One of the hardest jobs for social media marketers is finding the right times to post content to get the most engagement.
Luckily, there’s been a lot research done on the most optimal times to post across multiple platforms. Sprout Social’s Data Research Team has done a lot of analyzing to determine the best (and the worst) dates and times to post on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
With over 2 billion users worldwide, Facebook is currently the largest social media platform. With all those potential followers and clients, it’s important to engage with them at the right times.
Best: Sprout found that the best date and times to post on Facebook is Wednesday between 11am and 1pm. If you’re looking for the most engagement on your platforms, the best times are between 9am-3pm.
Worst: The worst day to post on Facebook is Sunday. And throughout the week, posting before 7am and 5pm has seen the lowest engagement rates.
Bought by Facebook in 2012, Instagram is a great way to showcase your brand or business through images. Instagram is constantly going through updates and algorithm changes, so it’s important to stay up-to-date on the high engagement times.
Best: The most optimal times for Instagram posting are Wednesday at 11am and Friday between 10-11 am. For consistent engagement Sprout found that Tuesday-Friday from 10am-3pm, will give you the best results.
Worst: Just like Facebook, posting on Instagram on Sunday will get you the lowest engagement. Along with posting during the weekdays between 11pm-3am.
With just 280 characters to craft your perfect post, Twitter is a great way to put out fast information and engage closely with your audience.
Best: Much like Facebook and Instagram, Twitters best posting times are Wednesday and Friday at 9am. Tuesday is also a great time to post your content.
Worst: The worst day for Twitter posting is Saturday. The worst times are every day from 10pm-4am.
LinkedIn, in more ways than one, has the most niche audience out of all the other social media platforms. And while there might be a more specific audience and tone to LinkedIn posts, that doesn’t mean it’s a channel to be ignored.
Best: The best date and times to post to LinkedIn is Wednesday from 9-10am and again at 12pm.
Worst: The lowest engagement on LinkedIn happens on Sunday, with the worst times being any day of the week from 9pm to 3am.
While optimal posting dates and times are key, it’s almost important to keep in mind that the majority of your engagement comes from the great content you put out there. Through well thought out marketing strategies and quality content, you could see your engagement grow!