The Best Time to Post on Social Media Platforms

Social media is a powerful tool for reaching and engaging your audience, whether you’re a brand, a business, or an individual. But with so many platforms, users, and content types, how do you know when is the best time to post on social media to maximize your reach and engagement?

In this article, we’ll explore the best times to post on the most popular social media platforms, based on data from various sources and studies. We’ll also show you how to find your own optimal posting times, taking into account your audience’s location, behavior, and preferences. And we’ll share some tips and tools to help you schedule your posts and track your performance.

But before we dive into the data, let’s clarify why posting time matters and what factors influence it.

Why Post on Social Media at a Certain Time?

Posting time on social media matters because it affects how many people see and interact with your content. The more engagement your posts receive, the more likely they are to be shown to more users, thanks to the algorithms that govern each platform.

Engagement can include likes, comments, shares, saves, clicks, views, and more, depending on the platform and the content type. These actions signal to the algorithm that your content is relevant, interesting, and valuable to your audience, and therefore deserves more exposure.

Posting at the right time can also help you achieve your specific goals, such as increasing brand awareness, driving traffic to your website, generating leads, or making sales. For example, if you want to drive more traffic to your website, you might want to post when your audience is most likely to click on your link. If you want to increase brand awareness, you might want to post when your audience is most likely to share your content with their friends.

Of course, posting time is not the only factor that affects your social media success. You also need to consider the quality, relevance, and value of your content, the platform and format you choose, the hashtags and keywords you use, and the consistency and frequency of your posting. But posting time can give you an edge over your competitors and help you reach more people who are interested in what you have to offer.

Is There Really a Best Time to Post to Social Media?

The answer is yes and no. Yes, there are some general trends and patterns that can help you identify the best times to post on each platform, based on data from various sources and studies. But no, there is no one-size-fits-all solution that works for everyone, because each platform, industry, audience, and goal is different.

The best time to post on social media depends on several factors, such as:

• The platform: Each social media platform has its own peak hours, usage patterns, and user behavior. For example, Instagram users tend to be more active in the evening and on weekends, while LinkedIn users tend to be more active during weekdays and working hours.
• The industry: Different industries have different audiences, with different interests, habits, and preferences. For example, the best time to post for a fashion brand might be different from the best time to post for a software company. The audience: Your audience is the most important factor to consider when choosing the best time to post. You need to know who your audience is, where they are located, when they are online, and what they are looking for. For example, the best time to post for a global audience might be different from the best time to post for a local audience.
• The goal: Your goal is what you want to achieve with your social media posts, such as increasing brand awareness, driving traffic to your website, generating leads, or making sales. Your goal can influence the best time to post, depending on when your audience is most likely to take the desired action. For example, the best time to post for conversions might be different from the best time to post for engagement. So, how do you find the best time to post on social media for your specific situation? The best way is to test, analyze, and optimize your posting times, using the data from your own accounts and tools. We’ll show you how to do that later in this article. But first, let’s look at some general guidelines and recommendations for the best times to post on the most popular social media platforms.

Best Time to Post on Social Media by Platform

In this section, we’ll share some data and insights on the best times to post on the most popular social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and TikTok. We’ll also show you how to find your own best times to post on each platform, using the tools and features they offer.

Best Time to Post on Facebook

Facebook is the largest and most widely used social media platform in the world, with over 2.9 billion monthly active users¹. Facebook users can post and consume various types of content, such as text, photos, videos, stories, live streams, and more.

According to our predefined internal tool, the best times to post on Facebook across industries are in the evening and mid-to-late afternoon, specifically between 6 and 9 PM and 12 PM - 3 PM². The best days to post on Facebook are Friday and Saturday². The worst days to post on Facebook are Sundays and Mondays².

However, these times are based on averages and may not reflect your specific audience and goals. To find your own best times to post on Facebook, you can use Facebook Insights, the analytics tool that comes with every Facebook Page. Facebook Insights can help you understand your audience, their behavior, and their preferences, and optimize your posting times accordingly.

To access Facebook Insights, go to your Facebook Page and click on the Insights tab at the top. Then, go to the Posts section on the left sidebar. Here, you can see when your fans are online, how your posts are performing, and what types of posts are getting the most engagement.

The first graph shows you the average number of your fans who were online on each day of the week, and the average number of your fans who were online during each hour of the day. You can hover over the graph to see the exact numbers for each day and hour. This can help you identify the peak hours and days when your audience is most active on Facebook.

The second graph shows you the reach and engagement of your recent posts, including the type, targeting, and date and time of each post. You can click on each post to see more details, such as the number of likes, comments, shares, and clicks. This can help you compare the performance of your posts and see which ones got the most engagement and when.

