Engagement Rate by Reach Calculator
Calculated Engagement Rate
What is Engagement Rate by Reach (ERR)?
Engagement Rate by Reach (ERR) is a crucial social media metric that measures the percentage of people who chose to interact with your content after seeing it. Unlike engagement rate by followers (which assumes all followers see your posts) or impressions (which counts multiple views by the same person), calculating by reach tells you exactly how compelling your content was to the unique individuals who were exposed to it.
This metric is particularly valuable because social media algorithms fluctuate constantly. Your content may not reach all your followers, but ERR helps you understand the quality of your content independent of the algorithm's distribution.
The Formula
To calculate the engagement rate based on reach, use the following formula:
Where:
- Total Engagements: The sum of all interactions (likes, comments, shares, saves, clicks, etc.).
- Total Reach: The number of unique accounts that viewed the post.
Why Use Reach Instead of Followers?
Using reach provides a more accurate representation of content performance for several reasons:
- Algorithm Realities: On platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook, organic reach is rarely 100% of your follower base. Calculating against followers often artificially deflates your success metrics.
- Viral Content: If a post goes viral and is seen by non-followers, calculating by reach accounts for this wider audience, whereas calculating by followers would result in a skewed percentage (sometimes over 100%).
- True Content Quality: It answers the question: "Of the people who actually saw this, how many cared enough to react?"
Example Calculation
Let's say you manage an Instagram account. You post a photo that performs as follows:
- Reach: 2,500 unique accounts
- Likes: 150
- Comments: 20
- Shares: 15
- Saves: 15
First, calculate total engagements: 150 + 20 + 15 + 15 = 200 engagements.
Next, apply the formula: (200 / 2,500) * 100 = 8%.
An 8% engagement rate by reach is generally considered excellent on most platforms.
What is a Good Engagement Rate by Reach?
Benchmarks vary significantly by industry and platform, but generally speaking:
- Low (Under 1%): Content may need optimization or is being shown to the wrong audience.
- Average (1% – 3.5%): Standard performance for most business accounts.
- High (3.5% – 6%): Indicates strong community connection.
- Very High (Above 6%): Viral potential or highly loyal niche audience.
Remember that as your follower count and reach grow, maintaining a high percentage becomes more difficult. Smaller accounts often have higher engagement rates than larger influencers.