People cannot sit idle. The greatest testimony to this fact was the increase in social media usage during the lockdown last year and people who picked up new hobbies or re-connected with one after years posted various videos on the platforms.

The main point being – people cannot sit idle and they will flock to social media when they can. If you are a digital marketer looking to squeeze everything out of a brilliant social media campaign, you might want to know about the “right time” that plays into the game alongside the content and the platform. You NEED to know when your audience is online or active and where they spend their most time.

Note: All timings in the article are according to US time, please convert it to your time zone before getting frustrated at the results.

How time creates an impact on your social media game?

Quality content is the focal point of any digital marketing game. Especially social media, which gets even more competitive with every passing day and with every new brand created.

Social media marketing is a battleground to grab the attention of as many prospects as possible, and it helps if you know when to post. 73% of marketers believe that their efforts through social media marketing have been “somewhat effective” or “very effective” for their business.

Of course, social media is always buzzing with activity, but a good marketer knows when their target audience usually hangs out and on what platforms. They make sure to post at that time, in order to maximize their engagement.

It doesn’t work if you post at your own time and your audience is sleeping or working at that time. Different platforms have different opportune times, and you must take note of them.

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What is the best time to post on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn content is different from what you would post on Facebook or Instagram. It is more professional and seeks to establish an authoritative voice for the brand through insightful content.

LinkedIn, hence, can be assumed (and confirmed) is used more during work hours than during recreation periods. It works mostly for B2B companies – 80% of marketers considered LInkedIn as the most effective B2B lead generation channel.

Updates on LinkedIn can go up through Tuesdays to Thursdays from 9 am to noon, with Tuesdays and Wednesdays being good days. The platform is known more for employee branding and recruitment; making sure that your content is compatible with these aims and timings is wise. Avoid Sundays. No one wants to work Sundays.

What is the best time to post on Facebook?

Facebook is one the most used social media platforms in the world (69% of US adults use it today) and sees engagement almost around the clock. In the last year, the timings went off trends with the pandemic forcing people to turn to social media at any time of the day as a means of entertainment. Yet, the most favorable time to post on Facebook stands from 9 am to 11 am on weekdays, especially Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Late nights and weekends don’t work for Facebook; engagement with posts is low and it crashes with the global audience’s normal workday routine. If you want to get noticed on the Book, don’t leave time off the hook!

What is the best time to post on Instagram?

Instagram is the queen of social media now. All through the last year, Instagram has been stepping it up with Reels, developing Story features, and boosting discoverability on its platform.

Further, Instagram is perhaps the most preferred social media for people who are looking for a break or just leisurely passing time (read: looking for products – 60% of people say they discover new products on Instagram.)

Any time is a good time to post on Instagram, except for the weekends. You can start from 11 am; most people are up and done with breakfast at that time, and post anytime till midnight. Look out for Tuesdays, when the peak time is between 11 am to 2 pm. All kinds of content find a home on Insta, you just must bring it on.

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What is the best time to post on Twitter?

Twitter is a mixed bundle – you will find everything from top news stories to viral videos (that have you thinking how they got viral in the first place), from light-hearted one-liners to aggressive celebrity controversies. In between, your advertising copy makes a sweet appearance and the tweeter moves on.

Post in between 9 am to 11 am from Tuesdays to Thursdays on Twitter. Maybe you could shift Twitter posing to the afternoon just on Wednesdays till 3 pm.

Twitter also finds itself in a mess of consumer complaints and having a good customer care staff handle these is a good idea. Keep weekends off, you want a break and so do they.

What is the best time to post on Pinterest?

Pinterest, as a platform, is used very differently from the others. It is something to mindlessly scroll through (Pinterest users take it slow and scroll through ideas for only 14.2 minutes every day.), unless something catches your eye. It is also said that the demographic on Pinterest in mostly female, looking for ideas and inspiration on all sorts of things.

Since this would normally be considered a leisure activity, posting on Pinterest during the day is a mistake. Bedtime browsing is an active phenomenon, so schedule your post between 8 pm and 11 pm and keep them for the end of the week, when people have more time to spend on the platform.

What is the best time to post on YouTube?

YouTube falls under Google LLC, and video content on YouTube gets ranked according to its algorithms and ranking procedures. As per data by Sprout Social, YouTube gets the heaviest traffic (imagine heavy when we say 79% of Internet users have their own YouTube account) in the evening, between 7 pm to 10 pm, so ensure you time your post in accordance with the traffic hours for it to appear exactly when you want.

Thursdays and Fridays are good-to-post days; however, you might want to keep something for the weekend. Weekend afternoons can get very YouTube-y in places.

What is the best time to post on Snapchat?

Snapchat is your best friend if you’re a night owl. The platform attracts the nocturnal demographic and keeps them going until they are ready to fall asleep. Shirt, quick snaps of your product can make way to the platform while people are busy maintaining their streaks.

Post on Snapchat between 10 pm to 1 am. Make more posts, maybe two or three, to keep your brand on the top of the user’s mind and make it the last thing they see before sleeping. Snap is the daily chatter; a post any day of the week will garner attention if it is relevant and eye-catching.

How can you find your own sweet spot?

RELY ON DATA. Data is the only thing that can get you your sweet spot. Everyone uses their social media in a different way – someone is there with the purpose of looking for products and someone just wants to take a break from the cacophony of a hectic day. There is no predicting as to when someone will check their social media.

Analyze your data in detail. Find out the time and platform your audience is most likely to be using at the time and incorporate it into your calendar. Your content will hit your target audience more effectively if they are well-timed and in sync with their browsing time, because, well, that is how they will see it.

Use tools to collect and sift through data. Also, be on the lookout for small patches when your audience is active, but your competitors are not. Keep checking the trends and the content formats and you will be proud of your work.

Closing Thoughts!

Social media marketing is an extremely asset and it’s a waste of a golden opportunity if you are not doing it right. Alongside the what and where of content, the when is just as important. It does not make any sense if you post your spectacular content and no one is there to see it.

Educate yourself and your team on the importance of posting at the right time. Track your audience and the engagement on your posts to plot a trend and see how they behave with your brand. Follow the trend and give them more meaningful content and make your social media marketing strategy a hit.

Or, if you are still confused, seek advice from expert B2B sales and marketing consulting firms. The investment will seem worth it when you compare the results.

Do you also want to see big figures on social media? Contact us today and we will take it up from there!