One of the perks of marketing on Facebook is the sheer amount of data. On other platforms, key metrics are impossible to track or require third-party analytics. Meanwhile, Facebook gives you all kinds of data about your page, your posts, your audience, and your ads.
All of this data is invaluable for marketers. But with all of the different charts and figures on Facebook Insights, important data can get lost in the noise.
Unsure which Facebook metrics your business can’t afford to ignore? Here are 6 that you need to be tracking.
1. Cost Per Click/Impressions
What it is: These are the two most popular pricing options on Facebook Ads. With cost per click (CPC), you’re charged every time a user clicks on one of your ads. With cost per impressions (CPM), you’re charged for every 1,000 impressions.
Why it matters: Whether you opt for CPC or CPM on a given ad campaign, you’ll want to track the figure carefully to avoid overspending on ads.
2. Post Impressions & Reach
What it is: Impressions count how many views your posts receive, while reach measures how many users see your posts. If an individual user views one of your posts twice, that counts as two views for impressions, but only one view for reach.
Why it matters: These metrics allow you to track the visibility of individual posts. By measuring the engagement count for each post against its reach count, you can measure the rate of engagement.
3. Page Engagement, Impressions & Reach
What it is: Facebook also tracks your engagement, impression, and reach metrics in aggregate for your entire page, which can be viewed in line chart form over time.
Why it matters: Page-level engagement, impression, and reach metrics allow you to track the impact of your Facebook marketing efforts and identify macro-level trends.
4. Page Likes
What it is: On the Likes tab, you can view the number of new likes and unlikes for your page charted over time. This tab also includes net likes (calculated by subtracting unlikes from likes).
Why it matters: Tracking your likes will allow you measure the growth of your Facebook fanbase. It can also help you pinpoint negative actions that cause your net likes to drop.
5. Referral Traffic
What it is: Facebook referral traffic tracks user activity on your brand’s website that originated from Facebook. Unlike the other metrics on this list, it’s found in Google Analytics, not Facebook Insights.
Why it matters: If you rely on Facebook as a source of traffic for your website, this will allow you to track and measure how successful your page is at funneling traffic to your website.
6. Post Engagement
What it is: Every time a user takes action on one of your posts, that action counts as an engagement. Facebook tracks engagements on each post in two categories, “Post Clicks” and “Reactions, Comments & Shares.”
Why it matters: Engagement shows you which posts on your page are resonating with Facebook users. This can help you choose which posts to promote and which types of content to create in the future.
