RivalIQ 丨 A QUID COMPANY

2025 Social Media Industry Benchmark Report

Industry benchmarks across the most important social media metrics

Introduction

We’re back with a supercharged version of our annual Social Media Industry Benchmark Report. We surveyed thousands of the most engaging brands and companies on social to analyze what’s really making them so successful.

The Benchmarks:

Our biggest report ever features the most important metrics from 2024 across 14 top industries:

• Alcohol

. • Health & Beauty

• Media

• Tech & Software

• Fashion

• Higher Education

• Nonprofi ts

• Travel

• Financial Services

• Home Decor

• Retail

• Food & Beverage

• Infl uencers

Sports Teams

This report has everything you need to measure your social media success against your competitors on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram across these 14 major industries. We also feature tons of insights about how social media engagement has changed over the last year for these industries so you can optimize your strategy in 2025. As usual, we have channel observations, best post types, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok hashtags, and more.

Now let’s get benchmarking.

Key takeaways

Engagement took a tumble, especially on Twitter (X)

Every platform saw engagement rates fall— Facebook dropped 36%, Instagram 16%, TikTok 34%, but X took the biggest hit at 48%.

Carousels took the lead on Instagram

Carousels outperformed Reels in engagement this year, proving that multi-image posts still resonate with audiences.

TikTok still leads in engagement but saw declines overall. Higher Ed and Nonprofi ts bucked the trend, showing that campus and cause-driven content continues to connect.

TikTok is king, but its crown is slipping

Posting frequency shifted

TikTok posting ticked up, while Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter saw declines. Media and Sports Teams led the charge, posting more than any other industries.

Holiday hashtags delivered again

Once, again, almost every industry earned top engagement rates from holidayhashtagged posts.

Health & Beauty struggled to stand out

A saturated market hurt Health & Beauty, which had the lowest engagement across platforms.

Methodology

To spot trends and identify benchmarks, we used Rival IQ to analyze engagement rates, posting frequency, post types, and hashtags on the top four social channels for brands: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.

We defi ne engagement as measurable interaction on organic and boosted social media posts, including likes, comments, favorites, retweets, shares, and reactions. Engagement rate is calculated based on all these interactions divided by total follower count.

We provide a representative sample of national and international companies in each industry by selecting 150 companies at random from each industry in our database of over 200,000 companies. Companies selected had active presences on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter as of January 2025, and had Facebook fan counts between 25,000 and 1,000,000 and minimum Instagram, TikTok, Twitter followers of 5,000 as of the same date. We used median performance from the companies selected for each industry to compile the data for this report.

Who’s included in this study?

2,100 COMPANIES 150 FROM EACH OF THE FOLLOWING 14 INDUSTRIES:

WITH

25,000-1,000,000

5,000

5,000
FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS
INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS
TWITTER FOLLOWERS
TIKTOK FOLLOWERS

The stats

1.8M POSTS

436M ENGAGEMENTS

925K POSTS

2.5B ENGAGEMENTS

1.7M TWEETS

338M ENGAGEMENTS

410K VIDEOS

5.7B ENGAGEMENTS

RivalIQ A QUID COMPANY

The Benchmarks

Why do we benchmark?

Social media success is about so much more than getting the most comments or likes: it’s about increasing engagement while also growing or maintaining the percentage of your audience that engages as you expand your audience.

To us, engagement rate per post is the metric because it controls for post volume and audience size and helps marketers understand how they’re doing in relation to their competitors.

Why can’t you gauge success on likes alone? Because audience size is hugely important: 1,000 likes makes a huge diff erence to a brand with 2,000 followers, but is a drop in the bucket to a brand with 100,000 followers.

With that core metric in mind, we include a detailed look at each industry’s engagement rate alongside posting frequency, post media types, hashtags, and more for a true

sense of social performance.

In addition to our social media industry breakdowns, we also compare all the industries together so you can see how things shake out across the board.

Quick note: the truest measure of your social content’s resonance would be engagement divided by unique reach (the count of unique people who saw your content) or impressions (the number of times your content was displayed). Unfortunately, due to the Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter API restrictions, we aren’t able to include this particular stat.

Start measuring your social performance

Ready to compare your social media performance live? Check out our Explore landscapes, where we feature live social media metrics from a sample of companies from each industry represented in this study. These landscapes feature hashtag performance, top post types, and so much more on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Or, run a free Head-to-Head report against your biggest rival to see how you measure up to both your competition and against industry benchmarks represented in this study.

(Oh, and if you're a Rival IQ customer or in a trial, you can add those stats directly into your Rival IQ account for even more comparisons.)

