Measurement · Growth · Marketing memo
CTR is a signal, not the strategy
Click-through rate can tell you what attracted attention. It cannot tell you whether the business improved.
A point of view
The mistake is not measuring CTR. The mistake is allowing an attention metric to become the definition of marketing success.
Why CTR feels satisfying
It is immediate, comparable and easy to optimise. Change the headline, image or placement and the number moves. That makes it useful for creative diagnostics.
But the customer does not exist to generate clicks. The business needs a downstream action.
Build a metric ladder
Use a ladder: exposure, attention, intent, action, repeat action and commercial value. The appropriate level depends on the problem. A brand campaign may sit higher in the ladder. A conversion programme should move much closer to revenue or contribution.
The practical rule
Never delete a useful signal. Instead, give it a job. CTR tells you whether the creative or placement earns attention. It should not be asked to prove that the entire intervention created value.
Apply the thinking
Bring me the marketing problem, not just the channel.
I work backwards from the commercial constraint, customer behaviour and evidence, then decide what intervention makes sense.
Talk about your problem