A study examining social media activity across the boating sector has shown relatively low levels of audience interaction compared with other luxury industries.
The analysis, titled “Social Media Insights – Boating Industry 2026”, was prepared by Austrian market research firm Interconnection Consulting and reviews the social media performance of a number of boat and yacht brands.
Companies referenced in the study include Azimut, Bavaria, Beneteau, Brunswick, Ferretti Group, Hanse Yachts, Princess Yachts, Sanlorenzo, Sunseeker and Yamaha Boating. These companies represent a substantial portion of the global boating market.
According to the study, boat and yacht brands record an average social media engagement rate of 1.3 per cent. Engagement measures how frequently users interact with a post through actions such as liking, commenting or sharing it relative to the number of people who see the content.
The study notes that other luxury sectors achieve engagement rates of around 3 per cent on average. This places boating sector interaction levels at less than half of those seen in comparable industries.
Instagram remains the primary social media platform used by boating brands, with almost all companies maintaining active accounts. The brands included in the analysis have an average of 174,500 Instagram followers. By comparison, luxury brand accounts in other sectors typically average around 956,900 followers.
Researchers attribute part of the difference to the similarity of content published across the sector. The study states that many brands rely on ‘similar, highly polished images’, which can make it difficult for individual accounts to differentiate themselves.
Use of other platforms is less widespread. Approximately 30 per cent of the analysed brands maintain an active presence on TikTok. YouTube is more commonly used to host product presentations and boat tour videos. The platform nonetheless shows potential for audience retention, the report says, with viewing rates reported between 60 per cent and 75 per cent for boating-related content.
Interaction levels remain another important factor that influences visibility on social platforms. Increasingly, algorithms on major platforms prioritise content that generates user discussion. The study finds that the brands analysed generate an average of 6.1 comments per Instagram post and 3.9 comments per YouTube post.
The research also highlights several companies that achieve higher levels of performance on specific platforms. For example, Azimut records engagement rates on Instagram that exceed the sector average. The study attributes this to frequent posting, a broader range of content formats and the use of paid campaigns across Meta platforms. On YouTube, Sunseeker records comparatively high view counts despite having a smaller subscriber base than some competitors. The report says these results are associated with a mix of shorter and longer video formats.
“The boating industry has clearly embraced social media, but many brands are still using these platforms as digital brochures rather than as spaces for real conversation,” says Rubén Eduardo Rodríguez, author of the study at Interconnection Consulting. “In a sector driven by aspiration and lifestyle, the brands that succeed online will be those that move beyond polished images and start building genuine dialogue with their audiences.”
The Social Media Insights – Boating Industry 2026 study also notes the scale of the broader global boating market. The sector generated €25.5bn in revenue in 2025. Despite this, the analysis states that many companies are still struggling to define a clear digital strategy to attract new audiences and sustain long-term growth, billing it as a ‘decisive moment’ for those brands that are able to turn ‘passive viewers’ into ‘engaged communities’.
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