Live Social Benchmark Dashboards

Your Head-to-Head Social Snapshot

dTikTok Head-to-Head

Head-to-Head

Facebook engagement

Engagement rate per post (by follower)

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Engagement took a dip this year: the all-industry median fell, along with declines in Sports Teams, Higher Ed, and Infl uencers. But there were some bright spots—Food & Beverage saw a small gain, while Financial Services held steady.

Facebook activity

Posts per week

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Brands hit the brakes on Facebook posting this year, with Fashion, Health & Beauty, and Food & Beverage seeing the biggest slowdowns. Media stayed the most active despite a slight dip, while Sports Teams picked up the pace.

 Facebook posts vs. engagement

Posts per week vs. engagement rate per post (by follower)

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Higher Ed and Infl uencers continue to hit the sweet spot, pairing moderate posting frequency with strong engagement.

 Instagram engagement

Engagement rate per post (by follower)

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Instagram engagement dipped across the board. Retail and Home Decor brands saw sharp declines of nearly 30%.

 Instagram activity

Posts per week

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

For the fi rst time in three years, median posting frequency on Instagram decreased slightly. While most industries held steady or scaled back, Infl uencers bucked the trend, increasing their posting frequency the most by nearly 20%.

 Instagram posts vs. engagement

Posts per week vs. engagement rate per post (by follower)

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Higher Ed was the clear engagement winner on Instagram despite belowmedian posting frequency, suggesting more isn’t always better on Instagram (though second-place Sports Teams might beg to differ).

Twitter engagement

Engagement rate per tweet (by follower)

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Twitter engagement continues to slide, with multiple industries— including Fashion, Food & Beverage, and Health & Beauty—dropping to nearly zero. Financial Services and Media held steady, but overall, brands saw a notable decline.

Twitter activity

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Tweeting slowed down even more this year, with most industries cutting their posting in half—or stopping altogether. Sports Teams were the rare exception, ramping up their activity.

Twitter tweets vs. engagement

Tweets per week vs. engagement rate per tweet (by follower)

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Higher Ed and Sports Teams still lead on Twitter, but Media proves once again that more tweets don’t mean more engagement.

TikTok engagement

Engagement rate per video (by follower)

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

TikTok engagement rates continued to fall this
year, with industries like Fashion, Food &
Beverage, and Sports
Teams seeing some of the biggest drops. The silver lining? TikTok still
outperforms every other social platform for
engagement.

TikTok activity

Videos per week

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

TikTok posting ticked up overall, with Sports Teams, Higher Ed, and Home Decor leading the charge. Media scaled back slightly but stayed the most active.

TikTok videos vs. engagement

Videos per week vs. engagement rate per video (by follower)

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Higher Ed once again outpaced the competition on TikTok, boasting the highest engagement rates with modest posting activity. This year, Nonprofi ts claimed second place, edging out Sports Teams.

Engagement rate benchmarks over time

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

TikTok engagement rates dipped again this year but still far surpass Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. While the gap has narrowed slightly, TikTok remains the dominant platform for audience interaction.

Weekly posting over time

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Post frequency increased just a bit on TikTok this year while slowing down on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Twitter posting took the sharpest dive at 33%, suggesting people aren’t as invested in X as they once were.

Rival IQ A QUID COMPANY

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT Alcohol

Overview

Cheers to Alcohol brands fi nding their groove on Facebook

Alcohol brands matched or beat median engagement rates across the board this year. Facebook saw the biggest win with a 72.5% engagement boost, even as brands posted 40% less often.

A few ways Alcohol brands can keep up the pace:

• Prioritize high-performing content types—videos on Twitter and carousels on Instagram drove the best engagement this year.

Lean into hashtags tied to beer and seasonal events. Giveaways on Instagram and beer-themed tags on TikTok were big crowd-pleasers.

FACEBOOK POSTS PER WEEK

INSTAGRAM POSTS PER WEEK

TWEETS PER WEEK

2.51

VIDEOS PER WEEK

2.87

049

0.42

FACEBOOK ENG RATE / POST

INSTAGRAM ENG RATE / POST

TWITTER ENG RATE / TWEET

TIKTOK ENG RATE / VIDEO

0.069%

0.368%

0.017%

1.76%

SAMPLE BRANDS

 Facebook metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Photo posts still lead the way for Alcohol brands on Facebook. Once again, they deliver the highest engagement rates, outperforming links, videos, and status updates by a wide margin.

 Instagram metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Carousels topped engagement for Alcohol brands on Instagram, with Reels and Photos close behind. Turning single-photo posts into carousels could off er an easy win.

