Best Time to Post on Social Media: Pro Tips to Achieve a More Extensive Reach

The social media has proven to be formidable for marketing in the 21st century. Entities of all types look to it for marketing their brands. Most of the networks work with posts, shares, likes, and comments.

These platforms have a significant impact on brand development. Therefore, extensive researches have been carried out to know how to use them most effectively. In this article, the focus is on the best time to post on social media.

There is no perfect time to make any post on social networks. The times suggested here are based on research data. They are dependent on the platform, target audience and individual goals.

Which Time Zone Should Consider?

This is important because most social media networks serve the latest posts first on news feeds or timelines. To increase the effectiveness of a post, a person wants more people to see it among the firsts when they wake up or about to sleep. This will avoid posts being lost among others.

There are various times zones like the EST, CAT, and GMT. Ideally, there are about 24 time zones. But, one can group them into roughly four. These four groups will accommodate most of the other time zones with not more than 5 hours difference.

The time zone to choose will depend on the location of one’s business. It will also depend on the location of the target audience. In most cases, one will have to find out the region where most of their customers reside. Consequently, very large brands will have to account for more time zones than smaller ones.

Analysis of Times Through the Lenses of Industries. Here Are the Major Industry Categories:

1. Business to consumer companies: These are companies who sell directly to their consumers and the public.
2. Business to business companies: These companies have their primary customers as other businesses.
3. Software service providers: These are firms whose products are services consumed by others.
4. Healthcare: This includes hospitals and health insurance agencies
5. Media: This covers all types of news organizations
6. Higher Education: This category covers colleges, universities, polytechnics, and technical schools.

These industries each have particular times when their posts have the most reach on different social networks. A company may fall in more than one of these categories. That company will, therefore, have more times for posting.

Best Times to Post on Social Media [Infographic]

Best Times to Post on Facebook

Facebook remains the largest social media platform. It has about 1.5billion active users. It cannot be neglected when it comes to digital marketing. As much as the number of people on this platform is motivation, it can also pose a challenge. Facebook keep improving their systems to ensure ambitious advertisers do not spam users. This means that friend posts have more priority than advert posts.

From extensive research data, we have compiled the best times to post on Facebook. This compilation has been categorized by industry. It is also based on the periods with medium to high-engagement. Find the period that accounts for the best time to post on Facebook below:

Best Times to Post on Instagram

Instagram is the home of visual contents. It was designed for videos and pictures. In as little as eight years, Instagram is already rubbing shoulders with Facebook. Current statistics put the number of active monthly users at 1 billion. Instagram reports that more than 80% of the users follow a business.

These figures add up to say that Instagram is perfect for brand building and marketing. As the number of users increases, it becomes more difficult to appear organically in front of one’s audience. However, there are certain times when posts on Instagram from businesses get the most engagement.

Best Times to Post on Twitter

Twitter is synonymous with trends. A lot of brands have Twitter handles. It has grown to become an online customer service platform for many companies. It is also a perfect medium of advertisement and news update.

The number of daily tweets is more than 1 billion. A steady stream of relevant content will make for a successful account Twitter. Amidst this sea of tweets, driving a campaign can be tough. Knowing when to post can be helpful in reaching one’s audience. This list provides insight on the best time to post on Twitter.

Best Times to Post on YouTube

YouTube is a video-focused social media network. Launched in 2005, YouTube is web-based, but it also has a high-performing mobile application. Google bought the platform in November 2016, which is why YouTube accounts are linked to Google Plus.

Internet analytics company, Alexa, currently ranks it second both. This is rank is in domestic and global web traffic. It has more than 1 billion users, and more than half of all views come from mobile devices.

For an individual user, the site appears straightforward, but it’s more complicated if one wants to use it for marketing and growing their brand. We have compiled the best time to post on YouTube. Here’s what to know if one is going to use it for business.

Best Times to Post on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a valuable resource for career and business professionals to network. They can also obtain resources and support. LinkedIn is ideal for home-based business owners, freelancers, and telecommuters. It can help them build their business and career, as well as stay connected to the outside world. One can build relationships with potential customers, clients, and partners.

LinkedIn sees the most clicks, shares, and comments occur right before work, after work, and during lunchtime. This is because most users are active on LinkedIn when they are thinking of work but not working. One can find the best time to post on LinkedIn below:

Best Times to Post on Pinterest

On this platform, a Pin represents every idea. A Pin is an image that is searched and saved by people. Pins can also link back to websites, which is why Pinterest is great for driving traffic and sales.

Pinterest drives 3.8 times more sales than other social platforms. 87% of Pinners have purchased a product because of it. Using this for business is perfect for showcasing products and services. It acts as an information resource for many people preparing to make a purchase.

Most of the Pinners are active in the evenings. Their activity on the platform seems to be an evening sport. The list below presents the best time to post on Pinterest:

Best Days to Post on Social Media

We have covered the best times to post on several social networks. A person can combine these times with the days presented below. This is useful for networks where one may not need to post every day. Therefore, one needs to make the most of the posts they put up.

