The Best Time to Post on Social Media
Knowing what to post on social media is just half the battle. When is the perfect time to share it with the world? The best times to post on social media are when your customers and followers are online.
Of course, there are actual times that work best for each platform and we’ll dive into that in this article. Each social media channel will have a different time that works best for the audience.
For example, the best time to post on Facebook is different than the best time to post on Instagram. Plus, when you start accounting for different time zones, it starts to get complicated.
In this article, we’ll break down social media posting times and share recommendations for social media management tools you can use to post your content.
When to Post on Social Media: Which Time Zone to Consider
The more popular your brand, the more time zones you’ll likely need to take into account. Some influencers and brands send out the same message at different times to hit all time zones. Ideally, you want to reach the majority of time zones without overdoing it Aim to send no more than four of the same message in a single day, and schedule the posts for different times to reach as many countries as possible.
Where are your customers located? If you’re targeting the United States and Canada, you want to hit the EST time zone as that time zone has the highest number of people, thanks to cities like New York and Toronto. However, if your target audience is in London, you want to post within the GMT time zone.
You can use social media analytics tools to find data about where your customers are located. Using this data, you can better plan which times work best for your audience based on their specific location.
When to Post on Instagram?
If you were marketing or selling on Instagram prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the best time to post would be in the hours just prior to lunch on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. (Sprout Social, 2020).
The best day to post on Instagram was on Wednesday.
The worst day to post was on Sunday.
When To Post on Instagram During the Coronavirus Pandemic?
Data collected during the coronavirus pandemic showed significant changes in social media behavior. As people shifted both their professional and personal lives online and from home, social media usage increased dramatically.
This caused a change in the hours during which users were more engaged and interactive and consequently, the best times to post.
Because of COVID-19, the current best times to post on Instagram has expanded to three days a week on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. It continues to be the hour just before lunch at 11 a.m., and there’s even a peak in engagement on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. (Sprout Social, 2020).
When to Post on Facebook?
Pre-COVID-19, the best times to post on your Facebook business page were on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. and between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m as activity on the platform increased in the middle of the week. (Sprout Social, 2020).
Tuesdays to Thursdays were also considered to be rather safe days to post on Facebook, especially during the day between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.
The best time to post on Facebook was on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. and from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
The worst day to post was on Sunday.
When To Post on Facebook During the Coronavirus Pandemic?
As Facebook usage grew during lockdown, so did activity throughout the week. This has led to larger windows during which to post on Facebook for more engagement.
The best times to post on Facebook during the coronavirus pandemic are on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Weekends continue to be the worst time to post, alongside weekdays after 5 p.m. (Sprout Social, 2020).
When Is the Best Time to Post on Linkedin?
Unlike Instagram and Facebook, LinkedIn is a professional social network used by recruiters, salespeople, and business people, which they use for work.
Pre-COVID-19, the best times to post on LinkedIn were during the workweek and in the mornings (Sprout Social, 2020). Specifically:
Wednesdays between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. and at noon
Thursdays at 9 a.m. and between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
Friday mornings at 9 a.m.
When To Post on LinkedIn During the Coronavirus Pandemic?
Behavior on LinkedIn has stayed largely the same during the pandemic in that users tend to be more active in the mornings on weekdays.
The best times to post on LinkedIn during the coronavirus pandemic are:
Wednesdays at 3 p.m.
Thursdays between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.
Fridays between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m.
Weekends and after-work hours tend to be the worst times to post on LinkedIn for engagement and visibility (Sprout Social, 2020).
Link to original article: https://www.oberlo.com/blog/best-time-post-social-media