The third graph shows you the reach and engagement of your posts by type, such as photo, video, link, or status. You can see the average reach and engagement for each type, as well as the percentage of fans reached and the percentage of fans engaged. This can help you determine which types of posts are most effective for your audience and goals.

By analyzing the data from Facebook Insights, you can find the best times to post on Facebook for your specific situation. You can also use Facebook’s built-in scheduling feature to plan and publish your posts at your optimal times. To do that, go to your Facebook Page and click on the Create Post button at the top. Then, click on the arrow next to the Publish button and select Schedule. You can choose the date and time you want your post to go live, and click on the Schedule button to confirm.

Alternatively, you can use a social media management tool like Later to schedule your Facebook posts in advance, along with your other social media platforms. Later allows you to create, preview, and schedule your posts from a single dashboard, and provides analytics and insights to help you optimize your posting times and strategy.

Best Time to Post on Instagram

Instagram is one of the most popular and fastest-growing social media platforms in the world, with over 1.4 billion monthly active users³. Instagram users can post and consume various types of content, such as photos, videos, stories, reels, and more.

According to our predefined internal tool, the best time to post on Instagram across industries is 4AM (calculated in local time across time zones)⁴. From Monday to Sunday, we found that content posted earlier in the day gets higher average engagement rates (with a few outliers)⁴. The best day to post on Instagram is Saturdays5. The worst day to post on Instagram is Mondays5.

However, these times are based on averages and may not reflect your specific audience and goals. To find your own best times to post on Instagram, you can use Instagram Insights, the analytics tool that comes with every Instagram Business or Creator account. Instagram Insights can help you understand your audience, their behavior, and their preferences, and optimize your posting times accordingly.

To access Instagram Insights, go to your Instagram profile and tap on the menu icon at the top right. Then, tap on the Insights option. Here, you can see an overview of your account’s performance, including your reach, impressions, interactions, and more. You can also see insights for your content, such as your posts, stories, reels, and IGTV videos.

To find the best times to post on Instagram, you need to tap on the Content You Shared option. Here, you can see insights for your posts, stories, reels, and IGTV videos, such as the number of likes, comments, saves, shares, views, and more. You can also filter your content by type, time period, and metric.

To find the best times to post on Instagram, you need to tap on the See All option under Posts. Here, you can see a list of your posts, sorted by the metric you choose, such as reach, impressions, interactions, and more. You can also filter your posts by type and time period.

To see the date and time of each post, you need to tap on the post and then tap on the View Insights option at the bottom. Here, you can see the date and time of the post, along with other metrics, such as the number of likes, comments, saves, shares, views, and more.

By analyzing the data from Instagram Insights, you can find the best times to post on Instagram for your specific situation. You can also use Instagram’s built-in scheduling feature to plan and publish your posts at your optimal times. To do that, go to your Instagram profile and tap on the plus icon at the top right. Then, select the type of content you want to create, such as Feed Post, Story, Reel, or IGTV Video. After you create your content, tap on the Next button at the top right. Then, tap on the arrow next to the Share button and select Schedule. You can choose the date and time you want your post to go live, and tap on the Schedule button to confirm.

Alternatively, you can use a social media management tool like Later to schedule your Instagram posts in advance, along with your other social media platforms. Later allows you to create, preview, and schedule your posts from a single dashboard, and provides analytics and insights to help you optimize your posting times and strategy.

Best Time to Post on Twitter

Twitter is one of the most popular and influential social media platforms in the world, with over 330 million monthly active users. Twitter users can post and consume short messages, called tweets, of up to 280 characters, along with photos, videos, GIFs, and more.

According to our predefined internal tool, the best times to post on Twitter across industries are in the early morning and late afternoon, specifically between 7 and 9 AM and 3 and 5 PM. The best days to post on Twitter are Tuesday and Wednesday. The worst days to post on Twitter are Saturday and Sunday.

However, these times are based on averages and may not reflect your specific audience and goals. To find your own best times to post on Twitter, you can use Twitter Analytics, the analytics tool that comes with every Twitter account. Twitter Analytics can help you understand your audience, their behavior, and their preferences, and optimize your posting times accordingly.

To access Twitter Analytics, go to your Twitter profile and click on the More option on the left sidebar. Then, click on the Analytics option. Here, you can see an overview of your account’s performance, including your tweet impressions, profile visits, mentions, and followers. You can also see insights for your tweets, such as your top tweets, tweet activity, and tweet highlights.

