How to calculate engagement rate
The standard formula divides a post's total interactions by the account's follower count and multiplies by 100. Interactions usually means likes, comments, shares and saves; some tools include only likes and comments, which is why published benchmarks are not always comparable. The by-views (or by-reach) version divides by the number of people who actually saw the post and is closer to what platforms optimise for internally.
Both versions are useful. By followers tells you how engaged your audience is relative to its size. By views tells you how good the post was relative to the distribution it received, which is the fairer measure on TikTok, where most views come from people who do not follow you.
What is a good engagement rate in 2026?
The largest current benchmark is Socialinsider's 2026 study of 69 million TikTok, Reels and Shorts videos: 2.60 percent on TikTok, 0.45 percent on Instagram Reels and 0.30 percent on YouTube Shorts. Brand accounts posting 15 to 30 second TikToks benchmark higher, around 6 percent. Anything above the platform average is good; anything double it is excellent. Our short-form video benchmarks guide has the full data with sources.
Raising your engagement rate
Engagement follows format, length and cadence. Short TikToks earn the highest rate, 45 to 60 second Reels earn the most on Instagram, and accounts that post more see more views per post. Fastlane generates content from your website URL in four formats, publishes it natively to TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts on a schedule, and attributes signups and sales to each post, so you can optimise for the metric that pays rather than the one that flatters.
