What Does The Research Say?
Depending on where you look, you might find different results. However, it’s generally accepted that the best time to post on Instagram — at least before COVID-19 was on Wednesdays and Fridays. Particularly, the best time to post on these days was just after breakfast but before lunch — this would mean any time between about 10 am and 11 am.
In the same breath, the worst day during the week to post on Instagram was Sunday. Since the pandemic, things have changed a bit. Because more and more people found themselves at home, social distancing, or away from the workplace, social media became a much more active place than it already was — which says a lot about the times.
Since then, things have shifted significantly. The best time days to post on Instagram included Mondays, Tuesdays, and also Fridays. In terms of the best time to publish your content and post, before 11 am is still a good time. Additionally, Tuesday at around 2 pm seems to be a big-time engagement hour.
Does It Differ Across Platforms?
In the previous section, we spoke entirely about the best times to post on Instagram, and that’s because Instagram is likely to be the place where you and your business will focus your marketing efforts. When it comes to business, Instagram is certainly at the top of the list in terms of which social media platform to use for marketing. It offers high engagement, simple and easy navigation, and a wonderful way to connect with young, engaged, and motivated followers who are interested to see content pushed to them by businesses and brands they love.
With that said, it’s important to remember that the best time to post on social media will differ a bit from platform to platform. For instance, Facebook’s best days to post before COVID were on Wednesdays, typically during mid-day. Since then, things have shifted a bit, with Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays being the best days to post on the platform.
On LinkedIn, for instance, Thursdays and Fridays are the best days to post. However, across nearly all platforms, you’ll find that engagement will be highest just after morning, before lunch, and once again sometime in the mid-afternoon around 2 pm or 3 pm. As you can see, determining the best time to post on social media has come down to a science in and of itself.
