{"id":10218,"date":"2026-02-26T00:04:31","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T00:04:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emplifistg.wpenginepowered.com\/resources\/social-media-benchmarks\/"},"modified":"2026-06-04T10:03:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T10:03:16","slug":"social-media-benchmarks","status":"publish","type":"resource_posts","link":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/pt-br\/resources\/social-media-benchmarks\/","title":{"rendered":"Blog: Social media benchmarks and trends"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":20804,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"page-templates\/resource-blog.php","resource_topics_tax":[233,253],"resource_types_tax":[236],"resource_industries_tax":[],"resource_visibility_tax":[],"class_list":["post-10218","resource_posts","type-resource_posts","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","resource_topics_tax-analytics-and-reporting-pt-br","resource_topics_tax-social-media-management-pt-br","resource_types_tax-blogs-pt-br"],"acf":{"page_cta_group":{"show_section":true,"use_global_cta":true,"section_subhead":"","section_headline":"","section_text_left":"","section_text_right":"","section_button":{"title":"","url":"","target":"","0":""}},"awards_group":{"show_section":true,"use_global_awards_text":true,"section_subhead":"","section_headline":"","section_text":"","use_global_awards":true,"awards":false},"resource_description":"Understand how your social media strategy is performing by diving into the latest organic and paid social media benchmarks, and gain insights to help guide your strategy this year.","hero_headline":"The social media benchmarks to guide your strategy 2026","content_builder":[{"acf_fc_layout":"wysiwyg","wysiwyg_background_color":"blue","wysiwyg":"<p><em>The Emplifi Social Media Benchmarks 2026 report, based on data from thousands of brand accounts, reveals five platform trends marketers need to act on now. TikTok leads all platforms in both follower growth (200%+ year-over-year) and engagement rates (peaking at 35.9% median in Q3 2025). Instagram engagement has declined from ~17% in early 2024 to under 10% by late 2025, shifting the content focus toward Reels and Carousels. Facebook remains the most cost-efficient Meta placement for paid reach. X shows flat to slightly negative follower growth and is best suited to tactical, real-time conversation goals.<\/em><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"wysiwyg","wysiwyg_background_color":"white","wysiwyg":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social media is entering 2026 with sharper divides between platforms than ever before. Audience growth, engagement behaviors, and paid performance are no longer moving in sync, forcing brands to rethink where and how they show up for customers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TikTok continues to accelerate, Instagram engagement dynamics are shifting, Meta platforms retain scale and stability, and X shows more tactical value than growth potential.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this blog, based on the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/resources\/social-media-benchmark-report\/\"><b>Social media benchmarks 2026<\/b> <\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">report, we highlight key trends in platform growth, engagement, content performance, and paid investment to help you sharpen your strategy for the year ahead.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Platform growth &amp; momentum: Who\u2019s gaining ground<\/h2>\n<p><strong>TikTok leads in brand follower growth. Median follower counts for brands on TikTok increased by over 200% year over year<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, driven by discovery-first content and algorithmic amplification.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Facebook and Instagram remain essential for scale<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, with Instagram delivering steady mid-single-digit follower growth and Facebook showing flat follower trends, reinforcing both platforms\u2019 roles as reliable reach drivers rather than primary growth accelerators.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LinkedIn continues targeted, double-digit growth while YouTube shows moderate, consistent increases. X, by contrast, saw flat to slightly negative follower growth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-21806 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Brands-follower-change-scaled.png\" alt=\"Chart showing social media benchmarks of follower growth by social media platform. \" width=\"2560\" height=\"1344\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Brands-follower-change-scaled.png 2560w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Brands-follower-change-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Brands-follower-change-1024x538.png 1024w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Brands-follower-change-768x403.png 768w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Brands-follower-change-1536x806.png 1536w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Brands-follower-change-2048x1075.png 2048w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Brands-follower-change-24x13.png 24w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Brands-follower-change-36x19.png 36w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Brands-follower-change-48x25.png 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>What this means for your strategy<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prioritize <\/span><strong>TikTok<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for audience growth acceleration.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use <\/span><strong>Facebook &amp; Instagram<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to anchor broad reach and predictable scale.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Treat <\/span><strong>LinkedIn and YouTube<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as purpose-built channels for B2B, thought leadership, or long-form content.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clarify <\/span><strong>X\u2019s role<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as a tactical conversation and real-time engagement channel.