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Marketoonist is the thought bubble of Tom Fishburne. Marketing cartoons, content marketing with a sense of humor, keynote speaking.

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vanity metrics

July 16, 2018 1 Comment

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As marketing becomes increasingly data-driven, we have to be careful we’re measuring the right metrics. It’s easy to cultivate a false sense of security looking at rosy marketing dashboards that don’t actually tie to business results.

I like how Lloyd Tabb, Founder and CTO of Looker, distinguishes between vanity metrics and clarity metrics.

In his words:

“Vanity metrics are surface-level metrics. They’re often large measures, like number of downloads, that impress others. Use them to initiate partnerships and gain a following.

“Clarity metrics are operational metrics, like the number of minutes a day your product actually gets used or how long it took for a user to get service. These are the hidden gears that drive growth. Use them to solidify your competitive advantage.”

Lloyd framed this distinction in the context of tech startups, but I think the lesson holds true for all aspects of marketing.

Here are a few related cartoons I’ve drawn over the years:

“Marketing Vanity Metrics” February 2016

“Correlation versus Causation” April 2014

“Marketing Seat at the Table” May 2015

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  1. Allen Roberts says

    July 17, 2018 at 7:32 pm

    Vanity metrics, and those who use them as justification of anything at all, are the bane of my life!!

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