Click-through rate (CTR)

Click-through rate (CTR) measures the percentage of impressions (or reach, depending on platform) that resulted in a click on a link — central metric for any post whose goal is sending the audience somewhere.

CTR varies widely by platform and intent. Social feed posts with link CTAs typically see CTR in the 0.5–3% range; newsletter CTAs in the 5–20% range; ads in the 0.5–5% range depending on targeting and creative. The metric’s usefulness depends on the destination intent: a CTR of 2% on a high-converting landing page beats 5% on a page that doesn’t convert.

Boost CTR levers include: hook clarity (does the post promise the click’s value?), placement (link in bio versus inline versus story), and friction (number of steps between click and intended action). Tracking CTR per post and per campaign surfaces what kinds of hooks earn the click.

For brands whose social goal is driving traffic — to a landing page, a product, a newsletter signup — CTR is the metric closest to conversion. Engagement without CTR means the content resonates but doesn’t move people.