What Are the Best Days and Times to Post on Social Media?

Ah, the ever-changing world of social media engagement—a digital marketer’s playground and puzzle all in one. If you’ve been navigating this space for any length of time, you know that what worked yesterday might not work today, thanks to shifting user behaviors and those enigmatic algorithms. One moment, you’re riding high on likes and shares; the next, you’re wondering if anyone even saw your carefully crafted post.

With platforms constantly tweaking their algorithms, understanding the best days and times to post on social media has become both an art and a science. Algorithms decide which content gets prime real estate on users’ feeds, and users’ behavior determines when they’re online and ready to engage. It’s an evolving dance where timing is everything.

Why does posting time matter so much? Simple: to maximize reach and engagement. Posting at the right time can mean the difference between your content being seen by thousands or being lost in the void. And in today’s crowded social media space, you want every advantage you can get.

Wondering when to post on social media? Here’s new data on the best posting times

Lucky for us, the folks at CoSchedule have done the heavy lifting. They analyzed a staggering 37,219,512 social media messages from over 30,000 organizations to pinpoint the best times to post on each major social network. That’s not just a sample size; that’s a veritable treasure trove of data.

What they found is nothing short of essential for any social media strategy. CoSchedule’s exhaustive analysis offers us insights that can help fine-tune our posting schedules to align with when our audiences are most active and engaged. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the golden hours of social media posting and how you can leverage this data to enhance your social media strategy.

A growing shift from mornings to evenings

One of the most intriguing insights from CoSchedule’s latest analysis is the shift in prime posting times from mornings to evenings. If you’re accustomed to thinking that early birds always catch the social media worm, it’s time to rethink your strategy. The best overall times to post are now Mondays at 8:41 a.m., Wednesdays at 3:15 p.m., and Fridays at 7:00 p.m., all in your target audience’s time zone.

And it’s not just about the time of day. The top-performing days have also shifted, with Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays emerging as the new champions of engagement. This marks a significant change from the morning and midweek peaks that dominated CoSchedule’s earlier research from 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2019. In 2024, it appears that late-day engagement is where the action is.

While research from other industry heavyweights like Hootsuite and Sprout Social presents slightly different findings, it’s important to note that CoSchedule’s data is particularly comprehensive, especially in the context of both B2B and B2C social media posts. Their analysis provides a more nuanced picture, suggesting that evening engagement has taken the spotlight.

So, why the shift? Customer behavior can be notoriously difficult to analyze, but it’s likely a combination of changing work patterns, the rise of remote work, and the way people are blending their personal and professional lives. As the lines between these spheres blur, people are increasingly engaging with social media later in the day, once their work responsibilities have tapered off.

Armed with this knowledge, it’s time to adjust your posting schedule to align with these new patterns. By posting during these peak times, you’ll maximize your chances of capturing your audience’s attention and boosting engagement.

The best times to post on social media by platform

Tailoring your posts to each platform’s unique audience and content style is essential for maximizing engagement and reach. Each social media platform has its own rhythm, audience behavior, and preferred content types, which means your strategy should be as dynamic and varied as the platforms themselves. Let’s dive into the specifics of the best times to post and platform-specific best practices to ensure your content resonates with the right audience at the right time.

The best times to post on Facebook

• Monday mornings at 7:00 AM
• Wednesday afternoons at 3:15 PM
• Friday evenings at 7:00 PM

The best times to post on Instagram

• Tuesday mornings at 9:00 AM
• Wednesday mornings at 9:00 AM
• Friday evenings at 8:00 PM

The best time to post on LinkedIn

• Tuesday mornings at 10:00 AM
• Wednesday mornings at 10:00 AM
• Thursdays around 12:00 PM

The best time to post on X, formerly Twitter

• Wednesday mornings at 8:30 AM
• Thursdays mornings at 9:30 AM
• Friday mornings at 10:00 AM

The best time to post on Pinterest

• Tuesdays around 12:00 PM
• Thursdays around 6:15 PM
• Friday evenings at 8:00 PM

The best times to post on TikTok

• Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 to 11:00 AM
• Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2:00 to 6:00 PM

The best time to post on Threads

• Thursdays between 8:00 AM and 10: 00 AM

Key takeaways for posting on social media

Timing is everything when it comes to social media success. Understanding and leveraging your target audience’s active hours can significantly boost your engagement and reach. Here are the critical takeaways from the data above:

• Post during active hours: The prime times to post vary by platform but consistently align with when users are most active. For instance, evenings and late afternoons have emerged as peak times across many platforms, a notable shift from earlier recommendations for morning engagement.
• Avoid the worst times: Overnight hours are generally the worst times to post, as user activity plummets. Posting during these times can result in your content being overlooked as users catch up on sleep rather than their social feeds.
• Shifts in engagement patterns: There has been a marked shift towards evening engagement compared to previous years. This change reflects evolving user behaviors and the blurring lines between work and personal life, especially with the rise of remote work.

Maximize your social media impact

Understanding and adapting to the best times to post on social media can dramatically enhance your engagement and reach. The findings provided here highlight the importance of late-day and evening engagement, which is a departure from past trends favoring morning posts. However, it’s crucial to remember that these times are guidelines rather than hard and fast rules.

Encourage yourself to experiment with different posting times and meticulously track your engagement metrics. What works for one brand might not work for another, so tailor your strategy to your unique audience. Remember, while optimal posting times can give you an edge, they are just one piece of the puzzle.

The quality of your content, the way you interact with your audience, and platform-specific strategies play equally vital roles in your social media success. High-quality, engaging content that resonates with your audience will always triumph over simply posting at the “right” time. So, keep creating, experimenting, and optimizing to find the perfect balance for your brand’s social media strategy.

Ask the Content Strategist: FAQs

How can I determine the best times to post on social media for my specific audience?

A: Use platform analytics to identify when your followers are most active and experiment with different posting times, adjusting based on engagement patterns.

What are some strategies for determining the best days and times to post on social media?

A: Conduct A/B testing with different time slots, consistently track engagement, and iteratively refine your schedule based on performance data.

How do cultural and regional differences impact what the best times to post on social media are?

Consider time zones, cultural norms, local events, and daily routines to tailor your posting schedule to the habits of your diverse audience.

The Content Strategist is your go-to resource for developing your next content marketing strategy. Subscribe today to get the latest insights delivered directly to your inbox!