Since the advent of analytics, we have all become expert authorities on things such as bounce rate and time on page. However, don’t be fooled into thinking that every piece of data at your disposal requires careful contemplation, as some metrics are somewhat redundant.

For example, vanity metrics have the potential to pull the wool over your eyes, as it makes you think as though you have accomplished something magnificent, when in fact quite the opposite is true.

With this in mind, it is imperative you separate useful information from worthless data. To help out, here are some common vanity metrics and why you should ignore them.

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<strong>Related Post: <a href="https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/analytics/4-analytic-metrics-youre-probably-wrong/">4 Analytic Metrics you're Probably Measuring Wrong</a></strong>

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<h4>Twitter Followers</h4>
Okay, so there is nothing necessarily bad with having an abundance of Twitter followers. But there is little to no point in having so many people look at your social media activity if they aren’t interacting with what you’ve got to say.

Thousands of Twitter followers do not produce conversions or increase your revenue, so focus on metrics that are concerned with these areas instead.

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<h4>Email Open Rate</h4>
Again, this metric is comparable with the number of people consuming your communication on social media. Just because someone has opened your email doesn’t mean to say they are actually interested in the content.

In fact, they could be completely uninspired with what your email marketing campaign consists of.

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<h4>Comments</h4>
This one is up for discussion, as some people believe that comments are an important metric, as it shows you are igniting audience interest.

However, others feel as though the thoughts and opinions of commenters are fairly futile because they aren’t generating leads or those all-important conversions.

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<strong>Related Post: <a href="https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/inbound-marketing/secret-picking-right-kpis-business/">What is the Secret to Picking the Right KPI for your Business?</a></strong>

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<h4>Free Trial Users</h4>
Although offering your clients or customers a free trial can encourage movement down the sales funnel, you shouldn’t get carried away with how many people are enjoying a complementary sample.

Your priority should be how many people decide to buy or want to continue their subscription.

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<h4>How to Avoid Being Fooled by Vanity Metrics</h4>
These are just a handful of metrics to be aware of, as plenty more could exist depending on what you monitor and measure analytics for. Always consider the following:
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 	<li><strong>Distinguish whether your data is useful or not</strong>. Will the information help you make a better, more informed decision or does it only sound impressive?</li>
 	<li><strong>Re-evaluate whether data is meeting your goals</strong>. Go back and think carefully about the metrics you are collecting. If they aren’t contributing towards your initial objectives, seek out more actionable information instead.</li>
 	<li><strong>Find links between metrics and results</strong>. If you can’t correlate the number of visitors to a landing page with sales of a particular product, then it’s probably not worth monitoring.</li>
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You may feel as though every piece of analytical data is crucial to the success of your business, otherwise it wouldn’t exist. However, the aims of every organisation are different, which means you must focus on the metrics that really matter to your individual requirements.

Here at Ruler Analytics, we believe our solution features the kind of capabilities and functionality any business can benefit from. So, sign-up to a <a href="https://www.ruleranalytics.com/book-a-demo/">free 30 day trial</a> and find out for yourself.