Track these metrics based on your loop type:

Core Viral Metrics (All Types)

• Viral coefficient (K): (Invites sent per user) × (% that convert)
• Cycle time: Average time from user signup to their first successful referral
• Referral rate: % of users who invite at least one person

Word-of-Mouth Specific

Use the word-of-mouth coefficient: New organic users ÷ (Returning users + New non-organic users)

This gives you a proxy for brand-driven acquisition using standard analytics tools.

Pull/Incentivized Specific

• Invitation acceptance rates
• Referee signup and activation rates
• Quality of invited users (retention/engagement vs. organic)

Push Specific

• Content creation and sharing rates
• Traffic driven by user-generated content
• Brand exposure through shared outputs

Tracking setup: Use unique referral links/codes plus periodic surveys asking "How did you hear about us?" to validate your attribution.

Important: Give your viral loops 2-3 months to show results before making major changes. Viral growth compounds over time.