Getting Started with Instant Metrics

Manual spreadsheet reporting takes time. Usually, the journey toward a professional analytics tool begins out of necessity—the need for easy setup, automatic updates, and seamless sharing across your team.

I once worked with a founder who managed all her reporting in a spreadsheet; it was her "single source of truth." However, distributing that data was a nightmare. For team members less skilled in Excel or Google Sheets, spreadsheets often create more of an "ummm" moment than an "aha!" moment. Even for those adept at data entry, rows and columns are impenetrable without a central narrative.

There comes a time in every SMB’s journey to upgrade to something more robust. But where do you start?

Starting is the most important step in becoming data-driven. PowerMetrics is a metric analytics and AI tool that provides depth for custom metric building, but the first step isn’t always to set up a modelled data source. For many, the journey begins with our library of Instant Metrics. As the name suggests, these metrics provide immediate value "out of the box."

The 4 Pillars of a Metric

We’ve adopted a metrics-first approach to PowerMetrics. There are four pillars that ensure your data provides enduring value:

1. Expert-Informed: Metrics should be vetted to ensure standard units of measurement.
2. Historical Context: Metrics tell a story over time through captured data history.
3. Actionable Insights: Features like historical comparisons and goal-setting enable better decisions.
4. Integral Integration: Metrics must be a core part of business decision-making.

Every Instant Metric introduces you to these concepts on your path to analytics success.

What are Instant Metrics?

Metrics are the building blocks of PowerMetrics. Behind every metric is a data model that enables features like data history, goals, and calculations.

Instant Metrics are pre-built metrics. Simply enter your login credentials (for services like HubSpot, Stripe, or Quickbooks), and PowerMetrics will automatically create a connection and fetch your data. It takes only a minute or two to populate, and once it’s done, you’re ready to start exploring.

All our Instant Metrics are set up and validated by data community experts. Our library, MetricHQ, documents these in addition to custom metrics defined by industry leaders.

Instant Metrics vs. Custom Metrics

While Instant Metrics get you started quickly, it’s helpful to understand how they differ from custom builds:

• Instant Metrics: Pre-configured and managed by Klipfolio. They require no data modelling or formula writing. They are excellent building blocks for adding goals or creating calculated metrics.
• Custom Metrics: Created by setting up a unique data source and configuring a bespoke data model. This allows for fine-tuning to measure specific, unique data points.

Popular Instant Metrics by Service

We organize our Instant Metrics by service to help you find exactly what you need. Here are the most valuable metrics across our supported integrations:

Marketing, CRM & Web Analytics

• Google Analytics 4 (GA4): Track Active Users, Engagement Rate, and Conversions to understand site performance.
• HubSpot: Monitor your entire funnel with Leads, MQLs, and Sales Cycle Length.
• Mailchimp: Keep an eye on campaign health via CTOR (Click-To-Open Rate), Unsubscribes, and Email List Growth.
• Salesforce: Gain visibility into the pipeline with Open & Won Opportunities, Opportunity Probability, and SQLs.

Digital Advertising

• Google Ads & LinkedIn Ads: High-level performance tracking for CTR, CPC, Impressions, and Conversions.
• Facebook Ads: Measure your ROI through Reach, CPM, and Ad Clicks.
• X Ads (formerly Twitter Ads): Quickly view Engagement, Cost per Click, and Total Ad Spend.

Finance & E-commerce

• QuickBooks & Xero: Essential financial health metrics including Net Burn, EBITDA, Gross Margin, and Operating Expenses (OpEx).
• Stripe: Stay on top of cash flow with Charges, Payment Acceptance Rate, and Refunds.
• Shopify: Track the heartbeat of your store with Gross Sales, Average Order Value (AOV), and Abandoned Checkouts.

Social Media & Content

• LinkedIn Pages & Facebook: Track brand authority through Followers, Content Engagement, and Post Impressions.
• Instagram Business: Monitor community growth with Reels Likes, Saves, and Account Reach.
• YouTube: Dive into video performance with Watch Time, Subscribers, and Average Percentage Viewed.

Customer Support

• Zendesk: Optimize your team's efficiency with First Response Time, First Contact Resolution Rate, and Tickets Solved.

Visualizing Data on Dashboards

A metric is a metric, whether it’s instant or custom. You can explore your data using any visualization type—bar charts, pie charts, or bubble charts—and add them to a dashboard.

Metrics become exceptionally powerful when segmented or filtered. You can add a filter to a specific metric (e.g., showing only "Organic Traffic" from a Web Users metric) or apply filters at the dashboard level to update every metric on the page simultaneously.

Level up data-driven decision making

Make metric analysis easy for everyone.

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Next Steps

Instant Metrics are the quickest way to get started with PowerMetrics. Once you have connected your accounts, you can begin adding multiple instances of the same metric to a dashboard—using line charts for trends and single numeric values for aggregate totals. It's that easy!