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Social Media Benchmarks 2026: Engagement Rates, CTR & Growth by Platform

Matt
Matt
· Updated 10 min read

Quick Answer: 2026 Social Media Benchmarks

Benchmark data based on aggregated reports from RivalIQ, Sprout Social, Hootsuite, and other industry sources. Numbers represent approximate industry averages and will vary by niche, audience size, and content quality.

PlatformAvg. Engagement RateAvg. CTRAvg. Follower Growth/Month
TikTok2.65%0.84%2.5-5%
LinkedIn2.13%0.67%1-3%
Instagram1.16%0.68%1-2.5%
Facebook0.06%1.21%0.5-1%
Twitter/X0.029%0.86%0.5-1.5%
Pinterest0.11%1.54%1-3%
YouTube1.7%4-5% (CTR on thumbnails)1-2%

Key Insight: Engagement rates and CTR measure different things. Facebook has low engagement but high CTR because users click through links rather than like/comment. TikTok has high engagement but content doesn't drive link clicks as effectively.

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Instagram Benchmarks 2026

Engagement Rate by Content Type

Content TypeAvg. Engagement RateTop Performers
Reels1.48%3-5%
Carousels1.26%2-4%
Single Image0.92%1.5-3%
Stories3-7% (reply rate)10%+

Engagement by Follower Count

Follower CountAvg. Engagement Rate
1K-5K4.84%
5K-20K1.97%
20K-100K1.39%
100K-500K1.08%
500K-1M0.91%
1M+0.76%

Takeaway: Smaller accounts consistently get higher engagement rates. If you're above 1.5% with 10K+ followers, you're outperforming most accounts.

Calculate yours with our free Instagram Engagement Benchmark Calculator.

For timing insights, see Instagram posting schedule guide.

Facebook Benchmarks 2026

Page Performance

MetricAverageGoodExcellent
Engagement rate0.06%0.1%+0.2%+
Organic reach2.5% of followers5%+10%+
Link CTR1.21%2%+3.5%+
Video completion15-25%30%+50%+
Page growth0.5%/month1%+2%+

Facebook Ads Benchmarks

MetricAll Industries Avg.
CPC$0.97
CPM$11.54
CTR0.90%
Conversion Rate9.21%
Cost Per Lead$5.83

These cost figures are the widely circulated benchmark set and they now run low. More recent 2026 reporting puts Facebook CPC nearer $1.72, up about 11% year on year, and the CPM median nearer $14.19. The engagement and CTR benchmarks above are more stable than the cost ones; ad costs have moved noticeably while engagement rates have not.

For detailed ad benchmarks, see our Facebook CPM benchmarks guide and Facebook CTR benchmarks guide.

Track your performance: Facebook Engagement Benchmark Calculator.

Quick Knowledge Check
Test your understanding

Which social media platform has the highest average organic engagement rate?

Twitter/X Benchmarks 2026

Organic Performance

MetricAverageGoodExcellent
Engagement rate0.029%0.05%+0.1%+
Reply rate0.01%0.02%+0.05%+
Retweet rate0.01%0.03%+0.08%+
Link CTR0.86%1.5%+3%+
Impressions per tweet500-2K3K+10K+

Twitter/X Ads Benchmarks

MetricAverage
CPC$0.38
CPM$6.46
CTR1-3%
Cost per follow$2.50-$3.50

Track your metrics: Twitter Engagement Benchmark Calculator.

For posting strategy, see best times to post on Twitter/X.

LinkedIn Benchmarks 2026

Organic Performance

MetricAverageGoodExcellent
Engagement rate2.13%3%+5%+
Click-through rate0.67%1%+2%+
Organic reach5-8% of connections10%+20%+
Document carousel views3x text posts5x+10x+

Content Performance by Type

Content TypeAvg. EngagementAvg. Reach
Document/Carousel3.2%Highest
Poll2.8%High
Native Video2.4%High
Text + Image1.9%Medium
Text Only1.7%Medium
Link Post0.8%Lowest

For LinkedIn strategy, see best times to post on LinkedIn and LinkedIn post ideas.

