UK Social Media Stats and Benchmarks

In the United Kingdom, over 62 million people use social media — nearly 91% of the population. 

For marketers and those with plans to target this region, understanding average performance is vital to creating your own strategy with realistic goals that will actually impact your social media results and your bottom line. Metrics that look promising in the United States, for instance, may feel entirely different in a UK context. By examining social media benchmarks specific to the UK, you’ll gain insights that put your performance in perspective and help you build a strategy tailored for success in this unique market.

Dash Hudson analyzed nearly 300 UK Instagram and TikTok accounts year-to-date* to determine the average performance against a predetermined set of KPIs. These benchmarks include handles with a minimum of 1K followers, from both customers and non-customers. Brands span across the following industries: beauty, fashion, luxury, media and publishing, CPG, food and beverage, retail, home, baby and children and wellness. 

*January 1, 2024-October 17, 2024.

• Average current followers: 1,083,979
• Average monthly growth rate: 2.1%
• Average weekly video posts: 4
• Average weekly static posts: 4
• Average engagement rate: 0.3% 
• Average Effectiveness Rate: 20.3%
• Average Reach per post: 61,828  
• Average Entertainment Score: 4.0

In the UK, Instagram benchmarks indicate that brands typically have around 1 million followers and experience a monthly growth rate of 2.1%. This reflects steady follower acquisition, which is crucial to build — and sustain — a strong social media presence. 

UK brands’ content strategies balance video and static posts, averaging four of each per week, signaling a need for diverse media types to maintain engagement. The average engagement rate for UK social brands stands at 0.3%, which could seem relatively low — however, brands are still achieving a respectable average Effectiveness Rate of 20.3%, showing that some content resonates well with their audience. Each post reaches nearly 62K users, suggesting that content reaches a substantial segment of followers. Additionally, an Entertainment Score of 4.0 suggests a moderate level of audience satisfaction and interest, which means there are ample opportunities for brands to further optimize content to enhance engagement and interaction.

• Average current followers: 298,091
• Average monthly growth rate: 5.5%
• Average weekly posts: 5
• Average engagement rate: 3.7% 
• Average video views per post: 100,379
• Average Reach per post: 80,68 
• Average Entertainment Score: 4.1

In the UK, brands have an average following of just under 300K onTikTok, with a monthly growth rate of 5.5%, reflecting a healthy expansion pace. These brands post frequently at five average posts per week, while focusing on maintaining a regular content schedule to engage followers. TikTok videos garner around 100K views per post, indicating high user interest in video content.

With an engagement rate of 3.7%, UK brands achieve strong interaction levels and outperform typical benchmarks in other regions, with an average reach just above 80K per post. This high engagement and reach show that this content connects with a broad audience overall. 

For social media managers, this data emphasizes the importance of consistent posting and prioritizing video content to maximize reach and boost engagement rates. An average Entertainment Score of 4.1 on TikTok suggests that while this content engages UK audiences, there is still room to increase this rate by tailoring content more closely to your target demographic’s preferences. A great first step to understanding what your audience wants to see is by developing buyer personas to build a clear picture of your target customer and their likes, dislikes and how they prefer to use content to content for entertainment and to influence purchases. 

UK social stats for popular platforms like Instagram and TikTok give social media managers the insights they need to fine-tune strategies, stay ahead of social media trends and drive meaningful engagement with local audiences. Here are some social statistics from 2024 to keep in mind: 

• The majority of UK social media users (7.4 million) are aged 24-34.
• TikTok ad revenue grew 41.5% to $1.85 billion in 2024 — this revenue is expected to grow 25.8% to $2.33 billion in 2025. 
• Facebook ad revenue grew 6.1% in 2024 to $4.71 billion, and is expected to grow to $4.98 billion in 2025. 
• The majority of UK adults (45%) navigate to and purchase a product from a retailer’s website after seeing a product on social media. 
• Social media managers in the UK spend most of their time — 5 hours each week — on content creation, followed by 3.8 hours spent analyzing data and reporting. 
• X users in the UK have declined 1.7% in 2024, and are expected to drop further by 2.1% in 2025.

