There’s a lot of talk about ‘vanity metrics’ being followers, likes, views etc.

But not a lot of talk about what you should look at.

And don’t get me wrong… I think all of the above is totally a good indication that your content is resonating with the right people (& that we shouldn’t always look at these like a bad thing).

When I started building my personal brand, I thought growth looked like:

✨ More followers.

✨ More likes.

✨ More views.

However, my personal brand didn’t grow just because a post went “viral”. It grew because the right people started paying attention, and I started paying attention to things that sometimes go forgotten.

So, let’s talk about the things you should take a deeper look at…

⚡ Those sneaky metrics that sometimes fly under the radar.

⚡ Measuring sentiment within your brand.

⚡ Listening to your active audience.

Because it’s not always about how many people see you, but about how many people care enough to stay.

What are value metrics?

Short answer: the opposite of conventional ‘vanity’ ones.

Long answer: the numbers that prove your brand is building trust, sparking conversations, and attracting the right audience.

These are not as obvious as just checking the analytics tab - but they matter!

They measure impact.

So… how do you actually measure impact?

Impact shows up in how your audience thinks, engages, remembers, and responds - both publicly and privately.

And in many different way…

Here are some of the ways I’ve learned to track and interpret the real signals behind my personal brand growth:

💗 Profile Visits 💗

Did your posts make people want to know who you are?

This metric tells you if your content is sparking curiosity. If you notice spikes in your profile visits after certain posts, dig deeper.

Whether you look at total visits, or visits per post. They are a great reflection of how well your content invites connection, not just consumption.

💗 Comments 💗

The comment section is a gold mine.

Not only do they boost visibility, but they also give you insight into how your content lands.

Read between the lines. Are people agreeing, asking questions, sharing their own experiences?

Engagement with intent is a sign that your message is resonating.

Track common themes across high-comment posts. They usually point towards what your audience truly values.

💗 DMs 💗

DMs are like behind the scenes feedback forms.

They show trust and relatability.

If people feel comfortable enough to message you, it means your content has crossed from “creator” to “connection”.

Look for patterns:

Are they coming to you for advice on a certain topic?
Are they referencing a specific post?
You can understand that what you’re doing is translating.

💗 Mentions 💗

Mentions are a sign your name is travelling further than your reach.

Whether it’s someone tagging you in a post, quoting your insight, or referencing you in a post.

It’s a sign of brand awareness, and that your voice is remembered and associated with a niche.

Keep an eye on your LinkedIn notifications or monthly analytics summary - these moments often say more than a viral post ever could.

Measure the sentiment!

💗 Reposts/Saves/Sends 💗

Trust builder 101.

When someone shares your content, they’re not just saying “I liked this” - they’re saying “this represents what I believe in”.

A save means your content added lasting value.

A send means it sparked immediate value.

Tracking these can help you identify which formats or messages are genuinely serving your audience.

Screen shot from LinkedIn reading - Reposts - 47, Saves - 100, Sends on LinkedIn - 31

💗 Audience Demographics 💗

Justice for audience demographics.

Because the truth is - you can’t grow if you don’t know who you’re growing with.

So check your audience demographics regularly. Are they aligned with your goals?

For example, I work in marketing, so I want to see job titles like Marketing Manager, Founder, Social Media in my audience insights.

If not? Time to tweak the topics or tone of my posts.

Screenshot from LinkedIn of Job Title Bar Graphs

My holy grails:

Now it wouldn't be fair if I brain dumped all this information on you and let you fend for yourself! Here are some of my top resources for all things stripping your personal brand back to see what’s realistic:

⚡ [Analytics] LinkedIn Creator Analytics.

⚡ [Metric Tracking] Notion.

⚡ [AI Tool] Chat GPT (for summarising comment sentiment or recurring themes in DMs).

️To cut the story short.

If you've read my entire blog - thanks for staying around! Here's a quick-fire recap:

️⚡ Likes, views, and followers show reach - but not always relevance. Use them to spot what’s grabbing attention, not to define success.

⚡ Comments, saves, and DMs reveal how much people care. These are numbers that show your content is resonating and building credibility.

⚡ Real growth happens when people remember you, tag you, or quote you. That’s your personal brand doing the work behind the scenes.