 100.

First Contact Resolution Rate formula: (Resolved Cases on First Contact / Total Cases) × 100

Example: 

Suppose you have resolved 25 cases out of 100 on the first contact, your FCR would be, 

(25 / 100) × 100 = 25%

Why FCR Is Important

A high FCR rate leads to higher customer satisfaction by reducing the number of steps needed to resolve a problem. It also indicates that your team is efficient and knowledgeable.

28. Review Ratings

Review Ratings are customer feedback scores, typically on a scale of 1 to 5, that customers leave on social platforms after interacting with your brand.

Add all the individual review scores and divide by the total number of reviews to get an average rating.

Average Review Rating formula = Sum of All Ratings / Total Number of Ratings

Example: 

For instance, if you received ratings of 4, 5, 3, 4, and 5 from five customers, the average review rating would be:

4 + 5 + 3 + 4 + 5 / 5 = 4.2

Why Review Ratings Are Important

Review ratings clearly show customer satisfaction and highlight areas where your business needs improvement. 

Social Commerce KPIs

You need to track social commerce KPIs if your social media strategy involves directly selling products. 

Here are the key social commerce KPIs to track:

29. Revenue

Revenue is the total amount of money earned through sales generated by your social media channels. 

Revenue can be tracked using tools like Google Analytics or built-in e-commerce analytics.

Why Revenue Is Important

Tracking revenue shows the financial impact of your social marketing efforts. 

You can justify the time and budget spent on social media marketing by tracking how much revenue your social media posts, ads, and campaigns generate.

30. Average Order Value (AOV)

Average Order Value (AOV) refers to the average amount a customer spends on each transaction through social commerce channels. 

It’s calculated by dividing the total revenue from social media by the number of orders/transactions.

Average Order Value formula: Total Revenue / Total Number of Orders

Example: 

If your total revenue is ₹50,000 from 200 orders, the AOV would be, 

₹50,000 / 200 = ₹250 

Why AOV Is Important

AOV helps you assess how much customers are willing to spend in a single transaction. This metric helps make quick decisions on budget allocation and customer acquisition strategies. 

31. Return on Investment (ROI)

You’ve probably already heard that return on investment (ROI) refers to how much monetary return you get on the money you’ve spent on social ads and overall social media strategy. 

ROI can be defined in various ways, but in the context of social media, it usually refers to the revenue generated from all social media campaigns compared to the cost of your social media efforts.

Why ROI Is Important

ROI gives you a clear picture of the social media marketing’s profitability. 

You get to determine whether the money you’re investing in social media (ads, influencer partnerships, or organic campaigns) is resulting in a worthwhile financial return.

Why Tracking Social Media KPIs Is Important

Tracking social media KPIs is essential to ensure your social media efforts perform as expected.  

KPIs quantify your success and allow you to directly see which activities are moving the needle toward your goals. 

Are your posts reaching the right audience? 

Are users engaging with your content? 

Are you converting that engagement into revenue?

KPIs give you answers to the following questions: 

Studies reveal that 77% of marketers reported tracking KPIs helped them turn their marketing efforts from “effective to very effective.”

Another report shows that 37% of marketers could diagnose underperforming campaigns through KPI analysis. 

Here’s why KPI tracking is vital:

• Measure Progress Toward Goals: Social media KPIs let you track progress toward larger business objectives 
• Make Informed Decisions: Analyzing KPI values offers a data-driven basis for decision-making
• Benchmark Against Competitors: By tracking KPIs, you can compare how well your social media strategies are performing against your competitors and reveal opportunities to gain a competitive edge
• Identify High-Performing Content: You can easily pinpoint what type of content resonates most with your audience
• Spot Areas for Improvement: KPI tracking tells you if performance is lagging and what’s not working so you can adjust tactics
• Drive Results with Data: Tracking KPIs ensures that your social media campaigns are aligned with broader business goals

How to Track Social Media KPIs

Hopefully, you have a good idea of what KPIs to track for your business and why. 

The next question is how you track those performance indicators. 

1. Using Native Analytic Tools 

Native solution refers to the built-in analytics tools provided by social platforms. Nearly all social media platforms have their own native analytics tools and come free of cost. 

Some popular native tools include:

• Instagram Insights
• Meta Business Suite (for Facebook and Instagram)
• X (formerly Twitter) Analytics
• YouTube Studio Analytics

These tools let you track common KPIs such as reach, impressions, video views, and follower growth directly within the platform. These are perfect for primary, single-platform tracking.

However, native solutions have limitations, such as 

• Tracking data for one platform at a time, making it challenging to compare performance across multiple social channels
• Advanced KPIs like conversion rates or ROI require extra manual calculations, which can be time-consuming 

2. Using Third-Party Tools

Third-party social media analytics tools provide an all-in-one solutions platform for tracking KPIs across multiple social media platforms.

These tools help you schedule posts access data collection, analysis, and reporting in one centralized platform.

Here are some known third-party social media analytics tools: 

• Hootsuite
• Social Sprout 
• Buffer 
• Keyhole
• BuzzSumo
• Zoho Social 
• Google Analytics

How to Set the Right KPIs for Social Media

Now that you’ve aligned your KPIs with business goals, it’s time to choose the metrics that will measure your progress effectively. 

