We need to talk about vanity metrics. The likes, the views, the impressions. The things that look good on paper but don’t pay the bills.
Too many founders and early-stage entrepreneurs are focused on the wrong numbers. The ones that stroke your ego but don’t move your business forward. The worst part? That obsession is stopping you from even starting.
I’ve been there.
There was a time I wouldn’t post content because I was scared it wouldn’t “perform”. Scared that people would see I only got 50 views or 3 likes. Scared that low numbers meant low value.
That thinking nearly killed my consistency.
But here’s the shift: most of the numbers you’re chasing don’t matter. At least not yet.
Vanity Metrics Won’t Build Your Brand
Let’s say you’ve got a Facebook page. You run a promo and get 1,000 likes in a week. Sounds good, right?
But no one’s engaging with your posts. No one’s clicking your link. No one’s buying.
What you have is a pretty dashboard with no substance. Vanity metrics. Empty validation.
You don’t need likes. You need leads.
You don’t need followers. You need clients.
You don’t need to go viral. You need to stay visible.
Fear of Low Numbers = Creative Paralysis
What’s worse is that the fear of not hitting those numbers keeps you stuck.
You start second-guessing every post. You don’t publish that blog. You don’t record that video. You delay your launch because your “audience isn’t big enough”.
Let me tell you something.
You don’t get the audience first. You get the reps in first.
The visibility comes after the consistency.
Start With What You Can Stick To
When I committed to putting out content, I didn’t start with video. I started with writing.
Why?
Because I knew I could commit to writing one blog post every week for a year. No excuses. No chasing trends. Just consistent output.
That’s where it began. My background is in music journalism, so I already had the habit of writing. And I knew the long game would reward me.
I wasn’t thinking about who would read it. I was thinking about building the discipline to keep going.
Your Discipline > Your Motivation
Let me be real. Some weeks, I don’t feel like showing up. Some weeks, I doubt whether it’s even worth it.
But I post anyway.
Because I said I would.
And that’s the difference.
Motivation is fleeting. Discipline keeps the promise you made to yourself.
You can’t analyse data you haven’t created. You can’t optimise content you haven’t posted. You can’t get better at something you haven’t even started.
Pick One Thing and Get to Work
You don’t need a full strategy on day one. You need a commitment.
One thing. One format. One platform.
Can you write one blog post a week? Can you post one short video? Can you record one voice note and share it?
Whatever you choose, make it realistic. Make it sustainable. And most importantly, make it yours.
Content isn’t just about creating. It’s about documenting your growth, your thought process, your evolution.
Quantity Before Quality? Actually, Yes.
You can’t get good without practice.
If you’re sitting there with 3 posts on your feed worrying about engagement, you’re not ready to obsess over metrics yet.
Focus on building a body of work. Build the bank.
Eventually, that content becomes your proof. It builds trust. It shows you’re serious. And that’s when the audience, the clients, the opportunities start rolling in.
Batch Your Content. Buy Back Your Time.
If you’re pressed for time, batch your content.
Record five videos in a day. Write four posts in one sitting. Schedule them out and get on with your week.
This isn’t about being everywhere at once. It’s about being consistent wherever you choose to show up.
Your job isn’t to chase the algorithm. Your job is to build connection with your audience.
Small Audience. Big Impact.
If 200 people watch your video, that’s 200 people in a room paying attention to you.
That’s not small. That’s powerful.
You don’t need 10k views. You need 10 people who are ready to work with you.
You’re not an influencer. You’re a business owner. Act like it.
Commit to the Thing
Your job right now isn’t to go viral. It’s to stay visible.
The only metric that matters right now is: did you post this week?
Did you honour the commitment you made to yourself?
Because that’s where growth lives. Not in the analytics tab, but in your habits.
The personal brand you’re building doesn’t need to impress strangers online. It needs to reflect the truth of what you do, who you help and why you’re the right one for the job.
Forget the numbers for now. You haven’t posted enough to judge the numbers anyway.
Show up. Stay consistent. Build the proof.
Let the metrics come later.
See you next week.
