Why do you invest in social media marketing for your business? To engage your audience and establish a brand presence! High-quality content is the key to engaging your audience. However, high-quality content is useless if the target audience and your followers can’t see the post in the first place! Social media algorithm pattern boosts content that the user interacts with the most! The best time to post on social media for maximum reach and engagement varies based on an algorithm. This blog will discuss when to post on different social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Why should you know when to post on social media?
While creating engaging content is the priority in social media marketing strategies, the social media posting schedule is crucial to make the content effective. The social media algorithm is designed to push the recent and engaging content when the user is online. However, the timing is essential to make your content ‘recent.’
Following are a few benefits of understanding when to post on social media is essential:
- Maximize engagement from your target audience through likes, shares, and comments.
- The social media platform boosts the visibility of the content to your target audience.
- Well-timed posts can lead to better leads and conversions.
- A timing-based social media engagement strategy can save you the cost of paid advertisements.
So, you know the benefits of posting on social media at a certain time. But what is the best time to post on diverse social media platforms? Let’s discuss more on that.
What is the best time to post on social media?
Firstly, it is important to understand that your social media posting schedule will vary based on your target audience’s behavior and industry. You can use social media analytics tools to track user behavior patterns for maximum reach. However, you can start your journey with the ideal time based on the research and find your perfect time by monitoring the results.
Best Time to Post on YouTube
YouTube is one of the most prominent platforms, with more than 462 Million users from India. Research has found that approximately 122 million people spend time on YouTube daily! So, if your target audience interacts with video format, YouTube is essential in your social media engagement strategy.
The best time to post on YouTube is on weekdays. In late afternoon and evenings, 3 pm to 6 pm. It is ideal for people who want to deflate after a long day while commuting home. It’s a different story on the weekends. The best time to post for engagement on YouTube is in the morning (9 am to 11 am) and early evening (5 pm to 6 pm).
Best Time to Post on Instagram
Instagram holds fourth place in the most-used social media platform, especially by the younger generations. As per the source, the number of active users of Instagram is more than 72% of the active users of YouTube. Your target audience is scrolling some reals or reacting to a post as you read this blog.
So, what’s the best time to post on Instagram? Unlike posting on weekends, it is not recommended. On weekdays, as many researchers like the one by Socialpilot, one should post in the morning between 7 am and 9 am, and it could even be stretched between 11 am and 2 pm. Instagram is popular for those commuting to work or getting over the midday blues.
Best Time to Post on Facebook
Facebook is like the OG of the social media platforms. Currently, it switches places between the first or second position as the social media platform with the most active users. As per the research, 3.065 billion people visit Facebook every day. In April 2024, India had the most active Facebook users: 378.05 Million!
It is advised to avoid posting on weekends. However, mid-week, Wednesday to Friday is considered the best time to post on Facebook. If you want to maximize engagement, post from 8 am to 1 pm in the midweek. You can post on Monday and Tuesday in this time frame as well.
Best Time to Post on X
X, formerly known as Twitter, is one of the most used text-based social media platforms used by many. From personal branding to directly connecting with the target audience, X is still relevant in the market.
The best time to post on Twitter, or now X, on weekdays ranges between 9 am to 3 pm. The long-time frame is because of the diversity of topics, from news to entertainment, that are discussed on the platform globally. On weekends, this time frame gets delayed by two hours, 11 am to 5 pm.
Best Time to Post on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is one of the most popular platforms for professionals. Brands use LinkedIn to build and establish a digital presence in the industry. The B2B companies also use it to generate leads. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the best time to post on LinkedIn.
Being a professional site, knowing when to post on LinkedIn and the working hours is easier! According to a study by Buffer, the ideal time to post on LinkedIn is between 8 am and 4 pm on Tuesday and Friday. The weekends and Mondays are considered the least preferred days for impressions.
How can Riofos help you boost your social media engagement?
Riofos is a reliable digital marketing agency with 7+ years of experience in the industry. Our experts will help you create an appropriate strategy and identify the best time to post for engagement on social media platforms. We rely on advanced social media analytics tools to understand your target audience’s behavior on your desired social media sites. We can help you with content marketing, SEO, SMM, Email marketing, Influencer Marketing, and more. Let’s discuss your project more. Contact us now!
Conclusion
Do you want to establish a digital brand image through social media? Understanding the best time to post on social media is essential to maximizing the reach of your posts and increasing user engagement. The posting time varies based on your target audience, whether it’s Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), or LinkedIn. However, a few classic timeframes exist to create a social media posting schedule. We have discussed them in detail in this blog! Stay tuned with Riofos for more such resourceful blogs.
FAQ
When not to post on social media?
Posting at the wrong time gets you low engagement. Generally, avoid posting late at night (10 pm – 6 am) when most users are offline. Monday mornings are also slow as people focus on work rather than social media. Friday evenings tend to see lower engagement as users prepare for the weekend. Additionally, avoid posting during major holidays when users are less active. Instead, use social media analytics tools to track your audience’s activity and optimize posting times accordingly.
What is a good social media posting schedule?
Understand when to post on social media, including how much you should post. Create a mix on social media and create harmonious content for all the platforms. Try to fit the posting schedule between Tuesday and Friday for maximum reach and engagement. For Instagram and Facebook, posting 3-5 per week is ideal, and you should be tweeting something 3-5 times a day on X. You can post once or twice a week on YouTube to provide high-quality content to your target audience without overwhelming them.
Does the best time to post on social media change for different industries?
Yes, the best time to post on social media varies by industry due to differences in audience behavior. B2B companies perform best on LinkedIn during work hours (8 am – 10 am and 4 pm – 6 pm), while e-commerce brands see peak engagement on Instagram and Facebook during mornings or early evenings. News and media platforms thrive on X (Twitter) in the early mornings. Businesses should analyze industry trends and audience engagement data using social media insights to maximize reach.
How often should I post on social media for engagement?
The ideal social media posting frequency depends on the platform and audience. Instagram and Facebook perform well, with 3-5 weekly posts, while X (Twitter) requires multiple daily tweets to stay visible. LinkedIn is most effective, with 2-3 weekly posts focusing on professional content. YouTube channels should aim for at least one video per week for consistency. Focus on providing high-quality content over mass producing content and spamming the user’s page.