Content creation can feel like a slog some days. You're more motivated when you know what good outcomes can happen if you keep up with your work.
Clarity in your business goals helps you pick your topics and overall campaigns. It makes things go faster, keeps everyone's stress lower, and makes the message behind the content that goes out much more impactful.
Everything in marketing is about knowing the end, knowing the starting point, and figuring out the steps in between. Want to pick strategies? Want to know if it's working? Want to make it better? You need data...and data needs a baseline and a defined metric for success.
Get a baseline when you set your goals. However often you want to check in (weekly, monthly quarterly), add your new numbers and the date.
Take time to add notes about what you've been doing, especially if you put a lot of time or money toward a particular new method. You want to reflect, brainstorm, and find the patterns!
Make your own copy, adjust to the metrics that matter for you, and do whatever helps. You also can use a metric tool for things like social media analytics, but there are some things like personal outreach that you want to know, too, so make sure whatever combination you use covers all the bases.
NOTE: You don't have to be doing or tracking every single one of these. Pick what matters to you and your business, and add in things that may be missing.