Are you a brand owner, content creator, or marketer looking to reach the right audience on social media? Then, you’re likely always wondering what the best times to post on social media are.
In the world of social media marketing, implementing a successful campaign depends on several factors.
Of course, you have to consistently create solid content that resonates with your audience. Also, you have to find the right platforms to showcase your content. You might even have to repurpose your content into different formats to amplify reach.
However, all these efforts will be in vain if you don’t identify and capitalize on the best times to post on social media.
So, when should you post on social media for maximum engagement and reach?
In this blog, we’ll dig deeper and find the answer to that question.
Whether you’re promoting a brand or creating your own content, you want it to grab as many eyeballs as possible.
While social media platforms no longer rank posts chronologically, content recency still matters in social media marketing. Your audience will be more interested in a post that was uploaded 10 minutes ago than one that was uploaded two days ago.
If you publish a post at a time when most of your target users are active, it results in an instant boost in traction. As your post gains visibility, more users start engaging with it. It tells the platform’s algorithm that your content is worth showing to others.
That, in turn, results in more engagement and reach. If you’re lucky, your content might just go viral.
However, it’s worth keeping in mind that on its own, timing doesn’t guarantee virality. Your content must resonate with the target audience and offer some kind of value.
The short answer to that question—no.
It’s obvious, considering each social media platform serves a different purpose in users’ lives.
The general consensus is that posts uploaded on the weekends tend to receive lower engagement rates. That’s understandable, considering users likely spend more time interacting with their family and friends in person.
For instance, most people use LinkedIn for professional networking and lead generation. So, it makes sense that content on the platform sees high engagement on workdays.
On the other hand, people usually watch Reels and Stories on Instagram for entertainment. It’s only natural that they’ll be more active before work hours (when they’re commuting to the office) or during lunch breaks.
Similarly, Facebook posts published on weekday mornings get more engagement because that’s when most users reach their workplaces.
Keep in mind that the best times to post on social media also depend on the type of content you’re publishing. Let’s say you post news updates on X. Your audience would be more keen to consume this content early in the morning (maybe while they’re having breakfast).
On the other hand, if you’re uploading a meme or humorous tweet, it’s wiser to post it around mid-day. That way, your followers are more likely to come across it when they check their feeds during lunch.
With over 3 billion monthly active users, Facebook continues to dominate the social media landscape as the most widely used platform. That makes it a popular choice among advertisers and brand owners.
Image via Statista
Data from eMarketer shows that Facebook will account for more than 10% of US digital ad spending in 2024. Also, marketers will spend $1 billion on influencer campaigns on the platform.
It is, however, worth noting that the platform’s user base has changed since it was launched. As of this writing, 25-to-44-year-olds occupy the largest share of Facebook’s user base. The platform also attracts a large number of users above the age of 45.
Image via Statista
If you’re looking for a platform to connect with millennials or older age groups, Facebook fits the bill.
But what’s the best time to post on Facebook?
Data collected by Buffer reveals that 10 am on Friday is the best time to upload content on Facebook. Posts shared at 10 am on Monday and 9 am on Tuesday also get high engagement.
In general, posts published on weekday mornings perform better than those uploaded at other times. Moreover, posts shared on the weekends, particularly Sundays, get the lowest engagement.
It’s understandable, considering most Facebook users (between 25 and 44 years of age) arrive at work in the morning.
They likely check their feeds on the way to their office or just before they start working for the day. Also, engagement goes up on Friday as they wind down for the weekend.
Additionally, data collected by SocialPilot shows that 3 pm on Wednesdays is a good time to post on Facebook. If you’re planning to upload content on the weekends, 12 noon to 1 pm is the window to maximize traction.
Lastly, 8 pm to 8 am is the worst time to post content on the platform.
Instagram boasts more than 2.4 billion monthly active users and offers higher social media engagement rates than platforms like Facebook and X. It’s a go-to choice for brand-building and influencer marketing campaigns.
