2025 Instagram Benchmarks
Gain a competitive edge with our Instagram benchmarks for 2025. Discover key insights and trends and optimize your presence on the platform.
As Instagram evolves and matures, its engagement patterns shift, revealing both opportunities and challenges for social media marketing. While the platform remains a powerhouse for brands and creators, engagement rates are showing a noticeable decline in its year-over-year trends.
We analyzed 31M Instagram posts from 2023 to 2024 to discover and understand the algorithmic changes of the platform and their impact and provide actionable tips for social media specialists to better navigate the current social media landscape.
In this Instagram engagement benchmarks report, we’ll examine key performance benchmarks across engagement, comments, saves, impressions, and optimal posting frequency so you can tackle 2025 armed with the insights you need.
Executive summary
- Instagram registers a 28% YoY decrease in engagement, standing at an average engagement rate of 0.50%.
- Carousels, although having a 15% decrease in engagement YoY, scoring the highest drop, are, however, the most engaging content type, averaging a 0.55% engagement rate per post.
- In 2025, Instagram Reels have an average engagement rate per post of 0.50%, while images stand at an average of 0.45%.
- While images generate the highest number of comments for the largest profiles (those with more than 100K followers), Reels drive more conversations for all the other page sizes.
- Instagram Carousels are getting the highest number of saves.
- Reels bring more impressions for small-to-middle-sized accounts (with less than 50K followers), whereas for bigger pages, Carousels are more effective.
- The smallest accounts (below 5K followers) have a 20% view rate on their Reels.
- Instagram Reels from small accounts get on average 300 views per video, while the largest profiles (those exceeding 100K followers) get on average 15K views per Reel.
- Brand posts, on average, 20 posts per month, among which half of them consist of images.
- The smallest accounts have the highest YoY growth rate - of 38% on average.
Instagram engagement benchmarks
Let’s start with the big picture. Engagement on Instagram across all content types is dropping, scoring a 28% YoY decrease - significantly impacted by the platform getting more crowded, algorithm changes making organic reach harder, and users changing their engaging patterns.
Here’s a quick rundown of where Instagram’s engagement rates stand in 2025:
- Carousels: a 0.55% average engagement rate, impacted by a 15% YoY decrease but ranking as the engagement generator star.
- Reels: slipping from their rising path, now stand as the second best-performing content format, with an average engagement rate of 0.50%
- Static images: with an average engagement rate of 0.45%, have long been topped by the platform’s other post types.
Carousel albums are exceptional because they provide a rich experience through interactivity. Users spend more time swiping through carousels, signaling value to Instagram's algorithm.
Reels, once the main driver for engagement, are facing saturation as more creators flood the platform. On the other hand, images have become the "classic" format—still useful but struggling to compete with the dynamic nature of carousels and reels.
Seasonality also played a significant role in these trends. As pointed out, engagement tends to spike between Q4 and Q1, when brands launch fresh campaigns during the holiday season, but dip consistently during the summer months, coinciding with lower audience activity.
Strategic tactics to boost Instagram engagement rate
- Outbound engagement means also engagement. It means proactive outreach efforts aimed at connecting with potential customers or target audiences.
- Stand out with value-driven carousels: Carousel posts aren’t just holding strong; they’re thriving. Use them to tell stories, educate, or share impactful visuals that grab attention in a crowded feed.
- Diversify your Reels: Combat saturation by experimenting with unique angles, shorter formats, or niche trends. Authenticity wins over generic content.
- Boost static images: Reinforce your images with bold, creative captions and ensure they align with trending topics or user pain points.
To reach more people in 2025, make lists of brands and other accounts, including events and influencers in your industry, to follow, and make sure you’re engaging with their content consistently and in an authentic way! - Giuliana Alcala Clanin, Social Media Director at Purpose Brands, LLC
Instagram’s average comments per post
Comments show a direct correlation between profile size and content type.
When it comes to comments, Reels are, generally, the content type to beat! Here’s what the data has shown us:
The high number of comments on Reels comes from their immersive, dynamic format, which often includes calls to action, trends, or challenges that invite interaction.
Larger accounts saw images outperform Reels in comments due to their ability to craft nostalgic or thought-provoking posts that resonate with loyal followers.
Strategic tactics to drive more conversations on Instagram
- Get the comments flowing with questions: Ask a question in the caption or the reel itself. Questions like “What’s your go-to tip?” or “How would you use this?” make it easy for followers to jump into the comments.
