Social communication is what separates humans from the animal realm. These connections are the cornerstone of our society and always will be. We always have needed these engagements, and since social networks entered our lives, the form of these interactions has changed by all means. LinkedIn is one of these platforms where engagements are very important. After all, you are a member of a professional online community with over 900 million users. Not only are these connections very important for you, but they are also a way to build and promote your brand.
The LinkedIn engagement rate is a measure of how actively your content is interacted with on the platform. It is typically calculated as the total number of engagements (likes, comments, shares) divided by the total number of impressions your post receives, multiplied by 100 to get a percentage. A higher engagement rate indicates that your content is resonating well with your audience and generating meaningful interactions. A strong engagement rate is essential for building your professional brand, increasing visibility, and attracting potential connections and opportunities on LinkedIn.
In this article, I want to talk about The LinkedIn Engagement Rate and why it is essential, what are its benefits and what you should do to increase it, how you should calculate it, and other issues in detail.
If you want to develop your brand on LinkedIn and achieve your goals on this platform, keep reading.
What Is Engagement Rate?
The engagement rate is one of the key factors in measuring the results of LinkedIn marketing efforts and strategies. The Social Insider website defines it as follows: the engagement rate is the sum of likes, comments, shares, and clicks received for the posts published, divided by the number of impressions the page has, all multiplied by 100.
We said that it is one of the most important factors for calculating marketing effectiveness, but why? Because it shows how well their content resonates with their target audience. A high engagement rate indicates that the content is reaching the right people and they are responding positively to it. This can lead to increased brand awareness, higher levels of trust, and more business opportunities.
You must know that the higher the engagement rate of the post content, the more likely it will be seen by other users. I mean the snowball effect of LinkedIn, if you like a post or leave a comment on it, the post enters the feed of your first-degree connections.
If they also give a reaction to that specific post, their first-degree connections, your second-degree connections, and probably the third-degree connections of the person who published the post will see it, and this effect can continue depending on the amount of interaction the post receives.
In fact, the LinkedIn algorithm is designed to promote pieces of content with a high engagement rate. The more engagement a post receives, the more likely it is to be seen by a wider audience. This can lead to increased exposure, more followers, and more business opportunities.
So one of the key benefits of a high engagement rate is increased brand awareness and more views and a high level of engagement. When a post generates a high level of engagement, it is more likely to be seen by a larger audience.
The more people see the post, the more likely they are to remember the brand and associate it with the content. This can lead to increased brand awareness and recognition, which is important for businesses looking to establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry.
Another benefit of a high engagement rate is the increasing level of trust and credibility of the brand. When people engage with a post, they show others and algorithms that the content is valuable enough to spend their time engaging with it.
This can lead to increased levels of trust in the brand and its messages. Experience shows that people are more willing to do business with companies they trust, so building trust through high engagement rates can lead to more business opportunities.
So, a high engagement rate can lead to more business opportunities. When people engage with a post, they are likely to remember the brand and its messages. This can lead to increased inquiries, sales, and engagement.
Well, now that the engagement rate on LinkedIn is so important, is there a specific strategy to increase it or should we go on by luck and hope everything works perfectly? There are definitely strategies for this and I want to tell you some of them now.
There are several strategies that businesses can use to increase their engagement rate on LinkedIn. These strategies are for creating high-quality content, creating relationships with suitable people, using various content formats, etc. Let’s take a look at them:
1. One of the most essential strategies to increase the engagement rate is to create quality content. This content can be LinkedIn articles, newsletters, industry news, infographics, etc.
The content of your posts should be so attractive that the audience notices the posts and spends time on them and engages with them. By creating content that resonates with the target audience, businesses can increase their engagement rates and build loyal and engaged audiences.
2. Another strategy to increase the engagement rate on LinkedIn is to create stable relationships with your connections and followers. We know that regular interaction with the audience, responding to comments and messages, and participating in discussions can create a loyal and engaged target audience. So invest in networking on LinkedIn to make connections who are more likely to interact with the content.
On the other hand, LinkedIn’s algorithms like the posts in which there are many comments and show them to more users. So by building relationships with followers, businesses can create a sense of trust and loyalty that can translate into more business opportunities.