Setting the right KPIs for social media begins with aligning them with your broader business goals. The clearer your objectives, the easier it becomes to choose measurable KPIs. 

Here are some tips for choosing the right KPIs for your social media campaigns. 

Understand Your Business Objectives

Your social media KPIs should always tie into your overall strategic goals. 

Ask yourself: What’s my end goal? 

Are you looking to:

• If your goal is brand awareness, you should focus on KPIs like post reach, impressions, and Instagram reel views 
• For engagement, you could track comments, shares, or engagement rate
• If the goal is to drive sales, you should focus on KPIs such as conversion rates, click-through rates (CTR), and Revenue from social media
• For customer retention, KPIs like customer satisfaction score (CSAT) or customer lifetime value (CLV) are more relevant 

Once you’ve identified your primary objective, break it down into individual, measurable goals. For instance, if you aim to drive website traffic, your KPIs could be the Clicks from social media to your website.

Consider content strategies like zero-click content that focuses on engaging users without needing them to leave the platform. 

Track Competitors and Industry Benchmarks

How are your competitors performing on social media? What KPIs are frequently measured in your industry? 

Knowing these will help in setting realistic KPI targets

Next, compare your results to the industry benchmarks to determine where you stand. 

Set SMART Goals

Once you clearly understand your business goals and industry benchmarks, the next step is to set SMART goals for your social media KPIs. 

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound, ensuring every KPI is actionable and aligned with business objectives.

• Specific: Your goal should be clear and precise. For example, “Increase Instagram followers by 500 within the next month” or “Increase Instagram Reels views by 30%” is more specific than “Grow Instagram following” 
• Measurable: Use quantifiable metrics to track progress. For instance, “Increase click-through rates by 20% in Q3” or “Track the number of views and video completion rates”
• Achievable: Ensure your goal is attainable based on available resources and industry trends. Unrealistic KPIs will lead to frustration and missed targets. Example: “Based on historical data, increasing by 30% over the next quarter is attainable”  
• Relevant: Each KPI should align with larger business objectives. For instance, if your goal is to improve brand awareness, a relevant KPI might focus on increasing reach or impressions
• Time-bound: Set a deadline for achieving the goal, such as “Increase sales by 10% over the next 6 months”

Track and Analyze Performance Regularly

Your KPIs should include a timeframe for success, but make sure to assess progress before the end of that period. Choose a reporting pattern (e.g., weekly or monthly) to regularly review your data. 

• Monitor growth: Are your metrics improving at the expected rate?
• React quickly: If certain tactics aren’t working, you need to pivot your strategy
• Analyze success: Identify the standout successes and replicate those strategies 

Review and Recalibrate KPIs

Business goals aren’t static; the same goes for social media KPIs. 

They may evolve as your business grows, changes, or as external factors like algorithm updates or new social platforms emerge. 

Schedule regular KPI reviews:

• Are these KPIs still relevant to our current goals?
• Are they driving the desired results?
• Should we adjust our goals to reflect changes in strategy or market conditions?

Constantly reviewing and recalibrating KPIs ensures that your strategy adapts to changes and remains effective over time.

Vanity Metrics vs. Actionable KPIs

Not all metrics are created equal!

So it’s essential to distinguish between vanity metrics and actionable KPIs.

• Vanity metrics: These numbers look impressive but don’t directly contribute to business goals. For example, a large follower count or high impressions might boost visibility but mean little if those followers aren’t engaging or converting into customers.
• Actionable KPIs: These metrics provide meaningful insights into how users interact with your content and whether your campaigns achieve their intended goals. Engagement, conversion, and click-through rates are KPIs that can directly influence decisions and strategy.

Follower count can be a vanity metric, but tracking the follower growth rate over time becomes a valuable Actionable KPI for understanding whether your brand is building an engaged audience. 

When it comes to social media KPIs, focus on substance over style. 

A beautifully decorated cake (vanity metrics) may look good, but a cake with great flavor (actionable KPIs) drives accurate results. Always aim to combine both: attractive numbers that actually move the needle for your business.

How a Social Media Manager Help Track KPIs

Social media managers act as the custodians of KPIs. They are responsible for:

• Tracking and analyzing data metrics, spotting trends, and uncovering valuable insights
• Decoding data into strategic decisions that improve campaign performance

Their ability to interpret and act on KPI data elevates social media managers from campaign overseers to strategic consultants who can optimize performance.

KPIs vs. Metrics: What’s the Difference?

While both KPIs and metrics involve numbers, KPIs are targeted and tied to specific business goals, whereas metrics are broader, raw data points. 

Let’s take an example: post impressions and post clicks are metrics that show how many people see and interact with your content. However, the click-through rate (CTR), which tracks the percentage of viewers who clicked through to your website, could be a KPI that indicates how effective your content is at driving action.

Think of social media KPIs as the vital signs of your strategy. 

Conclusion

Imagine yourself being a chef in a high-end restaurant. 

Your ingredients—social media platforms and campaigns—are varied. And your goal is to create a memorable feast for your clients. You need precise measurements to ensure each dish turns out perfectly to achieve this. 

In digital marketing, these measurements are your KPIs—These are more than just metrics. 

They are actionable insights that allow you to evaluate what’s working and how to make informed decisions.