Popular video-sharing social network YouTube currently ranks among the top influencer marketing platforms, behind TikTok and Instagram. The latest statistics show that one-third of brands currently use YouTube for their influencer marketing efforts. 

With a burgeoning influencer marketing market size both worldwide and in the United States, it’s clear YouTube is a critical platform for businesses looking to collaborate with influencers. But before diving into crafting a strategy, you need to know some key metrics, including YouTube influencer engagement rates, to set realistic benchmarks.

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YouTube influencer engagement rate: By follower count

Number of followers a YouTube channel has

Average engagement rate

1,000–5,000 followers

1.90%

100,000–1 million followers

3.47%

1 million+ followers

3.40%

Recent results from a study on YouTube influencer engagement rates show that the figure varies according to a channel’s follower base. More specifically, they indicate a trend of larger YouTube channels experiencing higher engagement rates than smaller ones.

For instance, accounts with between 1,000 and 5,000 followers see a relatively low engagement rate of 1.9%. In contrast, channels with between 100,000 and one million followers have a YouTube influencer engagement rate of 3.47%. Those with more than one million followers also receive relatively high engagement, with a rate of 3.4%.

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YouTube influencer engagement rate vs. Instagram and TikTok

A comparison of YouTube influencer engagement rates with those of Instagram and TikTok show substantial differences.

According to the same study, Instagram has experienced fluctuations in its influencer engagement rates in recent years. Analysts say Instagram accounts with larger user bases tend to have trouble maintaining high engagement levels, given the high number of comments received and the difficulty interacting with every follower. The engagement rate for Instagram influencers with more than a million followers has recently dipped to 0.95%, a significant drop from the 1.97% registered in 2018. Meanwhile, the average engagement rate across all Instagram accounts is 2.05%.

TikTok, on the other hand, has significantly higher influencer engagement rates across the board. TikTok influencers with more than one million followers average a staggering 10.53% engagement rate, while smaller accounts with 1,000 to 5,000 followers experience an even higher rate of 15.04%. These figures highlight TikTok's effectiveness in encouraging user interaction, making it an increasingly preferred platform for brands engaging in influencer marketing.

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