How to calculate and improve your TikTok engagement rate? [Guide 2023]

The TikTok engagement rate is a key metric that allows your brand to measure the interaction of its audience with your content.

In 2020, a TikTok video had an average engagement rate of 17.5%. Even today, despite the app's meteoric growth, it still holds the highest average engagement rate (8.5%) ahead of all other social networks like Instagram and YouTube. 

One of the reasons for this is the average amount of time users spend on the platform - 95 minutes per user per day in 2022 ! This means that they are constantly active on TikTok, in addition to being highly engaged by the viral content shared on the social network. 

With statistics like these, it's no wonder that 52% of marketers use TikTok as part of their communication strategy. However, to take full advantage of the app's awareness and conversion leverage, you need to put in place an action plan that will allow you to boost your engagement rate on TikTok to the maximum.

In this article, we explain how to easily calculate your engagement rate on TikTok and proven tips to capture your audience's attention and increase their engagement. 

What is the TikTok engagement rate and why is it important?

Before explaining how to calculate your engagement on TikTok, let's take a moment to define what we mean by "engagement" .

Generally speaking, and this applies to all social networks, engagement is the attention and reactions you get from users who view your content. This includes the amount of time your video content is viewed (and the rate at which it is viewed). But also the likes, comments, shares and check-ins you receive for each of your TikToks. 

Engagement is the key metric. It is indeed the most important factor to be featured on the platform, to land in the ForYou Page of your target audience, and thus boost the reach of your content. But it's also an excellent indicator to measure the interest in your video content and understand what works and what doesn't in your content strategy. 

How to calculate the TikTok engagement rate?

To have an average engagement rate on TikTok there is a simple formula: 

Total number of interactions related to a post (likes/shares/comments/saves) / Number of users exposed to the post (i.e. number of views) x 100

To measure your engagement rate on TikTok you must therefore start by collecting these metrics, which you can easily find in your TikTok Analytics.

Here's an example, to calculate the engagement rate, of one of the videos we made for La Vie™ Foods with the results recorded a few days after publication:

TikTok engagement rate of the content creator's video: (46.1k + 33 + 619 + 198) / 135k) x 100: 34.6%, which is the best engagement rate of the campaign we launched with La Vie™ Foods.

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How to improve your TikTok engagement rate?

Average engagement rates on most social networks are around 1-2%. But that doesn't mean you should take these numbers as a glass ceiling that you can't exceed.  

Also keep in mind thata good TIkTok engagement rate will not be the same according to your seniority on the platform (it takes some time to federate an engaged community), nor to your sector of activity. 

It's important to note thatengagement rates are often higher for brands and creators with a larger number of subscribers or very high visibility outside the platform. Justin Bieber, for example, has recorded very high TikTok engagement rates, approaching 50%!

If you want to improve your engagement rate to get closer to these numbers, the key is to create content that matches the expectations of TikTok users and interact with them as much as possible. 

5 tips you can implement to boost your engagement on TikTok. 

1. Get inspired by what works on TikTok

The key to content that generates engagement on TikTok is its native nature. So your brand needs to respect the app's codes to create videos that users will be more likely to like (and therefore watch, like, share, etc.)

So don't hesitate to take inspiration from brands in your industry that have already built a great community on TikTok. The idea is not to imitate them, but to look at what works and what you could adapt to your content strategy. For example, the crash test of new products by users/influencers is a very popular format in the beauty niche. You can take it on your own by playing the humor card or by reusing the trendy sounds. 

Be careful also to share fun and entertaining content and not to fall into self-promotion. The GenZ, which is very active on TikTok, is indeed quite shy to the very commercial speech of brands. 

2. Take advantage of the UGC TikTok

UGC is a very powerful engagement lever on TikTok. Indeed, content generated by the platform's users has a better chance of sticking to the native codes of the application, and therefore of generating a higher engagement. But GenZ also trusts the speech of people who look like them rather than the speech of brands. 

Encourage your community to create content around your brands by organizing challenges, taking advantage of Duet and Stitch features or surfing the latest trends. Not only will these videos be more appreciated by your own audience, but you'll also get a boost in engagement and visibility with the subscribers of users who participate in your challenges. 

3. Interact with your community

On social networks in general, and TikTok in particular, it's a give and take. If you want to increase the engagement of your community, you have to create a real dialogue with them, and encourage them to comment on your video by asking them questions or asking for their opinion.  

It's also very important to continue this conversation by responding to comments or hosting Q&A's (i.e. answering a question/comment from one of your followers in a dedicated TikTok). This will encourage your audience to interact with your content as they will feel heard. It's also a good way to give a more human and authentic image to your brand on the app. 

4. Capitalize on viral trends and hashtags

What really sets TikTok apart from other social networks is its ability to offer its users tools to create or exploit viral trends on the platform . This is indeed a paid strategy to attract a larger audience (and increase your number of views), but also to generate more engagement with your audience. 

Also include videos in which you challenge your community or include the latest trending sounds with the most used hashtags in your niche. You can also do like GymShark, and create your own challenge and the hashtag that goes with it. 

#gymshark66 has over 300 million views and some of his most popular videos have generated 6.5% engagement!

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5. Track your engagement rate and adjust your strategy

To achieve high engagement on TikTok, you need to understand how your content is performing, know what type of video resonates with your audience and tailor your communication accordingly.

TikTok Analytics allows you to monitor and analyze your TikTok engagement and better understand how your content is performing. When you see that a video is generating more likes, comments or shares, identify what you did differently (in the content itself, but also the hashtags you used or the time you posted it). 

You will then be able to reproduce these ingredients in your next TikToks and set up a consistent content strategy. This will not only boost your TikTok engagement rates, but also build a strong and loyal community. 

Maximize your visibility on TikTok

Your TikTok engagement is the key metric you should always keep an eye on. It allows you to boost your visibility on the app, but also to better understand what your audience is interested in and likes. 

Use the tips we've just shared with you, keeping in mind that the key point is to publish content that brings value to your community and to keep a consistent editorial line. Don't forget to have fun and be creative: unique content generates the most engagement on TikTok. 

And if you need help improving your TikTok creative content and increasing your engagement, don 't hesitate to ask our team!