Instagram is undoubtedly the most popular social platform among young populations and influencers alike. The latter makes it possible to attract many users to the social network. This is a real boon for Facebook, which is seeing its major network decline at the expense of Insta.
The legitimate question that all Instagram users ask themselves is undoubtedly: when to post on the platform? or when is the best time to post on Instagram?
A question to which no one will have an absolute answer because it depends on many factors that we will try to address.
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When should you post on Instagram?
Whether you’re a personal user or a business looking to promote your brand, it’s essential to understand when it’s best to post on Instagram to boost your visibility and engagement. It is the community manager who is in charge of social networks for brands and businesses that will use Instagram hashtags to share their publications on the platform.
Instagram’s algorithm plays an important role in how your posts are ranked and featured on the platform. It takes into account many factors such as the hashtags used and the interactions that the posts generated; clicks, comments and the resulting engagement rate.
You still need to be aware of several factors! If Instagram hashtags allow you to better index your content, they are not the way to become an influencer on the platform. The algorithm tends to favor popular people who have acquired a solid reputation on the network more than new profiles arriving. At the same time, it is these influencer profiles that attract users, so in one way or another, they remain privileged even if the quality of their content is often very questionable.
If becoming an Instagram influencer has become an opportunity that few people can encounter, it still remains relevant to follow tips to create the perfect Instagram post and learn to post at the most favorable times to reach your target audience. To know when to post on Instagram, let’s look at these different criteria to consider.
The best times to post on Instagram
Knowing when to post on Instagram can have a significant impact on the visibility of your content if it is relevant to your target. Numerous studies, as well as experts on the platform, have reported that the best times to post on Instagram are primarily weekdays between Monday and Friday, therefore outside the weekend.
Users are most active on the platform during the week, as they are often at work or taking classes, and are more likely to check their news feed during breaks. The other point is that since many of the influencers are professionals, they often post during the week when their audience is most active. Users are often on the lookout for the latest publication from their favorite influencer to relay it quickly. Next are the best days to post on Instagram.
The best days to post on Instagram
When it comes to the best days to post on Instagram, there is no single answer that can be a reference value on this subject. This will depend on your audience, their behavior on the platform and the activity as well as the subject covered in the publications. Finally, the frequency of publication can also be a determining factor in monitoring an Instagram account.
For some users, the best days will be Mondays because the nature of their content is linked to an event related to that day. A merchant who is mostly off on Mondays might find it easier to check Instagram on that particular day. We are talking here about a target who would be older.
Certain activities will be relayed every day of the week without exception, such as everything relating to good deals, promotions, etc. The goal is to deliver a good plan in real-time, generally via an affiliate link. Thus all sectors of e-commerce can be affected by these shares during the week. Note that sharing is done in real-time without any notion of day or time, to simply be among the first to relay the information.
Other activities can be concentrated on Wednesday on Instagram, a day when mothers are often off with their children, and when the latter can consult their Instagram account when the children are busy playing, for example.
All activities that are linked to appointments at fixed times are ideal for building loyalty and engaging a community . There will therefore be a notion of day and time to be defined over time. This is also the reason why you must listen to your community and not rely on personal reasoning. It is preferable to do a small survey and extract a conclusion that can suit as many users as possible. There are replays which can respond to those who cannot follow an event decided on a day and time of the week.
Friday is the day when the weekend is felt and users are the most relaxed. They may be looking for content that will help them prepare for a weekend, visit a place, an exhibition, a museum, etc. This is therefore an opportunity for certain content creators to share their visits and experiences to benefit their community.
Tuesdays and Thursdays are often the days chosen for events to attend in the evening, after leaving the office. These days may also be subject to events on Instagram, such as an online meeting with a prestigious guest that will need to be maintained over time.
Just think of the 8 p.m. news which has the particularity of setting an appointment for its audience. If the next day is at 7:45 p.m., the day after that at 6:30 p.m. and so on, what will happen? the audience will crumble! See the importance of setting an appointment and maintaining it over time. Survey your community to find out what day and time would be best.
Can we say a particular day of the week is better than another for posting on Instagram?
The answer is no! Even studies cannot reflect reality. It’s the combination of your activity, your subject and the expectations of your community that will determine the best time to post on Instagram.
The best times to share on Instagram
As for the best times to post on Instagram, many recommend posting early in the morning between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. and late afternoon between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. These time slots correspond exactly to when users take transport to go to work or return home from work. These are the times when users are most active on Instagram.
Please note that peak hours may vary depending on your sector of activity and the time zone in which you are located. Also in professional sectors and among positions of responsibility, it will be necessary to concentrate on the 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and approximately 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. slots. There it is a question of target and availability depending on where it is at any given time.
The weekend can also be a great time to post on Instagram, although global studies can be the opposite. Users often have more free time on weekends and are less busy with professional issues. They are therefore more likely to spend time on Instagram from mid-morning until the evening on Saturday. Note that Friday evenings and Saturday evenings are special times for young people who share their weekend outings.
A brand may see an advantage here in posting at these specific times to capture their audience on Instagram.
Should you post on Instagram on the weekend?
If we put studies aside, we will always have a good reason to publish on the weekend if our activity lends itself well to it. Saturdays and Sundays are particularly mentioned in the morning and evening since the day is normally devoted to an activity, leisure or other activity.
For a brand or business, it will be a question of using social media management tools such as Buffer, Ocoya, Nuelink or Sociamonials. These tools will allow you to schedule your publications on Instagram according to the days and times that suit you best on weekends, but also during the week.
Many community managers use these tools to optimize their time and increase productivity. Your content can thus be published at the best times, even when you are not available to ensure your publications manually. You will be able to schedule Instagram posts on the weekend and see the feedback from Monday depending on the nature of the publications.
Many post questions or puzzles that allow you to take your time to provide an answer. You have to remember that the weekend is a special time when relaxation is in order. Specific commercial offers can also have an impact on Instagram when time is available to make purchases.
In summary
Knowing when to post on Instagram depends on several factors related to time and significant events that may be taking place at the time of posting:
- On different days of the week,
- The different times of the day,
- Holiday periods,
- Holiday periods,
- Significant events,
- Time zones,
- The behavior of its target audience, etc.
I recommend you test and analyze your Instagram publications to identify the best times to publish. Discovering these best moments requires doing a lot of testing while integrating AB testing into your Instagram content strategy. Involve your community, survey it and listen to it in return to better meet its expectations.
Finally, don’t rely too much on studies if they are not directly related to your field of activity, because Instagram is a platform that lives every day and at any time of the day.