Google Analytics for Social Media Reporting

The schedules discussed above only serve as guidelines. The most effective way of determining what works is by observation. And the best tool for this observation is Google Analytics. Using the following steps, one can create custom reports.

For Each Platform:

1. Click on Custom Report in the left-hand side toolbar on Google Analytics.
2. Select ‘New Custom Report’ to start creating a report.
3. Choose the information to see in the report.
4. Save the report and view the results. To view the hours of the day choose ‘Hour’ as the secondary dimension.
5. Repeat for all relevant social media traffic providers.
6. Start crafting the social media schedule around the best times for posting.
7. Use custom reports to track progress and success.

FAQ Section

What is the Best Time to Post on Social Media?

This varies very widely depending on the kind of brand. The best time of the day to post on social media can be dynamic. The target audience is the sole determinant of the best time. It must be understood that while the data shows facts about best times of post engagement, you are the only one that can determine what time works. In summary, B2B companies should posts more during working hours on weekdays. B2C companies should post more in the weekends. Software service providers should publish more on Mondays and Wednesdays before 2 pm. They should also post on the weekends. Healthcare organizations should post more in the evenings.

When Should I Post on Facebook to Get the Most Likes?

There is no straight answer for the best time for Facebook. One will need to figure this out for their brand. This is because there are different business types and audience.

Here Are Some Factors to Consider When Making This Decision:

• Audience Location and Time Zone. As explained earlier, different regions of the world are active at different times. One needs to get analytics software to determine where the bulk of their customers reside in. With this information, one should be able to work out a time range for their posts.
• Day Of The Week and Time Of Day – The best time of the day to post on social media is presented above. The proper combination of time and day to post is vital.
• How Much To Post and the Quality – Consistency is essential on most social media networks. One’s audience wants to see fresh and high-quality content regularly.
• The Type of Media Posted – The type of media posted also reflects the number of likes one gets.

Is Sunday a Good Time to Post on Facebook?

Pew Research found that 71 percent of Facebook users visit the site every day. The data showed that it is still the most visited social network. Most users access Facebook on their mobiles. Sundays are not the best days to post. However, one should post around 12 pm -1 pm if at all. This has been reported as the time range with the highest engagement.

What Time are People Most Active on Instagram?

Sprout Social analyzed Instagram activity. The results show that Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are the days’ people are most active. This result was ascertained based on the activity they saw on their posts on these days. Specifically, it is best to post on Wednesday at 3:00 PM CDT. Thursdays are the best days among them all. The best times are at 5:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM, & 4:00 PM CDT. One should make posts on Friday at 5:00 AM CDT

What Time is Twitter Most Active?

Research carried out by Sysomos has revealed that Twitter is most active between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. EST. This is the time to post most of the tweets. Data showed that the busiest hour on Twitter is around 1 p.m. It is estimated that 5.44 percent of all the day’s tweets are sent during this hour. Not surprisingly, activity drops in the early hours, from midnight to 8 a.m. EST. Twitter activity is also lower in the evenings and at night than it is during the midday hours. With this insight, one should get more likes and engagement.

Ensure not to ignore other followers whose activities do not fall within this time range

What Is The Best Time to Upload a Video on YouTube?

The students at the University of Calgary researched YouTube traffic.

The Data Revealed That:

• Higher requests occurred on weekdays than on weekends. This is to be expected.
• Diurnal traffic patterns were observed. More requests happened during the day than at night.
• The steady increase in traffic to YouTube from 8 am until 1 pm.
• Constant state of peak traffic between 2 pm and 6 pm.
• The steady decline in traffic between 7 pm and 7 am.
• Traffic rose at night between 12 am, and 4 am. There is a theory that more college student watch videos late at night.

How Often Should I Post Pictures on Instagram?

The new Instagram algorithm seems to have increased the lifespan of posts. This should affect the frequency of one’s post. Some brands post over 20 times per day. Other brands post only three times in two days. One should consider quality over quantity when one make posts.

Also, the consistency of posts is more effective than occasional barrages. The average post frequency is about 1.5 times per day. One should stick to this. One’s brand may be unique and their followers too. So, sometimes the best way to figure this out is to conduct an opinion poll. This will guarantee more likes and engagement.

The Final Word

Most, but not all, social media platforms have evolved from being chronological timelines. They now use algorithms to predict relevancy to the user.

That means that the social platforms try to put up updates they believe are most relevant. They use different signals, whether it’s engagement, timeliness, and other factors. This has changed the field of digital marketing. More data is needed than ever before to know the best time for posting on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to reach the target audience and get the right engagement.

It is important to use the best time to post on social media. This will be relevant to people logged in at that moment. This does not mean that other users won’t eventually see the post when they log in.

Let us know in the comments which social networks your company prefers and why. What were the biggest obstacles and successes that you learned along the way?

James Clark

James is a publishing consultant with more than two decades of experience working for individual authors, literary agents, and publisher clients. As a Phi Beta Kappa graduate and Master of Arts in English and Creative Writing, James specializes in leading our talented writer’s team toward fulfilling their dreams of publishing the latest data about new SMM tools, devices, and upcoming techno trends. He develops the tactics for our projects as well as consults on marketing and publishing strategies for external agencies, most of which are social media.