For years, follower count was the holy grail of social media success. The bigger the number, the more impressive your profile looked. But in 2025, follower count is no longer the best indicator of impact. Thanks to algorithm changes, your posts can now reach new people whether they follow you or not, and your followers may not even see every post you publish.
In fact, follower count has a new term, “vanity metrics” and it can mean very little for your business. It is time to stop focusing on growing followers and time to start focusing on what really matters in today’s social media landscape. Keep reading to learn more about five social media metrics that will give you a clearer picture of your brand’s performance and can help you grow online.
1. Engagement Rate
Engagement rate is one of the best ways to gauge how well your content resonates with your audience. It measures how actively people interact with your posts. This includes likes, comments, shares, and saves in relation to your reach (more on these below!). A high engagement rate tells the platform and algorithm that your content is valuable, which can increase your posts visibility and get it shared to more people.
2. Shares
When someone shares your post, they’re not just engaging with your content on a personal level. They are endorsing your content and showing it to their audience. Shares can dramatically increase your reach without extra ad spend and help bring new eyes to your profile. For example, educational carousels, infographics, and “send this to a friend who…” posts often drive the highest share counts.
3. Saves
Saves are the digital equivalent of bookmarks. Having a high “save” count shows that your content was valuable enough for someone to revisit later. This is a powerful indicator of content that provides ongoing value, like tips, how-tos, or checklists.
Tip: Prompt your audience to save posts by adding CTAs (calls to actions) like “Save this for later” in your captions.
4. Link Clicks
If your goal is to drive traffic to your website or sales, link clicks are essential to track. They measure how many people tap the link in your bio, your stories, or your ads. Link clicks are a strong signal of purchase intent and can help you understand your marketing funnel better.
5. Reach
Your follower count tells you how many people could see your posts, but reach tells you how many actually did. Monitoring reach helps you understand how well your content is performing in the algorithm and whether you’re breaking outside your existing audience.
Ready to Get Started?
At Central Florida Media Group, we encourage businesses to move beyond vanity metrics and focus on the numbers that drive growth and can help you convert sales. By tracking engagement, shares, saves, link clicks, and reach, you’ll get a clearer picture of what’s working and how to create more content that connects. Not sure where to begin? Reach out today to start the conversation on building a successful digital marketing strategy for your business.