Image via DemandSage
The platform’s user base is dominated by younger age groups, with 18-to-24-year-olds (Gen Z) occupying the largest share. Moreover, individuals between 25 and 34 years make up more than 30% of the user base.
That makes Instagram a powerful channel for connecting with younger audience segments.
When it comes to the best time to post on Instagram, Buffer’s data shows that content published between 7 am and 8 am on weekdays gets high engagement rates. Posts uploaded at 7 am on Friday get the maximum traction, though.
Also, Search Engine Journal points out that posts uploaded on Wednesdays tend to get good traction. It’s recommended by platforms like CoSchedule, Hootsuite, and Sprout Social.
Content uploaded in the late afternoon or evening on weekdays also gets good engagement. It’s only natural, considering users enjoy scrolling through their feeds during lunch breaks or after work.
Saturdays and Sundays aren’t ideal for publishing content on Instagram. However, SocialPilot points out that the window between 9 am and 2 pm is a good option if you must post on weekends.
With more than 1 billion members across 200 countries and territories, LinkedIn is the go-to platform for professional networking and deserves your social media presence.
Whether you want to recruit new team members or generate leads for your sales pipeline, LinkedIn serves as a valuable channel.
It’s also an excellent platform to build your personal brand as an entrepreneur, marketer, content creator, or any other professional, especially with its social media analytics tools.
When it comes to the best time to post on LinkedIn, Buffer’s findings show that it’s 9 am to 5 pm. It seems obvious, given that most people use LinkedIn for work and, therefore, will likely check their feeds in the office.
Additionally, posts published on Fridays get maximum traction, making it the best day to post on LinkedIn. Thursday comes as a close second.
As you might have already guessed, weekends are the worst choice for publishing posts on LinkedIn and so are very early morning hours. Unlike Facebook and Instagram, posting on Sundays delivers marginally better results than doing the same on Saturdays.
SocialPilot further points out that the worst time to post on LinkedIn is 10 pm to 6 am on Monday and Sunday.
Also, the best time to post on LinkedIn is 10 am to 11 am on Tuesdays. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 7:30 am to 8:30 am and 5 pm to 6 pm are also suitable.
YouTube’s user base comprises 2.6 billion monthly active users across 100 countries. In the US, the average user spends 48.7 minutes every day watching videos on the platform.
Image via YouTube
That makes YouTube the preferred platform if you want the most engagement from video marketing. From product tutorials and customer testimonials to employee stories, you can upload a variety of content to attract your target audience.
With YouTube Shorts, you can even experiment with short-form videos to maximize engagement and reach.
So, when should you upload videos on YouTube to grab the most eyeballs?
Buffer suggests that 3 pm to 4 pm on Friday is the best time to post on YouTube. Other slots that result in high video views include 2 pm on Tuesday and 6 pm on Thursday.
In general, content published during mid-morning hours, lunch breaks, late afternoon, and evening performs well on YouTube—much like various social media platforms seen above.
Specifically, 2 pm to 4 pm on weekdays stands out as a high engagement window. Late night slots, such as 11 pm on Monday and Thursday, can also bring good traction.
As expected, Saturday and Sunday aren’t the best days to post on YouTube. If you must upload videos on the weekends, SocialPilot suggests doing so between 8 pm and 11 pm.
When posting videos on YouTube, it’s essential to consider the niche, subject, and audience preferences.
For instance, if you create educational or informative videos for professionals, mid-morning or afternoon hours on weekdays is a good time to post them. On the other hand, if you create content with the purpose of entertaining a younger audience, late-night time slots can be the right fit.
The best part—YouTube gives numerous video engagement metrics to help you understand how your videos perform. This can help you work on your video posting time as well.
Launched in 2016, TikTok has quickly grown to become one of the most popular social media platforms among younger generations. The short-form video platform boasts more than 1 billion monthly active users, with 18-to-34-year-olds being the largest demographic.
