TikTok Engagement Rate Calculator
Use our free TikTok engagement rate calculator to check how engaged a creator’s audience really is. Try it for other platforms too:
Real data. Real performance.
With over 100 million creators continuously tracked, 100K+ rate submissions from creators, and millions of dollars optimized in ROI, 1stCollab offers the most trustworthy data set in influencer marketing.
See how the fastest-growing brands use 1stCollab to source creators, negotiate rates, and measure ROI, all in one platform.
How to calculate engagement rates on TikTok
The most common method to calculate TikTok engagement is to divide total interactions by followers. That’s the traditional formula, and it can be useful as a quick, rough benchmark.
But this followers-based approach is a remnant of the old Instagram “following feed” era, when reach roughly matched an influencer's follower count. Today, algorithmic distribution, like TikTok's “For You” page, decides who sees what content, and reach depends on performance, not audience size.
Traditional formula
Engagement Rate = (Likes + Comments + Shares) ÷ Followers x 100
This method reflects true viewer interest, not just how many followers the influencer has collected. It’s a fairer, more modern way to compare influencers across different audience sizes and niches. This approach is increasingly becoming the standard across leading influencer platforms, as the industry moves toward measuring engagement based on true reach rather than follower count.
Modern method
Engagement Rate = (Likes + Comments + Shares) ÷ Views x 100
At 1stCollab, our team built and worked on the largest social algorithms ourselves, so we understand how engagement signals actually flow through recommendation systems. That's why we use (and recommend) a more accurate method: calculating engagement per view. Take the creator influencer's total interactions (likes, comments, and shares) and divide by total video views.
What are typical influencer engagement rates on TikTok?
When analyzing influencer performance on TikTok, engagement rates are one of the clearest indicators of audience connection. Rates vary widely depending on creator size, category, and seasonality. Nano and Micro influencers typically earn the highest engagement, while larger creators trade slightly lower engagement for scale and visibility. Here’s how average TikTok engagement rates compare across different creator tiers.
While engagement rate is best calculated using views for accuracy, follower-based tiers are still the industry standard for classification. Most social platforms, including Meta and TikTok, report creator size in follower ranges, which is why we use those tiers below for comparison.
Source: Aggregated 1stCollab creator dataset, analyzing over 100M creator profiles
FAQs
What affects an influencer's engagement rate?
There are three main factors:
Vertical or niche. Some niches naturally see higher engagement than others. For example, beauty, fitness, and lifestyle creators often average higher engagement than tech or finance accounts.
The influencer's own content and consistency. Posting frequency, content relevance, storytelling, and how effectively a creator drives likes and comments all influence engagement.
Audience size. Smaller accounts tend to have higher engagement because their communities are more personal and interactive, while large accounts often see lower percentages as their reach broadens.
Is a low engagement rate always bad?
Not necessarily! Creators in certain niches (like tech or finance) naturally see lower engagement but higher purchase intent. And remember that controversial content often has higher engagement rates due to the comment frequency, but most brands prefer to stay away from this kind of content.
If I'm a TikTok influencer, how can I improve my account's engagement rates?
Post frequently, grab attention in the first two seconds, and keep your videos short and punchy. Use trending sounds, clear captions, and interactive prompts like questions or duets. Replying to comments with new videos is one of the fastest ways to boost engagement and stay in the algorithm’s favor.
