So far in this series, we’ve talked about which platforms you should be on and how often you should post. Today we are going to discuss what times you should post.
Before we get started you should know that it is relative. Also, when researching you will find that many times the major resources on social media disagree. Sprout Social, Hubspot, and Hootsuite will give you very different information on this topic. There is some overlap so that’s what we are focusing on.
Because of this, you need to make sure you are checking your own analytics. Instead of guessing use your analytics to tell you what times are working and what times are not. If you’ve been posting for 30 days, you should be able to look and get a good idea.
Yes, you still need to be on Facebook. Buffer suggests weekdays and Saturdays between 1-3 pm. Sprout Social says Wednesdays between 11 am-1 pm. Hubspot says Thursdays and Fridays 1-3 pm. There are a ton of these. Translation: They all crossover between 1 pm and 3 pm. Also, without fail, they pretty much all say Sunday is the worst. You’re going to get your biggest bang Monday through Saturday. I’d say pick 3 to 5 of those days. If you look at your analytics on Facebook it will tell you when you peak and you’ll know the best time for you. However, if there is any doubt in your mind, stick with the afternoon. The highest traffic days are generally Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Instagram differs by day and by industry. Generally, the best time to post on Instagram is split. It’s either 11 am-2 pm or in the evening. We’ve found our followers are most active between 2-7 pm. If you post during these hours, make sure you are scheduling your posts. Nobody wants to be posting during their family time or dinner. That’s no fun. If you can’t schedule, then maybe post a little earlier like 3-4 pm.
For general posting, Monday through Friday around 11 am works really well. The best day of the week overall is Tuesday. The worst day of the week? You guessed it. Sunday once again. When in doubt, try weekdays at 11 am and between 2 and 5 pm, and then check your insights to see which works best for you.
Pinterest is very different. The best day is Saturday. The best time is at night. Why? The women who are on Pinterest have put their kids to bed and that’s when they get online. Pinterest is 85% female and most women surf the web at night. 9 pm is a great time to pin. The other best time to post is 2 to 4 am. If you’re scheduling through Tailwind, that’s great. If not, no one wants to get up at 2 am and pin.
Remember, Pinterest weights its pins. The first 5 pins you post after midnight are weighted the most heavily. If you’re ideally pinning 30-60 pins per week, make sure the first 5 of each day are your own pins. Those are the pins you pin from your blog and your Instagram or the pins you create. Doing 5 of your own pins each day is great. You can up your game by adding 5 repins to that. Also, be aware that Pinterest has now decided new pins outweigh older pins. The overall consensus is Friday and Saturday with your first pins after midnight being your own. The first pins after midnight can be 8 am for you. It just has to be the first ones you post after midnight.
LinkedIn is most active on weekdays. The worst day is Sunday. The best days are Tuesday through Thursday. The ideal time to post is 9 am and no later than 11 am. Why? People are getting to work, going through their daily stuff like checking emails, then getting on LinkedIn. You can schedule it through Hootsuite. Why is LinkedIn so different from the others? It’s a business platform. That’s when people are working and thinking about business-related things.
To be successful on Twitter you have to tweet at least once per day and ideally 3 to 5 times per day. When is the best time? Around noon. People tend to check Twitter around lunchtime. The best days of the week are Wednesday and Friday. The worst day to post, oddly, is Saturday.
YouTube
The best times to upload on YouTube are Thursdays and Fridays between 12 and 3 pm in your timezone. You can batch your content and schedule them out just like on the other platforms. You can schedule them straight from within YouTube. It’s critical with YouTube to have your videos post at the same time each week. They reward consistency with views. YouTube is an extension of Google, so they learn your habits and look for you.
TikTok
TikTok is relatively new so the information is all over the place. A lot of that is because different things work for different people. Generally, mornings between 9 and 10 am or afternoons from 3 to 7 pm are best. It seems to mirror Instagram. Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday are the best days to post with Tuesday coming out on top. Saturdays are also high traffic days and Sundays are the lowest.
Do What’s Best for You
These are the best times to post in general but remember, you have to check your analytics and insights to see what is actually working for you. If you post for a month and aren’t seeing the engagement you think you should have, experiment with different posting times. Most importantly, stay consistent and you will be more likely to see results.
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