The marketing KPIs that actually matter are the ones tied to money: customer acquisition cost (CAC), return on ad spend (ROAS), conversion rate, customer lifetime value (LTV), and cost per lead. Likes, impressions, and follower counts are vanity metrics — they feel good but don’t pay the bills.
Last updated: May 2026. Written by the Aelaany team to help Egyptian and Gulf businesses measure what counts.
Why do most businesses track the wrong metrics?
Vanity metrics like likes and reach are easy to see and feel rewarding, so people fixate on them. But 100,000 impressions mean nothing if they don’t lead to sales. The KPIs that matter connect your marketing directly to revenue, so you can make decisions based on profit, not applause.
Which marketing KPIs should you actually track?
| KPI | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| CAC | How much it costs to get one customer |
| ROAS | How much revenue each EGP of ad spend returns |
| Conversion rate | What % of visitors take action |
| LTV | Total value of a customer over time |
| Cost per lead | What you pay for each enquiry |
How do you read these KPIs together?
No single KPI tells the whole story. The magic is in the relationships. If your LTV is higher than your CAC, you have a profitable business — the bigger the gap, the better. If your ROAS is 4, you make 4 EGP for every 1 EGP spent on ads. Watch conversion rate to find where visitors drop off, and use cost per lead to compare channels fairly.
Common mistakes with marketing KPIs
- Celebrating reach and likes while ignoring sales.
- Tracking too many KPIs and losing focus — pick 4 or 5.
- Ignoring LTV and judging campaigns only on the first sale.
- Comparing channels by spend instead of cost per result.
- Not setting targets, so you can’t tell good from bad.
To track these KPIs accurately you need the right setup — see our guides on Google Analytics 4 and conversion tracking. They’re especially important when comparing Google Ads vs Facebook Ads in Egypt.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good ROAS?
It depends on your margins, but a ROAS of 3-4 is healthy for most businesses, meaning you earn 3-4 EGP per 1 EGP spent. High-margin products can be profitable at lower ROAS; low-margin ones need higher.
How many KPIs should I track?
Four to five is the sweet spot. Too few and you miss problems; too many and you lose focus. Pick the ones tied to your main goal and review them weekly or monthly.
Are likes and followers completely useless?
Not completely — they can signal brand awareness and reach. But they’re leading indicators, not the goal. Never optimize for likes at the expense of sales and leads.
Want a simple dashboard that shows the KPIs that matter? Talk to the Aelaany team.