Let’s talk about the best time to post on social media, because success comes in the details.
As a social marketer, you want to see your business grow and gain the positive attention that it deserves. And in today’s digital world, your social media presence is a make-or-break deal. Let’s take a quick look at what are considered the best times to post on different social media outlets.
A recent study conducted by Latergramme looked at over 61,000 posts to determine when Instagram posts will receive the most views, likes, and comments. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the results:
- Sunday – 5:00 PM
- Monday – 7:00 PM & 10:00 PM
- Tuesday – 3:00 AM & 10:00 PM
- Wednesday – 5:00 PM
- Thursday – 7:00 AM & 11:00 PM
- Friday – 1:00 AM & 8:00 PM
- Saturday – 12:00 AM & 2:00 AM
Super helpful to know, but use these times simply as a starting point.
To get the best audience engagement, you’ll need to get to know your target audience.
For example, if you’re targeting the 9 to 5-ers, you would want to post in the early hours of the morning so your content is more likely to be the first thing they see when they wake up. Or, try posting in the early evening around 5 PM while they’re wrapping up at work and passing the time with some social media scrolling. Keep an eye on which works best and shift accordingly.
According to Pew Research, over 71 percent of Facebook users visit the site on a daily basis, and mobile usage is through the roof.
Weekdays have shown high amounts of activity between 1 PM and 4 PM with Wednesdays receiving an especially high amount of activity around 3 PM. While the reasons for this may vary, the data is clear: Weekday afternoons are a total steal for social marketers.
On the contrary, the worst times to post on Facebook would be on the weekends, believe it or not. Especially if it’s before 8 AM or after 8 PM. Jam-packed weekend schedules are what have probably resulted in especially low click-through rates for Facebook.
Of course, you should test and track these results for yourself. Try out all of these times before accepting any one as the single best time to post on social media. Engagement data available on your Facebook Page Insights can help with this.
Twitter is basically the modern newspaper, with people checking it frequently throughout the day.
Twitter reaches peak activity between 1 PM and 3PM on weekdays, with 3 PM being one of the best times for tweet engagement. If it’s retweets you’re after, try posting at 12 PM and then again at 5PM on weekdays. Statistically, these times hold the highest retweet volume.
But don’t forget about your audience relationship. If your relationship is business to business, then you’ll want to post during the weekdays. But if your relationship is business to consumer, then you’re better off posting during the weekends.
When’s the Absolute Best Time to Post on Social Media?
Well, there isn’t one. But can you tip the odds in your favor?
Absolutely.
The key is to keep testing. Take advantage of these time frames, but keep track of how they work for your brand. Audience habits (and network algorithms) can change over time, after all.
