The Best Marketing KPIs to Track for Measurable Growth
Marketing teams put in a lot of effort to reach potential customers, but without the right performance tracking, it’s hard to know what’s working.
That’s where marketing key performance indicators (KPIs) come in. These measurable values help teams assess performance, make decisions based on real data, and improve results across every marketing channel.
The best marketing KPIs to track are those that directly tie to business outcomes, like lead generation, revenue growth, or customer retention.
Tracking the right ones gives you a clear view of what’s driving success and what needs to change in your marketing initiatives.
In this article, you will learn which key performance indicators (KPIs) matter most and how to use them to support marketing success.
Types of Marketing KPIs
Each type of marketing KPI plays a different role in measuring performance. Some show financial impact, and others focus on how people respond to your content or stay connected with your brand.
Knowing the difference helps you choose the right mix of KPIs that match your goals and stage of growth.
Financial KPIs
These KPIs connect marketing performance to revenue and profit to show whether your campaigns contribute to business growth.
Tracking financial KPIs helps marketing agencies understand how marketing budgets are spent and whether those investments produce enough value to justify the cost.
Financial KPIs also support better budget allocation and make it easier to compare results across time periods or campaigns.
Acquisition KPIs
Acquisition KPIs focus on attracting new customers and measure how well your team moves people from interest to action.
When these numbers drop, it usually means the messaging, channel, or offer needs to change. High-performing acquisition KPIs often point to a strong alignment between your offer and your target audience.
Retention KPIs
Retention KPIs measure how well your business keeps customers coming back. These indicators reflect loyalty, engagement, and satisfaction.
When retention stays high, your team spends less on customer acquisition efforts and builds more value over time through repeat buyers. When it drops, it’s a sign that customers have lost interest or found better alternatives.
It also shows how well you are managing customer lifetime value and repeat purchases.
Social Media KPIs
Social media KPIs show how your brand performs across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. These metrics reveal how well your content reaches users, sparks interest, and supports larger goals.
Tracking these indicators helps your team improve the timing, format, and messaging of social media posts.
Content Marketing KPIs
Content marketing KPIs measure how well your blog posts, landing pages, videos, or downloads support your business goals.
These indicators help you understand which content performs best and where visitors lose interest. When tracked regularly, they can guide your team to create better content that attracts website traffic, improves time on page, and leads to conversions.
Quantitative KPIs
Quantitative KPIs include counts, percentages, or rates that show clear performance changes over time.
Since these indicators provide hard data, they are commonly used in enterprise reporting tools and Google Analytics.
Qualitative KPIs
Qualitative KPIs are based on feedback, opinions, or observations. While they may not produce exact numbers, they offer valuable context for understanding user behavior.
These indicators often come from customer feedback, reviews, support conversations, or social sentiment. They help explain the “why” behind quantitative results and can reveal blind spots in your current strategy.
Leading KPIs
Leading KPIs focus on early signals that suggest future outcomes. These indicators help marketers take action before a result is final.
For example, an increase in newsletter signups might suggest that interest in a product is growing. Leading KPIs also help adjust strategies in real time, test new ideas, and prepare for potential changes in demand or performance.
Lagging KPIs
Lagging KPIs reflect final outcomes. These indicators show whether your past actions met the goal.
By reviewing lagging KPIs, your team can measure performance, identify what worked, and plan future improvements based on real results.
Top Marketing KPIs You Should Track for Marketing Success
These digital marketing KPIs support you in achieving key business objectives:
1. Conversion Rate
Conversion rate measures how many people complete a desired action compared to the total number who saw or clicked on your offer.
This action could be filling out a form, making a purchase, or downloading a resource. It tells you how well your marketing turns interest into results.
A strong conversion rate usually means your message matches your target audience’s needs. Low numbers often point to weak offers, poor landing pages, or the wrong traffic.
You can improve this KPI by testing different headlines, calls to action, or designs. It also helps to make sure the content speaks directly to what the user wants or expects.
Out of all marketing KPIs, conversion rate gives one of the clearest signals of marketing success. It shows whether your campaigns move people to act or simply draw attention without impact.
Tracking it regularly helps you see what changes drive better results.
2. Click-Through Rate
The click-through rate (CTR) shows how often people click on your content, ad, or link after seeing it.
It compares the number of clicks to the number of impressions and helps measure how engaging or relevant your message is.
A higher CTR often means your content speaks clearly to your target audience and matches what they’re looking for. When the rate is low, it may be a sign that your headlines, visuals, or offer aren’t strong enough to get attention.
Tracking CTR helps your team understand how well you’re turning interest into action. It also helps improve search engine results and campaign performance by showing where people actually engage.
Small changes in wording or layout can lead to better CTR and more qualified traffic.
3. Return on Marketing Investment
Return on marketing investment (ROMI) measures how much revenue your campaigns bring in compared to what you spend.
It answers a simple question: Do your marketing efforts produce enough value to justify the cost?
To calculate ROMI, subtract the total cost of your marketing from the revenue it generated, then divide that number by the same cost. This gives a ratio or percentage that reflects the return.
