When is the Best Time to Post on Social Media?

One of the challenging realities of social media is playing the unending game of ‘it depends.’ Social media performance depends on several factors, including content type, your profile engagement, and even knowing the best time of day or week to post on specific platforms.

Why Does it Matter What Time I Share Posts?

Gone are the days of chronological timelines and feeds that would populate posts based on when they were shared. Posting a photo at midnight was often a surefire way to wave goodbye to engagement and likes on your content. If you shared your content at an inconvenient time for your followers to see it immediately, it would soon be lost in the abyss of a deep scroll through your feed.

Years ago, Instagram shifted to an algorithmic feed that populated posts that it determined you were most likely to engage with, regardless of when it was posted. Initially, users were frustrated, showing posts from days prior and missing posts that had been shared recently. Over the years, Instagram has adjusted its feed, including a recent update offering users the option to switch back to their long mourned chronological feeds.

So, given the development of a non-chronological feed, why does it matter what time you share posts on social media? Well, your content is still most likely to gain the most significant engagement possible when your followers and viewers are active on a platform, so they are most likely to be scrolling their social media accounts.

How Do I Know When to Post on Social Media?

There is not a one size fits all best time to post on all social media accounts. Circling back to the concept of “it depends,” …

Knowing when the best time to post on social media depends on several various factors, including:

●      Who your audience is

●      What type of content you’re posting

●      What platform you’re posting on

Your audience includes your followers in addition to organically targeted accounts that social platforms may promote your content based on their historical interests. Demographics, time zones, work schedules, and more all play a role in determining when your audience is most likely to be scrolling their social media accounts.

Similarly, the type of content that you post might play a role in the best time to share your post. Short-form video content like Instagram Reels or TikToks typically reaches a much wider audience than your page following. Therefore, Instagram’s CEO came out recently and shared analytics showing the morning hours to be the best time of day to post content, especially video content as the platform moves in that direction. That said, sharing an article or promotion announcement on LinkedIn might perform better in the morning or mid-day during the week as users are often more likely to scroll their professional profile during the workday.

This closely aligns with the importance of knowing your platform. While many people wake up and start their morning with a scroll through the latest TikTok, it’s less likely that the average person will jump right into a LinkedIn conversation or business-focused article on the platform.

What is a Social Media Algorithm, and How Does it Work?

Social media algorithms show content to followers based on what they think viewers are most likely to enjoy seeing and, in turn, most likely to engage with.

We previously mentioned Instagram’s shift from a chronological feed to their algorithm-based feed multiple years ago … but what does that mean? Instagram – among other social media platforms – collects data based on how you use them. This includes what videos you watch, which posts you like or comment on, the accounts and hashtags you follow, and even what you post and share.

Instagram collects data and information on these and more and puts it to use to guesstimate what you’re most likely to want to see on your feed. For example, if you have a history of following fashion boutiques, liking their posts, clicking on their links, and commenting on questions, you’re more likely to see more of their content on your feed. While you might follow your Aunt Mildred, if you don’t engage (like, comment, share, save, etc.) with her content, you’re less likely to see it populate as frequently on your feed.

Why Does This Matter to You?

Consider your followers – are they bot accounts offering free giveaways for a like and follow? Are they fake accounts with no posts or profile pictures? Or are they genuine potential clients, partners, or peers? If the former is the truth for your account, your content may be less likely to show up for your audience, resulting in lower engagement across your account.

Alternatively, suppose your followers are genuine potential clients, competitors, or people more likely to engage in your content. In that case, it’s more likely to land in the feeds of your viewers. Additionally, using related hashtags and following content trends – think carousels, reels, short-form videos – might help your social media content populate more commonly based on algorithmic preferences.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by all this information? Still at a loss of when you should be posting on social media? You’re not alone. Social media algorithms are complex to grasp and appeal to, but we have a perfect solution for you – put it out of your mind and allow us to manage it instead. At CC Social, we recognize that running your business is a full-time job in and of itself, without the added stress of managing your social media accounts. For more information about how we can help, check out our service offerings or schedule a call to learn more!