Social media engagement trends shift as Instagram, LinkedIn and Threads see declines

Engagement levels across several major social media platforms declined during 2025, according to a new analysis examining tens of millions of posts published through social media management platform Buffer. The findings suggest that while some networks are seeing rising interaction rates, others are facing growing competition for attention as content volumes increase.

The study analyzed more than 52 million posts across multiple platforms, including Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest and X. Based on the dataset, Instagram, LinkedIn and Threads recorded year-over-year drops in engagement rates, while Facebook, Pinterest and X saw increases, and TikTok remained largely unchanged.

Buffer’s research indicates that engagement — measured through interactions such as likes, comments, shares and reposts — varies significantly from platform to platform. In 2025, LinkedIn had the highest median engagement rate at around 6.1%, followed by Facebook at roughly 5.6% and Instagram at about 5.4%. TikTok averaged around 4.5%, while Threads and X recorded lower typical engagement levels.

Despite its lower baseline, X experienced the largest relative increase, with engagement rising from about 2.0% in 2024 to approximately 2.8% in 2025, a gain of roughly 44%. Analysts caution that the jump reflects growth from a relatively low starting point rather than a broad shift in overall user interaction levels.

Rising content volume intensifies competition

The report attributes part of the decline on platforms such as Instagram and Threads to an increase in the amount of content being published. As more users and brands post regularly, individual posts may receive less attention on average.

Changes in platform algorithms may also be influencing engagement patterns. LinkedIn introduced algorithm updates in mid-2025, while Instagram has increasingly prioritized video through its Reels format, placing less emphasis on traditional feed posts.

Threads, meanwhile, continues to expand its user base, which may be intensifying competition for visibility within the platform’s feed.

Engagement patterns differ across formats

The analysis highlights notable differences in how content formats perform across networks. On Instagram, Reels tend to reach more users, but carousel posts generate higher engagement per viewer. On LinkedIn, carousel-style posts outperform videos and images, earning roughly three times more engagement than other formats.

Format differences are less pronounced on Facebook, where images, video and text posts generate relatively similar engagement levels. On TikTok, video remains the dominant format, although image-based posts have become more competitive since the introduction of carousel-style content.

The data also suggests that what works on one platform does not necessarily translate to another, with performance patterns varying widely depending on each network’s design and ranking systems.

Interaction remains a key driver

Across the platforms studied, one behavior consistently correlated with higher engagement: responding to comments. Posts where creators or brands replied to users tended to perform better than those where comments went unanswered.

According to the analysis, engagement increased by around 42% on Threads and 30% on LinkedIn when creators responded to comments. Instagram posts saw a 21% lift, while Facebook and X experienced smaller but still measurable increases.

Researchers note that the relationship may work in both directions. Highly engaging posts often attract more comments, which then creates opportunities for further interaction. However, the pattern appeared consistently across accounts of different sizes and industries.

Posting frequency also plays a role

The report also found that accounts publishing content more regularly tended to achieve stronger overall results. Profiles that skipped posting during certain weeks typically recorded slower follower growth than their own usual averages.

Still, the findings suggest that timing and frequency function more as amplifiers than primary drivers of performance. Creating relevant content and interacting with audiences had a stronger influence on engagement levels than posting schedules alone.

Platform benchmarks continue to diverge

Buffer’s research underscores the difficulty of comparing engagement rates across social networks, as each platform defines interactions differently and serves distinct audiences.

While LinkedIn currently leads in median engagement rate within the dataset, the report notes that these metrics reflect patterns within Buffer’s user base rather than universal benchmarks across the entire social media ecosystem.