If you're just getting started, don’t worry. We’re here to help you focus on the key metrics that truly matter.
Approach social media as a brand-building platform, not a marketplace
One of the biggest mistakes businesses make on social media is treating it like a marketplace—focused solely on conversions and direct sales. And while those metrics are great, they take time to build.
Instead, you should approach social media as a brand-building platform. The goal is to get people familiar with your brand, build trust, and stay top-of-mind over time.
Unless you’re a B2C company selling products, video is most effective as a tool for awareness rather than immediate conversions. It allows you to showcase your brand’s personality, connect with your audience, and establish trust over time.
With this in mind, here’s how to approach tracking your success.
1. Start with impressions
Impressions should be your primary focus, even before you think about conversions or leads. They measure how often people see your content—an essential first step in building awareness and familiarity.
HockeyStack’s recent survey highlights just how crucial impressions are for driving results:
For the average B2B SaaS company:
- It takes 894 LinkedIn impressions to generate a single website visit, a 23% increase from last year.
- To close a SQL into a deal, companies require 965 LinkedIn impressions and 99 touchpoints, up 15% compared to last year.
As deal sizes grow, the numbers rise:
- Companies with deals over $100K need 2.65x more touchpoints and 3.95x more impressions to generate MQLs compared to those with deals under $10K.
Over time, these impressions will nurture your audience and guide them through the buyer’s journey.
How to measure impressions
- Track the total number of impressions across all your videos on a weekly or monthly basis.
- Track how many videos you posted to achieve that.
Remember: The total number of views across multiple videos is more impactful than one powerful video. Consistency is key. Of course, take note of individual posts that perform exceptionally well, but don’t obsess over them. More is better when it comes to building awareness.
2. Consider engagement
After impressions, you can start to look at engagements. Engagement metrics like likes, shares, and comments can be valuable, but they shouldn’t drive your overall strategy.
Why?
Because while engagement can show active interest, passive impressions still hold significant value. Many viewers may connect with your content without visibly interacting.
Why engagement matters (But isn’t everything):
- High engagement (especially shares) signals that your content is valuable or entertaining.
- But passive impressions still hold weight. Many viewers may connect with your content without taking an action.
What to look for in engagement
- Shares: Indicate that viewers find your content valuable or worth passing along.
- Comments: Spark conversations and build community. Replying to comments strengthens connections.
Want to test how your videos resonate?
If you want to see how well your videos connect with your audience, consider running paid ads.
With paid ads, you can track dwell time—a key metric that shows how long people watch your videos. Longer watch times mean your content is engaging and resonating with your audience.
Paid ads provide a controlled way to test and refine your video strategy, ensuring it’s optimized for your target viewers.
Bringing it all together
When measuring the success of your social media videos, remember to focus on the bigger picture:
- Impressions are the foundation. They build awareness and familiarity, which are essential for long-term growth, even before engagement or conversions come into play.
- Engagement is the bonus. While it’s great to see likes, shares, and comments, don’t let them overly influence your judgment. Think of them as supporting indicators, not the end goal.
Finally, remember this: the total number of views from multiple videos is more impactful than one powerful video.
Consistency is key.
Consistency matters. By regularly showing up in your audience’s feed, you’re building trust, creating familiarity, and staying top-of-mind.
So, don’t obsess over the performance of individual posts. Instead, measure the overall impact of your content on a weekly or monthly basis. Celebrate the wins, learn from the data, and keep showing up.
Social media is a marathon, not a sprint—and every impression counts.