The leading UK brands on Instagram stand out by leveraging a mix of content formats — like Carousels, Reels and Stories — to maintain high audience engagement. Below are the top three brands demonstrating effective multi-format content strategies:

1. GymShark (@gymshark)

• Followers: 7.3M
• Follower growth rate: 0.8%
• Engagement rate: 1.0%

Gymshark’s Instagram marketing strategy is a great example of community-based marketing that resonates with the fitness industry. With 7.3 million followers and a 0.8% growth rate, they focus on fostering a loyal community by sharing motivational and user-generated content that celebrates fitness journeys and achievements. Its 1.0% engagement rate reflects active interaction, likely strengthed by their use of inspiring stories, workout tips and challenges. Gymshark’s focus on authenticity and relatability, paired with a consistent brand aesthetic, helps it stand out and maintain strong visibility within the competitive fitness space.

2. Graff (@graff)

• Followers: 1.2M
• Follower growth rate: 4.2%
• Engagement rate: 0.7% 

Graff’s Instagram strategy centers on showcasing the elegance and craftsmanship of its high-end jewelry, resonating with an audience captivated by luxury and artistry. With 1.2 million followers and a substantial 4.2% growth rate, Graff effectively grows and retains its followers by posting visually stunning, detailed images of their pieces that highlight their intricate designs. Their 0.7% engagement rate reflects audience interest in these exclusive visuals, enhanced by behind-the-scenes glimpses into their artistry, helping the brand stand out in the luxury space with a distinctive, aspirational presence.

3. Harrods Food (@harrodsfood)

• Followers: 214.6K
• Follower growth rate: 1.6%
• Engagement rate: 0.6% 

Harrods Food’s Instagram strategy centers around celebrating luxury in cuisine, featuring carefully curated images of gourmet foods and exclusive products that appeal to foodies and high-end food enthusiasts. With 214.6K followers and a growth rate of 1.6%, Harrods Food steadily expands its audience by blending visually rich content with stories about the artisans and processes behind their product ranges. Although its engagement rate could seem relatively low at 0.6%, the brand's commitment to quality imagery and unique storytelling allows it to stand out, offering a taste of the sophistication associated with the Harrods name.

The following UK brands excel on TikTok by utilizing various content formats like viral challenges, trending TikTok sounds and creator collaborations to captivate their audiences and drive engagement. Here are the top three brands making the most impact:

1. The INKEY List (@theinkeylist)

• Followers: 552.2K
• Follower growth rate: 0.8%
• Engagement rate: 49.8%

The INKEY List’s TikTok strategy earns its account a fairly high engagement rate of 49.8%, driven by educational, interactive content that skincare enthusiasts can’t get enough of. With 552.2K followers and a steady growth rate of 0.8%, the brand leverages an approachable tone to make skincare accessible. It often features Q&A sessions, ingredient breakdowns and user-friendly tutorials. The brand often incorporates trends with educational content, like its take on the ‘if you ask me about’ TikTok trend. This commitment to transparency and audience education helps set The INKEY List apart, positioning it as a trusted, knowledge-driven brand within the beauty industry.

2. Byoma (@byoma)

• Followers: 642K
• Follower growth rate: 5.6%
• Engagement rate: 9.4% 

Byoma’s Instagram strategy highlights a modern approach to skincare, blending high-quality visuals and funny, entertaining videos, with informative, relatable content that drives impressive engagement, marked by a 9.4% rate. With 642K followers and a strong growth rate of 5.6%, Byoma uses TikTokto build an educational skincare community, focusing on simple yet effective routines and ingredient transparency. By incorporating a blend of user-generated content, ingredient insights and product showcases, Byoma stands out as a trustworthy and approachable brand, encouraging active participation and resonating with skincare enthusiasts.

3. Prettylittlething (@prettylittlething)

• Followers: 3.4M
• Follower growth rate: 3.1%
• Engagement rate: 7.8% 

Prettylittlething’s TikTok strategy effectively combines bold visuals, UK influencer collaborations and trend-driven content to engage its large audience of 3.4 million followers. With a follower growth rate of 3.1% and an impressive engagement rate of 7.8%, the brand prioritizes aspirational, style-focused posts that connects with a fashion-forward audience. By leveraging high-impact imagery, timely trends and interactive elements like polls and giveaways, Prettylittlething consistently stands out as a dynamic, youthful brand, building a loyal community eager to engage with the latest styles and collections.

Brands can leverage Dash Hudson's Competitive Insights and Benchmarking to measure and compare performance to competitors by analyzing engagement rates, follower growth and content effectiveness across social channels. Through Social Analytics and Monitoring, brands can see detailed insights into real-time content performance, audience behavior and more to fine-tune strategies. Along with Social Analytics, Social Media Reporting Dashboards provide customizable visualized reports to assess trends over time, so your team can easily spot opportunities to improve and capitalize on high-performing content.