Benchmark
A benchmark is a reference data point or standard used to evaluate performance - in LinkedIn content, benchmarks provide the comparison baseline for determining whether engagement rates, reach, and conversion metrics are above or below typical for a given niche.
Benchmarks on LinkedIn serve two purposes: external (comparing your metrics against industry averages to understand where you stand) and internal (comparing your current performance against your own historical performance to measure improvement). Both are necessary - external benchmarks provide context, internal benchmarks provide direction.
The challenge with LinkedIn benchmarks: they vary significantly by account size, industry, and content type. A 3% engagement rate is excellent for a 30,000-follower account in SaaS but mediocre for a 2,000-follower coaching account. Applying the wrong benchmark to your situation produces false positives or unnecessary discouragement.
Reliable external benchmark sources: Creator's aggregate dataset (44,000+ posts), Richard van der Blom's annual LinkedIn Algorithm Report, Socialinsider's annual LinkedIn study, and HubSpot's State of Marketing Report. Internal benchmarks: your own 90-day rolling average per metric, tracked in a simple spreadsheet updated weekly.
Related terms
- Actionable MetricsActionable metrics are performance numbers that directly correlate with business outcomes and can be improved through specific, executable changes - contrasted with vanity metrics that look good but don't predict results.
- Engagement RateEngagement rate is the percentage of people who saw a LinkedIn post and reacted, commented, or reshared it.
- Post AnalyticsPost analytics is the per-post performance data available in LinkedIn's native dashboard - showing impressions, reactions, comments, shares, reposts, clicks, and profile views driven by each individual post.
See benchmark in practice
Real creators · data-backed strategy breakdowns
