Vanity Metrics

The Marketing Drive

 Short marketing message that you can use right now!

Vanity Metrics vs. Money Metrics

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Short marketing message that you can use right now!

Episode Summary

In this episode of The Marketing Drive, Chris Doelle tackles one of the biggest time-wasters in modern marketing: vanity metrics. While business owners obsess over likes, followers, and impressions, these numbers rarely translate to actual revenue. Chris breaks down the critical difference between metrics that make you feel busy and metrics that make you money. He introduces a simple three-part framework—Conversations, Conversions, and Cash—that will help you focus on what actually grows your business. If you've been checking your social media analytics more than your bank account, this episode is your wake-up call.

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Key Takeaways

• Vanity metrics (likes, followers, impressions) make you feel productive but don't pay the bills
• Social platforms want you to care about engagement because it keeps you on their platform—not because it helps your business
• Money metrics are the only numbers that matter: Conversations, Conversions, and Cash
• Conversations = Real interactions that could lead to sales (calls, DMs, emails with questions)
• Conversions = People taking the action you actually want (booking calls, filling forms, making purchases)
• Cash = The only metric that truly matters—how much revenue did your marketing generate?
• If a metric going up doesn't directly lead to more money, stop tracking it
• You get what you measure—optimize for the right things

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The Reality Check

The Problem: A business with 10,000 followers and no revenue has a hobby, not a business. A business with 200 followers that's booked solid has a real business.

Real Client Example: Small local service business obsessed with Facebook page likes. They ran ads for page likes and posted three times daily for engagement. After shifting focus to tracking website visits, contact form submissions, and actual customers, their engagement metrics went DOWN—but their revenue went UP.

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Your Action Steps

Do This Right After Listening:

1. The Audit: Open your analytics dashboard (Facebook Insights, Instagram Analytics, etc.)

2. The Question: For each metric, ask yourself: "If this number goes up, do I make more money?"

3. The Cut: If the answer is no or "maybe eventually," stop tracking it

4. The Shift: Open a spreadsheet or grab a notebook and create three columns:

   • Conversations this week
   • Conversions this week
   • Cash generated this week

5. The Habit: Review these three numbers every Friday

6. The Commitment: Stop checking vanity metrics. Delete the apps if you have to.

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Episode Quotes

"Likes don't pay your rent. Followers don't cover payroll. Impressions don't buy groceries."

"Vanity metrics make you FEEL like you're marketing, but they're not making you MONEY."

"If you've got 10,000 followers and you're broke, you don't have a business—you have a hobby with a big audience."

"You get what you measure. If you measure likes, you'll optimize for likes. If you measure cash, you'll optimize for cash."

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The Three Money Metrics Framework

1. CONVERSATIONS Real dialogue that indicates interest

• Phone calls about your service
• DMs asking questions
• Emails requesting information
• In-person inquiries

2. CONVERSIONS Actions that move people toward becoming customers

• Booked consultations
• Downloaded lead magnets
• Completed contact forms
• Store visits
• Cart additions

3. CASH Revenue generated from your marketing efforts

• Sales closed
• Contracts signed
• Money in the bank
• ROI on marketing spend

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Resources

Need help turning your marketing into a revenue-generating machine?

Visit www.freshmediaworks.com to find out how Chris can help you get more customers.

Have a question or want to be featured on the show? Call the voicemail line: 713-568-6361

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About the Show

The Marketing Drive brings you short, actionable marketing messages you can use right now. Each episode, host Chris Doelle shares tips, tricks, and tidbits of marketing wisdom in bite-sized episodes perfect for your commute. No fluff, no theory—just practical advice you can implement immediately to get more customers and grow your business.

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About Chris Doelle

Chris Doelle is a marketing expert, 18-year podcasting veteran, author, speaker, broadcaster, and game designer. He makes marketing fun and helps businesses cut through the noise to focus on what actually works. Based in Texas, Chris has been helping business owners get more customers through practical, no-BS marketing strategies that deliver real results.

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Produced by Fresh Media Works
http://www.freshmediaworks.com

© 2025 Lone Star Podcast Network

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Episode Length: Approximately 5-6 minutes

Category: Marketing, Business, Entrepreneurship

Tags: #marketing #vanitymetrics #businessgrowth #socialmedia #roi #smallbusiness #entrepreneurship #marketingstrategy #conversions #revenue