Instagram is a saturated platform filled with business accounts, creators, and influencers. Thus, creating an identity on Instagram comes with lots of challenges and hardships. One common problem faced by most people is that they cannot boost engagement, consequently not reaching a greater audience. Most social media experts have a lot to say about why this happens. Some suggest that you might not be offering call-to-action, which leaves your followers clueless about what you want. However, if your content is bang on, the problem might be your post times. We have conducted extensive research to provide a boilerplate of the best time to post on Instagram today. Since your brand and audience are unique, we will also discuss tips to curate the best time to post on Instagram for your account.
Best Time to Post on Instagram: Based on Days of the Week
As the popularity of Instagram and the number of users increased, the app started tweaking its algorithm. Instagram now shows your post to around 10% of your followers and on receiving further engagement, expands the audience. Thus, knowing when is the best time to post might help bring in the touch your posts need to blow up.
A general post time routine suggested by social media experts from Monday to Friday is:
- During the morning commute, i.e. 7 AM to 9 AM
- During lunch hours, i.e. 12 PM to 2 PM
- During the end of the office, i.e. 5 PM to 6 PM
- Before bedtime, i.e. 9 PM to 11 PM
As for the weekends, 9 AM to 11 AM, and 2 PM to 5 PM are generally the best times to post on Instagram. Remember that these times are in respect to local times and make a good basis for deciding times to post. Let us have a look at the best times to post on Instagram based on each of the days.
Best Time to Post on Instagram on Monday
Experts suggest that anywhere between 11 AM and 1 PM is the best time to post on Ig. The beginning of the week starts with most people distracted to carry on with their jobs, which is why posting in the late morning hours. Instagram engagement reaches a peak around 12 PM and 5 AM.
Best Time to Post on Instagram on Tuesday
Instagram engagement is particularly high on Tuesdays and Thursdays out of the days of the week. According to social media experts, the best time to post on Instagram on Tuesday is around 6 PM, when the engagement is the highest.
Best Time to Post on Instagram on Wednesday
Similar to Monday, the best time to post on Ig on Wednesday is between 11 AM to 1 PM, but users are pretty active since the morning. Out of all the days of the week, Wednesday has the longest time scope for higher engagement.
Best Time to Post on Instagram on Thursday
If you miss out on Tuesday’s high engagement periods and Wednesday, you have a scope to post on Thursday for better engagement. 11 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4 PM are the best times to post on Instagram on Thursday. Engagement sores on Thursday at 5 AM, 12 PM, and 3 PM, providing several chances for you to grab that engagement.
Best Time to Post on Instagram on Friday
Since Friday is the night the weekend starts, it is obvious that Instagram users are the most active then. According to experts, 11 AM to 1 PM is a good time, but the best time to post on Ig on Friday is 5 PM to 9 PM. However, the lowest engagement on Friday is after 10 PM and lasts till 7 AM.
Best Time to Post on Instagram on Saturday
Unlike popular belief, the weekends have the lowest engagement over the week. Most people do not work on the weekends and take the time to post on social media, making the platform oversaturated with content. Thus, Saturday is the second-worst day to post on Instagram, but the best time is from 10 AM to 1 PM. Posting after 4 PM on Saturday is a no-no and doing so can disrupt the engagement you have built over time.
Best Time to Post on Instagram on Sunday
As discussed, Sunday is the worst time to post on Instagram over the week, and avoiding posting on it is a good idea. However, most people with a full-time job do not get the time to post over the week, in which case Sunday is the only option, and finding when is the best time to post on Ig is clever. You might not get quality engagement on a Sunday, but the best time to post on Ig on Sunday is 9 AM to 1 PM.
Thus, to sum up, the best time to post on Instagram today are:-
- The best time to post on Ig over the week is on Wednesday at noon, and the worst time for quality engagement is on Sunday after 4 PM.
- Over the weekdays, the lunch hours (noon to 2 PM) are a good time to post but refer to the above paragraphs for the details of an accurate high engagement period.
