Guess Which Post Was More Successful: Social Media Analytics that (Actually) Matter
Spoiler alert: More likes ≠ more sales.
What if your most-liked post was actually your least successful one?
At SGS Media, we often see brands chasing metrics that appear impressive on paper but fail to drive genuine business growth.
So let’s play a game. Which post do you think performed better?
Post A 👀 12,000 views ❤️ 400 likes 🔁 100 shares | Post B 👀 1,200 views ❤️ 34 likes 💬 12 DMs asking about the offer |
If you said Post A, we totally get it. Especially because likes and views are what we call ‘vanity metrics’ because those are the only numbers that are visible to the public looking at your profile.
But if you’re building a business—not a fan club—Post B *could* be the real winner.
The truth is: it’s a trick question; the right answer is, “it depends.”
In the world of social media, it’s easy to chase the thrill of virality. But here at SGS Media, we help clients build social content that actually moves the needle—not just their ego.
And to do that, we have to stop chasing vanity metrics and instead set strategic KPIs (key performance indicators).
Virality Doesn’t (Necessarily) Pay the Bills
We’ve seen this play out time and time again: a post goes viral, reaches tens of thousands, and yet… you get no follows, no opt-ins to your DM automations, to conversions to your sales page.
Compare that to a post with modest reach and likes but rich engagement in the comments or direct messages—those posts end up being the MVPs.
Here’s a real example of two posts from the same client:
Post A) 51 Likes and 556 Comments
Post B) 3.4K Likes and 40 Comments
Which post performed better?
What if we told you that this particular client has a Chat Automation set up so that each comment on Post A led to collecting an email address in the DMs.
✨ Comments → DM Automations → Sales conversations = ROI.
So, in this example although Post B had the most reach or virality Post A was the clear winner as far as conversions.
Remember, your social media marketing strategy should include varying the types of posts you use depending on your goal. Period.
What Metrics Actually Matter (Depending on the Goal)
Before you chase another viral moment, ask yourself: What’s the actual goal of this content? Because not all KPIs are created equal.
Here’s a quick cheat sheet:
|
Goal |
Success Metric |
|
Brand Awareness |
Reach, impressions, new followers |
|
Audience Engagement |
Comments, shares, saves |
|
Lead Generation |
Email sign-ups, ManyChat triggers, DMs |
|
Sales Conversion |
Click-throughs, inquiries, booked calls |
For example, let’s say we’re consulting with a LinkedIn coach. Her agency was celebrating high reach and personal post engagement—meanwhile, zero leads were coming in from actual offer-related posts. Great metrics, wrong metrics.
It’s not just about reach—it’s about reaching the right people.
Here’s how we would set KPIs for her if she was our client.
KPIs = Key Performance Indicators. Fancy marketing term for “how we measure if this is working.”
At SGS Media, we don’t slap a one-size-fits-all dashboard on every client. Instead, we co-create KPIs that are rooted in their actual business goals:
- Want to grow your list before a course launch? Email sign-ups and automation triggers matter most.
- Promoting a high-touch offer? DMs and call bookings are your north star.
And we review those goals regularly because your business evolves—and your analytics should, too.
Why a Strategy-Focused Team Is Non-Negotiable [H2]
Anyone can post a Reel.
But turning content into clients? That takes strategy.
At SGS Media, our social media managers partner with our strategists to make sure every post serves your funnel—from awareness to conversion.
That’s why we don’t just “keep you consistent.”
We build content that moves your business forward.
Bottom Line: Not All Viral Posts Are Truly Top Performers [H2]
Let’s call it like it is: Your highest-performing post in terms of views might be your lowest-performing post when it comes to actual results.
✨ Content strategy > Virality
✨ Engagement > Ego
✨ Conversations > Clout
If you’re ready to go deeper with your content and finally start tracking what actually matters...join our ‘Get Social’ Newsletter to get more like this delivered weekly to your inbox.
And if you’re over posting just to post and are ready for a strategy-first approach, you know where to find us.
