Are You Growing Or Just Entertaining?

Last month, I met a founder who was very proud of their social media numbers.

Followers up 40%.

‘Likes’ almost doubled.

More comments than ever before.

On paper, it looked like a rocket.

So I asked, “And is that attention translating into sales leads?”

They paused.

“Oh, that’s… not really the goal.”

Classic case of vanity over value.

The problem isn’t that people track the wrong metrics.

It’s that they stop at the easy ones - the ones that make you feel good.

The dopamine numbers.

Followers. Likes. Views. Impressions.

They tell you how popular you are, not how profitable.

Here’s the truth:

Growth isn’t in the likes.

Growth is what happens next.

If your leads, enquiries and lifetime customer value aren’t moving, you’re not growing - you’re entertaining.

Here's what to track instead:

• Traffic that converts. Not visits, but visits that lead to enquiries.
  

• Lead to sale ratio. Because a busy inbox doesn’t always mean business.
  

• Lifetime value. Are customers coming back, spending more, referring others?
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• ROI. For every pound you spend, how many do you get back?

After all, going viral is fun - but it’s not the goal.

When you track the right metrics, you stop chasing attention and start building momentum.