Best Times to Post on Social Media

Knowing the optimal times to post on social media platforms can help boost engagement with your target audience. Different networks have their own rhythms and patterns that dictate when users are most active.

While there is no single “best” timing to post that works for every brand, analyzing when posting of high performing accounts and looking at audience behavior can reveal timeframes that tend to perform well.

Best Times to Post on Facebook

For Facebook, the optimal timings to post vary based on your target audience and their demographics. However, some optimal time windows tend to be:

• Between 10 am to 12 pm
• From 2 pm to 4 pm
• In the early evening from 6 pm to 8 pm

These timeframes correlate with timings when many people are active on breaks at work, during their lunch hour and in the evening when winding down.

So, aim to post 2-4 times throughout the day within these blocks to catch Facebook users at different activity peaks.

Additionally, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays generally see higher Facebook engagement compared to weekends. Avoid posting around holidays when reach tends to drop.

Best Times for Instagram

Instagram sees the most user activity in the evening and on weekends. Optimally post on Instagram:

• Between 12 pm to 2 pm over the lunch hour
• From 4 pm to 6 pm when people leave work
• In the evenings from 9 pm to 12 am when users are most active.

Additionally, Saturday and Sunday tend to see the most engagement on Instagram posts compared to weekdays.

So, aim to post 3-5 times throughout the day on weekends and afternoons/evenings on weekdays to catch maximum reach on Instagram.

Analyze when influencers post and other high performing accounts in your niche for additional clues around when to share content.

Other Considerations Across Platforms

While the timings above provide a good starting point, your specific content, industry and audience will ultimately dictate the best schedules to post on social media.

Additionally, consider:

• The posting cadence and frequency of your followers across different time zones.
• Whether your target audience consists of mostly working professionals or students/stay-at-home users.
• Whether images, videos or links perform best at certain times for your followers.
• Testing various posting schedules to determine what resonates most with your specific audience.

Overall, consistency is key when posting on social media. Stick to a posting schedule with a mix of times within optimal time windows to see what generates the most engagement for your brand. And adjust your approach based on what works best for your unique goals and audience.