I recently sat in a meeting with a prospective client who was frustrated. They had just finished a massive influencer campaign with a popular Ghanaian personality. The numbers looked incredible on paper: 50,000 views on Instagram, thousands of likes, and hundreds of comments saying “Fire!” and “Nice!” The business owner looked at me and asked the question that breaks most marketing hearts:
“Edward, everyone saw it. So why didn’t anyone buy it?”
This is the classic trap of Vanity Metrics.
In the digital marketing world, particularly here in Accra, there is an obsession with “going viral.” Most companies chase the dopamine hit of high engagement numbers likes, shares, and video views. But as I often tell my team at Focus Agency: You cannot pay your staff with likes. If your marketing strategy stops at “getting attention,” you aren’t doing marketing; you’re doing PR, and there is a massive difference.
The Illusion: Likes vs. Leads
Let’s get the definitions straight.
- Vanity Metrics (The Ego Boost): Likes, Followers, Impressions, Page Views. These numbers make you feel good. They tell you that people see you.
- Business Metrics (The Bank Account): Click-Through Rate (CTR), Cost Per Acquisition (CPA), Conversion Rate, Qualified Leads. These numbers tell you if people are buying from you.
The problem isn’t that likes are bad; it’s that they are often irrelevant to the bottom line based on the objectives of your campaign . A viral video might attract 100,000 teenagers looking for entertainment, but if you are selling high-end real estate or B2B software, those 100,000 views are likely worthless. You would trade them all for 50 boring views from CEOs with a budget.
Boring Metrics You Should be Tracking
If you want to stop burning cash on ads that don’t convert, you need to stop obsessing over engagement and start obsessing over these three acronyms: CTR, CPA, and CRO.
1. CTR (Click-Through Rate)- Are They Actually Interested?
A post with 1,000 likes and 5 clicks is a failure. It means your content was entertaining, but not compelling. High engagement with low CTR usually means your creative didn’t have a clear Call to Action (CTA).
- The Fix: Stop being subtle. Tell the user exactly what to do. “Click here to book,” or “Download the guide,” or “Shop Now.”
2. CPA (Cost Per Acquisition)- The True Cost of a Customer
Let’s say you spent GHS 1,000 on a “viral” (Display) campaign that brought in 5 customers. Your CPA is GHS 200.
Now, compare that to a “boring” Google Search Ad campaign where you spent GHS 1,000 targeting people specifically searching for “Digital Marketing Course in Ghana.” You might only get 50 clicks, but because they are high-intent potential prospects, you are likely to close 15 customers, helping your CPA drop to GHS 66.67.
- The Lesson: “Viral” reach is often expensive because it targets everyone. Targeted, intent-based marketing is cheaper because it targets the right prospects.
3. CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization)- The Leaky Bucket
This is the silent killer of most ad campaigns. we see this constantly: A business runs a fantastic ad, people click… and then they land on a website that is slow, confusing, or looks broken on mobile.
You paid for the click, but you lost the sale because of bad User Experience (UX). This is why at Focus Agency, we don’t just run ads; we audit the landing page first.
- Real Life Example: We once audited a client who was getting huge traffic but zero sales. The issue? Their “Buy Now” button was below the fold on mobile phones. Users had to scroll to find it, and most didn’t bother. We moved the button up. Conversions improved drastically. No extra ad spend, just better CRO.
The “Viral” Hangover
Imagine two businesses:
- Business A (The Viral Star): Hires a comedian for a skit. The video gets 200k views. Everyone laughs. They gain 5,000 followers. Sales increase by 2% for one week, then drop back to normal.
- Business B (The Strategic Player): Writes a detailed, helpful blog post titled “How to Solve [Specific Problem]” and runs Google Ads targeting that exact keyword. They get only 500 views a month. But those 500 people are actively looking for a solution. They capture averagely 20 leads a month, every month, on autopilot.
Business A is famous. Business B is profitable. Which one do you want to be?
How to Fix Your Digital Marketing Strategy
If you are tired of high engagement and low revenue, here is your homework:
- Stop “Boosting” Posts: Use the Ads Manager backend. Optimize for “Conversions” or “Leads,” not “Engagement.”
- Audit Your Funnel: Look at your Google Analytics. Where do people drop off? If they click the ad but leave the site immediately (high Bounce Rate), your landing page is the problem, not the ad.
- Check Your Intent: Are you targeting keywords that imply a purchase? Targeting “shoes” is vanity. Targeting “buy men’s leather loafers Accra” is sanity.
Final Thoughts
Viral campaigns are great for brand awareness, but they are not a sales strategy. As a business owner or marketing manager, you must demand more than just applause. You need to demand action.
Next time your marketing team shows you a report full of “likes” and “reach,” ask them the hard question:
“That’s great, but what was the CPA?”
Need help turning your traffic into actual revenue? At Focus Agency Ghana, we specialize in performance marketing that prioritizes ROI over ego. Let’s audit your strategy today. Contact us now and be inspired by our experts.
About Writer
Edward Worlanyo Bankas is the Founder and Head of Marketing at Focus Agency Ghana, with hands-on expertise in SEO, paid media ads and performance-driven digital strategy. He has led data-driven growth initiatives across multiple industries and also works with Aya Data, contributing to SEO and digital growth for a global AI and data annotation company.