Social media has taken over our everyday lives. And when it comes to marketing your brand, products or services, it’s an opportunity your business can’t afford to do without. You are probably already investing in social media, like the other 40+ million businesses on Facebook or the 25+ million on Instagram. But how can your social media manager make your brand stand out from all the competition and increase your engagement rates?
One way is to use digital best practices on social media. And an ideal place to start is to align the time when you post content with the day of the week and time when your target audience is most active to create a social media posting schedule using a schedule tool like Sprout Social. So, what is the best time to post on social media? Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know.
1. General Settings
Generally, in the United States, half of the country is located in the Eastern Time Zone. Combine it with Central Standard Time Zone, and that’s 75% of the total U.S. population. So, alternating between the two gives you maximum reach.
If you conduct business outside North America, you should find out where your audience lives and what platform are they using. Check out the annual Digital Global Overview from We Are Social to find out more.
2. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a niche social network aimed at professionals, with 25% of all adults in the U.S. using it during weekdays and working hours, according to LinkedIn insights. However, over half of those users visit their profile once a week.
- Best times to post on LinkedIn are Tuesday through Thursday 9 am to noon;
- Best days for LinkedIn posts are Tuesday and Wednesday;
- High-performance time for some is 10-11 a.m. on Wednesday;
- The worst day for posting on LinkedIn is Sunday.
3. Facebook
People use Facebook pretty much all the time, both from their phones and desktop computers. So, when to post content on Facebook largely depends on the preference of your specific audience. Using Facebook insights can help determine your audiences preferences.
- Best time to post on Facebook is Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9 am to 1 pm;
- Best days for Facebook posts are Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday;
- The worst day to post on Facebook is Saturday.
4. Instagram
1 billion+ people use Instagram every month and 50% of people have visited a website after viewing a product or service in Instagram according to HootSuite. With statistics like those, it’s no wonder businesses are including Instagram in their social media marketing strategy.
- Best times to post on Instagram are Tuesday 11 am to 2 pm and Monday through Friday at 11 am;
- Best day of the week to post Instagram is Tuesday;
- Prime time is Tuesday from 11 am to 1 pm;
- The worst day to post on IG is Sunday.
5. Twitter
There are no rules where people use Twitter. The difference between activity at work and home, or on mobile and desktop, is insignificant. But in general, according to Twitter insights it’s associated with a short break.
- Best times to post on Twitter are Wednesday 9 am to 3 pm and Thursday 9 am to 11 am;
- Best day to post on Twitter is Wednesday;
- Prime time is Wednesday from 9 am to 3 pm;
- Worst day to tweet is Saturday.
Need Help with your Social Media Strategy?
Ready to start creating successful posts on social media and generating more leads via LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others? Contact us today at Exceedion, and our team of savvy online marketing professionals can help create a winning strategy to tap into the power of social media for your business.