ALCOHOL

Twitter metrics by tweet type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Photo tweets were the most frequent for Alcohol brands on Twitter, but videos drove the highest engagement. Status and Link tweets were posted so infrequently they round down to zero posts per week, yet still showed measurable engagement —suggesting occasional use can be eff ective.

 Instagram hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Alcohol brands leaned into giveaways on Instagram, with #giveaway earning over 1.5x the engagement of the next best performer. Seasonal hits like #thanksgiving and #dryjanuary followed closely, while #cocktails stayed a fan favorite.

 Twitter hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Alcohol followers ate up holiday-themed hashtags on Instagram, with #fathersday leading the charge. Other favorites like #halloween, and #valentinesday also kept audiences engaged, proving that seasonal content continues to resonate year-round.

TikTok hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Channel-specifi c hashtags like #fyp and #foryou still dominated on TikTok, but beer-related tags proved to be the real crowd-pleasers.

RivalIQ A QUID COMPANY

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT Fashion

Overview

Fashion struggling across all channels

Fashion brands saw engagement dip across platforms this year, particularly with Twitter activity coming to a standstill.

Some suggestions for Fashion brands:

• Invest more in TikTok, which is paying more engagement dividends than other channels right now.

• Double down on Reels and trending hashtags like #fi tcheck on TikTok, where video content still drives engagement despite overall declines.

FACEBOOK POSTS PER WEEK

INSTAGRAM POSTS PER WEEK

TWEETS PER WEEK

3.39

5.23

VIDEOS PER WEEK

0.02

2.14

FACEBOOK ENG RATE / POST

INSTAGRAM ENG RATE / POST

TWITTER ENG RATE / TWEET

TIKTOK ENG RATE / VIDEO

0.018%

0.147%

0.001%

0.95%

SAMPLE BRANDS

 Facebook metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Photos kept stealing the spotlight for Fashion brands on Facebook.

Links and videos trailed behind with similar engagement, while status updates were few and far between as brands stuck to more eye-catching content.

Instagram metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Fashion brands leaned into Reels and Carousels on Instagram, both driving the highest engagement rates this year. Reels saw a slight edge over Carousels, marking a shift in how brands connect with their audiences.

FASHION

Twitter metrics by tweet type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Fashion brands kept
Twitter activity light, with most post types seeing minimal use. Video
tweets led in
engagement, while
status and link posts
remained rare and less eff ective.

 Instagram hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Seasonal favorites like #fathersday and #valentinesday were big hits on Instagram, while go-to fashion tags like #ootd and #streetstyle kept the likes rolling in.

 Twitter hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Fashion brands saw big wins with seasonal hashtags on Twitter.

Unexpected entries like #euro2024 also captured attention, showing that timely, event-based content resonates beyond traditional fashion themes.

TikTok hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

fi tcheck was the clear winner for Fashion brands on TikTok, pulling in an engagement rate over 1.5x higher than the next best hashtag

Trendy, everyday content clearly resonated with followers looking for style inspiration.

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT Financial Services

Overview

FinServ brands saw big wins on Twitter

Twitter was a bright spot for Financial Services, doubling its engagement rate while nearly doubling post frequency.

A few ideas for Financial Services brands:

Keep the momentum going on Twitter, where both engagement and post frequency have surged for FinServ brands.

Educational hashtags like #FinTok and #Money were top performers, proving FinServ followers are down to learn.

FACEBOOK POSTS PER WEEK

INSTAGRAM POSTS PER WEEK

4.32

TWEETS PER WEEK

4.29

4.27

VIDEOS PER WEEK

1.32

FACEBOOK ENG RATE / POST

INSTAGRAM ENG RATE / POST

TWITTER ENG RATE / TWEET

TIKTOK ENG RATE / VIDEO

0.040%

0.261%

0.025%

1.33%

SAMPLE BRANDS

FINANCIAL SERVICES

 Facebook metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Photos topped the charts for Financial Services brands on Facebook, pulling in the highest engagement rates. Videos weren’t far behind, while status and link posts saw less love.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

 Instagram metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Carousels took the lead for Financial Services brands on Instagram, pulling in the highest engagement, even though Reels were posted more than twice as often.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Twitter metrics by tweet type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Photo tweets pulled in the highest engagement for Financial Services brands on Twitter, with videos close behind.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

 Instagram hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Financial Services brands leaned into meaningful
moments, with

internationalwomensday leading the way in

engagement.

