Engagement is a key metric in social media analytics that helps measure how actively audiences interact with content. Brands, marketers, and influencers use engagement rates to assess content performance, audience interest, and campaign effectiveness.
Two of the most common engagement metrics are Engagement Rate (ER) and Engagement Rate by Reach (ERR). Here’s how they are calculated and what they mean.
Engagement Rate (ER)
Engagement Rate (ER) is a widely used metric that measures the level of audience interaction relative to the total number of followers or audience size. It provides an overall picture of how engaged an audience is with content.
Engagement Rate (ER) Formula:
(total engagement interactions / number of followers) × 100.
Example Calculation
Suppose an Instagram post receives:
500 likes
50 comments
20 shares
30 saves
Total engagements = 500 + 50 + 20 + 30 = 600
If the account has 10 000 followers, the ER calculation would be:
(600/10000) x 100 = 6%
This means the post had a 6% engagement rate based on followers.
Engagement Rate by Reach (ERR)
Engagement Rate by Reach (ERR) measures how engaged users are based on how many times the post was seen, rather than the total number of followers. This can provide a more accurate representation of engagement, especially for accounts with fluctuating reach and impressions.
Engagement Rate by Reach (ERR) Formula:
(total engagement interactions / total impressions) × 100.
Example Calculation
Using the same engagement numbers from the previous example (600 total engagements), but assuming the post had 8 000 impressions, the calculation would be:
(600/8000) x 100 = 7.5%
This means the post had a 7.5% engagement rate by reach.
Which Metric Should You Use?
SocialTalk provides both metrics, on an account level and on a post level:
Use ER when comparing overall audience engagement over time. It helps track how followers interact with content across posts.
Use ERR for more accurate post-performance analysis. Since reach varies by post, ERR gives a clearer idea of engagement effectiveness.
Both metrics together offer a complete picture of social media performance.