I’ve sat through countless meetings where digital marketing agencies dazzle business owners with flashy presentations, promising millions of impressions, viral content, and “brand awareness.” They throw around buzzwords like engagement rates, reach, and social media presence. But here’s what they often forget to mention: none of these metrics pay your bills.
Don’t get me wrong – digital marketing is essential in today’s business landscape. But there’s a vast difference between meaningful marketing that drives revenue and vanity metrics that make pretty PowerPoint slides.
Just last week, I met with a client who was spending $10,000 monthly on social media marketing. Their Instagram following had grown by 50,000 in six months. Impressive, right? But when we dug into their sales data, there was zero correlation between their newfound “social media success” and actual revenue. Most of their new followers were from countries where they don’t even sell their products.
Here’s the hard truth: 100,000 likes from teenagers won’t help if you’re selling enterprise software to CFOs. A viral TikTok dance challenge won’t move the needle if your target market is retirement-age investors. Marketing dollars need to follow performance, not creative whims or the latest social media trends.
The real questions every business should ask their digital marketing team are:
How many leads did this campaign generate?
What’s the cost per acquisition?
What’s the conversion rate?
Which channels are delivering actual buyers?
What’s the return on ad spend (ROAS)?
If your marketing team can’t answer these questions or tries to deflect with engagement metrics, it’s time for a serious conversation.
Remember: Marketing isn’t art for art’s sake. It’s a business function that should drive revenue. Creative decisions should follow data, not lead it. That viral video idea might be brilliant, but if your historical data shows your customers respond better to straightforward email campaigns, that’s where your money should go.
Don’t let agencies bamboozle you with vanity metrics. Demand clear, revenue-focused KPIs and hold them accountable. Your marketing budget is an investment, not a donation to the social media gods.