Social media is the best tool to reach more clients and boost your brand’s reach. Content is important, and communication is key to establish a relationship with potential customers. But you also need to understand and incorporate technical strategies to take full advantage of your social media channels.
One of the most important and effective strategies is to know when the right time to post your content is. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. People browse each social network differently, and businesses may find different days and times work best for them on any given platform. Good post timing depends on the platform you're using, as well as on how your target audience interacts with that platform, the regions and corresponding time zones you're targeting, and your marketing goals.
However, there is plenty of data available that will help you figure out the best schedule for your content to be released according to the platform. Here is a summary of the best times to post according to the channels.
Instagram:
60% of its users use Instagram everyday. According to data available, most of the engagement happens during off-work hours. Accordingly, the best times to post on Instagram are 1 PM and 5 PM; during lunch and at the end of the work day. The best day to post on Instagram is Friday. With that said however, you may find when looking in your own analytics for your business account, that your followers are active on different times, or different days, so it is best to check your metrics to ensure you are keeping in step with your audience.
Facebook:
Facebook users use the platform during the entire day, but there are peaks of activities during the morning and around midday. In general, the best times to post are 9 AM, 11 AM and 4 PM. The best days to post are Thursday and Sundays. Again, it’s best to look in your metrics and find out when your own fans are online the most on any given day, so that you post during those days and times.
Twitter:
People treat Twitter like an RSS feed, and something to read during breaks in their day, for example, commuting, lunch-time, etc. The best general times to post on this platform are around 8 AM- 11 AM, and 6 PM - 8 PM. This is related to the commuting hours. If your goal is to maximize retweets and click throughs, aim for noon. The best day is Wednesday.
Linkedin:
On average, 25% of adults in the United State actively use this platform for professional purposes. It is used less frequently than other social media platforms, but is a great platform for more B2B focused endeavors. Usually, the platform has a peak audience during lunch hours, so plan to post between 10 AM - 1 PM. The best day is Wednesday.
These are the best hours and days according to the general data of each social media site. But bear in mind that optimizing the hours according to your own analytics is the best way to leverage your visibility with your audience. Make sure to post consistently on all your social media channels.