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Engagement benchmarks across platforms<\/h2>\n<p><strong>TikTok continues to outperform all other networks.<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Across 2024\u20132025, median engagement rates peaked at <\/span><strong>35.9% in Q3 2025<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> before easing to 27.6% in Q4 2025, still the highest of any major platform.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instagram saw a gradual decline in median engagement from roughly <\/span><strong>17% in early 2024 to under 10% by late 2025<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, while Facebook engagement stayed stable at lower levels (1\u20132%).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As audiences scale, <\/span><strong>TikTok generates more than twice the median interactions of Instagram and over 20\u00d7 those of Facebook<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, underscoring its ability to convert scale into interaction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-21811 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Engagement-rate-evolution-scaled.png\" alt=\"Social media benchmarks chart showing engagement rate evolution across social media platforms. \" width=\"2560\" height=\"1344\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Engagement-rate-evolution-scaled.png 2560w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Engagement-rate-evolution-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Engagement-rate-evolution-1024x538.png 1024w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Engagement-rate-evolution-768x403.png 768w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Engagement-rate-evolution-1536x806.png 1536w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Engagement-rate-evolution-2048x1075.png 2048w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Engagement-rate-evolution-24x13.png 24w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Engagement-rate-evolution-36x19.png 36w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Engagement-rate-evolution-48x25.png 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>What this means for your strategy\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Invest in <\/span><strong>TikTok content<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to drive interaction growth.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On Instagram, focus on <\/span><strong>share-worthy and save-driven creative<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> rather than passive likes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Streamline work on platforms with limited engagement if interaction is a primary KPI.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"cta","cta_image":{"ID":21080,"id":21080,"title":"EMP1009-Social Media Benchmarks Report - LP [ES] V2","filename":"EMP1009-Social-Media-Benchmarks-Report-LP-ES-V2.png","filesize":1093859,"url":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/EMP1009-Social-Media-Benchmarks-Report-LP-ES-V2.png","link":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/pt-br\/resources\/relatorio-benchmarks-redes-sociais\/emp1009-social-media-benchmarks-report-lp-es-v2-2\/","alt":"","author":"21","description":"","caption":"","name":"emp1009-social-media-benchmarks-report-lp-es-v2-2","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":21799,"date":"2026-02-25 21:20:23","modified":"2026-03-02 19:14:53","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1200,"height":600,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/EMP1009-Social-Media-Benchmarks-Report-LP-ES-V2-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/EMP1009-Social-Media-Benchmarks-Report-LP-ES-V2-300x150.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":150,"medium_large":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/EMP1009-Social-Media-Benchmarks-Report-LP-ES-V2-768x384.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":384,"large":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/EMP1009-Social-Media-Benchmarks-Report-LP-ES-V2-1024x512.png","large-width":1024,"large-height":512,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/EMP1009-Social-Media-Benchmarks-Report-LP-ES-V2.png","1536x1536-width":1200,"1536x1536-height":600,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/EMP1009-Social-Media-Benchmarks-Report-LP-ES-V2.png","2048x2048-width":1200,"2048x2048-height":600,"fullscreen":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/EMP1009-Social-Media-Benchmarks-Report-LP-ES-V2.png","fullscreen-width":1200,"fullscreen-height":600,"menu-24x24":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/EMP1009-Social-Media-Benchmarks-Report-LP-ES-V2-24x12.png","menu-24x24-width":24,"menu-24x24-height":12,"menu-36x36":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/EMP1009-Social-Media-Benchmarks-Report-LP-ES-V2-36x18.png","menu-36x36-width":36,"menu-36x36-height":18,"menu-48x48":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/EMP1009-Social-Media-Benchmarks-Report-LP-ES-V2-48x24.png","menu-48x48-width":48,"menu-48x48-height":24}},"cta_headline":"Social media benchmarks report 2026","cta_text":"Download the Social media benchmarks 2026 report to compare your performance to industry trends and uncover deeper insights.","cta_button":{"title":"Download the full report ","url":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/resources\/social-media-benchmark-report\/","target":"_blank"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"wysiwyg","wysiwyg_background_color":"white","wysiwyg":"<h2>Content format Performance: What works where<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Facebook:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Live video generates significantly higher engagement than other formats,\u00a0 nearly <\/span><strong>four times more than links and six times more than images.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other formats cluster within narrower engagement ranges.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-21816 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-FB-scaled.png\" alt=\"Social media benchmarks images showing post performance by content type across Facebook.