TikTok Benchmarks 2026

Organic Performance

MetricAverageGoodExcellent
Engagement rate2.65%4%+8%+
Video completion rate15-20%30%+50%+
Follower growth2.5-5%/month5-10%15%+
Views per post500-2K5K+50K+
Share rate0.5%1%+3%+

TikTok by Follower Count

FollowersAvg. Engagement Rate
1K-10K9.4%
10K-50K5.8%
50K-500K3.2%
500K-1M2.4%
1M+1.8%

For timing insights, see best times to post on TikTok.

Pinterest Benchmarks 2026

Organic Performance

MetricAverageGoodExcellent
Engagement rate0.11%0.2%+0.5%+
Outbound CTR1.54%2.5%+5%+
Save rate0.2%0.5%+1%+
Monthly impressions growth3-5%8%+15%+

Key Pinterest Insight: Pinterest has the highest outbound CTR of any social platform. Users actively look for products and ideas to click through to websites.

See best times to post on Pinterest and understanding Pinterest impressions.

YouTube Benchmarks 2026

Channel Performance

MetricAverageGoodExcellent
CTR (thumbnails)4-5%7%+10%+
Avg. view duration40-50%55%+70%+
Engagement rate1.7%3%+5%+
Subscriber conversion1-2% per video3%+5%+

Shorts vs Long-Form

MetricShortsLong-Form
Avg. viewsHigher volumeLower volume
Engagement rate3-5%1.5-3%
Revenue per 1K views$0.04-0.06$3-8
Subscriber conversionLowerHigher

For YouTube strategy, see best times to post on YouTube and YouTube SEO checklist.

Quick Knowledge Check
Test your understanding

Which platform drives the most outbound website clicks (highest CTR)?

Benchmarks by Industry

B2B Industries

IndustryInstagram ERLinkedIn ERTwitter ERFacebook ER
Tech/SaaS0.94%2.5%0.035%0.04%
Finance1.12%2.8%0.028%0.05%
Healthcare1.45%2.2%0.032%0.07%
Education2.14%3.1%0.042%0.09%
Professional Services0.88%2.4%0.025%0.03%

B2C Industries

IndustryInstagram ERTikTok ERFacebook ERPinterest CTR
Fashion1.34%3.2%0.05%2.1%
Food & Beverage1.89%4.1%0.08%2.8%
Travel1.56%2.9%0.06%1.9%
Fitness1.71%3.8%0.07%1.4%
Beauty1.42%3.5%0.05%2.3%
Real Estate1.22%2.1%0.06%1.7%

How to Use These Benchmarks

1. Compare Against Your Own Data (Not Just Averages)

Industry averages are a starting point. Your most important benchmark is your own historical performance, track month-over-month trends.

To compare individual posts against these benchmarks, give each post its own trackable short link. y.hn lets you create short links and see click data by time, device, geography, and referrer, so you can tell which posts actually drive traffic.

2. Focus on the Right Metrics for Your Goals

Your GoalPrimary MetricSecondary Metric
Brand AwarenessReach, ImpressionsFollower Growth
EngagementEngagement RateSaves, Shares
Website TrafficCTR, Link ClicksBounce Rate
Lead GenerationConversion RateCost Per Lead
SalesROAS, RevenueCart Completion

Track your KPIs with our social media KPI template.

3. Set Realistic Targets

Use the benchmark tables to set targets:

  • Current performance below "Average" → Aim to reach average within 3 months
  • At "Average" → Target "Good" within 6 months
  • At "Good" → Optimize for "Excellent" benchmarks

Analytics & Measurement:

Free Benchmark Calculators:

Platform Guides:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good engagement rate on social media?

It varies by platform. TikTok: 4%+ is good. Instagram: 2%+ is good. LinkedIn: 3%+ is good. Facebook: 0.1%+ is good. Twitter/X: 0.05%+ is good.

Which social media platform has the highest engagement rate?

TikTok has the highest average engagement rate at 2.65%, followed by LinkedIn at 2.13% and YouTube at 1.7%. However, smaller accounts on any platform typically see higher engagement rates than larger accounts.

What is a good CTR on social media?

Pinterest has the highest organic CTR at 1.54%, followed by Facebook at 1.21% and Twitter/X at 0.86%. For paid ads, a good CTR is typically 1-3% depending on the platform and industry.

How often should you check social media benchmarks?

Review your benchmarks monthly for trend analysis and quarterly for strategic adjustments. Benchmark data across the industry shifts annually, so update your targets at least once per year.

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