A positive ROMI means your campaigns are profitable. A low or negative ROMI signals wasted marketing investment or poor campaign performance.
This KPI helps you decide where to spend more and where to scale back. It also gives insight into which marketing channels support growth and which ones drain your budget.
When you track it consistently, you can compare past results, test new tactics, and optimize marketing efforts.
4. Customer Lifetime Value
Customer lifetime value (CLV) shows how much revenue a business earns from a single customer across the full length of the relationship.
It helps you measure long-term value instead of focusing only on one-time sales. A strong CLV often means your customers stay longer, spend more, and return often.
For example, if a customer spends $50 per month for 24 months, their CLV is $1,200.
If your customer acquisition cost is $300, that’s a solid return. But if customers leave after two months, your acquisition efforts may lose money.
To improve CLV, focus on retention. Send follow-up offers, create loyalty programs, and deliver great support. These steps keep customers active and increase future revenue. You can also raise the average spend with product bundles or upsells.
CLV also helps you spend smarter. If one group of potential customers brings higher value over time, it makes sense to direct more marketing efforts toward them.
Tracking this KPI helps your team balance short-term wins with long-term growth. When paired with CAC, CLV shows whether your business model supports profitable, lasting relationships.
5. Lead Generation
Leads represent people who show interest in your product or service. These individuals may fill out a form, sign up for a newsletter, or request more information. Tracking leads helps measure how well your marketing efforts attract attention and move users into the marketing funnel.
Not all leads are equal. Some are just browsing, while others are more likely to buy.
You can qualify leads based on how they interact with your content, their level of intent, or how closely they match your target audience.
To increase leads, review your landing page offers, improve call-to-action placement, and make forms simple. Tools like Google Analytics can help show where traffic drops off or which content drives the most lead generation.
If leads decline, you may need to adjust your message, offer, or targeting. If leads grow but sales stay flat, it could mean you’re not attracting the right audience or the follow-up process needs work.
6. Sales Qualified Leads
Sales-qualified leads (SQLs) are prospects who show clear intent to buy and meet the criteria set by your sales team.
These leads go beyond casual interest. They’ve taken specific actions, like booking a demo or requesting pricing, which signals that they’re ready to speak with a salesperson.
Tracking SQLs helps connect your marketing efforts to real revenue opportunities. When this number rises, it often means your campaigns are attracting people who match your ideal customer profile.
When it’s low, you may be generating traffic but not guiding the right users through the marketing funnel.
To grow SQLs, start by aligning your marketing campaigns on what makes a lead sales-ready. Use lead scoring models, track behavior on your landing page, and qualify users based on engagement or firmographics.
Improving how you segment and follow up also helps move more leads into this stage.
7. Net Promoter Score
The net promoter score (NPS) measures how likely customers are to recommend your brand to others. It reflects overall satisfaction and loyalty, making it a strong signal of long-term value.
NPS comes from a single question: How likely are you to recommend us on a scale from 0 to 10? Respondents fall into three groups: the promoters (9–10), passives (7–8), and detractors (0–6).
You calculate NPS by subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters. A positive score shows that more customers are happy than not, while a negative score signals serious issues in product experience or service.
To improve NPS, identify and fix what causes dissatisfaction. Ask follow-up questions, review customer feedback, and act on patterns that repeat. You can also focus on delivering faster support, clearer messaging, or better onboarding.
Since NPS connects to loyalty, referrals, and customer lifetime value, it helps predict future sales growth. When you track it regularly, it becomes a guide for improving retention and building strong relationships.
8. Cost per Acquisition
Cost per acquisition (CPA) shows how much you spend to turn a prospect into a paying customer.
This KPI adds up all the marketing costs tied to a campaign and divides that total by the number of conversions. It helps measure how efficiently your marketing efforts bring in actual results.
For example, if you spend $1,000 on ads and get 10 new customers, your CPA is $100. The lower the number, the more cost-effective your campaign.
High CPA can mean poor targeting, weak messaging, or landing pages that don’t convert.
To lower your CPA, review which marketing channels deliver the best return. You can also improve conversion-focused elements, like offers, forms, or calls to action. A/B testing helps refine what works.
CPA works best when compared with customer lifetime value. If you pay $100 to acquire a customer worth $1,000 over time, the campaign is strong.
But if the value barely covers the cost, it may not support long-term growth. Tracking this KPI helps you spot which campaigns to scale and where to cut waste.
9. Cost Per Lead
Cost per lead (CPL) tracks how much it costs to generate a single lead from a marketing campaign.
It includes spending on ads, content, tools, and resources used to attract and capture interest. CPL helps you understand which activities bring in leads at a reasonable cost and which ones waste your budget.
To calculate CPL, divide your total campaign spend by the number of leads generated. For example, if you spend $500 and get 25 leads, your CPL is $20.
A lower CPL means more efficient lead generation, while a higher one might signal problems with targeting, messaging, or offer quality.
Improving this KPI starts with identifying which channels bring in the most qualified leads. Focus on sources with strong conversion rates and lower costs.
