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The Best Times to Post on Social Media: What the Data Says

The Best Times to Post on Social Media: What the Data Says

When is best to publish on social media? Most studies recommend posting your greatest content early in the week and day.

But the complete explanation is more complicated. Different social media platforms, audiences, and content types have peak engagement hours.

We analyzed studies to determine the optimal time to publish on Facebook, TikTok, and other networks. More significantly, we’ve listed the optimal times to publish for your business.

Does social media posting matter?

Yes, most social media algorithms rank on recency. Meaning, more people will see your content if it’s fresh and it will also help to engage more people.

Even better, that early nudge can spark a wave of involvement.

Posting at the right moment increases early visibility. If they like and comment, the post will reach more people.

The kicker is this. Starting with good, audience-relevant content is crucial. Bad content is better posted never.

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When is the optimum time to publish on all social media platforms?

Posting on social media is ideal between 9 a.m. and noon on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.

We reached this result after evaluating multiple high-profile research on social media post engagement across platforms.

While combing through the data, we found:

  • Mondays and Wednesdays are best for social media.
  • Saturday is the worst day to publish online.
  • Many individuals scroll in the morning and early week.

Is there a best time to publish on social media?

Not at all. We had to think hard to average the research outcomes. These three top studies suggest posting times:

  • Hootsuite: Monday noon
  • HubSpot: Friday, 6–9 p.m.
  • Sprout Social: Tuesday and Wednesday, 9–1 p.m.

Why is HubSpot data different?

Because it’s based on a marketer survey, not user data. We left in the disparity between marketers’ notion of the best time to post and user data since it was fascinating. But we relied more on user-based studies for findings.

Even without HubSpot, results vary greatly!

It turns out that every social media account has a different optimal posting time. Think about your audience, your content, and how people consume it.

Social media platforms affect these variables because people watch YouTube videos at different times than they read Facebook text.

Each platform deserves further examination. So if you cross-publish material in several forms (hint: you should!), you’ll have times to target successful pieces.

What’s the optimal Facebook posting time?

The optimum Facebook posting time is 10 a.m. Monday and Tuesday.

Monday–Thursday are the top Facebook posting days.

Sunday is the worst Facebook day.

Facebook’s best posting hours followed the trend. With over 3 billion users, Facebook has the largest viewership. Thus, it will greatly impact the outcome.

When is Instagram’s ideal time to post?

The optimum Instagram posting time is 9 a.m. Monday or Tuesday.

Mondays are fantastic for Instagram posts.

Sunday is the worst Instagram day.

Instagram’s algorithm may be comparable to Facebook’s given they share Meta. Both platforms have a big crossover audience. So Instagram’s optimal posting time is identical to Facebook’s in each study.

Best TikTok post time

Best time to post on TikTok: 9 a.m. Saturday.

Best TikTok posting days: Tuesday and Saturday

The worst TikTok day to post: Sunday

In terms of launch and audience age, TikTok is the youngest platform on this list. Note how that influences the optimal time to post there.

When should I post on YouTube?

The optimum YouTube posting time is Friday at 6 p.m.

YouTube’s best day to post: Friday

Monday is the worst YouTube day.

The optimum YouTube posting times have been studied less recently. Our sources included Social Pilot and an older Federated Networks paper.

What’s the best LinkedIn posting time?

The ideal LinkedIn posting time is Monday at 10 a.m.

Mondays are great for LinkedIn posts.

The worst LinkedIn posting days are Saturday and Sunday.

We hope this data helps to get better reach and engagement on social media platforms. One thing you can do is create a content calendar and schedule posts as per the right time.