Today, do you get a better conversion rate on TikTok or on LinkedIn?

This article has been written by our TikTok expert who will tell you what are the most efficient strategies in your niche

What's the average engagement rate per post on TikTok versus LinkedIn in 2025, broken down by niche and account size?

TikTok maintains a 4.86% average engagement rate while LinkedIn leads all platforms with 6.50%, but the real story lies in how these numbers vary dramatically by niche and follower count.

On TikTok, smaller accounts significantly outperform larger ones, with creators under 100K followers achieving 7.50% engagement compared to just 2.88% for accounts with 10M+ followers. The education niche dominates with 9.50% engagement, followed by food and drink content at 6-8%, while beauty and fashion struggle at 2.51-3.48%.

LinkedIn's engagement patterns differ substantially, showing less variation by account size but significant differences by content format. Multi-image posts achieve the highest engagement at 6.60%, followed by native documents at 5.85% and video content at 5.60%. Industry-wise, construction and manufacturing lead at 4.0%, while financial services lag at 2.3%.

The fundamental difference lies in audience behavior: TikTok users engage impulsively with entertaining, educational content, while LinkedIn users respond to professional value and credibility signals. TikTok's algorithm heavily favors newer, smaller accounts in viral distribution, explaining the inverse relationship between follower count and engagement rate.

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On each platform, what's the average number of likes and comments per post for creators with under 10K, 10K–100K, and 100K+ followers?

TikTok's engagement numbers scale dramatically with follower count, creating substantial differences in absolute engagement volume across creator tiers.

Follower Range	TikTok Average Likes	TikTok Average Comments
100K–500K	180,925 likes per post	1,951 comments per post
500K–1M	259,912 likes per post	2,461 comments per post
1M–5M	817,029 likes per post	7,104 comments per post
5M–10M	1,451,448 likes per post	10,896 comments per post
10M+	7,164,146 likes per post	55,913 comments per post

LinkedIn's engagement data is less granular but shows 612.9 total engagements per post for accounts with 2,000-10K followers and 261 engagements for accounts with 500-2,000 followers. LinkedIn combines likes, comments, and shares in their engagement metrics, making direct comparison challenging.

The key insight is that TikTok's viral algorithm can generate massive engagement spikes regardless of follower count, while LinkedIn engagement grows more predictably with audience size and content quality.

How does the average conversion rate (click to sale) compare between TikTok and LinkedIn across different revenue streams—digital products, coaching, services, affiliate links?

TikTok achieves a 5.17% overall ad conversion rate compared to LinkedIn's 2.0%, but LinkedIn dominates in high-value B2B conversions with rates reaching 10-15% for lead generation campaigns.

For e-commerce and digital products, TikTok's impulse-driven audience generates 0.46% conversion rates, while affiliate marketing performs at 2.0% for B2C products and 1.2% for B2B offerings. The platform's strength lies in spontaneous purchasing decisions triggered by product demonstrations, unboxing videos, and user-generated content.

LinkedIn excels in professional services and coaching, delivering conversion rates up to 2× higher than other platforms for high-ticket offerings. B2B lead generation campaigns using pre-filled forms achieve 10-15% conversion rates, significantly outperforming TikTok's direct sales approach. The platform's professional context creates trust and credibility essential for expensive services.

The fundamental difference stems from user intent: TikTok users discover products through entertainment, leading to impulse purchases, while LinkedIn users actively seek professional solutions, resulting in more deliberate, higher-value conversions. TikTok wins on volume and speed; LinkedIn wins on value and qualification.

What are the latest stats on audience demographics and psychographics for each platform, and how do these affect conversion?

TikTok's audience composition shows 55.7% male and 44.3% female users, with the largest segment being 25-34 year-olds at 30%, while LinkedIn mirrors this with 56.9% male and 43.1% female users, with 47% aged 25-34.

The psychographic differences drive conversion behavior more than demographics. TikTok users seek entertainment, authenticity, and community connection, making them responsive to relatable content, humor, and trending formats. This entertainment-first mindset creates openness to spontaneous purchases when products are presented as solutions to relatable problems or as part of trending content.

LinkedIn users prioritize professional growth, credibility, and career advancement. They respond to thought leadership, case studies, and content that positions the creator as an industry expert. This professional focus makes them more likely to invest in expensive services, courses, and B2B solutions that promise measurable business outcomes.

Conversion impact varies significantly: TikTok's entertainment-seeking audience converts best on products under $100, especially fashion, beauty, and lifestyle items, while LinkedIn's career-focused users invest in services ranging from $1,000 to $50,000+ for consulting, coaching, and enterprise solutions.

Where do users tend to spend more money—on TikTok or LinkedIn—and in what types of offers?

TikTok users spend an average of $158 per year on impulse-driven purchases, primarily in fashion, gadgets, and TikTok Shop products, while LinkedIn users invest significantly more per transaction in professional services and B2B solutions.

TikTok's spending patterns favor frequent, lower-value purchases driven by viral trends and influencer recommendations. Users readily purchase items under $50, with beauty products, clothing, and lifestyle accessories dominating sales. The platform's integrated TikTok Shop and seamless purchasing experience encourages spontaneous buying behavior triggered by product demonstrations and authentic reviews.

