Ijharul Islam
A good engagement rate is one above the average for your platform, measured with the same formula. Measured by followers, Socialinsider's benchmarks put the average brand post at about 0.45% on Instagram, 2.5% on TikTok, 0.13% on Facebook and 0.10% on X, so an Instagram account above 1% is doing well. Measured by views or reach, the same posts score several times higher, which is why you must compare like with like.
More on this topic: Video marketing, every guide in one place.
Below: the three formulas with a worked example, published benchmarks and what they measure, why small accounts score higher, and the changes that move the number.
The short answer
By followers ((likes + comments + shares + saves) ÷ followers × 100), averages in Socialinsider's data are about 0.45% on Instagram, 2.5% on TikTok, 0.13% on Facebook and 0.10% on X. Beating your platform's average by the same formula is good; two or three times it is excellent. By views or reach, rates are much higher, so never compare a views-based rate with a followers-based benchmark.
Key takeaways
- Engagement rate = interactions ÷ an audience number × 100; the audience number (followers, views or reach) changes the result a lot.
- Socialinsider's averages by followers: Instagram ~0.45%, TikTok ~2.5%, Facebook ~0.13%, X ~0.10%.
- Rival IQ's 2025 report, also by followers, found engagement down year on year on Facebook (36%), Instagram (16%), TikTok (34%) and X (48%).
- Smaller accounts usually have higher rates than large ones, so compare with accounts your size.
- Your own trend over the last 10 to 20 posts is the most useful benchmark.
How do you calculate engagement rate?
You calculate engagement rate by adding up a post's interactions, dividing by an audience number, and multiplying by 100. There are three common versions:
| Formula | Calculation | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| By followers | Interactions ÷ followers × 100 | Comparing accounts; media kits; most published benchmarks |
| By reach | Interactions ÷ reach × 100 | Judging a single post among the people who saw it |
| By views | Interactions ÷ views × 100 | Short video (Reels, TikTok, Shorts) that travels beyond followers |
Interactions are usually likes + comments + shares + saves, but benchmark publishers differ: Socialinsider, for example, counts likes and comments on Instagram, adds shares on Facebook and saves on TikTok, and counts likes and reposts on X. Match the interactions to the benchmark you compare with.
Worked example: a post with 900 likes, 60 comments, 50 shares and 40 saves is 1,050 interactions. From an account with 12,000 followers that's 8.75% by followers; if the post had 30,000 views, it's 3.5% by views. Same post, two very different numbers. The free engagement rate calculator shows all three side by side, for one post or averaged over several, and runs in your browser.
What is a good engagement rate on each platform?
A good engagement rate depends on the platform, because each has a very different average. Here are the averages by followers from Socialinsider's benchmarks page, read in October 2026 (the page labels them as its 2026 figures):
| Platform | Average by followers | Good (about 2× average) | Excellent (3× or more) |
|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | ~2.5% | 5%+ | 7.5%+ |
| ~0.45% | ~1% | 1.5%+ | |
| ~0.13% | ~0.25% | 0.4%+ | |
| X (Twitter) | ~0.10% | ~0.2% | 0.3%+ |
The "good" and "excellent" columns are simple multiples of the average, not separate research: they show where you stand relative to typical brand accounts. Socialinsider's page doesn't cover LinkedIn or YouTube; for those, compare against your own history or a benchmark that states its formula.
Rival IQ's 2025 Social Media Industry Benchmark Report, which also divides interactions by followers, found engagement falling year on year: down 36% on Facebook, 16% on Instagram, 34% on TikTok and 48% on X. So a rate that would have looked average two years ago may be good today.
Why do benchmarks for the same platform disagree?
Benchmarks disagree because they use different formulas, accounts and interactions. When you read "the average TikTok engagement rate is X%", check four things:
| Question | Why it changes the number |
|---|---|
| Divided by followers, reach or views? | Views-based rates are usually many times higher for viral short video |
| Which interactions count? | Adding shares and saves raises the rate |
| Whose accounts? | Brands, creators and small businesses behave differently |
| What size of account? | Smaller accounts usually show higher rates |
That's why a post might read "3% is average on Instagram" and another "0.5%": they're often both right, for different formulas and samples.
How should you report engagement rate?
Report engagement rate with the formula, the period and the comparison, so the number means something to whoever reads it. A simple monthly line looks like this:
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Formula | Interactions (likes + comments + shares + saves) ÷ followers × 100, per post |
| Period | 1 to 31 October, 18 posts |
| Result | Average 1.2% per post |
| Comparison | September 0.9%; platform average about 0.45% (Socialinsider, by followers) |
| Best post | Reel, 3.4%: before/after of a customer project |
Keep the formula the same from month to month. Switching from followers to views halfway through a year makes the trend meaningless.
Why do small accounts have higher engagement rates?
Small accounts usually have higher engagement rates because a larger share of their followers know them, see their posts and care about them. As an account grows, more followers are passive or inactive, and platforms show each post to a smaller fraction of them. The same post can earn more total interactions on a big account and a lower rate.
So compare with accounts your size. A 2,000-follower local business at 3% on Instagram isn't necessarily beating a 200,000-follower brand at 0.6%; the bigger account may reach far more people.
How can you increase your engagement rate?
You increase engagement rate by getting more of the people who see a post to act on it. What tends to work:
- Lead with short video. On every major platform, short vertical video gets the most reach; hook in the first second (see how to write a hook).
- Caption it. Most feed video plays muted at first; captions keep people watching long enough to react. QuickVeed's auto subtitles burn captions in 11 styles, from 2 credits for a 1-minute video plus a credit a minute for the burned copy (3 at least).
- Ask for one specific action: a question to answer, a tip to save, a friend to tag.
- Reply to comments in the first hour, which doubles the conversation and signals the post is active.
- Use a few relevant hashtags, not dozens: how many hashtags to use in 2026 has the platform limits, and the free hashtag generator suggests a mix.
- Post what your best posts have in common: sort your last 20 by engagement rate, look at the top five, and make more like them.
For ideas, see 30 Instagram Reels ideas for business and how to use TikTok for small business.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good engagement rate on Instagram?
By followers, about 1% is good and 1.5% or more excellent, against an average of about 0.45% in Socialinsider's data.
What is a good engagement rate on TikTok?
By followers, about 5% is good against an average of about 2.5%. By views, rates are usually different, so compare like with like.
How do you calculate engagement rate?
Add likes, comments, shares and saves, divide by followers (or reach, or views) and multiply by 100.
Is a 10% engagement rate good?
By followers on Instagram, Facebook or X it's exceptional. By views on a short video it may be ordinary; check the formula.
Why is my engagement rate over 100%?
By followers, a post that reaches far beyond your followers can get more interactions than you have followers. Use reach or views for that post.
What is a good click-through rate on YouTube?
YouTube says half of all channels and videos have an impressions click-through rate between 2% and 10% (YouTube Help, checked 26 October 2026). Click-through rate and watch time often tell you more than likes; video marketing metrics covers what to track.
Should I use followers or views?
Followers to compare accounts; views or reach to judge individual posts and short videos.
Try it with your own video
Make short videos people stop for: captioned clips, UGC-style product ads and AI video in one place. Upload a clip, pick a caption style, and judge the result for yourself. QuickVeed plans start at $18/month, and new accounts get a 14-day trial with 250 credits, no card needed. Sign up or see pricing.
Sources
Competitor details in this post were checked against these public pages in October 2026. Products and prices change, so confirm with each vendor before you decide.
