Instagram Influence Hits a Turning Point as THV Outperforms the World's Biggest Stars

Social media has become the world's biggest stage, and Instagram sits firmly at its centre. A single post can reach millions within minutes, spark trends, and even influence consumer behaviour worldwide.

Yet new data suggests that raw follower numbers are no longer the clearest sign of digital power. Instead, the true measure of influence lies in how actively audiences engage with what celebrities share.

Recent analytics compiled by Instrack and highlighted by Booking Agent Info reveal which stars generate the highest engagement per post. The findings underline a shift in how influence is defined online, rewarding authenticity and connection over sheer scale.

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K-Pop Star and Hollywood's Most Sought After Female Lead Top Rankings

Leading the list is THV, better known as V from BTS. With 69.5 million followers, he boasts an extraordinary engagement rate of 11.71 per cent, translating to an average of 8.1 million likes per post. The figure reflects the intense loyalty of the BTS fanbase and THV's ability to turn nearly every upload into a viral moment.

Actress Sydney Sweeney follows in second place with a 6.61 per cent engagement rate and roughly 1.6 million likes per post. From behind-the-scenes snapshots to high-profile campaign content, her feed consistently resonates with fans, highlighting how relatability and rising stardom can translate into powerful digital influence.

Musician Olivia Rodrigo ranks third, earning a 5.65 per cent engagement rate and more than 2.2 million likes per post. Her emotionally open storytelling and candid presence appeal strongly to younger audiences, cementing her status as one of the most influential artists of her generation online.

Close behind are Jenna Ortega, with a 5.59 per cent engagement rate, and singer-songwriter Conan Gray, who records a strong 4.39 per cent rate among a comparatively modest eight million followers. Their performance reinforces the idea that deep fan relationships often outperform mass popularity.

Why Smaller Audiences Can Mean Stronger Influence

Engagement rate has become the preferred metric for assessing influence, partly because it explains why some smaller accounts outperform much larger ones. As follower counts climb into the hundreds of millions, audiences naturally become more diverse and less personally invested because they consume content passively rather than interacting with it.

This so-called 'scale effect' means a smaller but highly committed fanbase will often engage more consistently, while megastars reach vast audiences of whom only a fraction actively respond. As a result, emerging celebrities such as Sydney Sweeney or Jenna Ortega can record engagement rates several times higher than global icons, without diminishing the latter's overall reach.

Music, Film and Sports Still Dominate

Among established global stars, Taylor Swift remains a standout. She records a 2.57 per cent engagement rate across 281 million followers, averaging 7.2 million likes per post. Each update, whether tour-related or personal, becomes an event for her deeply connected fanbase.

Zendaya follows with a 2.29 per cent engagement rate and around four million likes per post, while Rihanna combines entertainment and entrepreneurship to achieve a 1.88 per cent rate, driven by the cultural impact of her Fenty brands.

In sports, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi continue to command enormous attention. Ronaldo's 667 million followers generate an average of 4.9 million likes per post, while Messi's 508 million followers deliver around 3.2 million likes. Although their percentage-based engagement rates are lower, their total interactions remain among the highest on the platform.

Lifestyle Icons and Cultural Reach

Celebrities such as Kendall Jenner, Ariana Grande and Kylie Jenner post lower engagement percentages, yet their influence remains substantial. With millions of likes per post, they continue to shape global beauty, fashion and lifestyle trends, underlining that engagement rate measures connection rather than fame alone.

Why Engagement Matters More Than Ever

Marketing experts increasingly agree that engagement, not follower count, is the most accurate indicator of digital influence. As Booking Agent Info notes, an audience that interacts is an audience that listens, signaling trust, emotional investment and genuine interest.

As social media evolves, analysts expect deeper metrics such as comments, shares and saves to become even more important. For now, the data is clear: In 2025, true Instagram influence belongs not to those with the biggest audiences, but to those who can make every post count.