LinkedIn users demonstrate completely different spending behavior, investing in high-ticket professional services, courses, and consulting packages ranging from $1,000 to $50,000+. The platform excels in driving conversions for business coaching, marketing services, professional development courses, and enterprise software solutions.

The spending psychology differs fundamentally: TikTok purchases are often emotional and entertainment-driven, while LinkedIn purchases are strategic investments in career or business growth. This explains why LinkedIn generates higher lifetime customer value despite lower transaction frequency.

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Which platform currently drives more traffic to external websites or funnels, and what's the average click-through rate?

TikTok significantly outperforms LinkedIn in driving traffic volume, achieving 74.8% of traffic conversions in comparative studies with a 4.93% click-through rate, while LinkedIn generates 0.52% CTR but delivers more qualified traffic.

TikTok's traffic advantage stems from its algorithm's ability to push content to massive audiences quickly, combined with lower friction for external link clicks. The platform's younger audience readily clicks through to explore products, websites, and offers presented in video content. However, this traffic often includes significant bot activity, with some studies suggesting 97% fake traffic in certain campaigns.

LinkedIn's lower CTR reflects the platform's professional context where users are more selective about external links. However, LinkedIn traffic demonstrates higher intent and qualification, particularly valuable for B2B companies seeking decision-makers and qualified leads rather than high-volume, low-intent traffic.

External link policies also impact performance: TikTok allows clickable links in bio and comments, facilitating traffic flow, while LinkedIn restricts external links in posts, requiring users to visit profiles or use lead generation forms. This creates different user journeys optimized for each platform's strengths.

What's the current breakdown of each platform's conversion funnel—from impression to engagement to lead to sale?

TikTok's conversion funnel operates through viral discovery via the For You Page algorithm, leading to high engagement through saves and shares, culminating in direct sales via TikTok Shop or affiliate links.

The TikTok funnel begins with algorithm-driven awareness, where content can reach millions organically regardless of follower count. Users engage through likes, comments, and shares, with saves indicating strong purchase intent. The consideration phase involves users researching products through multiple videos and creator testimonials. Conversion happens rapidly through in-app shopping or external links, often within 24-48 hours of initial exposure.

LinkedIn's funnel follows a professional decision-making process, starting with industry insight content that establishes credibility. The awareness phase builds through consistent thought leadership and valuable content sharing. Consideration involves lead generation forms, webinar signups, and direct message conversations. Conversion typically requires multiple touchpoints over weeks or months, often culminating in high-value B2B service agreements.

The fundamental difference lies in speed versus value: TikTok optimizes for rapid, impulse-driven conversions, while LinkedIn nurtures longer sales cycles that result in higher-value transactions. TikTok's funnel compresses decision-making into hours; LinkedIn's extends across multiple weeks of relationship building.

What is the volume of fake traffic or bots on TikTok vs LinkedIn, and how does it impact conversion tracking?

TikTok faces severe bot traffic issues with studies showing up to 97% fake traffic in some campaigns, while LinkedIn reports 24.64% fake ad traffic, significantly impacting campaign measurement accuracy.

TikTok's bot problem stems from its massive scale and algorithmic distribution, with 6 billion fake accounts removed in Q4 2024 alone. This artificial inflation skews engagement metrics, making true conversion rates difficult to measure and wasting advertising budgets on non-human interactions. The platform's emphasis on rapid growth has inadvertently created an ecosystem where bot traffic thrives.

LinkedIn's fake traffic primarily affects advertising campaigns, where nearly one-quarter of clicks come from non-human sources. While lower than TikTok's worst cases, this still represents significant budget waste for B2B companies paying premium prices for LinkedIn's professional audience access.

Impact on conversion tracking is substantial: TikTok marketers must discount engagement metrics by potentially 50-90% to understand true performance, while LinkedIn advertisers lose roughly 25% of their ad spend to fake clicks. Both platforms are investing heavily in bot detection, but the problem persists at scale.

Which types of content convert best on each platform (e.g. educational carousels, story-based videos, testimonials)?

TikTok's highest-converting content includes product demonstrations, educational tutorials, and authentic user-generated content, while LinkedIn favors multi-image carousels, native documents, and thought leadership videos.

On TikTok, product demonstrations and unboxing videos generate the highest conversion rates by showing real product usage and building trust through transparency. Educational "how-to" content converts well by positioning products as solutions to specific problems. User-generated content and influencer collaborations leverage social proof to drive purchases, particularly effective for beauty, fashion, and lifestyle products.

LinkedIn's top-performing content for conversions includes multi-image carousels that achieve 6.60% engagement rates, often used for case studies and step-by-step professional guides. Native document uploads perform at 5.85% engagement, ideal for sharing detailed reports and industry insights. Video content maintains 5.60% engagement when focused on professional development and business insights.

The content success factors differ significantly: TikTok content must entertain while educating, using trends and music to increase viral potential. LinkedIn content must establish authority and provide actionable professional value, prioritizing credibility over entertainment.

