{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/682f3407fc865cdd04908c36/69a06a550d2fa93ce530549a?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Is Your Engagement Low—or Just Misaligned With the Right Audience?","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/682f3407fc865cdd04908c36/1772153683985-81fe8efd-2281-4044-99c4-3ece0bae4803.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>If you’re staring at your analytics thinking, “Something’s not working,” this episode is for you. Yes, engagement rates are down across all platforms. That’s real. But most entrepreneurs are trying to fix the wrong problem. They’re trying to fix engagement when they should be fixing positioning, audience alignment, and conversion pathways.</p><p>In this solo episode, I walk you through what engagement benchmarks actually mean in 2026—and how to use that data without letting it derail your entire strategy.</p><p><br></p><p>You’ll learn:</p><ul><li>Why engagement rates naturally compress as platforms mature</li><li>Why a 0.5 percent engagement rate today is not the same as it was three years ago</li><li>Why getting louder is not the same as getting clearer</li><li>Why not all engagement is equal (likes vs saves vs comments vs DMs)</li><li>How algorithms now prioritize watch time, retention, relevance, and repeat interactions</li><li>Three things to track that matter far more than a single engagement number</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Timestamps:</p><p>00:00 Why Engagement Feels Broken</p><p>00:56 Engagement Isn’t Revenue</p><p>01:29 Platform Maturity and Rate Drops</p><p>02:08 Stop Posting More Start Positioning</p><p>03:18 Quality of Engagement Matters</p><p>03:54 Algorithm Shift to Repeat Attention</p><p>04:31 Reframe and Spot Misalignment</p><p>05:15 Three Metrics That Matter</p><p>06:00 Weekly Analytics Challenge</p><p>06:46 Final Strategy and Sendoff</p><p><br></p><p>Go into your analytics this week not to panic, but to spot patterns. Which content attracts the right people and leads to real conversations? And if you want a strategy that prioritizes revenue over reactions, visit NextStepSocial.com.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>Learn more about Katie and Next Step Social &amp; Podcasting:</p><p>Speaking: https://katiebrinkley.com/</p><p>Website: https://www.nextstepsocial.com/</p><p>Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiebrinkley</p><p>YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarketingTrendsNow</p><p>Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamkatiebrinkley/</p>","author_name":"Katie Brinkley"}