Have ever shared a post on social media that you were really confident about, only for it not to receive the engagement you had expected? Or perhaps you published something you considered mediocre, but was surprised when it became one of your best performing posts. These phenomena could have had everything to do with when you chose to share your content.
Every social platform has a set time or group of times throughout the day when it receives the most user traffic. Ensuring that you know when this is and posting during these hours will readily promote views and increase the likelihood of interactions and conversions.
Unfortunately, not all social media apps experience increased user traffic at the same time. As a general rule, posting between 8pm and 9pm on any app is generally highly recommended, as posts made during this time are likely to reach a large audience due to most people being home and looking to unwind before going to bed. However, you are likely to see significantly better results if you look at each platform individually.
To get you started, below we’ve summarised the best hours for you to post on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok so that you can spend less time sorting through masses of information and more time engaging your viewers with eye-catching content.
Monday and Tuesday nights are the best times to post on Instagram. This social media platform tends to be most popular on weeknights and around midday on weekends when users are looking to stay informed about their followers' lives and up-to-date with their most loved brands in their downtime. However, if you are looking to target a global audience, it’s best to aim for about 7am on any given day to optimise your reach and receive the most engagement.
If your business is considering marketing on Instagram you should first think about the audience you are targeting and identify if it aligns with the majority of people using the social media platform. According to Napoleon Cat stats, in January 2022 the largest user group of Instagram are people aged between 25-34, accounting for 30% of users in Australia. Additionally, just over half of the Australian Instagram population is female. If these demographics coincide with your target audience, Instagram may be the platform for you.
Monday: 8pm
Tuesday: 8pm-10pm
Wednesday: 11am-1pm, 8pm-9pm
Thursday: 11am-1pm, 8pm-9pm
Friday: 2pm-4pm
Saturday: 9am-10am
Sunday: 11am-2pm
The reach of organic posts on Facebook is quite low compared to other platforms. So, if that is the content you’re posting, it is key that you know the best times to post in order to reach the largest audience. We recommend posting on Thursday and Friday nights if you want to increase your engagement and click-through rate.
A lot of Facebook use also takes place during the day, often at lunchtime when individuals are on break and looking to disengage from their work worries and responsibilities for the moment. Though, if you are looking to target a global audience, Monday through Friday at 7pm is recommended for the best engagement.
Statista shows that in June 2022 people aged 25-34 made up 24% of Facebook users in Australia. People aged 13-17 showcased the lowest usage of this platform of any age group. Moreover, women made up just over half of Australian Facebook users. While these statistics are similar to Instagram, Facebook seems to be becoming skewed towards the older generations at a much faster rate.
Monday: 1pm-3pm
Tuesday: 1pm-3pm
Wednesday: 11am, 1pm-3pm
Thursday: 1pm-3pm, 5pm-8pm
Friday: 11am, 1pm-3pm
Saturday: 12pm-1pm
Sunday: 12pm-1pm
TikTok’s algorithm allows for organic posts to effectively reach a wide range of viewers based on their interests. The algorithm is a bit different to other social media apps in that it tends to favour consistent posting above all else. Accounts that post engaging content at least a few times a day that viewers watch from start to finish will often end up on the For You Page and will see an increase in visibility and a growing follower count. For your global audience, it’s recommended that you post from 7am-10am or 7pm-11pm any given day.
Once you have a community of followers, it is easier to decide when it is best to post by analysing when they are most active on the app. In the meantime, until you grow this community, stick to the times below for optimal engagement.
According to the annual report, TikTok now has 7.38 million Australian users over the age of 18, with a reach of 37%. 55.3% of these users were female. Despite varied data, it’s safe to say that the majority of TikTok users would be between 18-25, though there is a substantial audience aged younger than 18. TikTok makes it easier to reach a global audience than many other social media platforms. So, if you’re looking to target a younger more widespread audience, this may be the platform for you.
Monday: 7am-9am, 11am-1pm, 8pm-9pm
Tuesday: 7am-9am, 11am-1pm, 8pm-9pm
Wednesday: 7am-9am, 11am-1pm, 8pm-9pm
Thursday: 7am-9am, 11am-1pm, 8pm-9pm
Friday: 7am-9am, 11am-1pm, 8pm-9pm
Saturday: 9am-10am, 8pm-10pm
Sunday: 8am-10am, 8pm-9pm
While the previous times are all effective periods during which to post content, nothing will help your content reach your viewers better than studying their specific usage of various social media apps. These platforms come with built-in analytics that allow you to get an idea of who your audience is and when they are most active. While this content will most likely overlap with the popular times we’ve discussed, sometimes users can be more unique.
For example, if you’re wanting a younger audience to see your posts, then you have to be mindful of screen limitations that may impact them. Likewise, if you're targeting senior viewers, you need to consider that they may be awake at different hours during the day than the younger population. Similarly, if you’re wanting to target users in a specific time zone, you will need to look at that region's most active periods closely and prioritise when you post, so that your existing audience can continue to see and interact with your content.
If your posts aren’t performing as well as you know they should, or you want to know more about effective posting times and schedules, visit our website today. Our team will work collaboratively with you to ensure your business is getting the attention and engagement it deserves.
