Social Media: Timing is Everything
Is there anything worse than creating the most perfect graphic for social media only to have no one like, comment or share? You spent time making sure the image was aesthetically pleasing, the text aligned with the key messaging, the font was crisp and easy to read, the colors matched the brand and the content was primed for social sharing. So why didn’t it resonate with your audience? Perhaps it had nothing to do with the post, but rather the timing of which it was posted.
Below is a breakdown of the best time to post per platform, according to this social media expert:
FACEBOOK:
- On average, the best time to post is 1-4 p.m., when clickthrough rates have shown to be at their highest.
- Specifically, 12-1 p.m. is prime time on Saturday and Sunday.
- During the week, the same goes for Wednesday at 3 p.m., as well as Thursday and Friday between 1-4 p.m.
- The worst times are weekends before 8 a.m. and after 8 p.m.
TWITTER:
- Good times to tweet average around 12–3 p.m., with an apex at 5 p.m. — which makes sense, given that it correlates with the evening commute.
- Weekdays tend to show a stronger performance, though some niches might have more active audiences on the weekend.
- If your goal is to maximize retweets and clickthroughs, aim for noon, 3 p.m., or 5–6 p.m
- Aim to post toward the middle of the week, between Tuesday-Thursday.
- When aiming for a high clickthrough rate, post on these days during times that correspond with the morning and evening commute — roughly 7:30-8:30 a.m. and 5-6 p.m. — as well as the lunch hour, around 12 p.m.
- Some have also seen a positive performance on Tuesdays, between 10–11 a.m.
- In general, the best times to post on Instagram are on Monday and Thursday, at any time other than 3-4 p.m.
- The best time to post videos is 9 p.m.-8 a.m., on any day.
- Some outlets have reported success on Mondays between 8-9 a.m., correlating with the first morning commute of the week for many.
