One of the top questions we get is, “what is the best time to post?” Our clients are always seeking guidance on the most optimal time to share their content in order to get the highest reach & engagement with their followers.
Before the Instagram algorithm went into effect, we generally stuck to posting around mealtimes: 8-9am, 12-2pm & 5-6pm. After the algorithm, the Instagram & social media community was somewhat at a loss for a little while about when the best time to share content was. After some research and a hard look at our client’s data from our favorite analytical tools, we’ve updated our thinking on the best times to post. While results can vary depending on the brand and audience, here are some general rules & guidelines that we go by:
- We generally find that early afternoons (11am – 1pm) and evenings (7 – 9pm) bring the most engagement.
- We call weekdays from 3pm-5pm the dead zone. Posts at this time most likely never receive high engagement percentages.
- Save important posts & announcements for mid-day on weekdays in order to have the highest amount of reach.
- Find out when your audience is the most active. If you’re a West Coast or an East Coast brand, for example, your posting times will vary based on when your audience is awake.
- Weekends can be hit or miss depending on your audience. Some of our clients have great success with posts on Saturdays and Sundays, while others don’t fare as well.
- Facebook is the king of social media. With the most active users over any other social platform, it’s kind of hard to find a bad day or time to post.
- Some basic things to note:
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- Thursday at 1pm is the overall most active time
- Morning & late night posts tend to perform worse
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- We generally stick to Monday through Friday at 12pm on Facebook
- Boosted posts & Facebook ads are necessary to gain traction for your brand page, especially for a newer brand.
Important notes: Our guidelines might not work for everyone! Don’t be afraid to test out different posting times for you and your brand to see what works best for your audience.
Written by our Digital Specialist, Nora Henick.
What does your data say? We wanna know! Tweet us @somethingsocial or tag us on Instagram- @somethingsocial.
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