Engagement rate
The share of an audience that likes, comments or otherwise interacts with a post, as a percentage.
Formula
Engagement rate = (likes + comments) ÷ followers × 100, averaged across recent posts
Engagement rate is the quickest read on whether an audience is paying attention. A creator with 200,000 followers and a few hundred likes a post has an audience that has mostly stopped looking; one with 20,000 followers and 1,500 likes has one that hasn't.
The common version divides interactions by followers. Some platforms and agencies divide by reach or views instead, which gives a higher figure because it only counts people who saw the post. Neither is wrong, but mixing them makes comparisons meaningless, so say which one you used.
Where people go wrong
- Comparing across sizes. Engagement rate falls as accounts grow, so 2% is weak for 5,000 followers and strong for 1 million. Compare against accounts of a similar size.
- Using one viral post. Average the last 12 or so posts, and leave out giveaways, which inflate comments.
- Counting shares and saves for one creator and not another. Pick a set of interactions and apply it to everyone.