The short answer
A good engagement rate is one that beats the average for your platform, your account size and your measurement basis. Anyone quoting a single universal threshold ('3% is good!') is selling you something.
Platform-level averages in 2025–26 public industry studies look like this (by followers unless noted): TikTok ≈ 2.6%, YouTube ≈ 1.5% per view, LinkedIn ≈ 2.0% by impressions, Instagram ≈ 0.5%, X (Twitter) ≈ 0.5% by impressions, Facebook ≈ 0.15%. Full tier-by-tier breakdown: engagement rate benchmarks by platform and account size.
Why 'good' depends on three things
1. The basis. LinkedIn and X are measured per impression, YouTube per view, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook by followers (or reach for breakout posts). A 1% per-impression rate and a 1% by-follower rate are completely different performances.
2. The platform. Interest-based feeds (TikTok) structurally produce higher engagement than collapsed-reach pages (Facebook). Comparing your 0.3% on Facebook to someone's 3% on TikTok tells you nothing.
3. The account size. Engagement rate falls as accounts grow — nano accounts typically engage 2–4× higher than macro accounts on the same platform. A 5k account at 3% and a 500k account at 0.8% may be equally healthy.
Rough rating bands (2025–26)
Directional bands for a mid-size account, by the platform's standard basis:
- TikTok (by followers): <1.5% low · 1.5–3% average · 3–6% good · >6% excellent — rate yours in the TikTok calculator
- Instagram (by followers): <0.3% low · 0.3–0.7% average · 0.7–2% good · >2% excellent — Instagram calculator
- YouTube (per view): <0.5% low · 0.5–1.5% average · 1.5–4% good · >4% excellent — YouTube calculator
- LinkedIn (by impressions): <0.5% low · 0.5–2% average · 2–5% good · >5% viral — LinkedIn calculator
- Facebook (by followers): <0.1% low · 0.1–0.3% average · 0.3–1% good · >1% excellent — Facebook calculator
- X (Twitter) (by impressions): <0.1% low · 0.1–0.5% average · 0.5–1.5% good · >1.5% excellent — X calculator
How to benchmark yourself fairly
Average your last 12–30 posts, not a single post — single-post ER is the noisiest stat on any platform. Keep the format mix comparable: a feed post, a Reel and a carousel have different structural ceilings.
For any post that travelled beyond your follower base (viral Reels, TikToks), judge it by reach instead — paste views/reach into the calculator's reach field and read the by-reach number.
When your number is lying to you
- Bought or incentivized followers inflate the denominator and drag by-follower ER down — brands now ask for by-reach numbers for exactly this reason.
- A format mix shift (more Reels, fewer carousels) can move your average without any change in content quality. Compare like-for-like formats.
- Benchmarking against influencers with a different niche and format mix is noise, not signal. Benchmark against your own trailing average and your own platform-tier average.
Frequently asked questions
Is 1% a good engagement rate?
Depends where. 1% by followers is good on Instagram and Facebook, roughly average on TikTok, and strong per-impression on LinkedIn or X. Always compare on the platform's standard basis and your account-size tier.
What engagement rate do brands look for?
Brands compare accounts within the same platform and size tier, and increasingly request by-reach numbers. Consistency above the tier average matters more than a single high post.
Does engagement rate still matter in 2026?
Yes — it remains the cleanest quality signal for pricing influencer work and diagnosing content, even as platforms de-emphasize likes. Saves, shares and comments carry more weight than raw likes.
How often should I measure it?
Monthly, on a trailing 12–30 post average. Weekly single-post tracking is noise; quarterly is too slow to react.