• Profile views: meh.

• Follower count: unchanged.

• Website traffic: unmoved.

Well, that was humbling.

We’ve all been there: confusing digital applause with action. And honestly? Social media trained us to think like that. But now that we’re in the real world and engaging on professional platforms like LinkedIn, we need to start thinking like the higher ups and what really matters to them.

What does that mean? I thought engagement meant success. If a post had a lot of likes, I felt proud. If impressions were high, I assumed people liked us. But once I started owning performance reporting here at 3131, something shifted. The most liked post isn’t always the most effective one. Sometimes the quieter, more thoughtful content drives the most growth.

I’m pretty sure LinkedIn felt my digital concerns because shortly thereafter, they introduced new post analytics:

• Profile activity (profile views + followers driven by a post)

• Link engagement (clicks to your website or newsletter)

As someone who measures these numbers weekly, this update is HUGE. Why? Because now we can see curiosity. When someone clicks your profile, follows your page, or visits your website — that’s intent. And THAT’S what our clients want to see.

The Reality for Growing Professionals

As one of the newer voices in the industry, I used to think reporting was about presenting numbers. Now I see it’s about protecting strategy. It’s what the “higher ups” are investing in. It’s asking:

• Did it align with our goal?

• Are we building momentum — or just visibility?

Shout out to LinkedIn because now you have the ability to answer those questions.

(look at me, all grown up)