The Best Times to Post on Instagram for Maximum Engagement
The best time to post on Instagram to get the maximum impressions on feed posts and stories need good research to find. Although everyone knows that the Instagram algorithm favors the content that is posted recently and how people engage with it. That’s an obvious reason if a maximum number of people are engaging with your content you are going to get a maximum impression. Also, timing is one thing that every Instagrammer should have an idea about and needs to master in it. Every brand and niche has its own best time to post on Instagram depending on customers' needs. Especially brand, niche, and target audience are the main essentials when it comes to considering posting time. Some general guidelines suggest that weekdays are optimal posting times for maximum engagement. However, it's important to remember that the best posting time for your brand may differ based on your specific audience.
It's a good idea to post different photos and videos at different posting times and track your engagement rates to see what works best for your brand. You can also use Instagram's built-in Insights tool to see whether your audience is active and schedule your posts accordingly. Additionally, taking into consideration the time zones of your followers can also be important, especially if you have a global audience.
Best Time to Post for Maximum Engagement
The best times to post on Instagram for maximum engagement depend on several factors such as the audience demographics, location, and type of content. That means you must know the type of your audience that what are their interest and what sort of content they like the most. Trying to figure out which time zone of audience you are trying to reach is important. However, here are some general guidelines that can help increase your chances of reaching a larger and more targeted audience:
Weekdays: Research shows that Instagram engagement is generally higher on weekdays, particularly from Tuesday to Thursday. These factors are different on PST time and Pacific Time accordingly.
Lunchtime: Posts made during lunchtime (between 11 am to 1 pm) tend to get higher engagement rates as many people take a break from work and check their phones.
Off-work hours: Engagement rates are also high during off-work hours, such as early mornings (before 9 am) and evenings (after 5 pm).
Consider time zone: If your audience is primarily located in a specific time zone, it's best to post during the peak engagement hours in that zone.
These are just general guidelines and your best posting times may vary. The best way to determine the optimal times for your account is to experiment and analyze your engagement rates at different times to see what works best for your audience.
Is it Necessary to Find the Best Time to Post on Instagram?
Finding the best time to post on Instagram can help increase your visibility and engagement with your followers and visitors. However, the optimal pacific time of posting is different and depends on factors such as the type of people you want on your posts, the type of content you are sharing, and your location.
It's a good idea to experiment and track the engagement on your posts at different times to see when your targeted users are active. Some suggest that the best times to post on Instagram are the time when people are free, such as evenings and weekends, and they are just browsing through their feeds and enjoying their free time on social media.
Also, you need to consider the time zones of people who are interested in your content, especially if they are located in different parts of the world. Using Instagram's Insights feature can give you more specific data that when your targeted audience is most active and using the platform. Overall, while finding the best time to post on Instagram can be helpful, the most important thing is to consistently share high-quality content that resonates with the people who love your content.
How to Find the Best Time to Post on Instagram?
To find out the best time of posting on Instagram, you have to experience the platform in several ways. You should be sure what day is it and what sort of people are currently active. Then you’ll be able to know the points that are considered for your account. Below are some general features that you can consider while choosing the best time to post on Instagram:
1. Analyze Your Audience
- Audience location: The time zone of your targeted users can play a big role in determining the best time to post whether their time zone is Pacific Time or PST time. You can look out from Instagram Insights to see where the majority of your followers are located and adjust your posting schedule accordingly.
- Age: Different age groups are active on Instagram at different times. For example, younger generations may be more active during evenings and weekends, while older generations are more active during their work hours.
- Activities Happening: Observe when people on your following list are active on Instagram. Instagram Insights can be the best help to see when your posts receive maximum engagement, such as likes, comments, and views. In that way, you can find the best times to post based on when your audience is currently using the platform. These factors can provide general guidelines, ultimately, the best time to post will depend on the type of audience you want and the type of content you are sharing. You may need to look out for different posting times to see what works best for you.
- Activities Happening: Observe when people on your following list are active on Instagram. Instagram Insights can be the best help to see when your posts receive maximum engagement, such as likes, comments, and views. In that way, you can find the best times to post based on when your audience is currently using the platform. These factors can provide general guidelines, ultimately, the best time to post will depend on the type of audience you want and the type of content you are sharing. You may need to look out for different posting times to see what works best for you.
2. Analyze Your Insights
Analyzing your previous post engagement rate is a great way to find out which post gains the most engagement and determine the best time to post on Instagram. You can look at the engagement (likes, comments, saves, etc.) on your posts according to different day timings and different days of the week at which your followers are active and responding. Once you have this information, you can schedule your posts for those times to maximize your reach and engagement.
