Social media can be one of the most useful tools when it comes to marketing. Billions of users around the world come together on a variety of platforms to share thoughts, memories, news, products, and more! Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn are all places to share information with the audience you are trying to reach. If you are an individual or business looking for more engagement on these platforms, the information below may come in handy for you.

Facebook:
Facebook has registered over 2 billion users! This is, by far, the most used social media platform across the world. When it comes to social media, in general, it is important to keep in mind that algorithms are a “behind the scene” piece that is imperative to the way your posts will appear on users’ feeds. Facebook, specifically, has an algorithm that shows its users what is relevant to them first. On the other end of that, Facebook also prioritizes posts that receive a lot of engagement. That is why it’s important to observe the optimal times in order to get the most engagement from your audience and rise to the top!

Here is the rundown on best and worst time to post on Facebook. Wednesdays at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. are the best overall times to post on Facebook. If you think about user behavior at this time, most people are away from their desks and at lunch. This is a time in the day where users have more time to scroll down their feeds and engage with posts that grab their attention. With that being said, Wednesday is definitely the best day overall to post on Facebook.

The safest times to post on Facebook are weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This means that engagement remains consistent throughout these blocks of time. Sunday is the day that posts receive the least amount of engagement. On a daily basis, mornings and evening before 7 a.m. and after 5 p.m. have the least engagement of all.

Instagram:
Instagram has become a sister platform of Facebook, as it was bought by Facebook in 2012. The stats between the two have similarities and differences. The best times to post on Instagram are also Wednesdays at 11 a.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. The safest times to post are Tuesday – Friday from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Again, Sunday is the least popular day to post because users are less engaged on the platform. Sundays are typically a day to spend time with family, friends, or doing activities that take you away from your phone. The overall worst times to post on a daily basis are 11 p.m. – 3 a.m. Most people are inactive at these times.

Twitter:
Twitter has an average of 500 million tweets sent every day! The functionality of Twitter is very instant and fast-paced with its users posting tweets, favoriting and following as topics and trends change on a daily basis. Therefore, timeliness is key on this platform. The best time to tweet is at 9 a.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays. However, the best overall days are Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Your safest times to post (i.e. best times for consistent engagement) are Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 4p.m. This is a wide time range because Twitter has high activity levels throughout most of the day time. The worst day to tweet is going to be Saturdays. This is a common trend across many platforms.

LinkedIn:
LinkedIn, unlike Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, has a very specific group of users. LinkedIn’s audience is going to largely include the very motivated, the thought leaders, the job seekers, and business curators of the world. With this platform being so acutely focused on business, the best days and times shouldn’t come as a surprise. The work week is the golden time to post on LinkedIn. Their corporate-minded audience is most likely to see your post on Wednesdays between 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. and also at noon. The safest times to post are Tuesday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. It makes sense that weekends have low engagement, with the lowest engagement day being Sunday. The least popular time on a consistent daily basis is from 9 p.m. – 3 a.m.

We hope that this social media guide helps you reach your target audience in the most optimal way! However, it is always important to pay attention to the behaviors of your specific target audience. The information above is a general recommendation and this data could vary based on industry. We always recommend testing different times and content in order to measure which posts are getting the most engagement. With all that said, good luck and happy posting!