- Share behind-the-scenes moments: People love seeing the real side of brands. Use reels to show your day-to-day, a funny moment, or even a sneak peek—it’s like letting followers in on a little secret, which always gets people talking.
- Hop on trends and use humor: Fun, trending content is a guaranteed comment magnet. Whether it’s a popular sound or a funny twist, Reels that make people laugh or feel “in on the joke” encourage tagging friends and sharing reactions.
Instagram’s algorithm emphasizes searchable content, so optimizing posts with relevant keywords in captions and alt text is key for your content to be discovered. - Morgax Cox, Social Media Manager & Content Creator
Instagram’s average saves per post
The data highlights a clear trend: carousel albums lead the pack in saves.
Here’s the breakdown of comments generated across different profile sizes:
Carousels dominate saves because they’re packed with value—think tutorials, infographics, and swipe-through guides that users want to revisit.
Reels’ high save numbers for smaller accounts can be attributed to their entertainment value and their alignment with Instagram’s algorithm, which favors reels for discoverability.
Images see fewer saves due to their static nature unless paired with actionable content in captions.
Strategic tactics to generate more saves
- Focus on save-worthy carousels: Create guides, checklists, or tutorials to position your carousels as valuable resources.
- Make Reels practical: Use reels for quick tips or tutorials that deliver value in under 15 seconds, encouraging users to save for later.
- Add value to Images: Pair images with powerful, actionable captions, like quotes or step-by-step instructions, to drive saves.
- Use Stories to share save-worthy content. Aim to provide insights, tips, or entertaining content that encourage them to save and share your posts with others.
Instagram’s average impressions per post
Impressions—the total number of times a post is viewed—varied significantly based on content type and profile size. Here are some impressions benchmarks to help you assess your strategy’s effectiveness:
Reels dominate impressions for smaller accounts due to their strong performance in Instagram’s algorithm, which prioritizes dynamic video content for broader discoverability.
However, for large accounts, carousels overtook reels as the top format for impressions. Carousels encourage more time spent on posts, signaling value to Instagram’s algorithm, particularly for established brands with loyal audiences.
Static images consistently trailed behind, reflecting Instagram’s pivot toward video and multi-slide content formats.
Strategic tactics to get more impressions on Instagram
- Reels are essential for growth: Smaller accounts should rely on Reels to reach broader audiences and maximize impressions.
- Use carousels to deepen engagement: For mid-sized and large accounts, carousels offer a reliable way to generate impressions while keeping your audience hooked.
- Be selective with images: For impressions, pair images with trending or highly relevant topics to make them stand out.
In 2025, Instagram Reels remain the #1 way for brands to reach more people on Instagram. Short-form video content continues to perform best. With shares/views being the most critical metrics for the Instagram algorithm - creating short, shareable Reels that are funny, educational, inspirational, or emotional is the key to reaching a wider audience. - Michelle King, CEO @Contelp
Instagram Reels views on average
The average number of views for Reels scales predictably with profile size, enabling more accurate goal forecasts and strategy performance evaluation.
As your account grows, your total views skyrocket—even if your view rate drops (see the chart below). This makes sense: bigger accounts have more followers, and their reach grows in absolute numbers, even if fewer followers engage proportionally.
Smaller accounts don’t hit those massive numbers, but Reels are still a solid tool for getting noticed and growing your audience.
Instagram Reels view rate benchmarks
To enhance our analysis, we examined the view rate of Instagram Reels. Based on our brand size, we aimed to provide you with another tool to measure your Instagram metrics.
Instagram Reels view rate —calculated as the ratio of views to followers—decreases as profile size grows, showing a clear inverse relationship between follower count and view rate:
The data shows that smaller accounts consistently achieve higher view rates because Instagram often prioritizes newer and smaller accounts in their algorithm, boosting discoverability. For these accounts, reels are more likely to land on Explore pages and be suggested to users who don’t follow them, amplifying visibility.
In contrast, larger accounts often experience diminishing view rates as their follower base grows. While their Reels may reach more people in absolute terms, the audience becomes more fragmented, and their content is less likely to surface to new users in the same way smaller accounts benefit from Instagram’s push for fresh creators.
Strategic tactics to increase your Reels’ views
- Aim for consistent growth: Use Reels to steadily build both average views and your follower base over time.
- Optimize with analytics: Pay attention to which Reels perform best and replicate successful elements to keep views high.