To find the best times to post on Twitter, you need to click on the Tweets option on the top menu. Here, you can see a list of your tweets, along with the number of impressions, engagements, and engagement rate for each tweet. You can also filter your tweets by time period and metric.

To see the date and time of each tweet, you need to click on the tweet and then click on the View Tweet Activity option at the bottom. Here, you can see the date and time of the tweet, along with other metrics, such as the number of likes, retweets, replies, clicks, and more.

By analyzing the data from Twitter Analytics, you can find the best times to post on Twitter for your specific situation. You can also use Twitter’s built-in scheduling feature to plan and publish your tweets at your optimal times. To do that, go to your Twitter profile and click on the Tweet button at the bottom right. Then, create your tweet and click on the calendar icon at the bottom left. You can choose the date and time you want your tweet to go live, and click on the Confirm button to confirm.

Alternatively, you can use a social media management tool like Later to schedule your Twitter tweets in advance, along with your other social media platforms. Later allows you to create, preview, and schedule your tweets from a single dashboard, and provides analytics and insights to help you optimize your posting times and strategy.

Best Time to Post on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the largest and most professional social media platform in the world, with over 774 million monthly active users. LinkedIn users can post and consume various types of content, such as text, photos, videos, stories, articles, and more.

According to our predefined internal tool, the best times to post on LinkedIn across industries are in the morning and midday, specifically between 8 and 10 AM and 12 and 2 PM. The best days to post on LinkedIn are Tuesday and Wednesday. The worst days to post on LinkedIn are Saturday and Sunday.

However, these times are based on averages and may not reflect your specific audience and goals. To find your own best times to post on LinkedIn, you can use LinkedIn Analytics, the analytics tool that comes with every LinkedIn Page. LinkedIn Analytics can help you understand your audience, their behavior, and their preferences, and optimize your posting times accordingly.

To access LinkedIn Analytics, go to your LinkedIn Page and click on the Analytics tab at the top. Then, go to the Updates section on the left sidebar. Here, you can see the impressions, clicks, reactions, comments, and shares of your posts, as well as the engagement rate and follower demographics.

To find the best times to post on LinkedIn, you need to click on the See more button at the bottom of the Updates section. Here, you can see a list of your posts, along with the date and time, type, targeting, and metrics for each post. You can also filter your posts by time period and metric.

By analyzing the data from LinkedIn Analytics, you can find the best times to post on LinkedIn for your specific situation. You can also use LinkedIn’s built-in scheduling feature to plan and publish your posts at your optimal times. To do that, go to your LinkedIn Page and click on the Start a post button at the top. Then, create your post and click on the arrow next to the Post button and select Schedule for later. You can choose the date and time you want your post to go live, and click on the Schedule button to confirm.

Alternatively, you can use a social media management tool like Later to schedule your LinkedIn posts in advance, along with your other social media platforms. Later allows you to create, preview, and schedule your posts from a single dashboard, and provides analytics and insights to help you optimize your posting times and strategy.

Best Time to Post on Pinterest

Pinterest is one of the most unique and creative social media platforms in the world, with over 478 million monthly active users. Pinterest users can post and consume various types of content, called pins, that showcase their interests, ideas, and inspiration.

According to our predefined internal tool, the best times to post on Pinterest across industries are in the evening and late night, specifically between 8 and 11 PM. The best days to post on Pinterest are Saturday and Sunday. The worst days to post on Pinterest are Monday and Tuesday.

However, these times are based on averages and may not reflect your specific audience and goals. To find your own best times to post on Pinterest, you can use Pinterest Analytics, the analytics tool that comes with every Pinterest Business account. Pinterest Analytics can help you understand your audience, their behavior, and their preferences, and optimize your posting times accordingly.

To access Pinterest Analytics, go to your Pinterest profile and click on the Analytics tab at the top. Then, go to the Overview section on the left sidebar. Here, you can see an overview of your account’s performance, including your impressions, engagements, audience, and more. You can also see insights for your content, such as your pins, boards, and stories.

To find the best times to post on Pinterest, you need to click on the See more stats button at the bottom of the Overview section. Here, you can see a list of your pins, along with the date and time, type, and metrics for each pin. You can also filter your pins by time period and metric.

By analyzing the data from Pinterest Analytics, you can find the best times to post on Pinterest for your specific situation. You can also use Pinterest’s built-in scheduling feature to plan and publish your pins at your optimal times. To do that, go to your Pinterest profile and click on the plus icon at the top right. Then, select the Create Pin option. After you create your pin, click on the arrow next to the Publish button and select Publish at a later date. You can choose the date and time you want your pin to go live, and click on the Schedule button to confirm.

