In this article
Dashboards show dozens of numbers. For a small business, five of them answer the only question that matters: is this bringing in customers?
1. Reach
How many people saw your posts. It tells you whether the algorithm is giving you a chance.
2. Engagement rate
Interactions divided by reach. It tells you whether the people who saw the post cared.
3. Link clicks
The first step from social to your business. Use short links so you can count them per post.
4. Conversations started
DMs and comments that ask about buying. In a 2025 Kantar survey commissioned by Meta (vendor data), 72.4% of people said messaging makes them more likely to buy from a brand.
5. Leads or sales attributed
Tag conversations and contacts that came from social. Even a rough count beats guessing.
What to ignore
Follower count on its own, impressions without reach, and any number you would not change a decision over.
