Surprising as it may sound, the best time to post on Instagram is actually 6 a.m. local time. The best days to post on Instagram are Saturday and Sunday, which might not come as a surprise to many. But the highest average engagement has been witnessed for the posts that have been published on Sunday at 6 a.m.
The lowest average engagement, on the other hand, was seen on posts published on Wednesday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and on Thursday between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. Hence, it is safe to conclude that these two weekdays, along with the times mentioned are the worst to possibly post on Instagram.
The Best Time to Post on Instagram Every Day is captured in tabular form below:
The Worst Time to Post on Instagram Every Day is captured in tabular form below:
The above data might surprise a lot of people. That’s because the notion of posting when your audience is most active is now not the only thing that you must heed. It is now clear that it’s not the only factor that affects engagement. The new mantra seems to be posting first thing in the morning to reach more people. It’s also evident that Instagram’s algorithm does not take timelines as seriously as it did once upon a time. It’s ‘early to rise’ that makes a post healthy, wealthy, and wise.
By posting the first thing in the day, the accounts do not face much competition. It’s a global sign that maximum posts are shared between 9 AM to 1 PM each day. Posting early also gives people the chance that their content is noticed easily by their audience, and this is not dependent on when they are most active on Instagram. But what is the scenario for different time zones? What if the person who is posting and his audience exist in different time zones? For example, if a person is posting in the U.S.A, he or she could have audiences in Australia or Asia. Let’s check out which times are the best to post in local times with respect to different time zones. Take a look at the table below for better understanding.
Keep in mind that the local times mentioned in the above table are good as a starting point. You will have to discover the best times to post based on your specific target audience and not be reliant on the above data. Only by doing so can you hack the algorithm to enhance your reach and increase your likes and follower count.
By using Instagram Insights you can determine the location of your followers and the time they are most active on Instagram. However, to get access to insights, setting up an Instagram business profile or an Instagram creator profile is a must.
When you post on Instagram, manually track the same and determine how your posts are performing by using a spreadsheet. How do you do that? It’s simple!
Begin by choosing five different times throughout the week. Track the likes and comments on each post on your spreadsheet with the date and time of the posts when they were posted. The next week, switch the timings of your posts for each day. For example, if you posted at 1 p.m. on Sunday in the first week, post at 2 p.m. on the second week. This exercise might take a few weeks but this effort and information will be useful to determine which timings are best suited for your audience. Once you know which days and times are best to post for your audience, life becomes much easier on Instagram.
These data points are great indicators to when your best time to post might be. For example, if your core audience is in London, you should consider scheduling your posts between 4AM and 6AM.
Keep the following points in mind when you post:
- Schedule Your Posts for Prime Times
Ensure that you schedule your posts in alignment with either the best global best times according to data or your personalized best times according to your audience presence and preference. - Prioritize Your Posts
Once you know which times are best suited for you to post on Instagram, you can plan your posting strategy accordingly. Suppose data reveals that you have a low engagement rate during the weekdays, for example, you could save your important posts for the weekend where the chances of them being seen are more. - Use Reels and Videos
The rules for feed posts are applicable to video posts and Instagram Reels as well. Post Reels and Videos in peak hours to ensure maximum reach and engagement. Keep in mind that Instagram Stories might be an exception to the rule, having a limited life span of a day. But it’s still logical to post those Stories mostly during peak hours to leverage maximum engagement.
Conclusion:
Instagram is an awesome platform for brands and businesses to achieve their marketing goals. But in today’s constantly evolving world, you just cannot post content on Instagram whenever you want to according to your whims and fancies. This has to be a logical progression and studying data will reveal the best time to post on Instagram. Just like there are different strokes for different folks, your post timings should be totally in sync with your target audience. Hope the information in this blog can help you achieve your desired objectives to boost engagement, win over new followers, and drive traffic to the maximum.
What time is it? Choose wisely!
