“What’s a good engagement rate on TikTok?”
It’s one of the first questions creators ask when they start taking analytics seriously. And it’s a great question—engagement rate is one of the most important metrics for understanding how well your content resonates with your audience.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know: how to calculate engagement rate, what’s considered good, how TikTok’s rate compares to other platforms, and most importantly, how to improve yours.
What Is TikTok Engagement Rate?
Engagement rate measures how much of your audience interacts with your content relative to your reach. It’s a quality metric that tells you whether people care about what you’re posting—not just whether they see it.
On TikTok, engagement includes:
- ❤️ Likes
- đź’¬ Comments
- 🔄 Shares
- đź”– Saves
How to Calculate TikTok Engagement Rate
There are several formulas, each useful in different contexts:
Formula 1: Engagement Rate by Followers (Most Common)
Engagement Rate = (Likes + Comments + Shares) / Followers Ă— 100Example:
- 5,000 likes + 200 comments + 100 shares = 5,300 engagements
- 50,000 followers
- (5,300 / 50,000) Ă— 100 = 10.6% engagement rate
Best for: Comparing yourself to other creators, brand deal negotiations
Formula 2: Engagement Rate by Views
Engagement Rate = (Likes + Comments + Shares) / Views Ă— 100Example:
- 5,300 engagements
- 100,000 views
- (5,300 / 100,000) Ă— 100 = 5.3% engagement rate
Best for: Understanding how well content converts viewers to engagers
Formula 3: Including Saves (Recommended)
Engagement Rate = (Likes + Comments + Shares + Saves) / Followers × 100Saves are increasingly weighted by TikTok’s algorithm, so including them gives a more complete picture.
Formula 4: Average Engagement Rate (Across Multiple Videos)
Average ER = Sum of (ER per video) / Number of videosCalculate the engagement rate for your last 10-20 videos, then average them. This accounts for viral outliers and gives a more accurate baseline.
TikTok Engagement Rate Benchmarks
Based on data from Influencer Marketing Hub and our own analysis:
By Follower Count
| Follower Range | Average Engagement Rate | Good | Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1K - 5K | 9-15% | 15%+ | 20%+ |
| 5K - 20K | 7-12% | 12%+ | 17%+ |
| 20K - 100K | 5-9% | 9%+ | 14%+ |
| 100K - 500K | 4-7% | 7%+ | 11%+ |
| 500K - 1M | 3-5% | 5%+ | 8%+ |
| 1M+ | 2-4% | 4%+ | 6%+ |
Key insight: Engagement rate naturally decreases as follower count increases. This is normal—larger audiences are less intimate.
By Niche
| Niche | Average Engagement Rate |
|---|---|
| Comedy/Entertainment | 8-12% |
| Dance | 7-11% |
| Beauty/Fashion | 5-8% |
| Food | 6-9% |
| Fitness | 5-7% |
| Education | 4-7% |
| Business/Finance | 3-5% |
| Technology | 3-5% |
Entertainment niches typically see higher engagement because the content is designed for quick reactions. Educational content often has lower engagement rates but higher save rates—a different kind of value.
TikTok vs Other Platforms
According to Rival IQ’s Social Media Benchmark Report:
| Platform | Average Engagement Rate |
|---|---|
| TikTok | 5.69% |
| 0.70% | |
| 0.15% | |
| Twitter/X | 0.05% |
TikTok’s engagement rate is 8x higher than Instagram and 38x higher than Facebook. This is why brands are shifting budgets to TikTok creator partnerships.
Why Your Engagement Rate Matters
For Growth
TikTok’s algorithm prioritizes videos with high engagement. More engagement → more distribution → more views → more followers.
The relationship isn’t linear—a video with high engagement in the first hour gets significantly more push to the For You Page.
For Brand Deals
Brands increasingly prioritize engagement rate over follower count. A creator with 10K followers and 15% engagement is more valuable than one with 100K followers and 2% engagement.
Later’s influencer marketing report found that 72% of brands now include engagement rate requirements in their influencer briefs.
For Content Strategy
Tracking engagement rate across different content types helps you understand what resonates. If tutorials get 3% engagement but storytimes get 12%, that’s data you can act on.
How to Check Your Engagement Rate
Method 1: Manual Calculation
- Go to TikTok → Profile → Creator Tools → Analytics
- Note your follower count
- For each video, add likes + comments + shares
- Divide by followers, multiply by 100
Downside: Time-consuming, especially for multiple videos
Method 2: TikTok Analytics (Native)
TikTok’s native analytics shows engagement metrics but doesn’t calculate the rate for you. You’ll need to do the math manually.
Method 3: Analytics Tools
Tools like Noodle automatically calculate your engagement rate across all videos, show trends over time, and benchmark against your niche.
