Engagement Rate Benchmarks by Industry: Complete SEA Data Guide
Table Of Contents
- Understanding Engagement Rates in Southeast Asia
- Industry-Specific Engagement Rate Benchmarks
- Platform-Specific Engagement Benchmarks
- Optimizing Your Strategy with Benchmark Data
- Future Trends: What to Expect in 2025
- Conclusion
Engagement Rate Benchmarks by Industry: Complete SEA Data Guide
In the rapidly evolving landscape of social media and influencer marketing, understanding engagement rates has become crucial for brands looking to maximize their ROI in Southeast Asia. As we navigate through 2025, these metrics have become increasingly nuanced across different industries and platforms, particularly in the diverse markets of SEA.
Engagement rates—the level of interaction followers have with content—serve as vital indicators of campaign effectiveness and audience resonance. However, what constitutes a "good" engagement rate varies significantly by industry, platform, and region. This is especially true in Southeast Asia, where digital consumption patterns differ markedly from global averages.
This comprehensive guide unpacks the latest engagement rate benchmarks across key industries in Southeast Asia for 2025, providing you with the data-driven insights needed to evaluate and elevate your influencer marketing strategy. Whether you're in fashion, food and beverage, technology, or e-commerce, understanding how your campaigns measure against industry standards is essential for strategic optimization.
Understanding Engagement Rates in Southeast Asia
Engagement rates in Southeast Asia reflect unique cultural, technological, and consumer behavior patterns that distinguish this region from global markets. Before diving into specific benchmarks, it's important to understand what comprises engagement rates and why they matter specifically in the SEA context.
Engagement rate is typically calculated as the total engagement (likes, comments, shares, saves) divided by the number of followers or impressions, expressed as a percentage. However, this simple formula carries complex implications in Southeast Asia's diverse digital ecosystem.
Several factors make SEA's engagement landscape distinctive:
Higher Mobile Penetration: Southeast Asia boasts some of the highest mobile usage rates globally, with countries like Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand leading smartphone adoption. This translates to more frequent, on-the-go engagement with content.
Diverse Platform Preferences: While Instagram and Facebook remain popular, platforms like TikTok and regional favorites such as Xiaohongshu have gained significant traction, particularly in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, creating platform-specific engagement patterns.
Creator-Consumer Dynamics: SEA audiences demonstrate stronger parasocial relationships with creators, often resulting in higher engagement compared to Western markets, especially for authentic, culturally-relevant content.
Market Maturity Variations: Digital marketing maturity varies significantly across SEA countries, with Singapore leading in sophistication while emerging markets like Vietnam and the Philippines show rapidly evolving engagement behaviors.
Research conducted by StarNgage Pro across thousands of influencer campaigns in Southeast Asia reveals that the average engagement rates in the region tend to be 1.2-1.5x higher than global averages, highlighting the importance of region-specific benchmarking.
Industry-Specific Engagement Rate Benchmarks
Engagement rates vary significantly across industries in Southeast Asia. Understanding these differences helps brands set realistic expectations and develop more effective influencer strategies. Let's explore the benchmarks for key industries based on comprehensive data analysis.
Fashion and Beauty
The fashion and beauty sector consistently demonstrates strong engagement in Southeast Asia, driven by highly visual content and strong aspirational elements.
Overall Industry Average: 3.8%-4.5%
Key Performance Indicators by Influencer Tier:
- Nano (1K-10K followers): 5.7%-6.9%
- Micro (10K-50K followers): 4.2%-5.1%
- Mid-tier (50K-500K followers): 3.0%-3.8%
- Macro (500K-1M followers): 2.6%-3.2%
- Celebrity (1M+ followers): 2.1%-2.7%
Country-Specific Variations:
- Thailand leads the region with beauty content engagement rates averaging 5.1%
- Singapore shows the highest engagement for luxury fashion at 4.2%
- Indonesia demonstrates strong performance in modest fashion categories at 4.7%
Notably, product tutorials and authentic reviews generate 30% higher engagement than purely promotional content, indicating audience preference for value-added content in this industry.
