How the diagnoser separates causes
It splits the change in total engagement into three parts:
- Volume: did you post less? Fewer posts mean fewer chances to engage.
- Distribution: did each post reach fewer people (reach per post)?
- Resonance: of the people reached, did fewer engage (engagement rate by reach)?
Whichever fell most is the main driver. The changes you ticked are then matched to that driver: for example, fewer videos usually show up as lower reach per post, while more promotional posts usually show up as lower resonance. A drop of under 10% is treated as normal variation.
Common causes and fixes
| Main driver | Likely causes | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | Posting less or irregularly | Set a schedule you can keep (see the Posting Capacity Calculator) |
| Reach per post | Fewer formats the platform favours, external links, posting when followers are offline, platform changes | Reintroduce short video, put links in comments or stories, check audience activity times |
| Resonance | Topics drifting from what the audience values, too much selling, less replying | Return to your best-performing topics, follow the 80/20 rule of value to promotion, reply to every comment in the first hour |
Seasonal dips and audience changes (for example after buying followers, who never engage) also show up as lower rates by followers. Read why social media engagement drops for more detail, and track rates consistently with the Engagement Rate Calculator.