Social media marketing is always evolving. What worked last year (or even last week) may not do the trick again.
That’s why you’ve got to stay afoot of the latest trends and studies. You’ll learn new, data-driven tips about how to get the most out of what you’re already doing.
Speaking of, changing and optimizing the time you post content on each social platform can make a big impact, as outlined in Sprout Social’s 2019 report. Read on to learn the best time to publish on each platform to maximize engagement — and how that changes in each industry.
Note: All times are in the Central Time Zone (CDT). Please convert to your local time zone to make the most of this data.
Best time: Peak time for engagement is between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on weekdays — otherwise known as lunch break. But if you post from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, you’ll still be in the sweet spot!
Best day: Posts on Wednesday have the highest engagement rates.
Worst time: People are not engaging much with posts before 7 a.m. or after 5 p.m. That could be because individuals are cutting back their screen time around bedtime. Plus, those that are reading during that time are doing more scrolling than engaging.
Worst day: Posts on Sundays don’t get much engagement.
Industry differences: While the above is true for all the below industries, there are other ways for you to get ahead!
- Consumer goods: Posts to this crowd typically play well until 5 p.m.
- Media companies: People do like to read right when they get up in the morning, so mornings from 8 to 9 a.m. often work well.
- Educational institutions: Posts from educational institutions perform best when published around 9 a.m.
- Nonprofits: Posts early in the day between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. perform well with 8 to 9 a.m. being best.
- Tech: Aim to post between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. with 10 a.m. being best.
- Healthcare: Publish between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. for best results, but any time between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. should perform well.
Best time: Post between 10 and 11 a.m. for peak engagement times.
Best day: Just like Facebook, Wednesday is also the best day to post on Instagram, too!
Worst time: People stay on Instagram later than Facebook, but avoid posting from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. You likely hadn’t scheduled any posts for then anyway.
Worst day: Posts on Sunday don’t perform well on Instagram, either.
Industry differences: Publishing at the above time should deliver results, but there are other industry-specific opportunities below.
- Consumer goods: Post at 3 p.m. for the best results. Though, any time between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays should work. You can also experiment with posting at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
- Media companies: Safe your best for Fridays at 9 a.m.! You also have a unique window from Thursday evening into Friday morning.
- Educational institutions: Midday weekdays will work best for you (between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m.). Saturday evenings at either 6 p.m. or 8 p.m. also provide a unique chance to reach your audience.
- Nonprofits: Post from 1-3 p.m.
- Tech: This audience likes to engage earlier, so post at either 6 a.m. or 9 a.m. For an unexpected hit, try sharing on Tuesday at 10 p.m.
- Healthcare: Post at 8 a.m. to reach this early-rising crowd.
Best time: 9 a.m. sharp works best on Twitter.
Best day: Wednesday really is the best day to post on social media. On Twitter, though, Tuesdays will also do!
Worst time: As you may have guessed, there aren’t too many people staying up late from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. to browse Twitter.
Worst day: Saturdays aren’t fit for your finest posts.
Industry differences: Experiment with the above and compare the results to the industry-specific insights below.
- Consumer goods: Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. work well for you, and 11 a.m. that day is best!
- Media companies: Thursday at 9 a.m. or in the evening between 4 and 8 p.m. will work wonders. Generally, weekday mornings will perform.
- Educational institutions: Aim to post on Saturdays from 1 to 10 p.m. with 5 p.m. being the absolute best.
- Nonprofits: Aim to post a bit earlier around either 7 a.m. or 8 a.m.
- Tech: Tuesday is the best day for this crowd while weekend posts really fall flat.
- Healthcare: You can’t beat Wednesday mornings, specifically at either 8 a.m. or 11 a.m.