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1344\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-FB-scaled.png 2560w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-FB-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-FB-1024x538.png 1024w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-FB-768x403.png 768w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-FB-1536x806.png 1536w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-FB-2048x1075.png 2048w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-FB-24x13.png 24w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-FB-36x19.png 36w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-FB-48x25.png 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Instagram:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Carousels and Reels<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> register the strongest median interactions, driving about 44% more engagement than single images.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Images remain valuable but are outpaced by immersive, swipe- and watch-driven content.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-21821 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-IG-scaled.png\" alt=\"Social media benchmarks chart showing post performance by content type across Instagram. \" width=\"2560\" height=\"1344\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-IG-scaled.png 2560w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-IG-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-IG-1024x538.png 1024w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-IG-768x403.png 768w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-IG-1536x806.png 1536w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-IG-2048x1075.png 2048w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-IG-24x13.png 24w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-IG-36x19.png 36w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-IG-48x25.png 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>X:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>GIFs and status updates<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> outperform richer media formats, confirming that immediacy and conversation are rewarded over production complexity.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-21826 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-X-scaled.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1344\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-X-scaled.png 2560w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-X-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-X-1024x538.png 1024w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-X-768x403.png 768w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-X-1536x806.png 1536w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-X-2048x1075.png 2048w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-X-24x13.png 24w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-X-36x19.png 36w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Performance-of-posts-on-X-48x25.png 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>What this means for your strategy<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use <\/span><strong>live video on Facebook<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to drive deeper engagement.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lean into <\/span><strong>Reels and Carousels on Instagram<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for higher interaction.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prioritize <\/span><strong>lightweight, conversational content on X.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Engagement by industry<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Industry engagement varies widely across platforms, reflecting how audience behaviors and content expectations shape performance. Aligning industry strengths to the right channel is critical for maximizing engagement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-21831 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Engagement-by-industry-scaled.png\" alt=\"Social media benchmarks showing engagement rate across industries by platform. \" width=\"2560\" height=\"1344\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Engagement-by-industry-scaled.png 2560w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Engagement-by-industry-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Engagement-by-industry-1024x538.png 1024w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Engagement-by-industry-768x403.png 768w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Engagement-by-industry-1536x806.png 1536w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Engagement-by-industry-2048x1075.png 2048w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Engagement-by-industry-24x13.png 24w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Engagement-by-industry-36x19.png 36w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Engagement-by-industry-48x25.png 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Facebook:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Utility-driven categories such as Airlines, Beverages, and Industrial deliver higher engagement per 1,000 impressions.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Instagram:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Visually anchored industries like Airlines, Beverages, FMCG Food, and Alcohol lead engagement.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>TikTok:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Airlines, Alcohol, Beauty, and Accommodation outperform others in median engagement.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>X:<\/strong> Alcohol, Automotive, and FMCG Food show the strongest conversation-driven engagement.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>What this means for your strategy<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Align your industry with platforms where your category naturally over-indexes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tailor your creativity to the format and behavioral preferences of each network\u2019s audience.