What Your Social Media Numbers Are Really Telling You: A Nonprofit Leader's Guide

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Let's be real for a second: most nonprofit leaders I meet have never looked at their social media analytics. And the few who do? They often don't know what the numbers actually mean or which ones they should care about.

If that's you—no judgment. You're busy changing the world, not clicking around dashboards. But those mysterious numbers actually hold the key to making your social media work for your mission instead of feeling like yet another task on your endless to-do list.

The Metrics That Actually Matter for Your Mission

First, let's cut through the jargon. When I send analytics reports to clients, I translate technical terms into plain English:

• Impressions: How many times people saw your content (yes, this includes the same person seeing it multiple times)

• Reach: How many unique people saw your content

• Engagement: How many times people interacted with your post (likes, comments, shares, saves)- want a deeper dive on engagement? Read my full guide here

But here's what nobody tells you: the metric that matters most depends entirely on what you're trying to accomplish.

Are you trying to sell tickets to your annual gala? Link clicks matter more than likes.

Want to build awareness for your cause? Reach and impressions is what you want.

Trying to build a community around your mission? Comments and shares top everything else.

I see this all the time in the nonprofit world—this obsession with growing follower counts and "going viral." Going viral is like winning the lottery—exciting if it happens, but a terrible financial strategy that doesn’t actually solve any of your problems.

Instead, I'd rather see you with 500 dedicated local followers who show up to your events than 10,000 random people who will never donate a dime. Quality over quantity, always.

Uncovering the Story Behind Your Numbers

Here's where it gets good. Your analytics aren't just numbers—they're actually telling you a story about what your audience wants from you.

I work with a historic theatre who thought announcement posts about upcoming shows were all people wanted. Makes sense, right? That's why people follow a theatre.

BUT when we looked at their analytics, guess what actually outperformed everything else? Behind-the-scenes storytelling reels about the theatre's history. People weren't just following for show dates—they were craving connection to the venue's legacy and personality.

This pattern recognition is something most organizations miss entirely. They keep pushing content their audience isn't responding to while accidentally hitting gold and not even realizing it.

One of my nonprofit clients discovered through analytics that their event announcement posts got the most reach, while sharing their programming and educational content had the most engagement. This told us something crucial: people were spreading the word about events but deeply connecting with their mission-focused content.

Without regular analytics reviews, they would have missed this entirely.

From Analysis to Action: The Experimental Approach

Here's my not-so-secret approach to social media: it's all just a bunch of little experiments.

That monthly analytics review? It's not a report card—it's your laboratory results telling you what experiments worked and which to run next.

This month alone, I'm running these experiments for clients:

• For one client, posting primarily reels to see how it affects overall engagement

• For another, posting the same content as both a carousel and a reel to compare performance

• For a third, creating more "in the moment" content as trends emerge

Each of these experiments came directly from patterns we spotted in their analytics. When we saw video content getting 2x the engagement of static posts, we didn't just say "neat!" We acted on it.

That's the difference between looking at numbers and actually using them.

My monthly review process with clients is simple but powerful:

1. What performed well this month?

2. What patterns do we see in the top-performing content?

3. What strategies did we implement last month, and how did they do?

4. What strategies should we continue?

5. What experiment should we try next month based on these insights?

This process transforms social media from a mysterious black box into a strategic tool that gets more effective every month.

From Numbers to Strategy

The most valuable thing analytics can teach you isn't about algorithms or best posting times—it's about your audience's preferences and behaviors.

When the Utah Arts Festival saw more comments from non-artists on their posts, we knew we were finally reaching the general public—exactly who we needed to attend the event.

When a housing nonprofit saw their educational posts getting saved at high rates, we realized people were using their page as a trusted resource—which shifted our entire content strategy.

These insights don't just make your social media better—they make your entire communication strategy more effective.

So the next time you look at your analytics (or avoid looking at them), remember: Those aren't just confusing numbers. They're actually your audience telling you exactly what they want from you.

All you have to do is listen.

Not sure what your social media numbers are really telling you? I help impact organizations translate data into strategic direction. Book a discovery call to see how your social media could be working harder for your mission.