Understanding KPIs

Key performance indicators (KPIs) measure how well your content is received. By analyzing and reviewing this data, you can make more informed decisions about what, when, and how you post. If you have wondered, “Why did that post do so much better than this one?”, looking at your KPIs can give you the answer.

Key performance indicators measure engagement and viewer page, such as:

• Impressions (aka views): The number of times a post, video, or ad was seen. Some platforms will break this down into total impressions and unique impressions. This distinction eliminates repeat views, so you have a more accurate count of the views.
• Conversion: Depending on the platform you are on, the tracked conversion can vary. Essentially, it refers to how many times a viewer completes the action you are intending. Examples are likes, follows, subscribers, and, for paid ads, clicks.
• Rate of Conversion (aka click-through-rate or CTR): This percentage breaks down the rate of conversion. In other words, it shows how many people engaged vs viewed. For example, if you received 100 impressions (views) and 10 clicks, your rate of conversion is 0.1 (10%).

Marketing analysts and creators use KPIs to learn what content their target audience responds to best. With this information, you are able to tailor your content to get optimal results. 

Why Interpreting KPIs is Important

It is essential to not only understand what each key performance indicator is measuring, but also what it means in relation to content performance and your goals. 

For example, a creator might get excited about a paid ad getting 1,000 impressions. However, that metric is only views. So if that same ad was seen 1,000 times but only got 10 clicks, the rate of conversion is only 0.01. That means just 1% of the people who viewed the ad engaged with it. So despite the high impression count, that ad performed poorly.

All is not lost, though, because there is just as big a lesson in underperforming content as high-performing content. Using that same example, those metrics teach us several important things.

First, lots of people are seeing the ad. This is good. But the lack of engagement points to the possibility of two main issues. Either the wrong people are seeing it (meaning that the content is not reaching the target audience), OR it is reaching the right audience, but it does not appeal to them. 

Issue number one points to a misunderstanding the creator has with who their ideal subs are. The second suggests that the ad content or image does not clearly express that the creator is someone the viewer would be interested in following or subscribing to. 

What KPIs Tell You About Your Content

It is not always easy to know what your target audience will respond to. Many creators take a randomized approach and try a bunch of different tactics, hoping one will stick. However, this unfocused strategy is problematic for several reasons.

• You waste time (and money) on ads or content that doesn’t resonate.
• You never learn why something works or doesn’t work.
• Your unsubscribe rates are higher than average because people who follow you were misled by unreliable marketing.
• It takes much longer to grow a loyal, paying audience.

Instead, lean on KPIs to tell you about your content. Data doesn’t lie. Sometimes it can be surprising or frustrating to learn that the tactic you planned on using is unproductive. But it’s always better to know and refine your approach than to continuously try (and fail) to move the needle.

Here is what the main KPIs could tell you about your content. 

High Impressions, Low Conversions: Lots of people are viewing your ad or content, but few are engaging. You are either reaching the wrong people or not being clear in your messaging.

Low Impressions, High Conversions: You are targeting the right people, but not enough of them. Your ad or content is too niche or does not reflect the search terms your prime subscribers use. In addition, if you are using paid advertising, this correlation might mean that your total spend is too low. By increasing your budget, you may get better ad positioning and more views.

Low Impressions, Low Conversions: When the ad shows up in searches, it is not resonating with viewers. For paid ads, this may point to an issue with keyword targeting or exclusions. To better understand how keywords impact a paid advertising campaign, click here.

Important Note: You need to be realistic about your metrics. Impressions are always going to be higher than conversions. The trick is to strike a balance where you are able to stay within your marketing budget, but also make more money than you are spending. 

The CreatorTraffic Dashboard: Your Guide to Interpreting KPIs

As an ad network platform built for adult content creators to market their fan sites, CreatorTraffic generates real-time KPIs in each user dashboard. When you sign up for a free account and build an ad, performance metrics will populate to help advise your campaign efforts. The KPIs you will see on your CreatorTraffic dashboard include:

Impressions: This is how many times your ad is viewed.

Clicks: You are only charged when someone clicks on your ad. This metric is the conversion data.

CTR: The click-through rate is the percentage of clicks to impressions.

CPC: The cost-per-click is how much you pay for each conversion. Again, you are only charged when someone clicks. This price is something you control through the real-time bidding system. The higher your CPC, the better positioning your ad receives. You control ad spend by setting a daily budget limit. Once this amount is reached, your ad is paused until the next day, when your budget resets.

To make it easier to adapt to KPIs, CreatorTraffic allows you to make changes to campaigns immediately. Upon review of your metrics, you can take the following actions:

• Pause or start a campaign
• Conduct an A/B test
• Increase your bid rate
• Change your daily budget limit

In addition, CreatorTraffic has information tags and FAQs connected to each metric. So if you aren’t sure what one means, you can view helpful tips and tricks right in your dashboard. The library of blogs on CreatorTraffic includes guides like this one to help you step up your marketing game and grow your fan site audience easily. 

Interpreting KPIs: Numbers Don’t Lie

At the end of the day, creating content isn’t just about creativity – it’s about strategy. KPIs are your compass in the world of content creation, helping you navigate what’s connecting with your audience and what needs improvement. Instead of guessing or relying on luck, let the numbers guide your decisions. With tools like the CreatorTraffic dashboard, you have real-time insights at your fingertips to make data-driven changes that actually get results. Remember, the more you understand your KPIs, the more power you have to grow your brand, reach your ideal audience, and hit your goals.