Finance-focused hashtags like #investment and #infl ation also kept audiences engaged yearround.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

 Twitter hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Financial Services brands were all about holiday and fi nance hashtags this year on Twitter.

Hashtags like

valentinesday and

internationalwomensday led engagement, while

staples like #investment,

fi nance, and #bitcoin kept the money conversation

fl owing.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

TikTok hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

While holiday-themed hashtags ruled Instagram and Twitter, Financial Services brands got straight to business on TikTok with moneyfocused tags.

Hashtags like #money and #fi ntok led the way, while budgeting and investing content kept followers engaged.

Rival IQ A QUID COMPANY

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT Food & Beverage

SAMPLE BRANDS

Overview

Food & Beverage faring best on Instagram and TikTok

Food & Beverage brands served up strong engagement on Instagram and TikTok, outperforming the median engagement rates across industries.

Some ideas for improvement:

• Short-form videos are still the recipe for success. Keep experimenting with Reels and trending TikTok content.

• Holiday and recipe-themed content continues to resonate year-round, keeping followers engaged and hungry for more.

FACEBOOK POSTS PER WEEK

INSTAGRAM POSTS PER WEEK

TWEETS PER WEEK

1.92

VIDEOS PER WEEK

0.08

2.79

1.37

FACEBOOK ENG RATE / POST

INSTAGRAM ENG RATE / POST

TWITTER ENG RATE / TWEET

TIKTOK ENG RATE / VIDEO

0.032%

0.400%

0.003%

2.04%

 Facebook metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Photo posts stood out for Food & Beverage brands on Facebook this year hoping to entice followers to connect IRL with mouthwatering snaps of their off erings.

 Instagram metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Food & Beverage brands cooked up success with Reels this year, shifting focus from traditional videos to short-form content that delivered strong engagement. But it was carousels that stole the spotlight, leading engagement rates despite being posted less frequently.

 Twitter metrics by tweet type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Photo tweets served up the highest engagement for Food & Beverage brands on Twitter this year.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

 Instagram hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Food & Beverage brands spiced up Instagram with hashtags like #giveaway and #recipes, driving the highest engagement rates.

 Twitter hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Holiday-themed hashtags served up solid engagement for Food & Beverage brands on Twitter this year.

TikTok hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Food & Beverage brands blended trend-driven
hashtags into their
TikTok strategy to cook up stronger
engagement.

RivalIQ A QUID COMPANY

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT Health & Beauty

HEALTH & BEAUTY Overview

Health & Beauty lost its shine

Health & Beauty brands struggled to engage fans and followers compared to their fellow industries, earning the lowest engagement rates far below the allindustry median across all four channels thanks in part to a saturated market.

A few growth ideas:

• Continue favoring TikTok and Instagram while keeping eff orts low on Twitter, which doesn’t have much engagement payoff in this industry.

• Keep engaging fans with product releases and the next big trend in beauty.

FACEBOOK POSTS PER WEEK

INSTAGRAM POSTS PER WEEK

TWEETS PER WEEK

2.94

VIDEOS PER WEEK

6.04

0.00

3.15

FACEBOOK ENG RATE / POST

INSTAGRAM ENG RATE / POST

TWITTER ENG RATE / TWEET

TIKTOK ENG RATE / VIDEO

0.017%

0.144%

0.000%

0.85%

SAMPLE BRANDS

HEALTH & BEAUTY

 Facebook metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Photos took the lead for Health & Beauty brands on Facebook this year, pulling in the highest engagement rates by far. While videos performed decently, links and status updates lagged behind, proving that vibrant visuals are still the key to capturing attention.

 Instagram metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Photos stole the spotlight for Health & Beauty brands this year, earning the highest engagement rates. But Reels weren’t far behind—and brands posted nearly twice as many Reels as photos.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Twitter metrics by tweet type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Health & Beauty brands tweeted less than ever this year, leaning slightly more on links and status updates, which edged out photos and videos in engagement rates.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

 Instagram hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Giveaways and festive vibes ruled for Health & Beauty brands on Instagram this year, with hashtags like #giveaway, #christmas, and #happynewyear leading the charge.

 Twitter hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Giveaways were the clear winners for Health & Beauty brands on Twitter this year, earning signifi cantly more engagement than any other hashtag.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

TikTok hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Product launches stole the show for Health & Beauty brands on TikTok this year, with hashtags like #newlaunch and #newproduct driving top engagement.

ASMR content and behindthe-scenes peeks also kept followers hooked.

RivalIQ A QUID COMPANY

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT: Higher Ed

Overview

Higher Ed dominates across all social channels

Colleges and universities saw massive engagement rate boosts, especially on Instagram and TikTok, where they more than quadrupled the median.

