Food and Beverage Industry Social Media Benchmark Report
Find out how your brand stacks up against food and beverage industry leaders.
Download the full food and beverage industry benchmark report to see the latest averages, statistics, and key metrics across the industry. Use these findings to set clear goals, sharpen creative, and discover where you’re winning or have opportunities to grow.
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Key Takeaways: 2026 Food and Beverage Industry Benchmark Report
- Discovery is growing on TikTok. Views and reach are both up 35%. As content reaches wider audiences, Entertainment Score helps identify what is landing.
- Reels lead on Instagram. Instagram views are up 44%, but engagement rate has dropped from 3.3% to 2.5%.
- Short-form is overtaking long-form on YouTube. On-demand views are down 6%, while Shorts views are up 152%, with opportunity to invest in short-form video and repurpose long-form content into shorter clips.
Food and Beverage Industry Benchmarks and Statistics
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What Top Food and Beverage Brands Are Doing Differently
Top food and beverage brands are combining strong visuals with clear, repeatable formats to keep audiences engaged. From trend-driven content to personality-led storytelling, each brand builds a distinct presence that keeps viewers coming back.
Crumbl blends humor, behind-the-scenes content, and of course, its weekly cookie round-up to keep users checking for their favorite flavors week after week.
ALOHA taps into timely trends and adapts them to fit its products. Quick edits and light humor make each post feel current and fun to watch, helping the brand hold attention in the feed.
Rizzo’s House of Parm brings founder Matty Matheson’s signature charm and eclectic taste to its feed. Rizzo’s keeps food and the brand’s team at the forefront, favoring cheese pulls and film photography over trends to entertain.
How Have Food and Beverage Benchmarks Changed Since Our Last Report?
From Colorful Content To Sensory-First Content
Previously, brands leaned on humor and bright visuals to capture attention.
In our latest report, top-performing brands focus content on texture, motion, and close-up food visuals that highlight taste and experience.
What changed: Sensory appeal and product detail are driving stronger engagement.
From Product Focus To Creator-Focused Content
Historically, food and beverage content focused heavily on product features and visuals.
In 2026, brands incorporate creators and pop culture to increase reach and engagement.
What changed: Audiences respond more to food content that feels social, conversational, and participatory.
From Static-Centric Feeds To Video-Led Content
In our last report, static and carousel posts played a larger role in driving engagement on Instagram.
Recent data indicates that video delivers stronger reach and interaction, with Reels outperforming static formats across metrics.
What changed: Audiences respond better to dynamic motion over still imagery.
What’s a Good Engagement Rate for Food and Beverage Brands?
Food and beverage brands should aim for an engagement rate between 3.0% and 3.5% on TikTok, and between 2.0% and 2.5% on Instagram.
What Types of Content Perform Best for Food and Beverage Industry Brands?
Short-form video continues to lead, especially when content is visually driven and easy to consume. On TikTok, close-up food shots, quick edits, and trend-driven formats fuel strong engagement. Brands like Keke’s Breakfast Cafe and ALOHA outperform the industry by combining sensory visuals with light humor and timely trends.
On Instagram, performance is driven by content that blends food, culture, and creators. Sweetgreen pairs pop culture with food content to boost engagement, while Rizzo’s leads with the emotional connection food creates, choosing personality over trends. With a 0.4% average engagement rate across the industry, standout visuals and clear concepts are key to outperforming.
On YouTube, shorter, informative videos tied to health or product benefits drive higher views. Brands like Bragg see strong performance by connecting trending topics to product use. With average views at 313K and 81% retention, content that is direct and value-led performs best.
How Our Food and Beverage Industry Benchmarks Are Calculated
Dash Social pulled a sample of global companies across TikTok (n=1,361), Instagram (n=3,363), and YouTube (n=616) analyzing their activity between July 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025 to determine average performance against a predetermined set of KPIs. These benchmarks include organic, boosted and promoted content but exclude paid ads. They apply to handles with at least 1K followers, covering both customers and non-customers.
Download the Full Food and Beverage Industry Report
Dash Social’s benchmark report takes you through the latest metrics behind discovery, viewership, and how leading brands stand out on social.
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Social Media Benchmark FAQs
Are food and beverage audiences engaging more with video or static content?
Audiences are engaging more with video. Across platforms, short-form video drives higher reach, stronger engagement, and better retention compared to static posts.
What KPIs should food and beverage brands track?
Food and beverage brands should focus on engagement rate, video views, and shares on TikTok. On Instagram, track engagement rate and saves. On YouTube, prioritize video views and retention to measure content performance.
Which social channels deliver the best ROI for food and beverage brands?
TikTok delivers strong engagement and growth, with a 7.6% monthly follower growth rate. Instagram supports scale and consistent reach, while YouTube drives deeper engagement through longer watch time and higher retention.