Do you look at your follower count or likes to determine whether your content is performing well or not? Most of us do (or did!). That is until we learned that we could have all the likes but if those don’t translate to funding, it makes no sense to keep monitoring those Instagram metrics. Content that doesn’t convert isn’t worth your time or effort, even if the vanity metrics (like, likes) make you feel good.

Yes, it’s nice to have a large following and everyone liking your posts (we all want to have a little ego-boost!), but I’ll put your mind at ease: a large number of followers and thousands of likes isn’t what will get you sponsorships. The reason is that you won’t only be pitching your vanity metrics to sponsors. You’ll need more proof about how your Instagram engagement translates into purchases and funding. That’s not to say all Instagram metrics aren’t worth your time. 

The Instagram Metrics You Should Track

Here are the metrics you should care about: Saves and shares.

These metrics are far more valuable than likes because they genuinely reflect how engaging your post is. They basically mean this:

Your audience has found your content so useful they want to go back to it later (saves).

Or they’ve found your content so cool they want others to see it (shares).

Increase visibility by creating content that focuses on high virality and relatability. And any sponsor knows that more shareability = more reachability. They also know more saves mean you’re building a rapport with your audience. 

How these metrics can help you land the sponsorship you need:

Wondering how to incorporate these metrics into your pitch? Easy: Paint the picture. Tell sponsors how you’ll create engaging content that will encourage saves and shares! 

For example, behind-the-scenes or educational posts about how their product helped save you time or share your top tips on using their product for maximum performance (click here for one of my own examples). This, of course, will create value, which in turn will generate more saves. So point that out!

Or you can pitch ideas for fun + relatable reels where you’ll display their products. Relatable content generates more shares, so it’s a great way to reach a bigger audience by putting your partner’s products in fans’ inboxes.

See? It’s way deeper than a simple like!

Getting a lot of likes and increased views are awesome, but only if all those new eyeballs are actually translating into followers, fans, and ultimately buyers. Getting a financial return from social media is a process, one that you can identify and capitalize on if you strategize your marketing efforts. 

My Driven By Social e-course teaches you all the detailed ins and outs of using social media to fuel your racing business. We cover sponsor-loved content creation in the Phase Two course, after we’ve built your brand and social foundations in Phase One, and then we hone in on your perfect social media success formula in Phase Three, Grow and Measure. 

If you’re ready to stop wasting time on social and start seeing real results from your content creation and sponsorship pitches—Driven By Social was made just for racers like you. Learn more at drivenbysocial.com.