Engagement Rate
How much of an audience talks back. Say your formula out loud: (likes + comments [+ saves/shares]) ÷ followers × 100 — or ÷ views on TikTok. Those are different numbers.
Follower-based ER is the default on Instagram. View-based ER is common on TikTok. Mixing them is how a 2% account looks like an 8% account. Always ask which denominator. A useful extra: comment quality. Thirty “🔥” is not the same as three questions about the ingredient list.
2025–2026 published bands (ChannelCore, InfluencerFee, and similar tables): Instagram micros roughly 1.5–5% (Reels higher than static); TikTok micros roughly 3.5–9% depending on formula; mega Instagram often under 1.5%. Rates have compressed since 2023. Do not use a 2019 “under 3% is fake” rule.
A 20K account at 4% with real comments will usually beat a 200K account at 0.6% for a considered SKU. ER is a filter, not a price. Confirm with Insights reach — a high ER on a dead reach graph is a parlor trick.
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