For even higher Higher Ed engagement rates:

• Photos and Carousels continue to drive strong engagement, so don’t underestimate its impact alongside video.

• Leverage campus-focused hashtags like #openingweek and #moveinday to tap into student pride and involvement.

FACEBOOK POSTS PER WEEK

INSTAGRAM POSTS PER WEEK

TWEETS PER WEEK

6.35

4.07

VIDEOS PER WEEK

4.90

1.59

FACEBOOK ENG RATE / POST

INSTAGRAM ENG RATE / POST

TWITTER ENG RATE / TWEET

0.126%

TIKTOK ENG RATE / VIDEO

2.101%

0.036%

7.36%

SAMPLE BRANDS

HIGHER ED

 Facebook metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Photo posts dominated the engagement charts for Higher Ed this year, with videos and links to content and campus news coming in a distant second.

 Instagram metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Carousel posts soared for schools on Instagram this year, but Reels weren’t far behind as Higher Ed continued to reinvest energy normally spent on videos.

HIGHER ED

Twitter metrics by tweet type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Photos led the way for Higher Ed brands on Twitter this year, earning the highest engagement rates while being posted 3x more than any other tweet type.

 Instagram hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Campus life hashtags like #fi nalsweek, #collegelife, and #graduation struck a chord with Higher Ed audiences on Instagram this year, driving strong engagement.

HIGHER ED

 Twitter hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Colleges and universities were all about holidaythemed hashtags on Twitter this year.

HIGHER ED

TikTok hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Travel and event-focused hashtags like #travel, #springbreak, and #collegefootball scored big for Higher Ed brands on TikTok this year. By tapping into student adventures and campus pride, schools kept their content relatable and highly engaging.

RivalIQ A QUID COMPANY

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT Home Decor

Overview

Home Decor struggling to connect again

Home Decor brands earned engagement rates towards the bottom of the pack on all channels,

Some ideas for increasing engagement:

• Industry-themed hashtags helped followers fi nd Home Decor content, so keep those up.

Photos and Reels are the way to go on most channels.

FACEBOOK POSTS PER WEEK

INSTAGRAM POSTS PER WEEK

3.56

TWEETS PER WEEK

4.70

0.02

VIDEOS PER WEEK

2.13

FACEBOOK ENG RATE / POST

INSTAGRAM ENG RATE / POST

TWITTER ENG RATE / TWEET

TIKTOK ENG RATE / VIDEO

0.023%

0.136%

0.001%

1.52%

SAMPLE BRANDS

 Facebook metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Home Decor brands were way likelier to post a photo on Facebook than any other post type, which is a smart move, since photos grabbed much higher engagement rates.

 Instagram metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Home Decor brands left video behind in a big way this year in favor of Reels, which paid off with the highest engagement rates of any post type.

 Twitter metrics by tweet type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Photo tweets earned the highest engagement rates for Home Decor brands on Twitter this year, even though posting overall was pretty sparse.

 Instagram hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Holiday-themed hashtags like #winter and #valentinesday brought the most engagement for Home Decor brands on Instagram this year, showing that seasonal content really resonates with followers

 Twitter hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Valentine’s Day tweets outpaced other Home Decor hashtags on Twitter by a mile for Home Decor brands this year.

HOME DECOR

TikTok hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Home Decor brands mixed things up on TikTok this year, pairing seasonal and roomfocused hashtags like #easter and #bedroominspo with unexpected favorites like #pasta and #recipe.

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT Infl uencers

Overview

Infl uencers dominating on Instagram and Facebook

Infl uencers saw strong success on Facebook and Instagram this year. However TikTok was the toughest nut to crack, falling 36% below the median engagement rate.

Ideas to boost that engagement even more:

Motivational hashtags like #love and #mindset resonated with fans on Instagram.

• Try shaking up your posting frequency and content on TikTok to dominate on this channel as well.

FACEBOOK POSTS PER WEEK

INSTAGRAM POSTS PER WEEK

3.52

TWEETS PER WEEK

4.50

VIDEOS PER WEEK

1.54

1.99

FACEBOOK ENG RATE / POST

INSTAGRAM ENG RATE / POST

TWITTER ENG RATE / TWEET

TIKTOK ENG RATE / VIDEO

0.095%

0.576%

0.021%

1.11%

SAMPLE BRANDS

 Facebook metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Photos were the topperforming post type for Infl uencers on Facebook this year, bringing in the highest engagement rates compared to videos, status updates, and links. Prioritizing visual content paid off for these creators.

