Marketing Metrics and KPIs
Knowing which numbers really matter: choosing KPIs, unit economics, profitability and setting realistic targets.
Every marketing team has a weekly report, and most of them are a wall of numbers nobody makes a decision from. The useful version answers three things: which number we are steering by, what a customer is worth next to what they cost, and the point where the campaign starts making money instead of noise. This module builds that habit in order, from picking KPIs to break-even ROAS to defending a target someone threw out in a meeting.
- Workouts
- 6
- Duration
- 37 min
- Free
- 0
The workouts in this module
- 1Metric or KPI? Numbers tied to a goal
By the end of this workout, you'll be able to tell a metric from a KPI, pick 3-5 KPIs for a concrete goal, and turn a revenue goal into a number your team can act on.
6 min - 2CAC, LTV and payback period
By the end of this workout, you'll be able to calculate customer acquisition cost, margin-based lifetime value and payback period, and use the LTV:CAC ratio to decide which channel deserves more budget.
7 min - 3ROAS is not enough: profit margin and break-even ROAS
By the end of this workout, you'll be able to calculate break-even ROAS from gross margin, turn a campaign's ROAS into actual profit, and explain why platform-reported ROAS needs a second check.
7 min - 4The North Star metric and the metric tree
By the end of this workout, you'll be able to choose one North Star metric for a business, break it into input metrics with owners, and use the tree to find which lever to pull.
6 min - 5Vanity metrics: the likes and followers trap
By the end of this workout, you'll be able to spot a vanity metric with two quick tests, swap it for the actionable number behind it, and resist scaling a “viral” result that isn't selling.
5 min - 6Setting realistic targets: past data, seasonality and budget
By the end of this workout, you'll be able to set a target from a baseline, a seasonality index and the budget you actually have, and defend it against a round number someone picked in a meeting.
6 min
The project: Design a KPI dashboard for an online store
You get the last 3 months of data from a fictional online coffee brand doing $15,000 in monthly revenue. Pick a North Star metric that fits the brand's growth goal, build the metric tree under it and calculate break-even ROAS.
What you hand in: A metric tree diagram, a break-even ROAS calculation and a draft dashboard with 5 KPIs to track every week.
How the project is judged
- North Star fit
- The metric captures customer value and predicts revenue; it is not revenue itself, a cumulative total or a reach number.
- Tree logic
- The inputs genuinely produce the North Star (e.g. sessions × conversion rate × order value), and each has an owner.
- Accuracy
- Margin and break-even ROAS are computed correctly from the given data, and the KPI targets follow from the 3 months of history.
- Actionability
- Every KPI on the dashboard passes the “so what do we do?” test and has a stated target.
Module exam and certificate
After the lessons, take the module exam: 10 new questions in 20 minutes. Score 70% or more and you get a FunnelGym certificate with a public page. It is an independent certificate, not an official Google or Meta one.
Programs that include this module
- Digital Marketing SpecialistGet to know every digital marketing channel and build your first campaigns with your own hands.
- Performance Marketing SpecialistKnow what every ad dollar brings back: measurable growth on Google, Meta and TikTok.
- SEO & Content SpecialistMake your brand easy to find on Google and in AI answers.
- Social Media SpecialistBuild a community, not just a follower count: social media from content to crisis, from creators to ads.
Calculators
- Break-even ROAS calculatorGross margin, break-even ROAS and the real profit of a campaign.
- CAC, LTV and payback calculatorWhat a customer costs, what they are worth, and when you get the money back.
Roles that use this module
- Marketing AnalystMeasures how marketing performs, builds the reports and dashboards the team relies on and explains what the numbers mean.
- Data AnalystPulls, cleans and analyses web and business data with SQL and BI tools, and turns it into answers for decisions.
- Growth MarketerFinds and tests the levers that grow users and revenue across acquisition, activation, retention and referral.