Review your landing page performance and simplify forms to reduce drop-off. Better ad targeting and stronger calls to action can also help reduce CPL.
10. Average Engagement Rate
The average engagement rate measures how often people interact with your content compared to how many see it. This includes actions like clicks, comments, shares, or reactions.
You calculate the engagement rate by dividing the total interactions by the total impressions and then multiplying by 100. A higher rate usually means your content is relevant and encourages action. A low rate may signal that your message misses the mark or that you’re targeting the wrong audience.
To improve engagement, focus on creating content that speaks directly to your users’ needs or interests.
Use strong visuals, clear messaging, and formats suited to each platform. You can also adjust timing and frequency based on past performance.
This KPI is especially useful for tracking the impact of your social media marketing efforts. It shows how well your team holds attention in a busy feed and whether your content inspires users to act.
Consistent tracking helps you shape a better social media strategy, improve post quality, and focus on content that drives results.
11. Impressions
Impressions count how many times your content appears in front of users, whether they click or not.
In SEO and advertising, this means how often a page or ad shows up in search engine results or social feeds. Impressions help measure reach and brand visibility, especially in the early stages of a marketing funnel.
While impressions don’t reflect engagement, they give context to other KPIs like click-through rate.
A rising number of impressions with low clicks may suggest your titles, ads, or metadata need improvement. On the other hand, steady growth in impressions shows your content is gaining exposure.
To improve this KPI, target keywords, write clear titles and descriptions, and improve your search engine rankings. Using structured data like schema markup can also help increase how often your content appears in rich results.
12. Return on Ad Spend
Return on ad spend (ROAS) measures how much revenue you earn for every dollar spent on advertising.
To calculate ROAS, divide the revenue from a campaign by the total ad spend. For example, earning $5,000 from $1,000 in ads gives you a 5:1 ROAS.
A high ratio means your ads are performing well, while a low one may point to poor targeting, weak creatives, or an offer that doesn’t convert.
Improving ROAS starts with testing ad formats, refining your audience, and optimizing landing pages.
Platforms like Google Ads provide performance data that helps you identify what works and what doesn’t. You can also shift your budget toward high-performing campaigns and pause those that underperform.
ROAS helps your team measure campaign health and make better decisions about where to invest next. When paired with customer lifetime value and conversion rate, it gives a clear picture of your paid marketing effectiveness.
Marketing Automation and Reporting Tools to Automate KPI Tracking
Marketing automation platforms simplify the process by collecting data, organizing reports, and showing performance in real time.
While every team uses a different mix of tools, most rely on six core categories to track and manage marketing KPIs, such as:
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Analytics platforms - Collect data from multiple sources and help evaluate performance across your marketing channels. These tools show patterns in web traffic, user behavior, and conversions.
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Reporting dashboards - Create visual summaries of your KPIs and allow your team to compare performance over a specific period and make faster decisions.
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Customer relationship management systems (CRM) - Track interactions with leads and customers, monitor their journey through the marketing funnel, and measure the outcome of your marketing activities.
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Social media marketing platforms - Measure engagement, reach, and audience insights to understand the impact of your social media marketing efforts.
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Email marketing software - Manage email campaigns and track KPIs, like open rates, click-through rate, and conversions. These tools help identify which messages drive the most action.
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Web analytics tools - Offer deeper insight into how users behave on your site. These tools track sessions, bounce rate, and navigation paths to improve conversions and support overall marketing effectiveness.
Start Monitoring Your Marketing KPIs with TapClicks
TapClicks gives you a single platform to manage and monitor all your marketing KPIs in one place.
Instead of switching between tools or compiling spreadsheets, you can bring data from different sources together into a clear, customizable dashboard. This makes it easier to spot trends, compare performance, and focus on the key metrics that matter most.
With TapClicks, you can track key indicators like conversion rate, click-through rate, and customer acquisition cost across channels. The platform helps your team save time on reporting and focus more on improving campaign performance.
If you’re looking to simplify your reporting and improve how you track KPIs, TapClicks provides the tools to do it. You’ll spend less time gathering data and more time using it to grow your business.
Monitor every marketing KPI in one place and stay ahead of performance dips. Book a demo with TapClicks!
FAQs About Best Marketing KPIs to Track
What marketing KPIs should I be tracking?
You should track KPIs that align with your goals, such as conversion rate, click-through rate, customer acquisition cost, return on ad spend, and lead volume. These KPIs help measure how well your campaigns attract, convert, and retain customers.
What is the KPI for marketing?
A marketing KPI is a measurable value that shows how your marketing activities perform against specific business goals. It helps you understand the impact of your campaigns and guides decision-making based on results.
What are the four Ps of KPI?
The four Ps of KPI refer to purpose, performance, process, and people. Together, they help define what you’re measuring, how well it’s working, how it gets done, and who is responsible for it.
Which of the following would be a good KPI for marketing?
A good KPI for marketing would be the conversion rate. It shows how effectively your campaigns turn website visitors or leads into customers, making it a direct measure of marketing program success.
