2026 Social Media Benchmarks for Small Businesses

A lot of small businesses quit social media right before it starts working—usually because they’re grading themselves against the wrong yardstick.

If you’ve ever looked at a post that “did fine” and still felt disappointed, this is the missing piece: benchmarks. Not vanity “what went viral” stories, but real averages that help you set expectations, plan your effort, and decide where to focus.

Socialinsider’s 2026 benchmarks (based on 70 million posts across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X) give us a practical baseline to work from. And for this Small Business Social Media USA series, that’s the point: realistic goals, platform-specific strategy, and cleaner ROI.

Quick benchmark reality check for 2026: TikTok engagement is 3.70% (up 49% YoY), while Instagram averages 0.48%, and Facebook averages 0.15%. Different platforms. Different expectations.

Source reference: Social Media Today recap of Socialinsider’s 2026 report (published Feb. 2, 2026): https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/2026-social-media-benchmarks-infographic/811179/

What the 2026 benchmarks actually mean (and what they don’t)

Benchmarks are guardrails, not grades. They’re useful because they keep you from overreacting to a “low” Instagram engagement rate or assuming Facebook is “dead” because the percentage looks small.

Here’s what these numbers can do for a small business:

• Set realistic targets for engagement rate per post
• Pick platforms based on how people behave there (not what feels trendy)
• Plan your posting cadence without burning out
• Diagnose problems faster (“Is it our content, or is the platform norm just lower?”)

What they can’t do:

• Guarantee results (industry, creative, offer, and audience fit matter a lot)
• Replace your own baseline (your last 90 days is still the most relevant dataset)

If you want a clean way to use benchmarks: treat them like a speed limit and your own historical results like your car’s dashboard.

2026 platform benchmarks: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X

The headline is simple: TikTok is the engagement outlier, and everyone else plays a different game.

Socialinsider’s key notes reported via Social Media Today:

• TikTok engagement rate: 3.70%, up 49% YoY
• Instagram engagement rate: 0.48%, roughly flat
• Facebook engagement rate: 0.15%, dipping early 2025 and gradually declining
• Comments per post fell on TikTok (24%) and Instagram (16%)
• Brands post an average of 5 posts/week on Instagram and TikTok

TikTok: High engagement, but “quieter” comment sections

TikTok’s 3.70% engagement rate is a huge signal that short-form discovery is still doing the heavy lifting in 2026. The interesting twist is that comments are down 24% on average, which suggests behavior is shifting:

• more watching and liking
• more sharing/saving (often counted as engagement)
• fewer people typing thoughtful replies

Small business takeaway: Don’t measure TikTok success by comments alone. If you’re only asking “why didn’t people comment?” you’ll miss what TikTok is actually rewarding.

What to do instead:

• Add CTAs that fit passive engagement: “Save this,” “Send this to a friend,” “Try this this weekend”
• Use quick proof: before/after, behind-the-scenes, “3 mistakes” formats
• Make your first 2 seconds brutally clear (what it is, who it’s for)

Instagram: Stable engagement, strong intent if you package it right

Instagram’s 0.48% average engagement rate looks small next to TikTok, but it’s been relatively stable. Instagram is often where small businesses build:

• recognizable brand feel
• recurring series content
• DMs that turn into appointments/orders

Small business takeaway: Instagram is less about “big reach” and more about consistent trust-building.

A practical benchmark approach for Instagram:

• If you’re near 0.48%, you’re around average.
• If you’re well below it, tighten your content mix and hooks.
• If you’re above it, protect what’s working and scale thoughtfully.

Facebook: Lower engagement rates, but still valuable for local and community

Facebook’s 0.15% engagement rate reflects what many of us already see: organic engagement is tougher. But for many US small businesses, Facebook still wins in:

• local discovery (community groups)
• events
• reviews and social proof
• retargeting audiences (paired with ads)

Small business takeaway: Use Facebook as a distribution and trust channel, not your primary “viral reach” channel.

If you’re a local service business (HVAC, dental, salons, fitness studios), Facebook groups and community posts can outperform your business page—even if the “engagement rate” metric looks unimpressive.

X (Twitter): Fast feedback, niche strength

Socialinsider included X in the dataset, but the Social Media Today recap focuses its headline benchmarks on TikTok/Instagram/Facebook plus comment trends. Practically, for small businesses, X tends to be strongest when you have:

• an opinionated POV
• a founder voice
• a niche audience (tech, finance, media, local politics)

Small business takeaway: If your customers don’t spend time on X, don’t force it. If they do, X can be your fastest “message testing” platform.

