Influencer agency engagement rate benchmarks by platform

What to take away

UK benchmark ranges by platform

The ranges below are planning guides, not official UK averages. They are drawn from commercial benchmark sets — Socialinsider's engagement-rate studies, Rival IQ's annual social media benchmark report, Sprout Social's Index, and Emplifi and Hootsuite reporting — and from agency pitch files. Those sets are mostly multi-market, and every figure moves with the sample size, the follower band, the format and the date. No UK regulator publishes an engagement-rate norm: Ofcom's Online Nation covers UK platform reach and time spent, and the ASA covers whether a post is recognisable as advertising. Use the table to challenge a proposal, then replace it with your own campaign history.

| Platform | Format | Follower band | Typical UK planning range | | Instagram | Feed post | 1K to 10K | 2.0% to 4.0% | | Instagram | Reels | 10K to 50K | 1.5% to 3.5% | | Instagram | Stories | 10K to 50K | 1.0% to 2.5% | | TikTok | In-feed video | 1K to 10K | 6.0% to 12.0% | | TikTok | Spark Ads | 10K to 50K | 3.0% to 7.0% | | YouTube | Shorts | 10K to 100K | 2.0% to 5.0% | | YouTube | Long-form | 100K to 1M | 0.5% to 1.5% | | Facebook | Reels | 1K to 10K | 0.5% to 2.0% | | Facebook | Page post | 100K to 1M | 0.1% to 0.5% |

A follower denominator is common for account-level reports. Reach gives a cleaner view of content performance. TikTok reporting often uses video views. Do not compare those percentages directly.

UK campaign data can differ from global averages because of ad labelling rules. A post that is recognisable as an ad under the CAP Code may attract different interaction from an unlabelled post.

Tools and providers that publish or check benchmarks

Several analytics suites publish or assemble benchmark data you can check an agency against. Socialinsider, Rival IQ, Metricool, Later, Emplifi, Sprout Social and Hootsuite report engagement by platform and format, usually at account level. On the creator side, HypeAuditor and Modash check an individual account's engagement and audience quality. Most of these work from global or multi-market samples, so read the stated sample size, date range and follower band before quoting any of them as a UK figure.

Build a platform benchmark from your own campaign

Work in this order, and write each step down so the number can be re-checked later.

What to ask an agency before accepting a benchmark

Ask for the source file behind any UK average. A useful file names sample size, date range, platform and format. It also states the follower band and whether paid reach is included. If the agency cannot supply those rows, the percentage is not auditable.

If the benchmark uses audience lists or matched customer data, the lawful basis matters under the UK GDPR. The ICO guidance on lawful basis explains the conditions you need before using that data.

Before you accept a benchmark, check the post recognition rules that affect the campaign. The guide to advertising rules in England sets out recognition, claims, incentives and placement checks.

A small sample can produce a wide range. A rate from a short burst is weaker evidence than one from a longer period across several months.

If you compare rates across years, adjust any cost-per-engagement figure for inflation using the ONS inflation and price indices. A rate that looks higher may only reflect higher prices across the economy.

A benchmark tied to pricing should be read with the charging structure. The explainer on influencer agency pricing models compares scope without invented prices.

Common questions

What is a good engagement rate for a UK influencer campaign?

There is no universal good rate. Compare your campaign with its own prior performance on the same platform, format and follower band.

Is Instagram engagement rate measured on followers or reach?

Both denominators appear in agency reports. A follower denominator is common for account-level reporting, while reach gives a cleaner view of content performance. State which one you mean before comparing figures.

How does a TikTok influencer benchmark differ from Instagram?

TikTok reporting often uses video views as the denominator. Instagram reporting often uses reach or followers. Do not compare those percentages directly.

Should I use a global or UK benchmark?

Use a UK-specific comparison when you have one, because audience behaviour, ad rules and platform mix differ. If you only have global data, test it on your own campaign before setting a threshold.