- As for the weekends, 9 AM to 11 AM is the best time to post for better engagement, but always remember that you might need to compromise on the quality of the engagement received.
- Late-night hours do not bring qualitative or quantitative engagement compared to other hours, which is why avoiding it is necessary.
Best Time to Post on Instagram: Based on Content
Each firm is different, but most businesses need high engagement for better promotion and brand recognition. Traditionally, people focused on gaining likes, comments, and shares on their Instagram posts.
However, with the introduction of new content types to the platform, views, shares, direct messages, and mentions are considered as engagement measures too. One important factor is content, which is why brands are building dedicated social media teams and hiring content creators to compel the audience to engage.
Knowing when is the best time to post on Ig based on the content can provide promotions the boost they need. It enables you to reach more people and ensures that the effort put into building it does not go to waste. Let us have a look at the best times to post on Instagram today based on the content type.
Best Time to Post on Instagram Today for Reels
With TikTok, short video content received a social media platform dedicated to it. Millions of users joined and enjoyed the new form of content, following which Instagram launched Reels. Originally, Instagram Reels were mostly used by influencers and creators to engage their audience creatively.
The positive response resulted in Instagram rolling out the feature to other industries, and social media experts suggesting brands to use it. Instagram Reels is a great way for brands to showcase themselves in a positive light and put a face on the brand. So, let us have a look at the best time to post Instagram Reels today.
Best Time to Post on Instagram on Monday
If you are looking for enormous engagement for Instagram Reels, Monday is one of the best days to post over the week. Engagement is unusually high at 9 AM and 9 PM on Mondays and is the lowest at 7 PM. Thus, the best time to post on Ig on Monday based on reels is between 8 AM to 9 AM.
Best Time to Post on Instagram on Tuesday
Tuesday is one of the best weekdays for high engagement over the week, and the best time to post on Instagram is 9 AM. Engagement for Instagram Reels is high from 7 AM to 11 AM on Tuesday, after which it drops before going up again around 7 PM.
Best Time to Post on Instagram on Wednesday
As we have discussed, Wednesday offers quality engagement for longer periods, and the best time to post on Ig on Wednesday is between 9 AM to 11 AM and 8 PM to 10 PM. Reel engagement soars at 10 AM and 9 PM on Wednesdays, after which it drops but offers higher engagement compared to other days of the week.
Best Time to Post on Instagram on Thursday
Next to Tuesday, Thursday offers the highest engagement even though it does not last long. The time frame is narrow, but if you can abide by it, you are bound to get more engagement. The best time to post on Ig on Thursday based on Instagram Reels is 11 AM to 1 PM and 6 PM to 9 PM.
Best Time to Post on Instagram on Friday
Before the weekend starts, Friday is the last day to offer quality engagement for better brand recognition. Engagement is high on Friday from 9 AM to 12 PM, after which engagement drops and gains pace again from 2 PM to 4 PM.
Best Time to Post on Instagram on Saturday
Even though weekends are not a great choice to post on Instagram, Reels perform relatively better than post carousels. Reels posted between 10 AM to 12 PM on Saturdays grab more engagement than those posted at other times. However, the best time to post on Ig on Saturday is 6 PM to 7 PM, when engagement soars again, before dropping.
Best Time to Post on Instagram on Sunday
Though social media experts suggest avoiding Sundays, posting between 7 AM to 10 AM might be useful. However, if you want to grab the highest engagement, the best time to post on Instagram on Sunday is between 3 PM to 5 PM.
Best Time to Post on Instagram Today for Stories
Instagram stories are visible to one’s followers for 24 hours, which might seem counterproductive for better engagement. However, a simple advantage that Instagram Stories have is that it is visible to the audience throughout the day and is highlighted with a pink circle around the profile picture. As for Instagram posts, the algorithm and platform are dynamic.