Image via Statista
Brands and marketers looking to connect with Gen Z audiences typically include TikTok in their social media marketing campaigns. They collaborate with influencers on the platform to build awareness and credibility.
Getting the timing of your TikTok videos right is particularly crucial. It’s because the initial spike in engagement helps maximize the chances of your content making it to the “For You” section of the right users.
However, the best time to post on this social media platform isn’t as predictable as others like Facebook and LinkedIn. It could be because the majority of the platform’s users don’t have well-defined work schedules.
According to Buffer’s findings, the best times to post on TikTok are the following:
Tuesday stands out as the best day of the week to post on TikTok. On the other hand, videos uploaded on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday fetch fewer views.
Additionally, data from SocialPilot points out that 1 pm to 3 pm on Friday is a good time to post on TikTok. The worst time slot is between 10 am and 4 pm on Saturday.
Given the unpredictable schedules of TikTok’s user demographic, it’s a good idea to upload posts at different times and monitor their performance using Agorapulse alternatives. It’ll help you zero in on the timing that works for your audience and niche.
Pinterest might not be the first social networking site that comes to your mind. However, with 498 million monthly active users, it’s the go-to platform for finding new design ideas and inspiration.
Image via Statista
The visual-forward platform can help brands build an engaged audience, improve awareness, and drive traffic to their websites.
It can also help build a loyal community around your brand. Plus, with most marketers focusing on other social media platforms, promoting your brand on Pinterest can help you cut through the noise faster.
But how do you reach and engage more users on Pinterest? The key is to post your content at the right time.
SocialPilot suggests that 3 pm on Friday is the best time to post on Pinterest. On weekdays, posting between 1 pm and 4 pm usually drives more traction. The time slot between 8 pm and 11 pm on Saturday is also a suitable option.
That means you can choose a mix of weekday and weekend time slots for your content calendar. It is, however, crucial to consider your audience’s content consumption habits to identify the optimal timing.
What’s more?
Search Engine Journal points out that 3 pm to 6 pm on Friday is the best time slot to upload content on Pinterest. Sunday stands out as the worst day for pinning on the platform.
X (formerly Twitter) rose to fame as a microblogging platform. In 2024, it attracted 619 million monthly active users.
Image via We Are Social
Also, the platform has a large share of users in the age group of 35+.
Many people use X to stay on top of the latest news in different industries. Plus, it’s an effective channel for reaching out to businesses for customer support. Several brands even have designated X accounts for customer service.
Besides connecting with the right audience, brands and marketers can also use X to understand their needs and pain points better.
So, when should you post on X for maximum traction?
Buffer notes that 11 am on Monday and Friday is the best time to tweet. The late-morning slot ensures good engagement and reach on other weekdays. Engagement usually drops off toward the end of the work week.
It is, however, worth noting that late-night and early-morning slots can also generate significant traction on X. Case in point—tweets posted at 4 am on Monday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday see high engagement.
SocialPilot further points out that 5 pm to 6 pm on Wednesday is also among the best times to post on X.
As with most platforms, weekends make the worst time to post on X. However, posting between 9 am and 11 am on Sunday can yield decent results.
Snapchat made its foray into ephemeral content and short-form video long before they became the norm. Launched in 2011, the platform continues to attract 414 million daily active users.
Image via Statista
The platform attracts a predominantly younger demographic, with most users between 13 and 24 years of age. Also, it’s interesting to note that people aged 35 or above are less likely to use Snapchat.
Brands typically use Snapchat to showcase the more human side of their business. Authentic behind-the-scenes videos and real-time updates help establish a more personal connection with the audience.
That’s in contrast to the glitzy ads that users often come across on Facebook and Instagram. It makes Snapchat a powerful channel for building credibility and trust.
Search Engine Journal points out that the best time to post on Snapchat are 10 am and 1 pm. Late-night weekend Snaps also get high engagement rates, given the platform’s younger audience.
However, it’s worth mentioning that the data is collected from secondary sources on the internet. So, you should consider uploading Snaps at different times of the day throughout the week to see what resonates with your target audience.