 Instagram metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Carousels led the way for Infl uencers on Instagram this year with the highest engagement rates, closely followed by photos and Reels.

Reels were posted about twice as often as carousels and photos, even though it didn’t outperform static content.

INFLUENCERS

Twitter metrics by tweet type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Status updates edged out photos as the most engaging tweet type for Infl uencers this year, even though photos were posted nearly three times as often.

 Instagram hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Positive vibes ruled for
Infl uencers on Instagram this year, with hashtags like #love, #gratitude, and #mindset driving strong engagement. Even
branded hashtags like

ad found their place

among the top
performers, showing that authenticity and
promotion can go handin-hand.

Twitter hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Infl uencers tapped into trending events and nostalgic moments on Twitter this year. Hashtags like #paris2024 and #tbt topped engagement charts.

TikTok hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

TikTok-themed hashtags like #asmr, #foryou, and #viral helped Infl uencers hop onto the For You Page of fans and followers.

RivalIQ AQUID COMPANY

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT Media

Overview

Media Brands posting more but engaging less

Media brands dramatically ramped up their posting frequency (no surprise there with the US election coverage) across all four channels this year, especially on Facebook and TikTok, but struggled to maintain engagement rates.

A few ideas to improve engagement rates:

• Visual content like photos and Reels outperformed links, which remained Media brands’ go-to post type.

• Current events and political hashtags like #debate and #election2024 drove strong engagement, especially on TikTok.

FACEBOOK POSTS PER WEEK

INSTAGRAM POSTS PER WEEK

TWEETS PER WEEK

61.90

13.03

VIDEOS PER WEEK

49.90

6.66

FACEBOOK ENG RATE / POST

0.019%

INSTAGRAM ENG RATE / POST

TWITTER ENG RATE / TWEET

0.443%

TIKTOK ENG RATE / VIDEO

0.006%

1.34%

SAMPLE BRANDS

 Facebook metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Photos rocked top engagement rates for Media brands on Facebook, though these brands were more than 3x as likely to post a link.

 Instagram metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Reels earned more than thrice the engagement rates of video posts for Media brands on Instagram this year.

MEDIA

 Twitter metrics by tweet type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Media brands favored link tweets this year, but video tweets pulled in about 2.5x more engagement, signaling an opportunity to shift focus toward richer content.

 Instagram hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Media brands leaned into entertainment on Instagram this year, with hashtags like #funny, #fi lm, and #viral leading engagement.

MEDIA

Twitter hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Media brands leaned into social issues and major global events on Twitter this year. Hashtags like #paris2024,#international womensday, and #donaldtrump topped engagement charts, proving that timely, newsworthy content continues to resonate with followers.

TikTok hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Election chatter was a big win for Media brands on TikTok this year, with hashtags like #election2024 and #debate driving solid engagement alongside trending celeb moments.

RivalIQ A QUID COMPANY

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT Nonprofi ts

NONPROFITS Overview

Nonprofi ts rocking it across the board

Nonprofi ts saw above-median engagement rates across all social channels this year and earned the silver on TikTok.

Suggestions for Nonprofi ts:

Event-themed hashtags helped followers fi nd your content.

• Keep investing in post types that resonate on each channel.

FACEBOOK POSTS PER WEEK

INSTAGRAM POSTS PER WEEK

TWEETS PER WEEK

5.51

VIDEOS PER WEEK

5.68

4.18

1.42

FACEBOOK ENG RATE / POST

INSTAGRAM ENG RATE / POST

TWITTER ENG RATE / TWEET

0.046%

TIKTOK ENG RATE / VIDEO

0.561%

0.023%

3.04%

SAMPLE BRANDS

NONPROFITS

 Facebook metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Photos earned top engagement rates for Nonprofi ts this year, who shared this post type 3x more often than any other.

 Instagram metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Carousels outdid other posts types for
Nonprofi ts on Instagram this year, who might
want to increase their
investment in that post type to capture more of their audience’s
attention.

NONPROFITS

 Twitter metrics by tweet type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Videos earned top engagement rates for Nonprofi ts this year on Twitter, but the extra work that goes into producing a video meant photo and link tweets were more common for these organizations.

 Instagram hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Hashtags tied to social issues and global events drove strong
engagement for
Nonprofi ts on Instagram this year. From

paris2024 to

humanrights, followers were eager to connect with causes that matter.

NONPROFITS

Twitter hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Hashtags tied to awareness days and social causes dominated engagement for Nonprofi ts on Twitter this year.