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Paid social benchmarks: Spend, CPM &amp; placement dynamics<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Ad spend insights<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-21836 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Quarterly-comparison-of-ad-account-spend-scaled.png\" alt=\"Social media benchmarks chart showing quarterly ad account spend across platforms. \" width=\"2560\" height=\"1344\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Quarterly-comparison-of-ad-account-spend-scaled.png 2560w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Quarterly-comparison-of-ad-account-spend-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Quarterly-comparison-of-ad-account-spend-1024x538.png 1024w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Quarterly-comparison-of-ad-account-spend-768x403.png 768w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Quarterly-comparison-of-ad-account-spend-1536x806.png 1536w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Quarterly-comparison-of-ad-account-spend-2048x1075.png 2048w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Quarterly-comparison-of-ad-account-spend-24x13.png 24w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Quarterly-comparison-of-ad-account-spend-36x19.png 36w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Quarterly-comparison-of-ad-account-spend-48x25.png 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TikTok commands the highest median ad spend per account, peaking near $15K.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Facebook shows predictable, seasonal investment patterns.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instagram spend is lower overall but seasonal.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">X exhibits more tactical, fluctuating spend.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>CPM trends<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-21841 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Quarterly-comparison-of-ad-spend-scaled.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1344\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Quarterly-comparison-of-ad-spend-scaled.png 2560w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Quarterly-comparison-of-ad-spend-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Quarterly-comparison-of-ad-spend-1024x538.png 1024w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Quarterly-comparison-of-ad-spend-768x403.png 768w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Quarterly-comparison-of-ad-spend-1536x806.png 1536w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Quarterly-comparison-of-ad-spend-2048x1075.png 2048w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Quarterly-comparison-of-ad-spend-24x13.png 24w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Quarterly-comparison-of-ad-spend-36x19.png 36w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Quarterly-comparison-of-ad-spend-48x25.png 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instagram carries the highest CPMs, reflecting intense competition for impressions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Facebook CPMs are more efficient.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TikTok delivers lower CPMs than Meta platforms.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">X maintains the lowest CPMs among measured platforms.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Meta placements<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-21846 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Placement-share-of-ad-spend-scaled.png\" alt=\"Placement share of ad spend on meta platforms. \" width=\"2560\" height=\"1344\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Placement-share-of-ad-spend-scaled.png 2560w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Placement-share-of-ad-spend-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Placement-share-of-ad-spend-1024x538.png 1024w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Placement-share-of-ad-spend-768x403.png 768w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Placement-share-of-ad-spend-1536x806.png 1536w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Placement-share-of-ad-spend-2048x1075.png 2048w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Placement-share-of-ad-spend-24x13.png 24w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Placement-share-of-ad-spend-36x19.png 36w, https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Placement-share-of-ad-spend-48x25.png 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Facebook remains Feed-heavy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instagram spreads spend across Feed, Stories, and Reels \u2014 with <\/span><strong>Reels investment nearly tripling<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> over the period.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>What this means for your strategy<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diversify placements on Instagram, especially Reels and Stories.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use Facebook Feed for predictable scale and cost efficiency.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Treat TikTok as a core channel, top performers spend 2\u20133\u00d7 more and see significantly greater reach.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Final takeaways: Competing in 2026<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Success in 2026 social media requires <\/span><strong>platform-specific precision<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, not broad uniformity:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Growth:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> TikTok leads when treated as a core channel.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Distribution:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Instagram reach is driven by shares \u2014 not passive likes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Investment:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Meta platforms justify higher spend through predictable scale.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Prioritization:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> X is best used for tactical, conversation-driven goals.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brands that tailor their content, format, and investment strategies to each platform\u2019s unique dynamics will outperform competitors in both organic and paid performance.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Want the full benchmarks?