With organic reach steadily declining in recent years, it’s crucial to know what tools and strategies can improve your content’s visibility online. Aside from paid options, one way to maximize your reach is by knowing the best times to post on social media.
Posting at the right times will boost your content’s visibility, engagement, and conversion rates. Today, we’ll discuss the best times to post on social media so you can reach your target audience and start publishing content more strategically.
Let’s get right to it!
Best Times to Post on Social Media Across All Platforms
Different platforms will have unique peak hours, but the overall best times for a business to post on social media are between 9 a.m. and noon on Monday and Wednesday.
While Monday can be surprising, as it is the first day of the work week, it actually makes the most sense. It’s the perfect time to catch up on any activities and outings people may have missed over the weekend.
Wednesday, on the other hand, is commonly regarded as a “hump day” and is when people start to make plans for the weekend. This means they’ll be checking social media more to contact their friends and see what events they can go to.
Meanwhile, the worst times to post on social media are on Saturday and Sunday, as people are usually out of their homes and won’t spend as much time scrolling online.
Does Posting Time Matter?
Yes, posting time matters. It’s one of the key factors that social media algorithms consider when ranking content.
For platforms like Facebook and Twitter, the recency of the post is important. This means that newly posted content will show up higher on the site’s feed than that posted in the past week. But if there are new interactions in an old post, the algorithm may bring it back to the top of the feed.
Instagram, however, considers when the post is published along with other factors, such as likes and engagements. This means that even if the content was posted weeks ago, it could still show up at the top of the feed as long as it’s interesting or relevant to the user.
Best Times to Post on Facebook
Facebook is the largest social media site, boasting over 3 billion active users monthly. With such a large user base, knowing how to market your business on the platform can be a game-changer.
Facebook’s main audience is in the 25-34 age range or a working demographic. Because of this, we found that the best times to post on Facebook are from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. or during their lunch hours, from Monday through Friday. That said, the best time to post can still vary depending on your specific industry and audience.
During the week, Thursday and Friday show the highest levels of engagement as people start to slow down in their workdays and begin looking forward to the weekend. Meanwhile, Saturdays and Sundays are the worst days to post online, as these have the lowest audience activity.
Best Times to Post on Instagram
Unlike Facebook, Instagram caters to a younger audience between 18 and 29 years old. We found that the best times to post Instagram Reels, content, and stories are 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, with Tuesday and Wednesday showing the best results for maximum engagement.
While the Instagram algorithm doesn’t prioritize recency, there is still a bad time to post on the platform: Sunday. As it’s the last day of the week, people don’t usually spend as much time online and prefer to relax. This doesn’t apply to Instagram stories, however, as people tend to share their activities in real-time.
Best Times to Post on TikTok
With a high chance of virality, TikTok is one of the best social media platforms for growing your brand. In fact, TikTok has helped many small businesses find success on the platform. The key to success is getting the right people to see their content, whether it be getting reviews from well-known influencers or having one of their own videos become a hit.
We found that the best times to post on TikTok are from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays. Early mornings and late evenings work best for TikTok, as people tend to go on the platform before and after their work day.
Similar to other social media sites, Sunday is still the worst day to post on TikTok, as there is considerably less engagement on the platform. However, TikTok has a younger demographic and, as such, can have more unpredictable schedules, so consider experimenting with different posting times throughout the day.
Best Times to Post on LinkedIn
Unlike other social media platforms, which are mostly used for entertainment, LinkedIn caters to a more professional crowd. And because it doesn’t function the same way, audience activity on the platform is also different. This means that as long as you’re posting during work hours on a weekday, you are likely to get a great engagement rate.
The best time to post on LinkedIn is between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., with Wednesday showing the best engagement. Unsurprisingly, weekends are the worst time to post on the platform, as most of the content is work- or business-related.
Aside from being a platform for professional content, LinkedIn is also a great avenue for gaining business opportunities and new connections. To get the most impressions, consider posting early in the morning or during the middle of the day when there is a lull in working hours.
