TikTok Benchmarks: Measuring Your TikTok Performance in 2023

The greatest challenge social media marketers face at present is the shift in consumer attention. Social entertainment, with its quick bursts of short-form video on channels such as TikTok or Instagram Reels, has become the predominant place where young audiences spend their time, supplanting everything from traditional social media platforms to Netflix.

Marketers cannot ignore this change in the status quo, as there has been a noticeable decline in engagement in traditional static posts on social media, while TikTok, with its interest-based algorithm for serving content, delivers astronomical consumer engagement, which then leads to sales growth, especially if you use e-commerce tools like a link-in-bio solution for TikTok.

TikTok is a different channel from what you’re used to, and the baseline performance metrics you can expect are also completely different. To help you set performance goals and level-set your strategy, Dash Hudson analyzed the top brands on TikTok in six different industries to uncover the average performance for brands categorized into three follower buckets: growing, established, and large. Take a look at Dash Hudson’s benchmark reports for in-depth insights and analysis into how brands are performing on TikTok, and continue reading for a preview of what to expect from the reports.

TikTok Marketing Trends for 2023

TikTok continues to show rapid growth. The channel has already surpassed 1 billion users in its early years, but more surprising is how its average engagement rates exceed Instagram posts by 10X, according to Dash Hudson’s benchmarks. Video content simply does a better job of inspiring users to take action, whether it’s commenting, sharing with friends, or liking the post as a vote of confidence to the algorithm that you want to see more of that type of content.

Dash Hudson also learned that a greater number of followers correlates with a higher engagement rate, which is the opposite of the trend seen on other social channels. While follower count is less important on TikTok than on other channels, brands with higher followers are doing a better job of driving results at this stage. It remains to be seen whether this trend will shift over time as smaller brands become more TikTok-savvy and purposefully create lo-fi content rather than repurposing content from other places.

There are fewer posts from brands on TikTok compared to other social media platforms. It does not take much content to make an impact. Instead, it is more important for brands to optimize content based on what they know their audiences want to see. Metrics such as Dash Hudson’s Entertainment Score are powerful measurements of how well content resonates with audiences and can help you optimize your strategy to grow your engagement. Focus on quality over quantity.

Beauty Industry TikTok Benchmarks

We analyzed over 100 of the top brands in this industry to determine the average performance for brands with 10K to 100K followers, 100K to 500K followers, and over 500K followers.

Beauty Industry TikTok Trends

Beauty brands are reaping the benefits of being early adopters. Brands in this sector have the opportunity to adjust their strategy to continue to lead in engagement and entertainment, particularly by partnering with celebrities and creators, which bring in high numbers of views and reactions for top-performing brands. Beauty’s largest brands, which benefit from celebrity founders and their motivated fanbases, continue to earn the highest Engagement Rates — smaller brands are competing by focusing on more niche creators who can capture various segments that celebrities do not speak to.

Top Beauty Brands on TikTok

• Dermalogica captures audiences with its satisfying educational TikToks that show how skincare is done.
• Charlotte Tilbury balances sharing content from its TikTok-savvy creator, product marketing, and celebrating its community of creators.
• It is easy to see why eos is one of the top beauty brands on TikTok, as it fully embraces the authenticity and wit that made the channel so popular with audiences.‍
• florence by mills consistently earns high entertainment benchmarks with its celebrity-led brand and voice that speaks to Gen Z.

Check out our full Beauty Industry TikTok Benchmark Report for more information.

Industry Fashion and Luxury Industry TikTok Benchmarks

We analyzed over 100 of the top brands in this industry to determine the average performance for brands with 10K to 100K followers, 100K to 500K followers, and over 500K followers.

Fashion and Luxury Industry TikTok Trends

The Fashion brands that are doing the best are behaving more like Media and Publishing companies and making good use of celebrity endorsements and red-carpet looks to earn the highest engagement. A key lesson that can be learned from publishers is to approach content like a storyteller and understand what will engage and resonate with audiences.

As luxury brands continue to figure out how to balance highly produced visuals with the lo-fi visuals that TikTok is known for, brands that are succeeding with audiences are doing a mix of both, focusing on supplementing campaigns with behind-the-scenes peeks at new products.

Top Fashion and Luxury Brands on TikTok

• Steve Madden brings a lo-fi perspective to its fashion with behind-the-scenes looks at its campaigns and a touch of humor that works perfectly on TikTok.
• Balenciaga wins over TikTok with star-studded fashion shows and campaign shoots made specifically for TikTok’s algorithm, which favors eye-catching first impressions.
• Alexander McQueen uses TikTok to showcase its latest collections, as well as its looks in action on the red carpet. The brand makes sure to highlight celebrities and entertainers extensively with its #SeenInMcQueen tag.‍
• Givenchy brings the runway to TikTok with its behind-the-scenes looks at fashion shows. Bridging TikTok’s authenticity with stylized luxury is no easy feat, but the video format allows audiences to immerse themselves in the fashion world in bursts of entertainment.

