There’s a subtle art to social media and part of that art is identifying the exact right time to engage with your audience. Below, I’ll break down the best times studies (and experience) to post on social media to get more traffic, more engagement, and increase your followers.
First things first, 80% of the population is in the Eastern and Central Time Zones so post with these time zones in mind to reach the largest audience.
Facebook:
-The best days/times to post: Saturday and Sunday have the highest engagement from 12-1 pm, followed by Thursday and Friday from 1-4 pm. Save your best posts for these days of the week.
-The best times to post in general: 9 am, 1 pm (most shares), and 3 pm (most clicks)
-Avoid: Overnight posts (8 pm-8 am)—they have the least engagement.
Twitter:
-The best days/times to tweet: Wednesday at noon and then 5-6 pm
-The best times to tweet in general: Weekdays between 12-3 pm and 5 pm for B2B and Weekends between 12-6 pm for click-throughs and 5 pm for retweets and Wednesdays for B2C
-Avoid: Overnight posts (8 pm-9 am)—they have the least engagement.
Pinterest:
-The best days/times to pin: Saturdays between 8-11 pm and Fridays at 3 pm
-Niche Specific Days:
- Sunday: Food
- Monday: Fitness
- Tuesday: Gadgets
- Wednesday: Quotes
- Thursday: Outfits
- Friday: GIFs
- Saturday: Travel
-The best times to pin in general: 2 pm, 9 pm, and 2 am
-Avoid: Standard Work Hours
LinkedIn:
-The best days/times to post: Tuesday—Thursday between 5-6 pm
-The best times to post in general: 5-6 pm and 7-8 am
-Avoid: The weekend, Monday, and Friday
Instagram:
-The best days/times to post: Mondays (the best day) and Thursdays at 8-9 am or 5 pm
-The best times to post in general: Post videos at 9 pm to get the most engagement, 8-9 am
-Avoid: Work hours, especially 3-4 pm