Engagement is falling on Instagram and LinkedIn, but some networks are holding up

Creators and brands sometimes feel that their posts generate fewer reactions than before on social media, and this feeling may well correspond to a reality measured by data.

Indeed, an analysis based on more than 52 million posts published in 2025 highlights several changes in engagement rates. While some platforms are making slight progress, others are seeing their performance decline…

Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads are experiencing a decline in engagement

A widespread decline?

– Source: Buffer

According to the report published by Buffer, engagement rates declined between 2024 and 2025 on several major networks. Instagram shows the most significant drop with a fall of approximately 26%, from a median engagement rate close to 7.3% to around 5.4%. Threads follows with a decrease of approximately 18%, while LinkedIn declined by approximately 5%.

Several factors can explain these changes. First, competition is intensifying on these platforms, with a sharp increase in the volume of published content. This proliferation of posts mechanically reduces the visibility and interactions for each individual post. The strategic choices made by the platforms also play a role. On Instagram, the priority given to Reels can contribute to reducing engagement on traditional feed posts. For its part, LinkedIn modified its algorithm during the year, which can influence content distribution.

Finally, the growth in the number of Threads users also creates more competition to capture attention.

Some platforms on the rise…

Significant growth for X&nbsp? – Source&nbsp: Buffer

Not all platforms are following the same trend. The study highlights that Facebook, Pinterest, and X all saw a slight increase in average engagement. The most dramatic increase was seen on X, with a rise of approximately 44%. However, this increase should be put into perspective, as the social network started from a relatively low engagement level, rising from around 2% to 2.8%. Pinterest also recorded a significant increase of approximately 23%, while Facebook saw an increase of around 11%. TikTok remains generally stable, with an engagement rate of around 4.5%.

These discrepancies illustrate a reality well known to digital marketing specialists, where each social network has its own dynamics and metrics.

Responding to comments: an effective lever?

Responding to comments, the secret to visibility?

– Source: Buffer

One of the most interesting findings of the report concerns the impact of replying to comments. The data shows that posts where creators or brands respond to users consistently receive more engagement.

On Threads, engagement can increase by approximately 42% when the author replies to comments. The increase reaches approximately 30% on LinkedIn and 21% on Instagram.

This trend is also observed on Facebook and X, although the impact is more moderate there. For brands and creators, this observation serves as a reminder that social networks remain, first and foremost, spaces for conversation.

It's also worth noting that content format strongly influences performance. On Instagram, Reels generate more reach, but carousels produce more interactions. On LinkedIn, carousels can even generate up to three times more engagement than images or videos.

In other words, publishing strategies must be adapted to each platform, rather than following a single model…