Keep in mind that the reliable time to post can be different for different sorts of people and time zones of both PST time and Pacific time, best approach is to regularly review your content and then accordingly adjust your posting schedule. Additionally, you can experience and post at different times to see how your audience responds and adjust your strategy accordingly. Try to experience every necessary
3. Consider Your Industry
While considering the peak time of posting you must keep the niche of your profile in mind. As different industries have varying peak times for engagement on Instagram, and it's important to consider these when determining the best time to post. Here are some general guidelines based on the industry
- Fashion and beauty: You might have an idea about the peak timings of the fashion industry. As people in this field are mostly active during the mid-week and weekends, with a peak on Wednesdays.
- Food and beverage: Food companies are most active when their customers are free because people love to enjoy beverages and food in their free time. So the weekend is the best time to post for such industries, especially on Sunday.
- Travel and tourism: As people are free on their weekends so they tend to go out with their friends and family mostly on Saturdays. That’s the reason tourism companies are most active on weekends.
- Fitness and wellness: Fitness freaks and people who tend to keep their life fit are most active during their weekdays. Especially the motivation is high on Monday when it’s the start of the week.
- Home decor and DIY: Working women and housewives love to spend their weekends mostly at home. Giving time to renovation and interior design of their home so engagement will be higher on Sundays for this industry.
It's not necessary to follow these guidelines because different sorts of people behave differently depending on their surroundings and work hours. It’s better to experience everything yourself and look at the time at which you feel your posts are getting maximum interaction.
4. Analyze Through Instagram Insights
By analyzing your audience's behavior, you can find out what time of the day and what day of the week will be best for your account to post. Which can be a good source to maximize engagement and reach. Some factors to consider are necessary to keep in mind while looking at the insights of your account. This is to find out the time at which your audience is most active and on what sort of posts. Because now most people are working from home so there can be flexibility in time.
The time at which you think posting will be best on Instagram can be different according to the specific audience you're trying to reach. Just like, if your target audience is the people that work professionally, the best time to post will be during their lunch break or after work hours.
On the other hand, if your target audience is a bunch of university-going students, evenings or weekends are the best time to post when they are free and most probably on their phones.
To get the best results from your Instagram posts, it's recommended to post at different times and track the engagement metrics for each post. This will help you look out for what works best for your specific audience and help you prepare the best posting schedule for your account.
5. Experiment
Experimenting with your time of posting can give you valuable insights into when your followers are currently available on Instagram. While tracking the engagement metrics for each post, such as likes, comments, and reach. It's also a good idea to keep in mind that engagement rates can vary from week to week, so it's important to regularly evaluate and keep a fixed time to post content. Additionally, don't be afraid and it’s better to post on different days and times to see what works best for your audience.
Remember, finding the best time for posting your videos and photos on Instagram never have an exact solution and requires some trial and error. So, it's important to continuously monitor and then set a proper time for posting.
When to Post Reels and Stories on Instagram?
Reels and stories are two popular features on Instagram that allow you to share short-form, ephemeral content. The best times to post Reels and Stories can vary based on your target audience and the type of content you're sharing. Here are some general guidelines:
Reels: Reels are best posted during peak hours when your audience is currently active. This is usually during the evenings and weekends. You can also consider posting during lunch hours if your target audience is working professionals. These can be a great source of increasing interaction rate as people love to see visual content. Just like on TikTok users keep on scrolling through the videos and spend almost half of their day on social media apps. This shows how much engagement rate you can increase just by posting reels at the right time.
Stories: Stories have a higher likelihood of being seen if posted early in the day, as people tend to check their stories when they first wake up. This is because stories disappear after 24 hours, so people are more likely to check them regularly. Keep in mind that you should post reels and stories at times when your audience is most engaged and likely to interact with your content. Experiment with your posting schedule and analyze your engagement data and experience to find the right posting times for your account.
Best Time to Post on Instagram According to Days
The best times to post on Instagram are different and depend on the target audience and what day is it, but generally, the optimal posting times are:
- The best time to post on Monday and Tuesday is 9:00 a.m.
- It’s better to post between 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Thursday.
- While on Fridays try to post between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
- The best time to post on Saturdays and Sundays is between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
These times will be helpful to test different posting times and analyze the engagement levels of each posting time.
Final Thoughts
Instagram's algorithm prioritizes multiple aspects when determining what content to show users besides the ones discussed above. It tends to prioritize posts that receive high levels of interaction and impression, such as likes, comments, and shares. It also takes into account the relevance of a post to the user. Posts that are more relevant to a user's interests are more likely to be seen in their feed. The algorithm also considers a user's past behavior on social media, such as how they interact with similar content and accounts. Also, the relationship between the user and the account posting the content is considered by the algorithm. Accounts with a closer relationship to the user, such as friends and family, are more likely to appear higher in the user's feed.
No matter finding the best time is also crucial but keep in mind other factors, such as the quality and relevance of the content. It also plays a crucial role in determining the success of a post on Instagram.