In the current digital landscape, a huge following no longer guarantees success. What truly drives impact in 2025 isn’t the size of your audience, it’s how engaged that audience is. Brands with smaller but highly interactive communities often outperform those with larger but less engaged followings. Here’s why engagement rate has overtaken follower count as the ultimate KPI.
The Engagement Driven Shift
Social media platforms have evolved. Algorithms now prioritize content that sparks genuine interaction, including likes, comments, shares, saves, clicks, and even private actions like direct messages or bookmarks. According to Buffer’s recent report, median engagement rates by platform are starkly different: LinkedIn sits at 6.5%, Facebook at 5.07%, TikTok close behind at 4.86%, and Instagram trails with just 1.16%. What this shows is simple: platforms reward content that leads to conversation, not just consumption.
Why Followers No Longer Tell the Full Story
Platforms like X (Twitter) and Threads have similar average engagement in raw interactions, about four per post, but their engagement rates diverge due to different follower counts. The lesson? Context matters. Four comments from an audience of 100 are huge; from 100,000, those same four comments amount to near invisibility.
Hootsuite’s engagement calculator tools make this clear: whether you’re measuring ER by reach, impressions, or followers, what counts is percentage, not absolute numbers. And benchmarks? Anything from 1% to 5% is good; patterns show that each platform has its sweet spot, but consistent engagement always beats inflated follower numbers.
Real Engagement Is Complex and Valuable
True engagement isn’t just about public metrics. As Buffer points out, Instagram’s visible metrics may be low, but it’s the saves, DMs, and bookmarks driving real connection, and that hidden layer is where value hides. Smart brands win by tapping into those deeper signals, not by chasing vanity metrics.
How to Focus on Engagement, Not Following
- Track the right metrics
Use Hootsuite or Buffer engagement calculators to measure likes, comments, shares, saves, clicks, and private interactions like messages. Evaluate by reach or follower percentage, not raw numbers. - Benchmark strategically
Compare your engagement rate against industry standards. For example, TikTok averages around 2.63%, while LinkedIn often surpasses 6%. - Prioritize community over audience
Nurture followers through two-way conversation. Respond to comments, prompt user-generated content, and encourage DMs or saves. - Focus on platform-first strategies
What works on TikTok, like retention-driven videos, may flop on LinkedIn, where value-rich posts and conversations rule. - Repurpose top performers
Transform your most engaging pieces into blog posts, emails, or landing page content.
How to Calculate Your Engagement Rate (The Right Way)
Calculating engagement rate might seem simple, but doing it right requires knowing which formula fits your goal. According to Hootsuite, engagement rate is most commonly calculated by dividing total engagement (likes, comments, shares, saves) by the number of followers, then multiplying by 100. That is:
Engagement Rate = (Total Engagements / Total Followers) × 100
For example, if a post gets 200 total interactions and you have 5,000 followers, your engagement rate is 4%.
However, this isn’t the only method. Buffer also recommends calculating engagement by reach (not just followers) when comparing performance across platforms with different algorithms. This helps track how many actual viewers engaged, rather than your full audience size.
HubSpot also encourages looking beyond likes and counting more meaningful actions like saves, DMs, and shares, which indicate higher intent and deeper value. So, when measuring your engagement, be sure to align your formula with your platform and your campaign objective.
Engagement: The Core of ROI
Engagement sits at the heart of ROI because it reflects how your audience is responding to your content, not just how many people saw it. When someone comments, shares, saves, or clicks through, they’re taking meaningful action that shows interest, trust, or intent. These actions signal value, both to algorithms and to your business. High engagement leads to better visibility, stronger relationships, and ultimately, higher conversions. In contrast, a large follower count with little interaction often results in wasted reach and lower returns. Real ROI isn’t about being seen, it’s about being remembered and acted upon.
The Bottom Line
In 2025, it’s not about how many people follow you, it’s about how many are paying attention. Engagement, measured as shares, comments, saves, and dialogue, is the currency that matters by tracking real interactions, benchmarking against meaningful standards, and focusing on the community. Video views and follower counts fade, but genuine engagement builds trust, sparks action, and fuels business growth. Don’t be left behind focusing on vanity metrics.