beginner
4 min read
Vanity Metrics vs. Reality Metrics
Understanding the difference between attention and performance
Metrics define what teams optimize for
Some metrics capture attention, while others reflect real user behavior and business impact. Confusing the two leads teams to optimize activity rather than outcomes.
Learn which metrics actually matter for performance marketing in web3
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Common vanity metrics in web3
- Twitter followers who don't use your product
- Discord members who aren't active
- Quest completions from mercenary farmers
- Impressions that don't lead to conversions
- Wallet connections that don't transact
- Transactions from sybil/bot wallets
These metrics aren't meaningless — they can indicate awareness, reach, or early interest. But optimizing for them in performance marketing contexts often leads to misplaced confidence and spend that's difficult to justify.