Why It Matters?

• Reveals authenticity and audience loyalty

• Helps brands identify influencers with genuine influence, not just large follower counts

• Measures the effectiveness of content in sparking interaction

• Distinguishes between real engagement and passive followers or fake accounts

When to Use Engagement Rate?

Engagement rate is a valuable metric throughout all phases of an influencer campaign. In the pre-campaign stage, it helps evaluate potential influencers and shortlist those with consistently high engagement, indicating a strong connection with their audience. During the campaign, monitoring engagement rates allows brands to track audience interaction in real-time and make strategic tweaks if needed like adjusting content formats or messaging. In the post-campaign phase, engagement rate becomes a key tool to assess overall campaign effectiveness and compare the performance of different influencers, helping inform future partnerships and content strategies.

How to Calculate Engagement Rate?

Engagement Rate (%) = (Total Engagements ÷ Followers or Views) × 100

Total Engagements = likes + comments + shares + saves (depending on the platform)

Followers = used for posts

Views = often used for stories, reels, or videos

Platform-Specific Considerations

Each social media platform has unique engagement factors that should be considered when analyzing performance.

• On Instagram, key engagement signals include likes, comments, shares, and saves.

• YouTube focuses on likes, comments, shares, and especially views, which play a major role in content visibility.

• TikTok combines likes, comments, shares, views, and saves to determine how engaging and viral a video is.

• On Twitter/X, engagement is primarily measured through likes, retweets, and comments.

• Meanwhile, Facebook relies on reactions, comments, and shares to evaluate how well content resonates with audiences. Understanding these platform-specific metrics helps tailor strategies for maximum impact.

What’s a “Good” Engagement Rate?

(Varies by platform and niche)

A “good” engagement rate can vary depending on the platform and niche, but there are some general benchmarks to consider.

• On Instagram, an engagement rate between 1–3% is considered okay, 4–6% is good, and anything above 6% is excellent.

• TikTok tends to see higher engagement, where 5–9% is seen as good, and 10% or more indicates viral potential.

• For YouTube, a 2–5% engagement rate is typically considered strong.

• Note: Micro-influencers (under 100K) often have higher engagement rates than macro or celebrity influencers.

Final Thought

Engagement rate is one of the most trustworthy indicators of influencer effectiveness. Prioritizing it ensures your brand partners with creators who have real influence, not just reach.