3. It is also useful to use a variety of content formats. Videos, images, and infographics can appeal to different types of learners and increase the chances of content sharing. By using a variety of content formats, businesses can attract more audiences and increase their engagement rates.
4. The next strategy is the effective use of hashtags. You can use them to increase visibility and attract new followers. By using relevant hashtags, businesses can categorize their content and make it easier for people to find it. This can lead to increased exposure and more business opportunities.
5. Considering the right time to publish a post is one of the most essential strategies to increase the engagement rate. Posting when your target audience is most active on the platform can increase the chances of your content getting a better view and engagement.
Businesses can use LinkedIn analytics to determine the best time to post content considering their target audience. You can read our article on the best time to post on LinkedIn here.
6. Another way I suggest to increase the engagement rate is to ask questions. Believe me, this one item can work wonders. Asking questions in a post can encourage followers to engage with the content and share their thoughts and opinions. This can create a sense of community and interaction that can translate into more business opportunities.
7. Don’t forget LinkedIn groups. Groups can provide a targeted audience for content and can help build relationships with potential customers and partners. By participating in groups and sharing relevant content, businesses can increase their engagement rates and attract new followers.
8. Businesses should regularly analyze their engagement rates and adjust their content strategy accordingly. By monitoring the performance of different types of content, businesses can gain insight into what resonates with their audience and what doesn’t.
This can be used to inform future content creation strategies and improve the overall effectiveness of social media marketing efforts on the platform.
You can use these strategies to increase engagement rates, ultimately leading to increased brand awareness, increased trust levels, more business opportunities, and more.
How to Calculate Engagement Rate
Okay, now how should we calculate this engagement rate? Can it be calculated manually or is there a special software for this? Why should we do this at all?
Calculating the engagement rate is an important part of any social media strategy on any platform, including LinkedIn. This is a metric that measures the level of engagement a post receives on the platform, including likes, comments, and shares.
Understanding how engagement rates are calculated is important for businesses because it helps them understand how well their content is performing on the platform.
As I mentioned earlier, the engagement rate is important to businesses because it shows how well their content is resonating with their target audience. A high engagement rate indicates that the content is reaching the right people and how they are responding to it. This can lead to increased brand awareness, higher levels of trust, and more business opportunities.
To calculate the engagement rate, two key pieces of data are needed: the number of engagements and the number of impressions.
Engagement refers to the number of times someone interacted with a post. This can include likes, comments, and shares. Impressions refer to the number of times a post was displayed to users on the platform.
And the formula for calculating the participation rate is as follows:
Engagement Rate = (Total Engagements / Total Impressions) x 100
For example, if a post has 400 likes, 100 comments, and 15 shares, the total number of interactions will be 515. If the post is shown to 10,000 users, the total number of impressions will be 10,000. To calculate the engagement rate, the total number of interactions (515) is divided by the total number of impressions (10,000), and the result is multiplied by 100. In this example, the engagement rate would be 5.15%.
You can do this manually with the same formula. By manually calculating engagement rates, businesses can gain a deeper understanding of how their content is performing on the platform. This can be used to inform future content creation strategies and improve the overall effectiveness of marketing efforts on the platform.
LinkedIn offers a range of analytics tools that can be used to calculate engagement rates for individual posts or the entire page (in the case of Company Pages).
To access the analysis of a whole page (only applicable for company pages:
1. Click on the “Me” icon in the upper right corner of the LinkedIn page
2. Select the desired company page from the drop-down menu
3. Click on “Analytics” in the upper left corner of the page, on the company page.
To calculate the engagement rate for each post, whether on an individual page or on a company page, using LinkedIn Analytics, follow these steps:
1. Enter your profile.
2. Scroll down and enter the activities section.
3. Click on the post you want to analyze.
4. Click on “View Analytics” in the lower right corner.
5. The engagement rate for the post is displayed as a percentage.
By using LinkedIn Analytics to calculate engagement rates, businesses can gain insight into how their content is performing on the platform. This can be used to inform future content creation strategies and improve the overall effectiveness of marketing efforts on the platform.