Food and Beverage
Food and beverage content continues to perform exceptionally well across Southeast Asia, leveraging the region's rich culinary traditions and foodie culture.
Overall Industry Average: 4.2%-5.0%
Key Performance Indicators by Content Type:
- Recipe demonstrations: 5.3%-6.1%
- Restaurant reviews: 4.8%-5.4%
- Product unboxing/tasting: 4.5%-5.2%
- Behind-the-scenes content: 3.9%-4.6%
Country-Specific Variations:
- Malaysia shows the highest engagement for Halal food content at 5.5%
- Philippines leads in beverage category engagement at 5.2%
- Vietnam demonstrates strong performance in street food content at 5.7%
The data indicates that authentic, culturally-relevant food content outperforms internationalized content by approximately 25% in engagement metrics across SEA markets.
Travel and Hospitality
As post-pandemic travel continues to rebound, the travel and hospitality sector has seen significant engagement growth in Southeast Asia, particularly for domestic and regional destinations.
Overall Industry Average: 3.9%-4.7%
Key Performance Indicators by Content Format:
- Destination showcases: 4.8%-5.5%
- Accommodation reviews: 3.6%-4.3%
- Travel guides/tips: 4.1%-4.8%
- Transportation reviews: 3.2%-3.9%
Country-Specific Variations:
- Indonesia (particularly Bali content) generates the highest engagement at 5.3%
- Thailand's domestic tourism content averages 4.9% engagement
- Singapore shows strong performance for luxury travel content at 4.5%
Local and regional travel content consistently outperforms international destination content by 18-22% in engagement metrics, reflecting the continued preference for proximity travel in 2025.
Technology and Consumer Electronics
The technology sector demonstrates unique engagement patterns in Southeast Asia, with significant variations based on product category and content approach.
Overall Industry Average: 2.8%-3.5%
Key Performance Indicators by Product Category:
- Smartphones and accessories: 3.2%-3.9%
- Gaming equipment: 3.4%-4.1%
- Smart home devices: 2.7%-3.3%
- Wearable technology: 3.0%-3.7%
Country-Specific Variations:
- Philippines shows highest engagement for smartphone content at 3.8%
- Singapore leads in smart home technology engagement at 3.4%
- Malaysia demonstrates strong performance for gaming content at 4.0%
Technical reviews and comparison content generate 35% higher engagement than announcement or unboxing content alone, highlighting audience preference for informative, value-driven content in the tech space.
Health and Wellness
The health and wellness category has experienced significant growth in SEA, with increasing engagement across fitness, nutrition, and mental wellbeing content.
Overall Industry Average: 3.6%-4.3%
Key Performance Indicators by Sub-Category:
- Fitness routines and challenges: 4.1%-4.8%
- Nutrition and supplements: 3.8%-4.5%
- Mental wellness content: 3.5%-4.2%
- Medical information and services: 2.9%-3.6%
Country-Specific Variations:
- Thailand leads in wellness retreat and meditation content at 4.6%
- Singapore shows highest engagement for scientific health information at 3.8%
- Indonesia demonstrates strong performance in natural remedy content at 4.3%
Authentic personal transformation stories generate 40% higher engagement than purely instructional content, highlighting the importance of emotional connection in health and wellness messaging.
E-commerce and Retail
E-commerce content engagement has evolved significantly in Southeast Asia, with sophisticated strategies emerging to combat engagement fatigue.
Overall Industry Average: 2.5%-3.2%
Key Performance Indicators by Approach:
- Product demonstrations: 3.0%-3.7%
- Haul/unboxing content: 2.8%-3.5%
- Customer testimonials: 2.6%-3.3%
- Flash sales/promotional content: 2.2%-2.9%
Country-Specific Variations:
- Indonesia leads in marketplace platform engagement at 3.4%
- Philippines shows strong performance for live shopping content at 3.6%
- Malaysia demonstrates highest engagement for Islamic retail content at 3.5%
Research shows that integrated shopping experiences with direct purchase functionality increase engagement by 22-28% compared to traditional product promotion content.