As more and more people post after you, your post goes down on your followers’ feeds, making it highly unlikely for the posts to reach them. Thus, Instagram Stories are particularly useful for promotions and engaging with the audience. One piece of advice is that avoid posting Instagram Stories on the weekends as people are busy posting themselves, and might not view your Story. Thus, the best time to post on Ig for Stories is the weekdays.
Best Time to Post on Instagram Today for Videos
Another important content type is long videos that are more than 60 seconds and cannot fit into the duration of Reels. Instagram provides significant engagement to videos during the night, which is quite a contrast to other post forms. However, just like Instagram Reels, the best time to post on Instagram for Videos would be during the lunch break and after people get off from their office.
Now that you know the generic times to post on Instagram based on the content, let us look at the difference in the best times to post on Instagram for influencers and brands.
Best Time to Post on Instagram Today for Brands
Brand awareness is a major reason for brands taking to Instagram, and knowing when is the best time to post on Instagram can help achieve these goals. Not only do your promotions get the scope to realize their full potential, but you also ensure that you grab your audience’s attention effortlessly.
For brands, the peak days to post on Instagram are Monday and Wednesday, whereas the worst time remains the same (Saturday and Sunday). Posting on lunch breaks, i.e. 12 PM to 2 PM is not a good idea, but brand engagement is the highest between 4 PM to 6 PM. Thus, the best time to post on Ig today for brands is 5 PM, whereas 11 PM to 4 AM is a complete no-go.
Best Time to Post on Instagram Today for Influencers
Influencers take to Instagram to show people their personal lives or add value. A key factor to remember is that influencers need to be relatable to their audience and should maintain the personality behind their brand. Thus, the best times to post on Instagram for influencers will differ from that of brands.
The prime days to post on Instagram for influencers are Friday and Sunday, whereas the worst days are Saturday and Thursday. Posting after people get off from their jobs (5 PM to 8 PM) are the best times to post on Instagram today for influencers, while the worst time is from 9 AM to 11 AM.
The Custom Best Time to Post on Instagram
If you are an influencer or a brand starting on your social media journey, the above boilerplate might be enough to bring the engagement you need. However, social media differs largely for every account. To get the most engagement possible, creating a custom strategy is the way to go.
Do not worry if you do not have resources or a monetary budget at your hands. To help you avoid these troubles, we have compiled some steps that you can follow to find out when is the best time to post on Instagram for your brand.
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Calculate your Custom Best Time to Post on Instagram
One of the easiest ways to find the best time to post on Ig is to check your top ten posts with the highest engagements. List the times when you posted these, and try to look for a trend. You could average the engagement response, as well as, the posting times for an idea. Remember that the mentioned method will not yield the best results and might not be accurate at times.
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Use Instagram Analytics or External Analytics Tools
If you are low on budget, Instagram Analytics is a better option than external analytics tools. However, to access Instagram Analytics, you need to have a business account or a creator account.
The Analytics Tools are the most accurate ways to discover optimal posting times based on your audience’s preference and performance. Instagram Analytics does not provide extensively detailed information but reveals the demographics of your audience. Additionally, it reveals when the majority of your audience is the most active. These valuable insights can be classified into days, as well as, times to further strengthen your content strategy.
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Cater to Your Target Audience
If your products and services are aimed towards people between the ages of 30-50, posting during office lunch breaks is a good idea. You must avoid the nighttime in this case. However, if your target audience is teenagers or college students, choosing to post after 9 PM is a good idea. The key here is understanding the lifestyle of your target audience and blending it into your content strategy.
Conclusion
The steps one needs to follow or the measures to be taken might seem a lot. However, remember that social media is all about pleasing one’s audience and building a relationship with them. One can only achieve that by knowing the best time to post on Ig and building a social media schedule around it.
Reading articles from social media experts and learning to analyze Instagram Analytics can help you multiply your growth. Always remember to change with time, follow trends, know what your audience wants, and deliver accordingly. We hope the article helps you develop excellent marketing campaigns that yield exceptional results!