Last updated: 4 October 2026.
What is a good engagement rate? It depends on the platform and the formula, but as a benchmark, brand accounts in Rival IQ’s 2026 report had median engagement rates by followers of 2.01% on TikTok, 0.30% on Instagram, 0.21% on YouTube, 0.11% on Facebook and 0.03% on X. If you’re at or above the median for your platform, you’re doing well; creators and smaller accounts usually score higher than brands.
This guide explains how engagement rate is calculated, compares the latest named benchmark reports, shows how rates change with follower count and gives you practical ways to improve yours. Want your number straight away? Plug your stats into our free engagement rate calculator.
What is engagement rate?
Engagement rate is the percentage of people who interact with your content. Interactions usually include likes, comments, shares and saves, divided by either your follower count or the number of people who saw the post, then multiplied by 100.
It matters because platforms reward content that people respond to. Instagram, for example, has said it looks closely at likes per reach and sends per reach, which we cover in our guide to how the Instagram algorithm works. A strong engagement rate also tells brands your audience is real and paying attention.
How to calculate engagement rate
There are two common formulas, and they give very different numbers. Always check which one a benchmark uses before comparing.
Engagement rate by followers
(Likes + comments + shares + saves) ÷ followers × 100
This is the formula most industry reports use, because follower counts are public and it allows fair comparisons between accounts. Its weakness is that it ignores how many followers actually saw the post.
Engagement rate by reach (or views)
(Likes + comments + shares + saves) ÷ reach × 100
This measures how compelling a post was to the people who saw it. You need access to the account’s analytics, so it works best for your own content. Because reach is usually smaller than follower count, this formula produces higher percentages. Some tools use views or impressions instead of reach.
A worked example
Say your Instagram post gets 180 likes, 20 comments, 15 shares and 25 saves: 240 interactions. You have 10,000 followers and the post reached 4,000 accounts.
- By followers: 240 ÷ 10,000 × 100 = 2.4%
- By reach: 240 ÷ 4,000 × 100 = 6.0%
Same post, two very different answers. Neither is wrong; just compare like with like.
What is a good engagement rate by platform?
A good engagement rate is one that beats the typical figure for your platform, measured the same way. The table below compares two named 2026 benchmark reports. Both calculate engagement by followers, but they count slightly different interactions and use different samples, so their figures differ.
| Platform | Rival IQ 2026 (median, all industries) | Socialinsider 2026 benchmarks (average, 2025 data) |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok | 2.01% | 3.73% |
| 0.30% | 0.48% | |
| YouTube | 0.21% | Not covered |
| 0.11% | 0.15% | |
| X (Twitter) | 0.03% | 0.12% |
Sources: Rival IQ 2026 Social Media Industry Benchmark Report (now part of Quid), which samples 150 companies per industry and divides total interactions by follower count; and Socialinsider’s social media benchmarks, based on 70 million posts from January 2024 to December 2025.
Key takeaways from the benchmarks
- TikTok leads every platform. Rival IQ found TikTok topped every platform in its benchmark again, although TikTok engagement softened in several industries.
- Instagram is falling. Rival IQ’s Instagram median dropped from 0.36% to 0.30%, roughly 17% year on year.
- X has recovered slightly. Its median doubled from 0.015% to 0.03%, though it remains the lowest.
- Brands post often. Rival IQ’s median brand posted about 3.7 times a week on Instagram and about twice a week on TikTok.
These are brand benchmarks. If you’re a creator, a personal brand or a small local business with a close-knit audience, expect your rate to be higher.
What is a good engagement rate by follower count?
Engagement rates generally fall as accounts grow. Smaller accounts tend to have closer relationships with their audiences, while very large accounts reach more casual followers.
HypeAuditor’s guide to Instagram engagement rates gives these approximate ranges for influencers:
| Tier | Followers | Typical Instagram engagement rate |
|---|---|---|
| Nano | 1,000–5,000 | 4–5% |
| Micro | 5,000–50,000 | around 2.5–3.5% |
| Mid-tier | 50,000–500,000 | around 2–2.5% |
| Macro to mega | 500,000+ | around 1–2% |
HypeAuditor also notes that branded profiles typically sit around 0.5–1%, and that it now prefers calculating engagement against views rather than followers for accounts with enough Reels. Treat these as rough guides, not targets, and remember different tools define tiers differently.
Is your engagement rate good? A quick checklist
The best benchmark is your own history. Industry medians tell you where you stand; your trend tells you whether you’re improving.
- Pick one formula and stick to it. Our engagement rate calculator uses a consistent method so you can track changes month to month.
- Compare against the right group. A 20,000-follower creator shouldn’t compare themselves with a national retailer.
- Look at the median post, not the best one. One viral video can flatter the average.
- Check which interactions are growing. Shares and saves usually signal more value than likes alone.
- Watch for sudden drops. A sharp fall can point to inactive or fake followers diluting your audience.
What engagement rate doesn’t tell you
Engagement rate is a quality signal, not the whole story. A post can have a brilliant rate but tiny reach, or modest engagement that still drives plenty of sales.
Pair it with a few other numbers for a fuller picture:
- Reach and views: how many people you’re actually getting in front of.
- Follower growth: whether engaged viewers are choosing to stay.
- Link clicks and conversions: whether engagement turns into enquiries, bookings or orders, which matters most for UK small businesses.
- Comment quality: ten thoughtful replies are worth more than a hundred emoji-only comments.
If your engagement rate is high but reach is flat, work on discoverability. If reach is growing but engagement is falling, look at whether your content still matches what your audience followed you for.
How to improve your engagement rate
Engagement improves when content gives people a reason to react. These tactics work across platforms:
- Open strongly. Hook viewers in the first seconds so they stay long enough to engage.
- Ask for a specific response. “Which would you pick, A or B?” gets more replies than “Thoughts?”. Our guide on getting more comments on Instagram has more prompts.
- Make content worth sharing. Useful tips, relatable humour and local UK references get sent to friends.
- Reply quickly. Answering early comments keeps conversations going and brings people back.
- Post when your audience is online. Early engagement helps posts travel further.
- Focus your niche. Followers who joined for one topic engage less when you drift off it.
- Test short-form video. TikTok had the highest engagement rate in both reports above, so it’s worth testing if you’re not there yet; see our tips on how to get more TikTok followers.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good engagement rate on Instagram in 2026?
For brand accounts, Rival IQ’s 2026 median is 0.30% by followers, so anything above that is better than typical. Creators usually see higher rates, with HypeAuditor suggesting around 2.5–3.5% for micro-influencers.
What is a good engagement rate on TikTok?
Rival IQ’s 2026 median for brands on TikTok is 2.01% by followers, while Socialinsider’s average is 3.73%. If you’re above 2% by followers, you’re ahead of the typical brand account.
Is 1% a good engagement rate?
On Instagram, Facebook and X, 1% by followers is above the brand benchmarks in both reports. On TikTok it’s below typical. For creators, 1% is on the low side unless the account is very large.
Why is my engagement rate going down?
Common causes include posting off-topic content, a change in format, fewer people seeing your posts, or inactive followers building up over time. Industry-wide declines, like Instagram’s drop in Rival IQ’s data, also play a part.
Should I calculate engagement by followers or by reach?
Use engagement by followers when comparing with industry benchmarks or other accounts. Use engagement by reach to judge how well individual posts performed with the people who saw them.
Once you know your number, focus on content that earns genuine reactions. If you want a little extra momentum on posts that are already landing well, explore our Instagram services for social proof that works alongside your organic efforts.