Engagement Rate

Output

Outcome

engagement rate of the communicated social media content (%)

This indicator measures the level of interaction with communicated social media content. Depending on the platform, engagement can include reactions, comments, shares or reposts, saves, clicks and other interactions. The indicator can help assess how strongly audiences interact with content, but it does not by itself show whether people understood, agreed with or acted on the message.

Determine the indicator's value by using the following methodology:

1) Decide what social media content you need to measure. Engagement is usually measured for specific posts, but it can also be measured across an entire social media campaign. When assessing multiple posts, use an aggregate Engagement Rate by Reach provided by the platform where available; otherwise, calculate and compare the rate for individual posts.

2) There is no set definition of what “engagement” includes. Depending on the social media platform, it can include reactions, shares, comments, clicks, saves and other interactions. Check what the platform includes in its engagement statistics, especially when comparing results over time or across platforms.

3) If the aim is to relate interactions to the unique audience reached and the social media platform provides an ‘Engagement Rate by Reach’, use this measure. Engagement Rate by Reach compares the number of engagement actions with the number of accounts that saw the content. IndiKit recommends this calculation for this purpose because it relates engagement to the unique audience reached, rather than to, for example, repeated impressions. However, there is no universal standard for calculating engagement rate: some platforms use impressions or another denominator. Rates calculated using different denominators should not be directly compared. If the platform does not provide Engagement Rate by Reach, follow steps 4 and 5 below.

4) If the platform does not provide Engagement Rate by Reach, use its analytics to find the reach and the number of engagement actions, such as reactions, comments and shares. Add these engagement actions together, then calculate the rate using step 5. The same person may contribute more than one engagement (e.g. a like and a click). If it is not clear which actions are included in the engagement figures, check the platform’s guidance to confirm what is counted.

5) To determine the indicator’s value, use the following steps:

• sum up all the engagements calculated in step 4 (e.g. number of likes + number of shares + number of comments, etc.)

• divide it by the reach of the content for which you measured engagement

• multiply the result by 100 to convert it into a percentage

• the resulting percentage is the Engagement Rate by Reach

If reach is not available and the platform provides another type of engagement rate, this can still be used. Record how it is calculated and avoid directly comparing it with an Engagement Rate by Reach.

This data can be disaggregated by social media platform and, if relevant and feasible, also by content type, paid versus organic content, or other factors relevant to the social media campaign.

1) Compared to just counting likes and other engagements, the engagement rate provides a more useful indication of how much interaction the content generated relative to the audience it reached. However, it does not show whether people understood, agreed with or acted on the communicated content.

 

2) There is no universal “good” engagement rate, as rates vary depending on the social media platform, type of content, audience and calculation method. Where possible, compare the engagement rate with previous results from the same platform using the same calculation method. An increasing rate shows that the content is generating more engagement relative to its reach, but does not necessarily mean that the audience values or agrees with the content.

3) Remember that high engagement is not necessarily positive. If your content attracts many negative reactions, you might have a high engagement rate, which may hurt your campaign. Therefore, consider reviewing the nature of the engagement, such as reactions and comments. Be cautious about automatically classifying particular types of engagement as positive or negative, as their meaning can depend on the content and context.

4) Standard calculations of engagement rates put together actions that can have different importance. For example, a comment, share or click may be more relevant than a reaction, depending on the purpose of the communication. If a particular type of engagement is especially important, monitor it separately rather than assigning arbitrary weights to different types of engagement. For example, if the aim is to direct people to further information, clicks or click-through rate may be more useful than overall engagement rate.

 

5) The engagement rate can be increased by prioritising content that encourages shares, comments and other response forms. However, engagement should not be increased for its own sake; the content and metrics used should reflect the communication objective.

Also consider using the following indicators:

• Reach (shows how many users were exposed to the content and provides the denominator for Engagement Rate by Reach)

• Click-through Rate (useful where the communication aims to prompt people to follow a link or take a further action)

• Shares / Reposts (measures a specific form of engagement that can help content reach wider audiences)