Platform-Specific Engagement Benchmarks
Engagement rates in Southeast Asia vary dramatically by platform, reflecting different user behaviors, algorithms, and content formats. Understanding platform-specific benchmarks is essential for accurate campaign planning and assessment.
Instagram Engagement Rates
Instagram remains a cornerstone platform for influencer marketing in Southeast Asia, though engagement patterns continue to evolve.
Overall Platform Average: 3.1%-3.8%
Format-Specific Benchmarks:
- Reels: 4.2%-5.0% (highest performing format)
- Stories: 3.5%-4.2% (with interactive elements)
- Standard posts: 2.8%-3.5%
- Carousel posts: 3.3%-4.0%
The data indicates that video content on Instagram generates approximately 35% higher engagement than static posts across all industries in SEA markets. Authentic, minimally-edited content increasingly outperforms highly polished commercial content, particularly in Thailand, Philippines, and Indonesia.
TikTok Engagement Rates
TikTok continues to demonstrate the highest overall engagement rates among major platforms in Southeast Asia.
Overall Platform Average: 5.2%-6.0%
Format-Specific Insights:
- Trend participation content: 6.5%-7.3%
- Tutorial/educational content: 5.8%-6.5%
- Entertainment/comedy: 5.5%-6.2%
- Brand collaboration content: 4.3%-5.0%
TikTok's algorithm continues to provide significant organic reach potential, with localized, culturally-relevant content performing 42% better than internationalized approaches. The platform shows strongest performance in Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam markets.
YouTube Engagement Rates
YouTube engagement in Southeast Asia follows different patterns from other platforms due to its longer-form content.
Overall Platform Average: 2.0%-2.7% (interaction-based)
Format-Specific Benchmarks:
- Shorts: 3.1%-3.8%
- Standard videos (10-20 minutes): 2.3%-3.0%
- Long-form content (20+ minutes): 1.8%-2.5%
- Live streams: 2.5%-3.2%
View duration metrics remain critical on YouTube, with 40-50% completion rates considered strong performance in the region. Educational and tutorial content consistently outperforms entertainment-only content in retention metrics across SEA markets.
Facebook Engagement Rates
While Facebook has experienced shifting demographics, it remains relevant in several Southeast Asian markets with specific engagement patterns.
Overall Platform Average: 1.8%-2.5%
Format-Specific Benchmarks:
- Video posts: 2.2%-2.9%
- Live content: 2.5%-3.2%
- Image posts: 1.5%-2.2%
- Text-based posts: 1.2%-1.9%
Facebook continues to show strong performance for community-building and group-based engagement, particularly in Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Local language content significantly outperforms English content by 30-40% in most SEA markets except Singapore.
Xiaohongshu Engagement Rates
Xiaohongshu (RED) has gained significant traction beyond China in Singapore, Malaysia, and parts of Thailand, with distinct engagement patterns.
Overall Platform Average: 4.5%-5.2%
Format-Specific Benchmarks:
- Product reviews: 5.1%-5.8%
- Lifestyle content: 4.8%-5.5%
- Beauty tutorials: 4.6%-5.3%
- Travel recommendations: 4.3%-5.0%
The platform's highly visual nature and trusted review ecosystem drive significantly higher conversion-oriented engagement compared to other platforms. For brands targeting Chinese-speaking audiences in Singapore and Malaysia, Xiaohongshu marketing represents a high-engagement opportunity.
Optimizing Your Strategy with Benchmark Data
Utilizing engagement benchmarks effectively requires strategic application rather than simple comparison. Here's how to leverage this data for maximum impact:
1. Contextual Analysis: Compare your performance against industry-specific and platform-specific benchmarks rather than overall averages. A 2.5% engagement rate might be concerning for a food brand on Instagram but strong for a technology brand on Facebook.
