Engagement Isn’t What You Think
Most marketers still chase flashy numbers—installs, clicks, screen time. These look good in reports, but they don’t drive growth.
Real engagement isn’t about more. It’s about better. Better behavior, better signals, better outcomes.
If you’re measuring the wrong things, you’re optimizing for noise, not value.
Vanity Metrics Are Easy—But Misleading
Vanity metrics are everywhere. They’re easy to track, but they rarely mean anything.
They make your dashboard look busy. They make your reports look impressive. But they don’t tell you what’s working—or what’s broken.
That’s a problem. Because what you track shapes what you build.
So, What Should You Measure Instead?
Focus on behavior—not visibility. Track value moments—not passive actions.
Here’s what matters more than installs or screen time:
- Time to first value: How fast do users find something meaningful?
- Session frequency: How often do they return without prompting?
- Interaction depth: Are they just browsing—or doing?
- Response to messaging: Are they engaging when you reach out?
- Feature adoption: Are users using what you’ve built?
These metrics reflect intent. They show momentum. And they uncover friction.
The Real Work Starts After Tracking
Even if you know what to measure, acting on it is harder.
Because the real problems often sit beneath the surface:
- Are your notifications helping—or annoying?
- Are your users stuck—or just uninterested?
- Are you building features—or actual value?
These aren’t questions dashboards answer. They require hard choices and honest conversations.
Final Takeaway: Track What Drives Loyalty
Good metrics don’t just describe behavior—they predict it.
They reveal what matters. They cut through noise. And they guide real decisions.
So, stop chasing empty numbers.
Start tracking what your users do when no one’s watching.
That’s where true engagement lives.