By now, you have a fair idea of when to upload content on different social media platforms. But just because the data suggests a particular day or time is ideal for posting on a platform, it doesn’t guarantee results.
The right to post your content on social media depends on several factors. These include the content format, niche, and your target audience’s preferences.
Here are a few tips to help you identify the best times to upload social media posts:
Most social platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, offer a ton of audience analytics. From age and gender to device type, you can access a variety of data to understand your audience better. Else, you can use any Agorapulse alternative for the same.
What’s more?
You get insights into when your audience is most likely to be online. This information comes in handy to determine the best time to post content on each platform.
Identify Your Best-Performing Posts
Besides analyzing user behavior, it’s also a good idea to watch how your content performs.
Monitor the number of likes, comments, and shares on your recent posts to identify the best-performing ones. If the platform offers an analytics section, check out metrics like reach, views, and engagement rates for different posts.
Once you’ve identified posts with high engagement rates, find out when they were published. Upload more posts at the same time and day for a few weeks. If you continue to get similar traction, you can accordingly tweak your posting schedule.
Audience behavior and content performance data from social media platforms will give you a fair idea of the right time to post. But wouldn’t it be great if you could check whether it aligns with your audience’s expectations?
The best way to do that is to ask your audience. Let’s say you publish bite-sized educational videos on Instagram. You can host a poll asking your audience to select their preferred time of the day for watching such content. Alternatively, you can upload a story with the questions and monitor the replies.
The world of social media marketing keeps evolving at breakneck speed. What seemed like the right time to post a few weeks back might not generate as much traction when audience behavior and preferences change.
So, it makes sense to keep experimenting with your timing. Upload a few posts outside of the suggested “best time” and see how they perform. If you’re lucky, you might spot a shift in your audience’s content consumption habits early on.
Identifying the best times to post on social media isn’t enough. You also have to ensure that you consistently upload content at these times.
This might seem simple if you only post a handful of times every month. But when you have a full-fledged calendar with multiple posts every week, uploading them at the right time can be difficult.
In such a scenario, it’s a good idea to use a social media management tool to schedule your posts. That way, you can ensure that you don’t miss publishing content on the right platforms at the best times.
Plus, social media management tools offer in-depth data on your audience and content performance. You can use these insights to refine your timing further.
Q1. What are the best times to post on social media?
A. The best times to post on social media vary, depending on the platform and your audience’s content consumption habits. The general consensus is that posts published during the daytime on weekdays tend to perform better.
Q2. What is the single best time to post on Instagram?
A. The best time to post on Instagram is between 7 am and 8 am on weekdays. Posts uploaded at 7 am on Fridays get the maximum traction. However, you should keep your niche, content format, and audience behavior in mind before deciding when to post on Instagram.
Q3. What is the best time to post on social media in 2024?
A. Posts published on weekdays, particularly early in the morning, perform better on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. On the other hand, LinkedIn posts see high traction when published between 9 am and 5 pm on workdays.
Q4. Should you post on social media every day?
A. Posting content on social media platforms daily is an excellent way to expand visibility and awareness. But make sure you maintain consistency in terms of quality and niche. It’s a good idea to create a content calendar outlining post ideas for each day.
Q5. Should I post during the day or night?
A. It depends on the type of content you’re uploading and what your audience prefers. For instance, if you’re posting entertaining Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts, your audience will prefer watching them at night. On the other hand, if you’re uploading education content on LinkedIn or company use on X, daytime is the right fit.
Identifying the best times to post on social media platforms is crucial to skyrocketing engagement and visibility. It can make all the difference between a post that goes viral and one that drowns in the endless sea of online content.
However, it’s worth keeping in mind that timing isn’t everything. You must take into account other factors, including your audience’s content consumption habits and preferences, before deciding when to post on social media. Also, consider your niche, format, and style of content to get the timing right.
When do you usually upload posts on different social media platforms? Let us know in the comments section below.
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