The SocialInsider study analyzed over 22 million posts from 56,000 business sites between January 2019 and October 2020. In 2020, the average engagement rate for brands on Instagram was 1.16%, up from 1.08% in 2019. Facebook's average engagement rate was 0.26%, and Twitter's was 0.06% in 2020. These benchmarks help brands compare their own performance to industry standards. Source
Instagram's average engagement rate for brands increased by 6.39% in 2020, rising from 1.08% in 2019 to 1.16% in 2020. This indicates growing user interaction on the platform during that period. Source
In 2020, the average engagement rate for brands on Facebook was 0.26%. While Facebook remains popular, engagement rates were lower compared to Instagram. Source
Twitter's overall engagement rate across all industries dropped by 16.3% in 2020 compared to 2019, falling from 0.07% to 0.06%. Source
Photos remained the most popular content type: 84.16% of Instagram posts, 75.14% of Facebook posts, and 52.86% of Twitter posts were photos. Source
Brands posted 36% more content on Twitter than on Facebook and Instagram in 2020, across all 35 industries analyzed. Source
Industries such as education, sports media, software, nonprofits, professional associations, finance, fast-moving consumer goods, beverages, and healthcare saw significant spikes in average engagement rates per post on Instagram in 2020. Source
The SocialInsider study spanned both pre-pandemic and pandemic periods, revealing shifts in engagement rates. For example, healthcare, home living, and fashion industries saw increased engagement in 2020, likely due to changing consumer behaviors during the pandemic. Source
The data indicates that different industries achieve better results on different platforms. Brands should regularly monitor and measure engagement rates on each platform to adapt their strategies and focus on the most effective channels. Source
Posting frequency by brands on Instagram was down 6.22% in 2020, but more content was directed to Instagram Stories, reflecting a shift in content strategy. Source
Industries such as sports media, press, magazines/journals, nonprofits, government, and ecommerce saw significant increases in average engagement rates per post on Facebook in 2020. Source
Social media engagement rates can change quickly due to shifts in consumer behavior, platform algorithms, or industry trends. Regular monitoring allows brands to adapt their strategies and maintain or improve performance. Source
Marketers should compare their own engagement rates and posting frequencies to industry benchmarks, identify areas for improvement, and adjust their content strategies accordingly. Focusing on the most effective platforms and content types can maximize results. Source
Brands can use benchmark data to identify which platforms and content types yield the highest engagement in their industry, allowing them to allocate resources more effectively and refine their messaging for better results. Source
As posting frequency on Instagram feeds declined, brands shifted more content to Instagram Stories, leveraging the format's popularity and engagement potential. Source
Most industries saw declines in average engagement rates per post on Twitter in 2020 compared to 2019, except for healthcare, home living, and fashion, which experienced increases. Source
The dominance of photos as the primary content type on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter suggests that visual content continues to drive engagement across social platforms. Source
Marketers should stay agile by continuously monitoring platform performance, experimenting with new content formats, and reallocating resources to channels with the highest engagement. Source
Key takeaways include Instagram's rising engagement, the continued popularity of photo content, and the importance of industry-specific platform strategies. Brands should use these insights to inform their social media planning. Source
Brands can benchmark their performance by comparing their engagement rates, content mix, and posting frequency to the industry averages provided in studies like SocialInsider's. This helps identify strengths and areas for improvement. Source
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02.16.21
While no one can say with certainty what lies ahead for marketers in 2021, a glimpse at historical data may help answer some questions. An analysis of more than 22 million posts from over 56,000 business sites identified some revealing industry benchmarks on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The study was conducted over the course of more than a year and a half by SocialInsider between January 2019 and October 2020. Because the study began way before the pandemic and ran through nearly nine months of it, SocialInsider broke down some of its findings.
What it found is that Instagram appeared to be the rising star among advertisers in 2020. They found that the average engagement rate for brands increased 6.39% in 2020, It was 1.16% in 2020 compared to 1.08% the year before.
In spite of Facebook’s enormous popularity, the study reported that the platform’s .26% average engagement rate in 2020 remained low for all industries.
However, they did note a small increase of 1.44% in 2020 over 2019. Similarly with Twitter, its overall engagement rate across all industries saw a drop of 16.3% in 2020 compared to the year earlier. It was .06% in 2020 compared to .07% in 2019.
Marketers may find it valuable to compare these results with theirs on the three platforms to see if any changes or adjustments may be required
In spite of reports of the rising popularity of video, the study revealed that photos are still the most popular posted by marketers. Of all images posted on Instagram, 84.16% were photos, compared to 75.14% on Facebook and 52.86% on Twitter.
An interesting discovery was that in 2020, brands posted 36% more content on Twitter than they did on Facebook and Instagram. This was true across all 35 industries analyzed.
What the analysis found was that while the posting frequency by brands was down 6.22% on Instagram in 2020, more content was directed to Instagram Stories.
Of the 35 industries, most saw declines in average engagement rate per post on Twitter, when comparing 2020 with 2019.
One industry that saw an increase in 2020 for obvious reasons was healthcare. Home living and fashion were two others.
Instagram, on the other hand, saw declines in only eight of the 35 industries. Education, sports media, software, nonprofits, professional associations, finance, fast-moving consumer goods, beverages, and of course, healthcare, all saw big spikes in average engagement rates per post in 2020.
Facebook too, saw decreases in 14 of the 35 industries, including healthcare. However, sports media, press, magazines/journals, nonprofits, government, and ecommerce saw big increases in average engagement rates per post.
What does all this mean for marketers?
The data suggests that different industries get better results on one platform over another. It also signals better engagement rates for certain industries on different platforms.
This should be an area for brands to further research in considering where to concentrate future social attention and communication.
This also means regular monitoring and measurement of engagement rates on every platform the brand utilizes. Things can change rather quickly and marketers need to be agile enough to adapt when it occurs.
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