Marketing often feels like a guessing game.
You post, email, launch, and hope it leads to sales. Sometimes it does. Sometimes… crickets.
But if you’re not tracking what’s working, you’re flying blind.
And that leads to wasted time, wasted money, and inconsistent results.
The good news? You don’t need fancy dashboards or complex tools. You just need to pay attention to a few key signals—consistently.
Here’s how to figure out what’s actually moving the needle in your marketing.
1. Start with a clear goal
You can’t track progress if you don’t know what you’re measuring.
Is your goal to get more leads? Build your email list? Sell a product? Increase website traffic?
Pick one main metric that matters most for your current stage. That becomes your North Star—and helps you avoid chasing vanity numbers that don’t lead to revenue.
Once that’s set, you can filter all your marketing activity through a simple question: Is this helping me move closer to that goal?
2. Pay attention to where your traffic comes from
If you’re active on multiple platforms, it’s easy to lose track of which ones are actually sending you visitors or buyers.
Check your website analytics to see where your traffic is coming from:
- Social media (which platform?)
- Google (are people finding you through search?)
- Referrals or backlinks
- Email campaigns
You’ll usually find that 80% of your traffic comes from just 1–2 sources. Focus more energy there instead of spreading yourself thin across everything.
3. Look beyond likes—track behavior
Engagement (likes, comments, shares) is good—but it’s not the whole story. What matters more is what people do after they see your content.
Keep an eye on:
- Email sign-ups
- Click-through rates
- Replies or direct messages
- Product page views
- Actual conversions or sales
It’s easy to get distracted by what looks good on social media. But the real value comes from what drives action behind the scenes.
4. Use a simple weekly scorecard
You don’t need a complicated system. Just track your core metrics in one spot—weekly.
You might include:
- New email subscribers
- Website visits
- Leads or inquiries
- Product sales
- Top-performing content or posts
This gives you a quick, reliable snapshot of what’s working—and what needs to change. Bonus: It also helps you make decisions faster and with less stress.
5. Double down on what works—cut what doesn’t
Most people spread themselves too thin because they’re afraid to stop doing something that’s “kind of” working.
But the truth is, real momentum comes from doubling down on what’s actually producing results—and letting go of what isn’t.
Look at your last 30 days. What one or two efforts led to the most leads or revenue? What didn’t move the needle at all?
Refocus your time, energy, and money accordingly.
Action Step
Create a simple one-page tracking sheet with your top 3 marketing goals and a few key weekly metrics. Review it every Monday for 15 minutes. Keep it simple, consistent, and focused on outcomes—not just activity. You’ll make sharper decisions and stop guessing what works.