2. Trend Monitoring: Track your engagement rates against benchmarks over time to identify patterns. A consistent upward trajectory, even below benchmarks, may indicate growing audience resonance.
3. Engagement Quality Assessment: Look beyond raw engagement rates to evaluate comment sentiment, sharing behaviors, and saved content metrics. These quality indicators often predict conversion potential better than aggregate engagement rates.
4. Cross-Platform Strategy Adjustment: Use benchmark disparities across platforms to optimize your content distribution strategy, potentially reallocating resources to higher-performing channels.
5. Influencer Selection Optimization: Leverage benchmark data when selecting influencer partners, prioritizing those who consistently outperform industry averages for your specific vertical.
A comprehensive Creator CRM can significantly streamline this analytical process, enabling more data-driven decision-making across your influencer marketing efforts.
Future Trends: What to Expect in 2025
As we progress through 2025, several emerging trends are reshaping engagement benchmarks in Southeast Asia:
AI-Generated Content Assessment: As AI-created content becomes more prevalent, audiences are developing more sophisticated authenticity detection skills. This is creating a premium on genuinely authentic content, with human-created content showing 15-20% higher engagement rates than AI-generated alternatives.
Micro-Community Engagement: Platform algorithm changes are increasingly favoring niche community engagement over broad reach, making industry-specific engagement increasingly dependent on community-building capabilities.
Cross-Platform Content Strategies: Brands successfully implementing cohesive cross-platform strategies are seeing 25-30% higher overall engagement compared to platform-isolated approaches, highlighting the importance of integrated creator partnerships.
Local Market Customization: The engagement gap between localized and generic global content continues to widen, with market-specific approaches generating up to 45% higher engagement in some Southeast Asian countries.
Interactive Content Premium: Interactive content formats (polls, quizzes, AR experiences) are generating 30-40% higher engagement than passive content across most industries and platforms.
Brands leveraging AI Influencer Discovery technology can more effectively identify creators who excel at these emerging engagement drivers, staying ahead of these evolving trends.
Conclusion
Engagement rate benchmarks in Southeast Asia present a complex but invaluable resource for brands navigating the influencer marketing landscape in 2025. The data clearly shows that a one-size-fits-all approach is ineffective, with significant variations across industries, platforms, influencer tiers, and countries within the region.
Successful brands are those that move beyond simple metric comparison to develop nuanced strategies informed by these benchmarks but not constrained by them. By understanding the contextual factors that drive engagement in specific markets and industries, marketers can set realistic expectations and develop more effective creator partnerships.
As the digital landscape continues to evolve, staying current with engagement benchmarks will remain essential for competitive performance. The most successful influencer marketing strategies will balance benchmark awareness with innovative approaches that push beyond established patterns to create genuinely resonant connections with Southeast Asian audiences.
The engagement rate benchmarks outlined in this guide provide a solid foundation for assessing and optimizing your influencer marketing performance in Southeast Asia. However, these metrics should serve as guidelines rather than absolute targets. The most successful brands recognize that while benchmarks offer valuable context, exceptional performance often comes from understanding your specific audience and creating authentic connections that transcend industry averages.
As the social media landscape continues to evolve rapidly in Southeast Asia, regularly updating your benchmark knowledge and adapting your strategy accordingly will be essential for maintaining competitive performance. By combining data-driven insights with creative execution and authentic creator partnerships, brands can achieve engagement that not only meets but exceeds the standards for their industry.
Ready to optimize your influencer marketing campaigns with data-driven insights? StarNgage Pro offers comprehensive creator relationship management tools and performance analytics to help you identify, manage, and measure your influencer partnerships effectively. Discover how our platform can transform your approach to engagement rate optimization and drive measurable results for your brand.