Good Engagement Rate LinkedIn 2023
Now, is there a specific number for the right engagement rate? Let me see, as you know engagement rate is a metric that measures the level of engagement a post receives on LinkedIn, including likes, comments, shares, and other types of engagement.
This is an important indicator of how well a piece of content resonates with the target audience on the platform. However, determining a good engagement rate on LinkedIn can be a challenging task. It depends on various factors such as industry, target audience, and the type of content being shared.
Several factors can affect engagement rates on LinkedIn:
1. Industry:
Some industries tend to have higher levels of interaction than others. For example, marketing, technology, and finance industries typically have higher participation rates than industries such as healthcare or manufacturing.
2. Target audience:
The target audience on LinkedIn can also affect engagement rates. Businesses targeting decision-makers in B2B settings may have higher engagement rates compared to those targeting individual consumers in B2C settings.
3. Content type:
The type of content being shared can also determine the engagement rate, as videos and infographics have higher engagement rates than text-based posts.
4. Post format:
Post format can also affect the engagement rate. Posts with images or videos have higher engagement rates than posts without images.
While a good engagement rate on LinkedIn is generally considered to be between 2% and 5%, this is just a general guideline. In fact, good engagement rates vary based on the factors discussed earlier.
For example, a business in the technology industry might have a higher engagement rate of around 6%, while another in the healthcare industry might have a lower engagement rate of around 2.5%.
However, I must point out that engagement rate is not the only metric that businesses should focus on when measuring the success of their content on LinkedIn. Other criteria to consider are:
1. Reach:
This metric measures the number of people who have seen a post. High reach indicates that the content is seen by a large audience, which can lead to increased brand awareness and more business opportunities.
2. Impressions:
This metric measures the number of times a post has been displayed in the LinkedIn feed. A high number of impressions indicates that the content is seen by a large audience, which can increase the chance of engagement.
3. Click-through rate:
This metric measures how many people clicked on a link in the post. A high click-through rate indicates that the content is relevant and valuable to the audience, which can lead to increased traffic to a website or landing page.
4. Follower Growth:
This metric measures the number of new followers a page has gained in a given period. High follower growth indicates that the content is resonating with the target audience, which can lead to increased exposure and more business opportunities.
In short, businesses should focus on creating quality content that provides value to the audience and encourages engagement. By doing this, they can increase their engagement rates, reach a larger audience, and ultimately achieve their LinkedIn marketing goals.
Is LinkedIn Engagement Rate Benchmark Different From Other Social Media’s Engagement Rates?
So, now we know what a good engagement rate is on LinkedIn in general, but do other platforms have an engagement rate as well? Is this engagement rate the same everywhere?
According to the Adobe Express website, “The definition of a “good” engagement rate depends on the social channel. An engagement could mean a like, a comment, a share, a retweet, a click, the expansion of an image, and many other actions—depending on the social platform.”
The formula for calculating the engagement rate is the same everywhere because the meaning of this phrase is the same. Engagement rate everywhere means the interactions a post has received on its impressions.
For example, a Facebook post that gets 2000 views and 200 engagements has a 10% engagement rate. That’s because (200 engagements /2000 views) x100 = 10%.
Social media engagement rates provide insight into how your content is evaluated by social algorithms. If your social media engagement rate is consistently low, it may be an indication that the social platform is not deeming your post worthy of being shown to your audience.
There can be several reasons why this happens. For example, you might have a history of promoting content that doesn’t get much engagement, or a certain post might not have much relevance since it was published.
Regardless, monitoring social media engagement can help you understand if your content is being suppressed by social platforms or if it’s successfully reaching a larger audience.
It is very difficult to determine an exact number for the engagement rate. What is a really good engagement rate? Well, I must say that this number is not only different in each platform but also constantly changes with the updating of algorithms.
As we said in the subtitle above, a good LinkedIn engagement rate is between 2-6% on LinkedIn, depending on the type of content you share on your company page or personal feed.
Twitter typically has a lower engagement rate than Facebook, with a good engagement rate for Twitter is around 0.5% and anything above 1% is considered excellent.
Smaller businesses with a dedicated following should aim for an engagement rate above 1%. To calculate your Twitter engagement rate, you divide the total number of interactions a tweet receives by the total number of impressions on that tweet.