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How did conversion rates and engagement metrics evolve from 2024 to 2025 on both platforms, and what trends are forecasted for 2026?

TikTok's engagement rate declined from 5.14% in early 2024 to 4.86% in 2025, while LinkedIn's engagement increased from 6.00% to 8.01%, indicating platform maturation and algorithm changes.

TikTok's decline reflects increased competition for attention as more creators and brands join the platform, diluting organic reach. The algorithm now prioritizes retention over interactions, favoring content that keeps users watching longer rather than generating quick likes and comments. This shift benefits educational and storytelling content while disadvantaging simple, viral trends.

LinkedIn's growth stems from increased video adoption and algorithm improvements that better surface relevant professional content. The platform's focus on meaningful professional interactions has improved content quality and user engagement, particularly benefiting thought leadership and industry analysis content.

2026 forecasts predict TikTok will continue prioritizing watch time and video completion rates, favoring longer-form content and AI-generated shoppable videos. LinkedIn will expand video tools and interactive formats while maintaining its focus on professional value, potentially introducing more sophisticated B2B conversion tracking and lead qualification features.

In which contexts or use cases is TikTok the clear winner, and when is LinkedIn a no-brainer?

TikTok dominates B2C markets targeting Gen Z and millennials for viral products and impulse purchases, while LinkedIn is unbeatable for B2B services, professional networking, and high-value consulting sales.

TikTok wins decisively for fashion and beauty brands, food and beverage products, consumer electronics, and lifestyle accessories where visual demonstration drives purchases. The platform excels with audiences aged 18-34 who value authenticity, entertainment, and peer recommendations. Businesses selling products under $100 with strong visual appeal and demonstration potential see exceptional results.

LinkedIn becomes the obvious choice for professional services, B2B software, consulting firms, educational institutions, and any business targeting decision-makers in corporate environments. Companies selling services over $1,000, particularly in technology, finance, marketing, and professional development, achieve superior results through LinkedIn's credibility-focused environment.

Industry context matters significantly: a fitness app targeting young consumers should prioritize TikTok, while an enterprise software company needs LinkedIn's professional audience. The key is matching platform culture with product positioning and target audience expectations.

How should someone choose the best platform based on their niche, business model, and target audience preferences?

Platform selection should align your business model with audience behavior, considering transaction value, purchase complexity, and demographic preferences to maximize conversion potential.

For B2C businesses targeting consumers under 35 with products under $200, TikTok offers superior reach and conversion rates through viral content and impulse purchasing behavior. Industries like fashion, beauty, food, fitness, and consumer technology benefit from TikTok's visual storytelling and trend-driven discovery.

B2B companies, professional service providers, and businesses selling high-ticket items over $1,000 should prioritize LinkedIn's qualified professional audience. Industries including consulting, marketing services, enterprise software, professional education, and financial services achieve better ROI through LinkedIn's trust-building environment and decision-maker access.

Consider these decision factors: transaction complexity (simple purchases favor TikTok, complex B2B sales favor LinkedIn), audience age (under 35 leans TikTok, 25-54 professionals prefer LinkedIn), content format strengths (video demonstrations on TikTok, thought leadership on LinkedIn), and sales cycle length (quick impulse buys on TikTok, longer consideration periods on LinkedIn).

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Conclusion

Sources

1. Buffer - Average Engagement Rate
2. The Influencer Marketing Factory
3. Click Analytic - TikTok Engagement Guide
4. Agency Analytics - Conversion Rates
5. Enrich Labs - TikTok Benchmarks
6. Exploding Topics - TikTok Demographics
7. Sprout Social - LinkedIn Statistics
8. Retail Touchpoints - Consumer Spending
9. Statista - TikTok Fake Interactions
10. LinkedIn - Fake Traffic Analysis

Who is the author of this content?

NAPOLIFY

A team specialized in data-driven growth strategies for social media

We offer data-driven, battle-tested approach to growing online profiles, especially on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Unlike traditional agencies or consultants who often recycle generic advice,we go on the field and we keep analyzing real-world social content—breaking down hundreds of viral posts to identify what formats, hooks, and strategies actually drive engagement, conversions, and growth. If you'd like to learn more about us, you can check our website.

How this content was created 🔎📝

At Napolify, we analyze social media trends and viral content every day. Our team doesn't just observe from a distance—we're actively studying platform-specific patterns, breaking down viral posts, and maintaining a constantly updated database of trends, tactics, and strategies. This hands-on approach allows us to understand what actually drives engagement and growth.

These observations are originally based on what we've learned through analyzing hundreds of viral posts and real-world performance data. But it was not enough. To back them up, we also needed to rely on trusted resources and case studies from major brands.

We prioritize accuracy and authority. Trends lacking solid data or performance metrics were excluded.

Trustworthiness is central to our work. Every source and citation is clearly listed, ensuring transparency. A writing AI-powered tool was used solely to refine readability and engagement.

To make the information accessible, our team designed custom infographics that clarify key points. We hope you will like them! All illustrations and media were created in-house and added manually.