Measuring what matters: from views to WhatsApp leads to M-Pesa payments

Platforms make it easy to count views, likes and followers. Those numbers feel good, and they can be useful. But a shop does not pay rent with views. The question that matters is simpler and harder: which marketing brings paying customers, and at what cost?

The funnel, in Kenyan terms

For most Kenyan businesses selling online, the path looks like this:

1. Seen: someone watches your video
2. Tapped: they tap your WhatsApp link or call
3. Talked: they ask a question and get an answer
4. Paid: they pay by M-Pesa or cash
5. Returned: they buy again, or send a friend

Each step loses people. Measuring each step tells you where to improve.

Step 1 to 2: from view to tap

The most useful single number for a small business is how many people tapped through from each post. In Tari Studio, every tracked wa.me link carries a reference code. When someone taps it, the click is counted, and the person appears under Leads with the post or campaign that brought them. Tracked links and leads.

This tells you which video, which platform and which day actually start conversations.

Step 2 to 3: from tap to conversation

If many people tap but few talk, your reply is the problem: too slow, too vague, or missing prices. A shared inbox lets anyone on your team answer, and automations reply to common questions in seconds from answers you approved.

Step 3 to 4: from conversation to payment

Keep a simple record of which leads paid. A note in the conversation, a column in a spreadsheet or a tick in a notebook is enough. Compare it with the source of each lead, and you know which posts bring buyers, not just chatters.

The cost per customer

Add up what you spent on a campaign: credits for the videos, any boosted posts, your time. Divide by the number of paying customers it brought. That is your cost per customer. Compare it with what a customer is worth to you over time. In the Studio, every quote shows the credit cost before you generate, which makes the first part of that sum easy. How credits work.

Repeat customers are the real profit

The cheapest sale is to someone who already bought. Measure how many customers return, and treat them well: a thank-you message, a loyalty offer, a quick reply. Ask how they found you; their answer is free research.

Keep it simple

You do not need a dashboard full of charts. A weekly look at four numbers is enough for most small businesses:

• taps per post
• conversations started
• sales closed
• cost per customer

Do what works more. Stop what does not. Test something new each week. A/B testing on a small budget.

Add a tracked link to your next post.