NONPROFITS

TikTok hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Nonprofi ts saw strong TikTok engagement with hashtags tied to both social causes and timely events.

From #mentalhealth awareness to encouraging followers to #vote, these hashtags resonated alongside trending topics like #taylorswift.

Rival IQ AQUID COMPANY

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT Retail

Overview

Retail Struggles to Keep Up on Social

Retail brands struggled on social media this year, with engagement rates dropping across all channels—most notably on Instagram, where rates fell by over 50% despite more frequent posting.

Some ideas for improving social performance this year:

Stick with photo posts to help boost engagement, and have some fun experimenting with videos, especially Reels and TikToks.

Get creative with hashtags like #offi celife, and #unboxing to connect with followers in a more playful, everyday way—not just during the holidays!

FACEBOOK POSTS PER WEEK

INSTAGRAM POSTS PER WEEK

TWEETS PER WEEK

4.70

5.56

VIDEOS PER WEEK

0.33

2.59

FACEBOOK ENG RATE / POST

INSTAGRAM ENG RATE / POST

TWITTER ENG RATE / TWEET

TIKTOK ENG RATE / VIDEO

0.024%

0.160%

0.005%

1.28%

SAMPLE BRANDS

 Facebook metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Retail brands found success with photos on Facebook this year, earning the highest engagement rates across post types. While videos and links saw moderate engagement, photos clearly resonated most and brands leaned into this by posting them 3x more frequently.

 Instagram metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Reels led the way for Retail brands on Instagram this year, earning the highest engagement rates among post types.

RETAIL

 Twitter metrics by tweet type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Photos earned the
highest engagement
rates for Retail brands on Twitter this year, but videos and links weren’t far behind. Despite this, Retail brands hardly
posted videos, links, or status updates,
suggesting an
opportunity to diversify content.

 Instagram hashtags by engagement rate

* Hashtags used by more than 15 companies in this study

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Retail brands leaned into contest-themed
hashtags on Instagram this year, with

competition, #win, and #giveaway topping the charts for engagement.

RETAIL

Twitter hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Retail brands got festive on Twitter this year, but it was #taylorswift, #happynewyear, and #fathersday that stole the spotlight, beating out classic shopping events like #blackfriday.

RETAIL

TikTok hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Retail brands leaned into lifestyle content on TikTok this year, with hashtags like #offi celife, #selfcare, and #outfi tideas earning top engagement. Turns out, followers love a little behind-the-scenes peek while they shop!

RivalIQ A QUID COMPANY

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT Sports Teams

Overview

Sports Teams go for the gold

Once again, Sports Teams saw top engagement rates on Facebook and Twitter and were runners-up on Instagram. More posting doesn’t always equal more engagements, but it certainly did for Sports Teams this year.

Some ways to improve engagement rates even more:

• Keep the content coming—frequent posting is clearly winning over fans.

• Play into fans' love of nostalgia with throwback hashtags like #onthisday and #tbt.

FACEBOOK POSTS PER WEEK

INSTAGRAM POSTS PER WEEK

25.20

TWEETS PER WEEK

19.78

44.25

VIDEOS PER WEEK

3.08

FACEBOOK ENG RATE / POST

INSTAGRAM ENG RATE / POST

TWITTER ENG RATE / TWEET

TIKTOK ENG RATE / VIDEO

0.230%

1.30%

0.073%

2.68%

SAMPLE BRANDS

SPORTS TEAMS

 Facebook metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Photo posts helped Sports Teams earn nearly 5x the median engagement rate on Facebook, putting these brands comfortably in fi rst place.

SPORTS TEAMS

 Instagram metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Video posts stole the show for Sports Teams on Instagram this year, pulling ahead of the more frequently posted Reels, Carousels, and Photos.

SPORTS TEAMS

Twitter metrics by tweet type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Photos were the MVPs for Sports Teams on Twitter this year, but videos were a strong runner-up with higher engagement despite fewer posts.

 Instagram hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Sports Teams went all-in on major events and memorable moments on Instagram this year, with hashtags like #paris2024 and #throwbackthursday leading the pack.

Twitter hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Sports teams kept the nostalgia alive on Twitter this year with throwback hashtags like #onthisday and #tbt, helping fans relive memorable moments.

SPORTS TEAMS

TikTok hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Sports teams brought the fun to TikTok this year, mixing playful hashtags like #prank, #funny, and #mascot with pop culture hits like #taylorswift.

Even classic sports tags like #nhl, #rugby, and #hockey held their own, proving fans love both game highlights and off - the-fi eld laughs.