A good engagement rate for Facebook can be between 1-2%, especially for big brands like Coca-Cola that benefit more from brand recognition and simple awareness.
For example, when you see an ice-cold Coke in your feed, it plants a seed that you might remember later, for instance, when you’re standing in the soda aisle at the grocery store.
However, small businesses should aim for a 5% Facebook engagement rate to get the most out of the social media platform and build a strong online community.
With more than 2.35 billion users, Instagram presents a huge opportunity for companies with visual appeal, especially those with physical products.
Engagement rates are usually higher on Instagram than on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, partly due to the nature of the platform. With one post per page, users need to focus on the content and either engage or browse past.
Generally around 2% is seen as a good social media engagement rate on Instagram and anything over 3% is considered great. In a survey conducted by Rival IQ, the higher education sector had an above-average rate of 3.5%, while retail had the lowest engagement rate at 0.67% per post.
The engagement rate is an important metric to monitor when evaluating the success of your social media marketing efforts. By understanding the typical engagement rates for each platform and aiming for a highly consistent rate, businesses can increase their social media reach and create a stronger connection with their audience.
As I mentioned earlier, to improve engagement rates on social media, it’s important to create quality content that resonates with your audience and encourages them to engage with your posts.
This can include asking questions, using relevant hashtags, and responding to comments and messages. It’s also important to analyze your engagement rates over time to identify trends and adjust your social media strategy accordingly.
LinkedIn Engagement Rate by Industry
I must confess that I personally could not find a neat and separate category for the appropriate engagement rate on LinkedIn based on industry. But a marketing research agency called TrackMaven did a study years ago on this subject.
The agency claims that the average LinkedIn engagement rate across industries is 0.54%. However, there are significant variations in participation rates across industries. These changes can be useful metrics for businesses looking to improve their LinkedIn engagement rates.
According to the same research, industries with the highest engagement rates on LinkedIn include legal, healthcare, non-profit, higher education, and government.
The legal sector has the highest engagement rate at 1.61%, followed by healthcare at 1.43%. Nonprofit, higher education, and government participation rates are above 1.2%. These industries tend to have very specialized audiences that are specifically engaged with their content.
The legal industry has a highly specialized audience interested in legal topics, so it’s no surprise that law firms have the highest engagement rates on LinkedIn.
These firms often share insights on legal developments, provide advice to clients and promote their services on the platform. By creating high-quality content that resonates with their audience, they can attract more engagement.
The healthcare industry also has a very specialized audience that is interested in health and wellness issues. Healthcare providers and organizations often share information about new treatments, research studies, and public health initiatives. By providing valuable information to their audience and encouraging engagement, they can increase their LinkedIn engagement rates.
Nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, and government agencies also tend to have highly specialized audiences interested in their respective fields. Nonprofits often share stories of impact, fundraising campaigns, and advocacy efforts.
Higher education institutions share research studies, student success stories, and campus plan updates. Government agencies share news about public policy, regulatory changes, and community outreach efforts. By sharing their stories and promoting their initiatives, these organizations can engage their audience.
The industries that have the lowest engagement rates on LinkedIn, according to the research, include construction, manufacturing, energy and mining, consumer goods, and transportation. These industries typically have a larger general audience that may be less interested in their content.
However, that doesn’t mean businesses in these industries can’t improve their engagement rates on LinkedIn. By creating high-quality content that resonates with their audience, they can attract more engagement.
For example, a construction company might publish articles about their projects, share photos of their work, or offer tips on home improvement. A manufacturing company may showcase its products, share its manufacturing process, or provide insights into industry trends.
An energy and mining company may share information about its sustainability efforts, provide insights into the future of the industry, or provide updates on its operations.
These businesses can increase their LinkedIn engagement rates by creating engaging content that informs and entertains their audience.
It is important to note that these engagement rates can vary depending on various factors, including content quality, audience demographics, and company size. However, this data can be a useful metric for businesses looking to improve their LinkedIn engagement rates.
To improve your LinkedIn engagement rate, it’s important to create quality content that resonates with your audience and encourages them to engage with your posts.