Check out our full Fashion and Luxury Industry TikTok Benchmark Report for more information.

CPG, Food, and Beverage Industry TikTok Benchmarks

We analyzed over 100 of the top brands in this industry to determine the average performance for brands with 10K to 100K followers, 100K to 500K followers, and over 500K followers.

CPG, Food, and Beverage Industry TikTok Trends

Quality over quantity proves to be a winning formula. CPG, Food, and Beverage brands are making the most out of their content, only posting 2 times per week on average, but earning the second-highest engagement rate out of the industries we’ve analyzed, surpassing both Beauty and Fashion/Luxury.

Top CPG, Food, and Beverage Brands on TikTok

• The Nue Co uses TikTok to educate users about wellness, sustainability, and its health products.
• Ocean Spray’s content is a refreshing behind-the-scenes look at the brand, including relatable social media manager humor, footage from cranberry bogs, and even the CEO weighing in by reading funny comments out loud.‍
• McDonald’s has a very different voice on TikTok than other channels, focusing on delivering snappy comedy with a Gen Z aesthetic.

Check out our full CPG, Food and Beverage Industry TikTok Benchmark Report for more information.

Home Industry TikTok Benchmarks

We analyzed over 100 of the top brands in this industry to determine the average performance for brands with 10K to 100K followers, 100K to 500K followers, and over 500K followers.

Home Industry TikTok Trends

The Home industry on TikTok is a market ripe with opportunities for early adopters. While home brands have the fewest followers of all industries studied, they're still receiving a similar number of views to more established industries like Beauty. Home brands have a real opportunity to conquer their niche with distinctive content and appear on people’s For You pages.

Top Home Brands on TikTok

• Bed Bath & Beyond leads the Home industry on TikTok by intertwining product marketing with relatable content. The brand makes extensive use of creator partnerships to highlight hot products, shopping tips, and sales.
• Ototo Design’s colorful and fun kitchen gadgets are a perfect match for #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt.‍
• Target competes in multiple sectors, and its eclectic mix of content works well on TikTok, where users discover brands from a variety of niches. TikTok users love to see how other people live, and in the Home industry, Target uses home tours and unboxing videos to pique users’ interests.

Check out our full Home Industry TikTok Benchmark Report for more information.

Media and Publishing Industry TikTok Benchmarks

We analyzed over 100 of the top brands in this industry to determine the average performance for brands with 10K to 100K followers, 100K to 500K followers, and over 500K followers.

Media and Publishing Industry TikTok Trends

Media and Publishing brands are the most successful on TikTok. This industry has the highest posting frequency, at 9 times per week. Brands garner a high number of comments and an extraordinary number of shares, indicating that audiences are tuned in and sharing content with friends. Media brands have a high average number of followers, as TikTok has become a cultural epicenter and media brands play a large role in social entertainment.

Top Media and Publishing Brands on TikTok

• FOLX Health blends education of LGBTQIA+ healthcare with fun pop culture content, earning incredibly high engagement.
• Wedding Wire mixes wedding inspiration with fun. Its TikTok presence doesn’t take itself too seriously, and instead celebrates the entertaining side of weddings.‍
• Teen Vogue simply gets TikTok. They’ve been on the channel since it was Musical.ly, and it has been a top channel for the brand for years.

Check out our full Media and Publishing Industry TikTok Benchmark Report for more information.

Retail Industry TikTok Benchmarks

We analyzed over 100 of the top brands in this industry to determine the average performance for brands with 10K to 100K followers, 100K to 500K followers, and over 500K followers.

Retail Industry TikTok Trends

Retailers receive a high number of views, and their greatest opportunity is to focus on growing engagement. Despite weak engagement, brands in this sector perform well in terms of earning views, which indicates success from the For You page.

Top Retail Brands on TikTok

• Cotton On succeeds in capturing TikTok’s energetic spirit, and it brings its store to life with fun product highlights.
• TikTok’s audience gravitates toward entertainment, and Steve Madden uses celebrity partnerships to its advantage.‍
• PacSun outperforms the industry by keeping its posts laser-focused on trending products and seasonal shifts in fashion.

Check out our full Retail Industry TikTok Benchmark Report for more information.

What We Can Learn From Brands’ TikTok Marketing Strategies

Focus on entertainment. Smaller brands are earning just as many views as bigger brands by focusing on delivering entertainment value over growing followers.

Partner with creators. Content that features real people using your products builds trust, especially when those people have an established audience.

‍Be authentic. TikTok audiences prefer to be spoken to like friends rather than customers. The production value of content matters less than simply being funny and relatable.