RivalIQ A QUID COMPANY

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT Tech & Software

Overview

Tech & Software brands tap the brakes

Engagement rates dipped for Tech & Software brands across all channels this year. Posting slowed down too, except on Twitter, where a small engagement boost showed some promise.

Here are two ideas for improving engagement rates:

Carousels outshined other post types on Instagram, even though they were posted less often—time to give them a whirl!

• Hashtags like #marketing and playful picks like #foryou and #funny kept things lively. Mixing in more of these could help reignite follower interest.

FACEBOOK POSTS PER WEEK

INSTAGRAM POSTS PER WEEK

TWEETS PER WEEK

3.84

VIDEOS PER WEEK

2.82

3.89

1.63

FACEBOOK ENG RATE / POST

INSTAGRAM ENG RATE / POST

TWITTER ENG RATE / TWEET

TIKTOK ENG RATE / VIDEO

0.021%

0.327%

0.019%

1.21%

SAMPLE BRANDS

TECH & SOFTWARE

 Facebook metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Photos grabbed great engagement rates on Facebook for Tech & Software brands and were posted most frequently.

Instagram metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Carousels and Reels battled for the top spot on Instagram for Tech & Software brands this year, with Carousels edging ahead slightly in engagement rates. Despite this, brands posted Carousels less frequently than Reels, suggesting an opportunity to boost engagement by increasing Carousel content.

TECH & SOFTWARE

Twitter metrics by tweet type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Photo tweets were the go-to for Tech & Software brands on Twitter this year, leading in both engagement rate and posting frequency.

 Instagram hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Tech & Software brands had #marketing on lock this year, pulling in nearly 4x more engagement than industry-focused hashtags like #tech and #gaming on Instagram.

TECH & SOFTWARE

Twitter hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Tech & Software brands were all about the deals this year, with #blackfriday leading engagement by a wide margin on Twitter.

TECH & SOFTWARE

TikTok hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Tech & Software brands leaned into playful, trending hashtags like #foryou and #funny on TikTok this year, proving even techies love a good laugh.

RivalIQ A QUID COMPANY

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT Travel

Overview

Travel fl ying high on Facebook and TikTok

Travel brands earned above-media engagement rates on Facebook and TikTok while running in the middle of the pack on Instagram and Twitter.

A few suggestions to grow engagement:

• Luxury and destination hashtags performed especially well for Travel brands this year.

• Posting frequency was below-median across the board, so experiment with an uptick here to see if you can increase your current engagement rates without sacrifi cing content quality.

FACEBOOK POSTS PER WEEK

INSTAGRAM POSTS PER WEEK

3.10

TWEETS PER WEEK

3.58

VIDEOS PER WEEK

0.34

2.11

FACEBOOK ENG RATE / POST

INSTAGRAM ENG RATE / POST

TWITTER ENG RATE / TWEET

TIKTOK ENG RATE / VIDEO

0.061%

0.341%

0.009%

2.73%

SAMPLE BRANDS

SOL BY MELIA

 Facebook metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Photos led the way for Travel brands on Facebook this year, earning 1.5x the engagement of other post types and posted more frequently than videos, links, or status updates.

Instagram metrics by post type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

For the third year in a row, Reels outperformed other post types for Travel brands.

TRAVEL

 Twitter metrics by tweet type

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

No surprise that it’s all about the visuals for Travel brands on Twitter, with video and photo tweets performing about twice as well as link and status tweets.

TRAVEL

 Instagram hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Holiday cheer ruled Travel hashtags on Instagram this year, with #merrychristmas, #christmas, and #festiveseason topping the charts.

TRAVEL

Twitter hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Holiday hashtags took off for Travel brands on Twitter this year! #fathersday led the pack with over 4x the engagement of the next top hashtag, #merrychristmas.

TRAVEL

TikTok hashtags by engagement rate

RIVAL IQ INSIGHT

Travel brands had TikTok followers dreaming big this year with hashtags like #luxurytravel and #travelgoals, which led the pack by more than 1% over the next top hashtag.

RivalIQ + QUID

Together, Rival IQ and Quid help you:

Supercharge your social landscape

Track results across all social profi les, including engagement, infl uencers, social bios, and sentiment — for you and your competitors.

Stay ahead of the competition

Conduct competitive analysis in minutes. Monitor your industry, create benchmarks, and evaluate competitor activity in time to respond before the market shifts direction.

Do more with your data

Dive deeper into your social media analytics for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, boosted post detection, hashtag analysis, and so much more.

GET YOUR FREE TRIAL

2025年社交媒体行业基准报告 听光Vic

2025年社交媒体行业基准报告听光Vic