This can include using relevant hashtags, posting at optimal times, and responding to comments and messages. It’s also important to analyze your engagement rates over time to identify trends and adjust your content strategy accordingly.
In addition to engagement rate, there are other metrics you should consider when evaluating the effectiveness of your LinkedIn marketing efforts. These can include reaching, follower growth, and conversion rates. By monitoring these metrics and making data-driven decisions, businesses can optimize their LinkedIn marketing efforts and achieve better results.
However, remember that there is only one old study for this engagement rate based on industry, so you can’t rely too much on it. The engagement rate is considered good as long as it is between 2% and 6%.
So don’t worry much about your engagement rate in your industry, an SME can’t compete with giant companies like Microsoft, Apple, or even Coca-Cola in this field.
The LinkedIn engagement rate is a vital metric used to measure the effectiveness of content and advertising efforts on the platform. It represents the level of interaction and responsiveness that a LinkedIn post or ad receives from its audience. The engagement rate is calculated by dividing the total number of interactions (such as likes, comments, shares, and clicks) by the total number of impressions and then multiplying it by 100 to get a percentage. This metric provides valuable insights into how well a LinkedIn post or ad resonates with the target audience. By analyzing engagement rates through LinkedIn analytics and other data analytics tools, businesses can gauge the success of their content and advertising strategies, identify high-performing posts, and make data-driven decisions to optimize their LinkedIn presence. A higher engagement rate indicates that the content is engaging and relevant to the audience, while a low engagement rate might signal a need for adjustments to the content or targeting strategies. Understanding the LinkedIn engagement rate allows businesses to refine their social mediamarketing tactics and create more impactful content that fosters stronger connections and drives conversions.
Conclusion
LinkedIn engagement rate is a key metric for professionals and businesses looking to engage with their audience, grow their brand, and achieve their marketing goals.
It measures the level of engagement between your content and your audience and provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of your content strategy.
Industries such as legal, healthcare, nonprofit, higher education, and government typically have higher LinkedIn engagement rates because of their specialized audiences.
In contrast, industries such as construction, manufacturing, energy and mining, consumer goods, and transportation have lower participation rates due to the broad nature of their audiences.
To improve your LinkedIn engagement rate, focus on creating high-quality content that appeals to your audience and encourages them to engage with your posts.
Use relevant hashtags, post at optimal times, and reply to comments and messages to increase engagement. Monitor your engagement rates over time and use data-driven decisions to optimize your LinkedIn marketing efforts.
In addition to engagement rate, other metrics like reach, follower growth, and conversion rate are also important when evaluating the effectiveness of your LinkedIn marketing efforts. Analyze multiple metrics and use the data to guide your decisions to achieve your desired results.
Overall, the LinkedIn engagement rate is an essential metric for professionals and businesses looking to connect with their audience and promote their brands. Know the typical engagement rates for your industry and adjust your content and engagement strategies accordingly. Use data and analytics to guide your decisions and optimize your LinkedIn marketing efforts for success.
FAQ
How to calculate LinkedIn engagement rates?
To calculate LinkedIn engagement rate, you’d typically sum up the total interactions (likes, comments, and shares) a post receives and divide it by the total number of followers (or views) the post has, then multiply by 100 to get a percentage. The formula is:
This gives you a percentage that represents the proportion of your audience that engaged with your content.
Why is LinkedIn engagement rate low?
A low LinkedIn engagement rate can result from various factors. The content might not resonate with the target audience, or it might be too promotional without offering value. Posting times could be sub-optimal, not aligning with when the audience is most active. The quality of followers also matters; a large number of unengaged or irrelevant followers can dilute engagement rates. It’s essential to continually assess and adapt content strategies, ensuring they’re tailored to the platform and the audience’s preferences and behaviors.
What is a good engagement rate?
A good engagement rate can vary based on the platform, industry, and type of content. Generally, an engagement rate of 2-3% on social media platforms is considered average, while anything above that can be seen as high. However, it’s essential to benchmark against industry standards and competitors, as what’s deemed “good” can differ significantly across sectors. Consistently monitoring and adjusting your strategy based on feedback and data will help in achieving and maintaining a strong engagement rate.