In social media marketing, engagement rate is a common metric used to measure how often people interact with a brand's content. It's a number that helps compare performance across posts, platforms, or time periods. So what is a good engagement rate in 2025?
This article explains what an engagement rate is, how it's calculated, and what factors influence it. It also explores whether this metric still carries the same weight it once did.
Engagement rate is a percentage that shows how much of an audience interacts with a piece of content. It's often used to evaluate how well content is performing on social media.
When someone likes your Instagram post, comments on your TikTok, or shares your tweet, that's engagement. The engagement rate takes all these interactions and compares them to your total audience size.
The basic formula looks like this:
Engagement Rate = (Total Engagements ÷ Reach or Followers) × 100
For example, if your post gets 50 likes and comments combined, and you have 1,000 followers, your engagement rate would be 5%.
Different platforms count different types of engagement:
Not all social platforms are created equal when it comes to engagement. Each has its own audience behaviors and content formats that affect how people interact.
Here's what's considered good in 2025:
| Platform | Average Rate | Good Rate | Recent Trends |
| 0.5–1.2% | >1.5% | ↓ Declining slightly | |
| TikTok | 2.5% | >3% | Highest overall |
| 1.0% | >1.5% | Stable | |
| 2.8% | >3% | Growing |
TikTok continues to lead the pack with the highest average engagement rates. The platform's focus on short, entertaining videos naturally encourages more interaction.
Instagram has seen engagement rates drop a bit as the platform gets more crowded. Getting above 1.5% puts you ahead of most accounts.
Account size matters too. Smaller accounts (under 10,000 followers) often see higher engagement rates because their audience is usually more dedicated. As follower counts grow, engagement rates typically drop—even for the biggest influencers.
Calculating your engagement rate isn't rocket science, but there are a few different ways to do it.
The simplest method is to add up all your engagements (likes, comments, shares, etc.) and divide by your follower count. Then multiply by 100 to get a percentage.
Let's say you post a photo on Instagram that gets:
If you have 5,000 followers, your engagement rate would be:
(220 ÷ 5,000) × 100 = 4.4%
That's pretty good! Based on our chart above, you're doing better than average.
There's a debate about whether to use followers or reach in the calculation:
The reach-based method is more accurate because it only counts people who had a chance to engage. Not all your followers see every post you make!
If that same post with 220 engagements reached 2,000 people (not your full 5,000 followers), the reach-based engagement rate would be:
(220 ÷ 2,000) × 100 = 11%
That's a big difference! This method gives you a clearer picture of how engaging your content is to the people who actually see it.
What Factors Are Influencing Engagement Rate This Year?
Several trends are affecting engagement rates in 2025:
"Engagement is no longer just about likes and comments. It's about creating moments that resonate enough to break through the passive scrolling habit." - Social Media Today
Different industries also see different engagement rates. Travel, food, and entertainment content typically gets more engagement than finance or B2B content. This makes sense—people are more likely to double-tap a beautiful beach photo than a post about tax preparation!
The short answer: yes, but it's complicated.
Engagement rate is still important because it shows if people care about your content. When someone takes the time to like, comment, or share, they're showing real interest—not just passively consuming.
High engagement also helps with visibility. Most social algorithms favor content that gets lots of interaction, showing it to more people. This creates a positive cycle where engagement leads to more reach, which can lead to more engagement.
But there are some good reasons not to obsess over engagement rate:
The truth is that engagement rate is just one piece of the puzzle. It's a helpful indicator, but not the only one that matters.
Want to bump up those engagement numbers? Here are some strategies that work in 2025:
Posting when your audience is most active makes a huge difference. According to Sprout Social, these are generally the best times to post:
Every audience is different, though. Check your analytics to find your specific peak times.
Short videos continue to get the highest engagement across platforms. They're easy to consume and share.
TikTok-style vertical videos work well everywhere now—even LinkedIn has embraced the format. Keep videos under 60 seconds for best results.
The algorithm loves comments more than likes. Ask questions that are easy to answer but still interesting:
Reply to comments to double the engagement and build community. Even a simple "Thanks for sharing!" shows you're listening.
Partnering with other creators in your niche can introduce your content to new audiences who are likely to engage.
You don't need mega-influencers—micro-influencers (under 50K followers) often have higher engagement rates and more dedicated followers.
While engagement rate is useful, a balanced approach to social media metrics works best.
At That RANDOM Agency, we look at engagement as part of a bigger picture. We track how engagement translates to website visits, email signups, and eventually sales or other business goals.
The most successful brands in 2025 focus on creating genuine connections rather than chasing engagement for its own sake. They create content that resonates with their specific audience, even if it doesn't appeal to everyone.
Looking ahead, storytelling will continue to drive meaningful engagement. People connect with authentic stories more than polished, corporate content.
To explore a custom approach to your social media strategy, request a proposal with our team.
This is completely normal. Each platform has different user behaviors and algorithms. Focus on comparing your performance to benchmarks specific to each platform rather than expecting similar rates across all your channels.
Compare yourself to direct competitors rather than global averages. In industries like finance or healthcare where engagement is typically lower, being slightly above your competition is more meaningful than hitting general benchmarks.
Not necessarily. As your account grows, engagement rates often decrease while total engagement increases. Focus on the actual number of interactions rather than just the percentage.
Quality engagement from a smaller, dedicated audience typically delivers better results than low engagement from a large follower base. Focus on building meaningful connections rather than just growing numbers.