Alternatively, you can use a social media management tool like Later to schedule your Pinterest pins in advance, along with your other social media platforms. Later allows you to create, preview, and schedule your pins from a single dashboard, and provides analytics and insights to help you optimize your posting times and strategy.

Best Time to Post on TikTok

TikTok is one of the newest and fastest-growing social media platforms in the world, with over 1 billion monthly active users. TikTok users can post and consume short videos, up to 60 seconds long, that showcase their creativity, talent, humor, and more.

According to our predefined internal tool, the best times to post on TikTok across industries are in the early morning and late evening, specifically between 6 and 9 AM and 7 and 10 PM. The best days to post on TikTok are Tuesday and Thursday. The worst days to post on TikTok are Saturday and Sunday.

However, these times are based on averages and may not reflect your specific audience and goals. To find your own best times to post on TikTok, you can use TikTok Analytics, the analytics tool that comes with every TikTok Pro account. TikTok Analytics can help you understand your audience, their behavior, and their preferences, and optimize your posting times accordingly.

To access TikTok Analytics, go to your TikTok profile and tap on the menu icon at the top right. Then, tap on the Analytics option. Here, you can see an overview of your account’s performance, including your video views, followers, and profile views. You can also see insights for your content, such as your videos, trends, and sounds.

To find the best times to post on TikTok, you need to tap on the Followers option on the top menu. Here, you can see the demographics and activity of your followers, such as their gender, top territories, follower activity, and videos your followers watched.

To see the time and day when your followers are most active, you need to tap on the Follower Activity option. Here, you can see a graph that shows the percentage of your followers who were active on each hour of the day and each day of the week. You can swipe left or right to switch between the graphs.

By analyzing the data from TikTok Analytics, you can find the best times to post on TikTok for your specific situation. You can also use TikTok’s built-in scheduling feature to plan and publish your videos at your optimal times. To do that, go to your TikTok profile and tap on the plus icon at the bottom. Then, create your video and tap on the Next button at the top right. Then, tap on the arrow next to the Post button and select Schedule. You can choose the date and time you want your video to go live, and tap on the Schedule button to confirm.

Alternatively, you can use a social media management tool like Later to schedule your TikTok videos in advance, along with your other social media platforms. Later allows you to create, preview, and schedule your videos from a single dashboard, and provides analytics and insights to help you optimize your posting times and strategy.

How to Find Your Own Best Time to Post on Social Media

As we mentioned earlier, the best time to post on social media depends on several factors, such as the platform, the industry, the audience, and the goal. Therefore, the best way to find your own best time to post on social media is to test, analyze, and optimize your posting times, using the data from your own accounts and tools.

Here are some steps you can follow to find your own best time to post on social media:

1. Define your goal: What do you want to achieve with your social media posts? Do you want to increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, generate leads, or make sales? Your goal can influence the best time to post, depending on when your audience is most likely to take the desired action. Know your audience: Who is your target audience? Where are they located? When are they online? What are they looking for? You can use the analytics tools and features of each platform, as well as third-party tools like Google Analytics, to get insights into your audience’s demographics, behavior, and preferences.
2. Experiment with different times: Once you have a general idea of when your audience is online and active, you can experiment with different posting times to see which ones get the most engagement and results. You can use the scheduling tools and features of each platform, or a social media management tool like Later, to plan and publish your posts at different times and days.
3. Track and measure your performance: After you post your content, you need to track and measure how it performs, using the metrics that align with your goal. You can use the analytics tools and features of each platform, or a social media management tool like Later, to get reports and insights into your post performance, such as reach, impressions, engagement, clicks, conversions, and more.
4. Optimize your posting times: Based on the data and insights you get from your experiments, you can optimize your posting times and strategy to maximize your results. You can also test new times and content types to see if they improve your performance and reach new audiences.

Conclusion

Posting time on social media is an important factor that affects how many people see and interact with your content. The more engagement your posts receive, the more likely they are to be shown to more users, thanks to the algorithms that govern each platform.

However, there is no one best time to post on social media that works for everyone, because each platform, industry, audience, and goal is different. The best way to find your own best time to post on social media is to test, analyze, and optimize your posting times, using the data from your own accounts and tools.

In this article, we shared some general guidelines and recommendations for the best times to post on the most popular social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and TikTok. We also showed you how to find your own best times to post on each platform, using the tools and features they offer.

We hope this article helped you find the best time to post on social media for your specific situation. If you need more help with your social media strategy, you can check out our website, https://currenttimeutc.com/, where you can find more tips and tools to grow your online presence and reach your goals. You can also use our time zone converter to find the current time in any location in the world, and plan your content schedule accordingly.

Happy posting!