Best Times to Post on Twitter/X
From official news to important announcements, most brands use Twitter to reach their followers quickly. It’s also the best platform for engaging in conversations with your audience, so the timing of your posts is crucial. We found that the best times to post on Twitter are between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. from Monday through Friday.
People visit Twitter multiple times throughout the day to check for updates and other trending topics they might be interested in, so posting early in the morning and later at night gives your content the best chances for visibility.
Saturday and Sunday are still the worst times to post for engagement, but posting late on Sunday can help you target people who use Twitter early on Monday. It’s best to experiment with different posting times to find your audience’s peak hours.
Best Times to Post on Pinterest
Pinterest works differently from other social media sites. There is very little conversation on the platform, and engagements are based on likes, saves, and the occasional comment on posts. Visibility on the app is also highly dependent on the user’s interests and previously liked content.
That said, it’s still important to know the best time to post on Pinterest, as these follow a chronological order. We find that posts get the most engagement between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. Most Pinterest users are also active during the weekend, with Friday and Saturday showing the most user activity.
While there is no bad day to post on Pinterest, avoid posting on weekdays, as audiences are less likely to browse their feed during working hours.
5 Expert Tips on How to Find Your Best Time to Post on Social Media
Depending on your source, the data on the best time to post online can vary for each social media platform. So, it’s best to use this information as a suggestion and not a guide. Rather than relying on the same hours as everyone else, here are some tips to help you determine a posting schedule that works for your brand:
#1. Analyze Your Top-Performing Posts
A simple way to find the best time to post on social media is to look at your recent top-performing posts. When and what times were they posted? Are there any similarities between the posts? While time isn’t the only factor that may have contributed to their success, it can still give you an idea of what time your audience is active.
#2. Post in Your Audience’s Time Zone
When following the suggested posting times, consider your audience’s time zone. If the majority of your audience lives in a different time zone than yourself, make sure you post according to their schedule to ensure that your content is visible.
That said, this can be difficult, especially if there is a significant time difference. One way to target an international audience is to learn how to schedule social media posts. Most platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, now support automatic scheduling, so you can easily reach a wider audience.
#3. Run Tests & Optimize Your Posting Time
The recommended times may not always work for your business, so finding your best time to post on social media will require trial and error.
Some content types, like Instagram Reels, perform better than other content formats. Run tests to determine whether the content type or the posting time affected the post’s performance. You can try publishing different content types at similar hours or posting the same content at different hours to see which time gets the best results.
#4. Consider Your Main Demographic
Knowing your main demographic can give you a general idea of when your audience is online. As the most active social media users, Generation Z tends to check social media first thing in the morning, multiple times throughout the day, and again at night.
In comparison, millennials and older generations are most likely to use social media in the evening after the work day has ended. Based on this information, adjust and refine your posting schedule to find out your peak hours for posting on social media.
#5. Use a Scheduling Tool
Social media scheduling tools make it easy to determine the best times to post online. Publer, for instance, has a comprehensive analytics feature that shows your main demographic, post insights, geographic data, and other important metrics.
You can use this data to find your business’s best posting hours and automatically schedule posts to go live during these times with Publer. Our platform also allows bulk scheduling to ensure that your feed is active when your audience is.
Key Takeaways
- The best times to post on social media are Monday and Wednesday, as these give the audience a reprieve from their set schedules. Meanwhile, the worst time to post on social media overall is during the weekend, as people don’t use their phones as much.
- Posting time matters and affects how well your content ranks on social media feeds.
- The best time to post on Facebook is from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on a weekday.
- The best time to post on Instagram is between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday.
- The best times to post on TikTok are from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays.
- The best time to post on LinkedIn is between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on a Wednesday.
- The best time to post on Twitter is from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.
- The best times to post on Pinterest are late-night Friday through the weekend.
- You can find the best time to post on social media by analyzing top posts, running tests, and using a scheduling tool. It’s also important to consider your audience’s main demographic and time zone when posting.
Ervin Kalemi