Posting frequency: the 5-posts-per-week trap (and how to make it realistic)

Yes, brands average about 5 posts per week on Instagram and TikTok. No, that doesn’t mean you should copy it blindly.

Here’s what works for small business social media strategy in the real world: pick a cadence you can sustain for 90 days. Consistency beats occasional bursts.

A sustainable small business cadence (that still competes)

If you’re a team of 1–3 people, I like this baseline:

• 3 posts/week on your primary platform
• 2 posts/week on your secondary platform
• Stories 3–5 days/week (lightweight, low-edit)

That’s 5 “real posts” per week across two platforms—close to the benchmark—but not five on each.

How to create 3 posts/week without living on your phone

Use repeatable formats that reduce decision fatigue:

1. Proof post: before/after, testimonial, result
2. Process post: behind-the-scenes, “how we do X,” day-in-the-life
3. Offer post: limited slots, seasonal promo, new product drop

We’re in early February, which is perfect timing to build a Q1 content rhythm: Valentine’s promotions (where relevant), winter service reminders, tax-season offers, or “spring prep” messaging for home and outdoor categories.

The comment drop: what “passive engagement” changes for your content

Comments fell 24% on TikTok and 16% on Instagram in Socialinsider’s benchmark notes. That’s a bigger strategy signal than it looks.

When comments drop, two things usually happen:

• Content that’s useful (save-worthy) outperforms content that’s just entertaining
• Your on-platform community-building needs a new home: DMs, email list, SMS, or a private group

What to post when people don’t comment as much

Aim for actions that don’t require typing:

• “Save this checklist” posts
• “Send to someone who…” posts
• Mini-tutorials (3 steps, 5 mistakes, do/don’t)

And if you do want comments, make them easy:

• Ask for a single word (“Which one: A or B?”)
• Use polls in Stories
• Offer a keyword CTA (“Comment ‘MENU’ and I’ll DM you the link”)

That last one is especially good for lead generation because it moves people into DM conversations, where small businesses often close.

Turn benchmarks into a lead-focused measurement plan

Benchmarks are most useful when you connect them to leads, not likes. Here’s a simple system you can run monthly.

Step 1: Track three numbers per platform

Keep it boring and consistent:

• Engagement rate per post (compare to benchmarks)
• Reach/impressions per post (trend line over time)
• Leads generated (calls, forms, bookings, DMs)

Step 2: Set “good, better, best” targets

Example for a small business on Instagram:

• Good: 0.40–0.55% engagement
• Better: 0.56–0.80%
• Best: 0.81%+

Then pair it with a lead target, like:

• 10 qualified DMs/month
• 20 website clicks/week from IG

Step 3: Audit your content mix, not just your averages

If your average is down, find out why:

• Are offer posts missing clear pricing/next steps?
• Are educational posts too broad (“tips” without specifics)?
• Are you posting formats your audience ignores?

Averages hide extremes. One high-performing series can carry your month—so identify it and repeat it.

People also ask: quick answers for 2026 social media benchmarks

What’s a “good” engagement rate in 2026?

A “good” engagement rate depends on platform. Based on Socialinsider’s 2026 benchmark notes, TikTok ~3.70%, Instagram ~0.48%, and Facebook ~0.15% are average reference points.

Should small businesses post every day in 2026?

No. A sustainable cadence you can maintain for 90 days wins. Many small businesses do better with 3–5 quality posts per week plus Stories than with daily posts that burn out.

Why are comments dropping on TikTok and Instagram?

User behavior is shifting toward passive engagement—likes, saves, shares, and watching—because it’s faster and lower effort than commenting.

What I’d do next if I were running your accounts

Benchmarks don’t replace strategy, but they make strategy easier.

If your small business is trying to get more consistent results in 2026, start here:

1. Pick one primary platform based on where customers actually are (not where marketers talk the most).
2. Aim for a 90-day cadence you can sustain—then tighten content quality.
3. Design for passive engagement (saves/shares) and convert via DMs or your booking flow.

If you’re using these 2026 social media benchmarks to reset expectations, what’s the one platform you’re ready to commit to for the next 90 days—and what would “success” look like in leads, not likes?