Social Post Interaction Rates on the Decline, With One Exception

August 3, 2016

TrackMaven-Change-in-Social-Interaction-Rates-Aug2016Social media engagement rates are on the decline, reports TrackMaven in an analysis of interaction rates for 51 million pieces of content on four major social networks. Instagram has taken the biggest tumble in the first half of the year, with interactions per post per 1,000 followers plummeting by 26%.

That follows declining interaction rates in 2015 as previously noted by Quintly. Of note, the decline in interaction rates on Instagram – which was steepest between January and February – appears to have steadied in June, when its updated newsfeed algorithm went live. Of course, it will be some time before the effect of that change can be duly measured.

Nevertheless, Instagram retains its dominance in interaction rates over the other platforms analyzed. Across the first half of the year, its average engagement ratio was 10 times higher than its nearest competitor of the four, Facebook.

With interaction rates also declining for brand posts on Facebook and LinkedIn (each by 8%), Twitter was the only to see a modest increase, of 1%. Still, Twitter has easily the lowest post interaction rate of the four major networks, averaging just 1.39 interactions per post per 1,000 followers.

Research from Quintly also indicates that Twitter interaction rates are on the rise – though not for all profiles. In its analysis of 30,000 Twitter profiles during the first half of the year, Quintly found that interaction rates increased for profiles of all sizes except for the largest (at least 10 million fans), which saw a precipitous drop of 58% over the 6-month period.

That drop occurred despite little to no change in posting frequency, says Quintly. Interestingly, though, the TrackMaven study indicates that Twitter was the only social network to see a considerably decline in tweet volume during the 6-month period.

Which Industries Fare Best?

The TrackMaven research identifies the top 10 industries across each industry by average follower count, posting frequency, and average interactions per post. The following are highlights from the analysis showcasing the top industry across those measures.

Facebook

  • Follower count: Animation.
  • Posting Frequency: Newspapers.
  • Interactions per post: Entertainment.

Twitter

  • Follower count: Broadcast media.
  • Posting Frequency: Newspapers.
  • Interactions per post: Music.

Instagram

  • Follower count: Entertainment.
  • Posting Frequency: Broadcast media.
  • Interactions per post: Music.

LinkedIn

  • Follower count: Pharmaceuticals.
  • Posting Frequency: Publishing.
  • Interactions per post: Wine and Spirits.

Where Do Industries Fare Best?

The TrackMaven study also details the various metrics (follower count, monthly posts, and interactions per post) for more than 100 industries across each network. The full list can be viewed by downloading the study here, but below are some highlights from a selection of industries.

Note that with few exceptions, follower counts are highest on Facebook, with post frequency highest on Twitter and average interaction rates highest on Instagram. The range in volume and rates across industries is exceptionally large, though…

Apparel & Fashion

  • Follower count: Highest on Facebook (more than 6 million on average).
  • Posting Frequency: Highest on Twitter (200 per month).
  • Interactions per post: Highest on Instagram (14,866 per 1,000 followers per post).

Automotive

  • Follower count: Highest on Facebook (1.5 million on average).
  • Posting Frequency: Highest on Twitter (181 per month).
  • Interactions per post: Highest on Instagram (7,620 per 1,000 followers per post).

Banking

  • Follower count: Highest on Facebook (more than 260k on average).
  • Posting Frequency: Highest on Twitter (151 per month).
  • Interactions per post: Highest on Facebook (550 per 1,000 followers per post).

Broadcast Media

  • Follower count: Highest on Facebook (almost 5 million on average).
  • Posting Frequency: Highest on Twitter (3,255 per month).
  • Interactions per post: Highest on Instagram (11,180 per 1,000 followers per post).

Consumer Electronics

  • Follower count: Highest on Facebook (more than 2.4 million on average).
  • Posting Frequency: Highest on Twitter (557 per month).
  • Interactions per post: Highest on Instagram (30,845 per 1,000 followers per post).

Entertainment

  • Follower count: Highest on Facebook (more than 5 million on average).
  • Posting Frequency: Highest on Twitter (429 per month).
  • Interactions per post: Highest on Instagram (48,088 per 1,000 followers per post).

Food & Beverages

  • Follower count: Highest on Facebook (about 2 million on average).
  • Posting Frequency: Highest on Facebook (238 per month).
  • Interactions per post: Highest on Instagram (5,190 per 1,000 followers per post).

Marketing & Advertising

  • Follower count: Highest on Facebook (more than 680,000 on average).
  • Posting Frequency: Highest on Twitter (495 per month).
  • Interactions per post: Highest on Instagram (1,483 per 1,000 followers per post).

Newspapers

  • Follower count: Highest on Facebook (more than 2 million on average).
  • Posting Frequency: Highest on Twitter (6,917 per month).
  • Interactions per post: Highest on Facebook (641 per 1,000 followers per post).

Retail

  • Follower count: Highest on Facebook (more than 1.7 million on average).
  • Posting Frequency: Highest on Twitter (270 per month).
  • Interactions per post: Highest on Instagram (5,408 per 1,000 followers per post).
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