Social Media Benchmarks 2026: Engagement, CPM, CPC & More

Why Benchmarks Matter for Social Media Marketers

A 3% engagement rate. A $9 CPM. 2.5% monthly follower growth. Are these numbers good, average, or poor?

Without context, you cannot tell. That is the core problem with social media metrics — the numbers only have meaning when compared against a reference point. Benchmarks provide that reference.

For social media managers and business owners, benchmarks serve two purposes. First, they help you interpret your own performance: is your Instagram engagement rate competitive, or are you underperforming relative to similar accounts? Second, they help you set realistic targets: if you are planning a Facebook ad campaign, what CPM should you budget for?

The figures in this guide are aggregated from industry research including Socialinsider, WordStream, HypeAuditor, and Influencer Marketing Hub, covering 2024–2025 data. They represent realistic averages and performance tiers — not best-case-scenario outliers.

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Engagement Rate Benchmarks 2026

Engagement rate is calculated as: (Total Engagements ÷ Followers) × 100. These benchmarks are based on follower-count tiers across all account sizes.

Platform	Low ER	Average ER	Good ER	Excellent ER
Instagram	<1%	1.9–4.8%	5%	7%+
TikTok	<2%	4–8%	8%	10%+
LinkedIn	<0.5%	2–4%	4%	6%+
YouTube	<1%	2–5%	5%	7%+
X (Twitter)	<0.2%	0.5–1%	1.5%	2%+

Source: Socialinsider, HypeAuditor, Influencer Marketing Hub, 2024–2025.

Important note on Instagram and TikTok: These platform-level averages cover all account sizes. Instagram engagement rates vary significantly by follower tier — nano accounts (1K–10K) average 4.8%, while mega accounts (1M+) average 1.2%. Use these figures as a directional guide, then check platform-specific benchmarks for your account size.

Use the calculators to measure your own rates: Instagram · TikTok · LinkedIn

Why X (Twitter) Engagement Is So Low

X's engagement rate benchmarks are significantly lower than other platforms because the platform's primary interaction model is text-based and public — likes and retweets are lower-friction actions, but the audience's expectation for any individual post is correspondingly lower. Accounts with active, highly engaged communities can exceed 2%, but this requires consistent publishing volume and community management that most brands do not maintain.

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Ad Cost Benchmarks 2026

These benchmarks cover the two core ad cost metrics: CPM (cost per 1,000 impressions) and CPC (cost per click). Both vary significantly based on audience targeting, creative quality, industry, and time of year. Q4 (October–December) typically shows 20–40% higher CPMs across platforms due to increased advertiser competition.

Platform	Avg CPM	CPM Range	Avg CPC	CPC Range
Facebook	$8–$10	$5–$15	$0.97	$0.50–$2.00
Instagram	$9–$14	$6–$20	$1.28	$0.70–$3.00
TikTok	$7–$10	$4–$15	$1.00	$0.50–$2.00
LinkedIn	$28–$40	$20–$55	$5.26	$3.50–$9.00
YouTube	$12–$20	$7–$25	$3.21	$1.50–$5.00

Source: WordStream Paid Advertising Benchmarks, Statista Digital Advertising Report, 2024–2025.

LinkedIn's premium CPM and CPC reflect its professional audience targeting capabilities. B2B advertisers targeting by job title, seniority, and company size accept higher unit costs because the commercial value of reaching a qualified decision-maker is significantly higher than a broad consumer audience.

Use the CPM Calculator to plan your reach budgets and the CPC Calculator to track and optimise traffic costs.

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Follower Growth Rate Benchmarks

Follower growth rate is the percentage increase in your follower count over a given period. Healthy organic growth varies substantially by platform and by how established your account is. Newer accounts typically grow faster in percentage terms; established accounts with large followings grow more slowly.

Platform	Average Monthly Growth	Good Growth	Fast Growth
Instagram	1.5–2.5%	3–5%	5%+
TikTok	3–5%	5–10%	10%+
LinkedIn	1–2%	2–4%	4%+

TikTok's higher growth rates reflect the platform's algorithmic reach advantage — content regularly reaches non-followers, leading to faster audience building for accounts that post consistently. Instagram organic growth has slowed in recent years as the platform has matured; most accounts achieving 5%+ monthly growth are actively running promotions, collaborations, or Reels that hit the Explore page.

Track your own growth rate with the Follower Growth Rate Calculator.

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ROI and ROAS Benchmarks for Social Media Advertising

Return on ad spend (ROAS) measures how much revenue you generate for every dollar you spend on advertising. A 4x ROAS means $4 in revenue for every $1 in ad spend.

Industry	Average ROAS	Good ROAS	Excellent ROAS
E-commerce (general)	2–4x	4x	6x+
Fashion and apparel	3–5x	5x	8x+
B2B / lead generation	2–3x	3x	5x+
Software / SaaS	3–6x	6x	10x+
Food and beverage	2–4x	4x	7x+

What these benchmarks do not tell you: whether a given ROAS is actually profitable. ROAS only measures revenue against ad spend — it does not account for the cost of goods, shipping, overheads, or other expenses. A 4x ROAS with 20% product margins means you may be barely breaking even. Your break-even ROAS is calculated as: 1 ÷ Profit Margin. At 25% margins, your break-even ROAS is 4x — meaning anything below 4x is losing money.

Use the Social Media ROI Calculator to calculate your actual return accounting for all costs, and the ROAS Calculator for quick revenue-to-spend calculations.

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How to Use These Benchmarks

Compare within platform, not across platforms. A 3% engagement rate on Instagram and a 3% engagement rate on TikTok are not equivalent achievements. TikTok's average is higher; Instagram 3% represents solid mid-tier performance. Always benchmark against the platform you are measuring.

Account size matters more than raw numbers. A 2% Instagram engagement rate for an account with 800,000 followers is excellent. For an account with 5,000 followers, it is below average. The benchmarks in this guide are aggregated across account sizes — always cross-reference with tier-specific data for your account size.

Establish your own baseline first. Industry benchmarks are averages. Your account's baseline may be higher or lower depending on your niche, audience quality, content type, and posting frequency. Track your metrics consistently for 30–90 days before drawing conclusions from benchmark comparisons.

Use benchmarks to set direction, not to judge individual posts. A single post performing below the average engagement rate benchmark does not mean your strategy is failing. Look at rolling 30-day averages and trend direction. Consistent improvement over time matters more than any single data point.

Seasonal adjustment. Most benchmarks are annual averages. CPMs spike in Q4; engagement rates can dip in January and August when audience activity patterns shift. Build seasonality into your expectations rather than treating benchmark deviations as strategy failures.