# Goals And Kpis

> Set social media goals and KPIs — measurable targets and north-star metrics that aren't vanity numbers. Use when someone wants to "set social media goals," "define our KPIs," "what should we be aiming for," "what's our north-star metric," "OKRs for social," or to turn vague ambitions ("grow our following," "go viral") into measurable targets. Builds a cascade: business goal -> SMART objective -> North Star KPI (one per channel by its win condition) -> supporting metrics, with benchmark-set targets and action thresholds. Uses the NORTH framework. Reads brand-profile + social-strategy first. It SETS the targets; analytics-and-reporting MEASURES against them. Targets come from real benchmarks (never fabricated baselines), KPIs must be controllable and non-vanity, and guardrails prevent gaming. Distinct from analytics-and-reporting (measures) and social-strategy (the whole plan).

- Skill: `social-media-skills/goals-and-kpis` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 6 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add social-media-skills/goals-and-kpis`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/social-media-skills/goals-and-kpis/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Marketing & Growth
- Author: social-media-skills (https://skillmd.com/u/social-media-skills)
- Updated: 2026-09-09
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/social-media-skills/goals-and-kpis

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# goals-and-kpis

The **target-setting layer** — turn business outcomes into a measurable cascade with one **North Star
per channel**, benchmark-set targets, and action thresholds. This skill **sets** the win conditions;
**analytics-and-reporting measures** against them.

## The POV: goals, not wishes
"Grow our following," "go viral," "do better on Instagram" are **wishes** — unmeasurable, unowned, and
disconnected from the business. Build a **cascade** instead: **business goal → SMART objective → KPI →
supporting metrics**, with **one North Star per channel** tied to its real job, a **target from your own
benchmark** (achievable yet ambitious), a **3–5 cap** for focus, and **thresholds that trigger action**.
A KPI must be **controllable, non-vanity, and mapped to an outcome** — and a well-set one (a follower
target paired with an engagement floor) **prevents gaming.**

## Read these first
1. **brand-profile** — positioning/audience.
2. **social-strategy** — the **business outcomes** every goal must ladder up to.

## The framework: NORTH
(Depth: `references/the-north-framework.md`.)
- **N — Name the business goal:** anchor every social goal to a real outcome (awareness/leads/sales/
  retention); if it doesn't ladder up, cut it.
- **O — One North Star per channel:** the single win-condition metric (awareness → reach; consideration
  → CTR; conversion → CVR) + 1–2 supporting.
- **R — Render it SMART:** Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound — a number + a deadline
  + a method.
- **T — Target from benchmarks:** set the number from your **baseline**/comparable benchmarks (no data →
  a **learning goal** first); leading + lagging; only **controllable** KPIs.
- **H — Hold to 3–5 + set triggers:** cap KPIs/objectives at 3–5; action thresholds ("if X holds but Y
  drops → do Z"); review weekly/monthly/quarterly; hand to analytics-and-reporting.

## The reality (verify benchmarks quarterly)
The cascade, North-Star-per-channel, SMART, the funnel KPI map, the 3–5 rule, leading-vs-lagging +
KPI-selection criteria, benchmark targets + thresholds, and review cadence:
`references/goals-kpis-2026-reality.md`. North-star-by-channel table, goal→KPI cascades by business goal,
target-setting + worked examples: `references/smart-goals-and-recipes.md`.

## Honest scope (never violate)
- **Sets, doesn't measure** — measuring progress is **analytics-and-reporting** (native analytics;
  WoopSocial has none). This skill defines targets/North Stars/thresholds, then hands off.
- **Targets from real benchmarks** — **no fabricated baselines**; no data → a **learning goal** first;
  comparable benchmarks are **provisional/flagged**.
- **Controllable, non-vanity, outcome-mapped KPIs only.** Pair growth with a **quality guardrail** — a
  well-set KPI **prevents gaming** (no follower-buying/pods).
- **Realistic, not hype** — achievable yet ambitious; flag impossible asks. **Miss → pivot tactics first**,
  don't move the goalposts or fudge numbers.
  (Scope, distinctions + connections: `references/scope-and-connections.md`.)

## Distinct from its siblings (route correctly)
**goals-and-kpis (this)** = SET targets/North Star/thresholds · **analytics-and-reporting** = MEASURE
against them · **social-strategy** = the whole plan (this is its goals/KPI layer) · **experimentation** =
test tactics to move a KPI · **competitor-analysis** = benchmark context, not your own goals.

## Where this connects
Reads first: **brand-profile**, **social-strategy**. Benchmark inputs: **analytics-and-reporting**
(baseline), **competitor-analysis** (relative), the **\*-growth** skills (per-platform norms). Hands
targets to: **analytics-and-reporting** (measurement), **content-calendar**/**batch-content-plan**
(cadence), **experimentation** (tests), **campaign-and-launch-planning** (campaign KPIs). Per-channel
North Stars draw on the per-platform growth skills. No publishing/tool surface — a planning skill.

## Definition of done
A cascade per goal (business outcome → SMART objective with number+deadline+method → one North Star per
channel + 1–2 supporting); targets set from real baselines/benchmarks (or a learning goal if none),
achievable yet ambitious, with a quality guardrail; capped at 3–5 with action thresholds and a weekly/
monthly/quarterly review cadence; controllable, non-vanity, outcome-mapped KPIs; handed to
analytics-and-reporting to measure; nothing fabricated, correctly distinguished from analytics-and-reporting,
social-strategy, and experimentation.