<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Download the <a href=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/resources\/social-media-benchmark-report\/\">Social media benchmarks 2026 report<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to compare your performance to industry trends and uncover deeper insights.<\/span><\/p>\n"}],"sidebar_type":"sticky","sidebar_builder":[{"acf_fc_layout":"table_of_contents","title":"TABLE OF CONTENTS","type":"automatic","links":false}],"resource_feed_group":{"show_section":true,"section_subhead":"","section_headline":"Insights from Emplifi","section_text":"<p>Explore our latest blogs and comprehensive guides designed to help you master customer experience strategies and drive growth.<\/p>\n","feed_type":"resources","use_recent_resources":true,"topic_filter":233,"resources":false,"custom_links":false},"custom_card_title":"The social media benchmarks to guide your 2026 strategy","remove_gtm":false,"author":16346,"hero_hide_subhead":true,"left_sidebar_add_cta":true,"faqs_group":{"show_section":true,"section_subhead":"","section_headline":"Frequently asked questions","section_text":"","faqs":[{"title":"Which social media platform has the highest engagement rate in 2025?","content":"<p>TikTok has the highest engagement rate of any major social platform in 2025. Median engagement rates peaked at 35.9% in Q3 2025, compared to under 10% for Instagram and 1\u20132% for Facebook. TikTok also generates more than twice the median interactions of Instagram and over 20 times those of Facebook. (Source: Emplifi Social Media Benchmarks 2026)<\/p>\n"},{"title":"Is Instagram engagement declining?","content":"<p>Yes. Instagram median engagement rates declined from approximately 17% in early 2024 to under 10% by late 2025. Brands maintaining strong Instagram performance focus on Reels and Carousels, which drive 44% more engagement than single images, and optimise for shares and saves rather than likes. (Source: Emplifi Social Media Benchmarks 2026)<\/p>\n"},{"title":"How fast are brands growing followers on TikTok?","content":"<p>Brand follower counts on TikTok increased by more than 200% year-over-year in 2024\u20132025 \u2014 the highest growth rate of any major platform. Instagram showed mid-single-digit follower growth, Facebook was flat, and X saw flat to slightly negative growth. (Source: Emplifi Social Media Benchmarks 2026)<\/p>\n"},{"title":"What content format performs best on Facebook?","content":"<p>Live video generates the highest engagement on Facebook \u2014 nearly four times more than links and six times more than images, based on median interaction data. For paid performance, Facebook Feed placements offer the most efficient CPMs and predictable scale. (Source: Emplifi Social Media Benchmarks 2026)<\/p>\n"},{"title":"Which platform has the lowest CPMs for paid social advertising?","content":"<p>X (formerly Twitter) has the lowest CPMs of all measured platforms. TikTok delivers lower CPMs than Meta platforms. Instagram carries the highest CPMs, reflecting intense competition for impressions. Facebook offers more cost-efficient CPMs than Instagram within the Meta ecosystem. (Source: Emplifi Social Media Benchmarks 2026)<\/p>\n"},{"title":"How much should brands spend on TikTok ads?","content":"<p>Median ad spend per account on TikTok peaks near $15,000 per quarter \u2014 the highest of any major network. Brands that treat TikTok as a core channel spend 2\u20133 times the median and see significantly greater reach. TikTok&#8217;s CPMs are lower than Meta platforms, making higher-volume spend more efficient. (Source: Emplifi Social Media Benchmarks 2026)<\/p>\n"},{"title":"Is X (Twitter) still worth investing in for brands?","content":"<p>X shows flat to slightly negative follower growth and is not a primary growth channel for most brands in 2026. However, it retains tactical value for real-time conversation in specific categories \u2014 particularly Alcohol, Automotive, and FMCG Food. X also maintains the lowest CPMs of any measured platform. (Source: Emplifi Social Media Benchmarks 2026)<\/p>\n"},{"title":"What is the best social media strategy for 2026?","content":"<p>The 2026 Emplifi benchmarks point to four priorities: (1) Treat TikTok as a core channel for audience growth and engagement. (2) Shift Instagram investment toward Reels, Carousels, and share-worthy content. (3) Use Meta platforms to anchor paid reach for predictable scale. (4) Reserve X for tactical, real-time conversation goals rather than growth. (Source: Emplifi Social Media Benchmarks 2026)<\/p>\n"}],"disclaimer_text":"","add_additional_sections":false,"additional_faq_sections":false},"hero_read_time":"15","left_sidebar_cta_headline":"Product Tour: How to simplify reporting with Unified Analytics","left_sidebar_cta_text":"","left_sidebar_cta_button":{"title":"Watch now","url":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/product-tours\/how-to-simplify-reporting-with-unified-analytics\/?utm_source=emplifi&utm_medium=organic-search&utm_campaign=blog-article-cta&utm_term=global&utm_content=product-tour","target":""},"sidebar_left_featured_resource":21799,"left_sidebar_type":"sticky","hero_button":{"title":"Download full report","url":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/resources\/social-media-benchmark-report\/","target":"_blank"},"hero_text":"<p>The Emplifi Social Media Benchmarks 2026 report analysed thousands of brand accounts across six major platforms. Key findings: TikTok leads on both follower growth (200%+ YoY) and engagement (35.9% median peak), Instagram engagement is in decline, and X is best treated as a tactical channel rather than a growth driver.<\/p>\n"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_posts\/10218","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/resource_posts"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10218"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"resource_topics_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_topics_tax?post=10218"},{"taxonomy":"resource_types_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_types_tax?post=10218"},{"taxonomy":"resource_industries_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_industries_tax?post=10218"},{"taxonomy":"resource_visibility_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_visibility_tax?post=10218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}