- Tailor content by size: Small accounts can focus on discoverability, while large accounts should balance discoverability with deep audience engagement.
Reels UNDER 30 seconds are ideal for reaching NEW audiences. Longer Reels don't typically appear in search and recommended posts. But, Reels from 30-90 seconds are great for your existing audience so keep using those! - Jenn Herman, Instagram Expert
Posting frequency benchmarks
Brands are keeping busy on Instagram, posting about 20 times per month—roughly 5 posts per week. When we break it down, here’s what that looks like:
- 10 images per month (50% of their content)
- 4 carousels per month (20%)
- 6 Reels per month (30%)
Images might still make up the largest share of posts, but the data makes one thing clear: brands are diversifying their content strategies. Images are a solid foundation—they’re quick to produce, easy to post, and great for maintaining a consistent presence. But they’re not the engagement magnets they used to be.
That’s where carousels and Reels come in. Carousels give brands a way to tell deeper, more detailed stories. They’re perfect for guides, tips, or multi-part content that keeps users swiping—and swiping means more engagement.
Reels, on the other hand, are the standout stars. Instagram loves pushing video content, and Reels get rewarded with extra reach. They’re not just good for engaging your current audience; they’re fantastic for getting discovered by new followers.
The takeaway? Brands are smartly using a mix of formats: images to keep things ticking, carousels to add depth, and Reels to capture attention and expand their reach.
Strategic tactics to optimize your content calendar
- Images are great for consistency: Posting images keeps your account active and your audience updated. Pair them with bold captions, questions, or CTAs to boost engagement.
- Carousels for informative content: Save carousels for the juicy stuff—mini-tutorials, multi-part stories, or swipe-through guides that your audience can’t resist.
- Reels for getting more reach: Experiment with trends, show off your personality, and make them fun and engaging!
Followers growth rate benchmarks
Growing on Instagram isn’t as fast as it used to be, but the numbers show that smaller accounts still have a big advantage when it comes to followers growth rates. As follower counts increase, the growth percentage naturally slows down.
Here’s how it breaks down:
This trend makes perfect sense: smaller Instagrm accounts grow faster because they have a smaller followers base, making each new follower represent a larger percentage of growth. These accounts are also more likely to receive algorithmic boosts, as Instagram tends to prioritize fresh, smaller creators to encourage engagement and activity on the platform.
For larger accounts, growth slows as their follower count increases. This is partly because their audience is already well-established, so they rely more on retention and less on rapid discovery. Larger accounts also face more competition, as Instagram promotes a variety of creators rather than repeatedly showing content from the same big accounts.
However, the slower followers growth rate at the top doesn’t mean stagnation. Larger accounts often see steady gains over time, even if the percentage growth isn’t as dramatic as it is for smaller profiles. The key for these accounts is maintaining momentum by staying relevant and continuing to engage their existing audience while reaching new ones.
Strategic tactics to get more followers in 2025
- If you’re small, focus on visibility: Use Reels and collaborations to maximize your exposure. This is the time to go big on discovery!
- Mid-sized accounts - build community: Keep growing while deepening relationships with your current followers. Prioritize meaningful engagement, like replies and direct conversations.
- Large accounts - Focus on retaining your audience while experimenting with new content formats to keep things fresh.
Community Management is one of the most underrated, low cost-high reward ways brands can reach more people in 2025. If you’re not responding to your DM’s and comments in a timely manner and in a way that continues to foster conversation you’re already missing the boat. - Giuliana Alcala Clanin, Social Media Director
Methodology
The findings of this study were based on the analysis of 31M Instagram posts, collected from 119,000 pages with an active presence between January 2023 - December 2024.
The average engagement rate per post (by followers) on Instagram is calculated as the total engagement (the sum of likes and comments) of the posts published within an established timeframe divided by the total number of followers that a profile has. The result is then multiplied by 100.
The average Instagram view rate represents the percentage of unique people that have seen a profile’s video posts. It is calculated by dividing the total views of a post by the total number of followers and multiplied by 100.
The average follower growth rate is calculated as the number of followers you gained divided by the number of followers you started with and multiplied by 100.
Average comments per post represents the number of comments a post receives, on average.
Average saves per post stands for the average number of saves a post receives on average.
Average impressions per post represents the number of impressions a post receives on average.
Average views per Reel stands for the average number of views a Reels get, on average.
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