12 Proven Ways to Improve Your Engagement Rate
1. Optimize Your Hooks
Viewers who don’t stay past 3 seconds can’t engage. Work on your hooks to keep people watching.
Action: Test different hook styles and track which drive higher completion (and thus engagement).
2. Ask Questions
Questions in your caption or at the end of your video prompt responses.
Examples:
- “Which one would you try first?”
- “Am I the only one who does this?”
- “Drop a 🔥 if you agree”
Impact: Questions can increase comment rate by 200-300%
3. Reply to Comments
When you reply to comments, it shows TikTok the video is generating conversation and can boost its distribution.
Best practice: Reply to every comment in the first hour after posting.
4. Use Calls to Action
Tell people what to do. Sounds obvious, but most creators don’t do it.
Effective CTAs:
- “Save this for later”
- “Share with someone who needs this”
- “Follow for more tips like this”
- “Comment your experience below”
5. Create Save-Worthy Content
Saves are high-intent engagement. Focus on content people will want to reference later:
- Tutorials
- Recipes
- Tips and lists
- Checklists
- Resources
Impact: Content optimized for saves typically sees 2-4x higher save rates.
6. Post When Your Audience Is Active
Check your analytics for when followers are online. Posting when they’re active increases immediate engagement, which signals quality to the algorithm.
See our full guide on best posting times.
7. Engage With Your Community
Before and after posting, spend 15-30 minutes engaging with others in your niche. Comment on videos, respond to other creators. This builds reciprocal engagement.
8. Use Trending Sounds (Strategically)
Trending sounds can boost discovery, but only if they’re relevant to your content. Forced trends hurt engagement.
9. Create Controversial or Opinion-Based Content
Content that sparks debate drives comments. Just make sure you’re prepared to moderate and respond.
Examples:
- “Unpopular opinion: [take]”
- “[Thing] is overrated”
- “Which side are you on?“
10. Optimize Video Length
Shorter videos have higher completion rates, which often translates to higher engagement. But some formats need length. Test what works for your content type.
Read our full video length guide.
11. Post Consistently
Consistency trains your audience to expect and engage with your content. Sporadic posting leads to algorithm deprioritization.
12. Analyze and Iterate
Track what works. If certain topics, formats, or posting times drive higher engagement, do more of that.
Noodle’s analytics can identify exactly which content types drive the highest engagement for your specific audience.
Engagement Rate Red Flags
Watch out for these warning signs:
Declining Engagement Rate
If your rate is dropping over time while followers grow, it might indicate:
- Content quality slipping
- Audience mismatch (attracting wrong followers)
- Algorithm changes
- Posting frequency issues
Spiky Engagement
Huge variations between videos suggest inconsistent content quality or lack of niche focus.
High Views, Low Engagement
If videos get views but few likes/comments, your content might be reaching people who aren’t your target audience, or your content isn’t connecting emotionally.
Engagement Only From Other Creators
If most comments are from people promoting their own content (engagement pods), your real engagement is lower than it appears.
FAQ: TikTok Engagement Rate
What’s a good engagement rate for brand deals?
Most brands look for a minimum of 4-5% engagement rate. Premium campaigns often require 8%+. Smaller creators with high engagement (15%+) can command higher rates than larger creators with low engagement.
Should I include saves in my engagement rate?
Yes, especially if you’re calculating for brand deals or comparing educational content. Saves indicate high-intent engagement and are increasingly valued.
Does engagement rate affect the algorithm?
Yes. Higher engagement signals quality content, which increases distribution. The relationship is cyclical—high engagement leads to more views, which can lead to more engagement.
How often should I calculate my engagement rate?
Weekly for ongoing tracking, after every video for detailed analysis. Use the average of your last 10-20 videos for a stable baseline.
Why is my engagement rate different on different calculators?
Different tools use different formulas (by followers vs. by views) and may include or exclude saves. Make sure you’re comparing apples to apples.
Can I have too high an engagement rate?
Not really, but unusually high rates (like 40%+) might indicate fake engagement or a very small, intimate audience. For most creators, higher is better.
Quick Reference: The Numbers
Average TikTok engagement rate: 5.69%
Good engagement rate:
- Small accounts (under 10K): 10%+
- Medium accounts (10K-100K): 7%+
- Large accounts (100K+): 5%+
Formula to use:
(Likes + Comments + Shares + Saves) / Followers Ă— 100Start Tracking Today
Your engagement rate is one of the most important metrics for TikTok growth. Start tracking it consistently, benchmark against your niche, and use the strategies in this guide to improve it over time.
Want automatic engagement rate tracking and AI-powered recommendations to improve? Try Noodle free—see exactly what’s driving (or hurting) your engagement.
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