When are the best times to post on social media accounts in 2024?

There are a range of factors that contribute to a successful social media strategy, but did you know that the time of day you choose to post can determine whether you reach the dizzying heights of social media success or fall behind your competitors?

The popularity of social media is showing no signs of slowing down, which is why increasing numbers of businesses are choosing to invest in this particular aspect of their overall digital strategy.

So, cutting through the noise and ensuring your messaging reaches the right people has never been so important. To achieve this, timing really is everything so let’s take a closer look at precisely when you should be posting your carefully planned and executed content.

A number of different research studies have been conducted by the likes of Hootsuite, CoSchedule, and Sprout Social, all of which indicate that content posted on a weekday will enjoy more success than content posted on a weekend. Additionally, each study shows that content posted by the mid-afternoon enjoys more success than content shared later in the day.

What are the best days to post on social media?

Although it might seem strange for there to be optimal days to share content on social media, research has shown that content generally performs best on Mondays and Wednesdays. Conversely, the worst days to share content are Saturdays and Sundays.

When are the best times of day to post on social media?

The data also shows that social media content performs well when it is posted between 9am and 2pm.

Ultimately, every social media platform is a little different because they all have a range of different features, users and communities. So, let’s take a closer look at each of the most popular social platforms on an individual basis.

When is the best time to post on Facebook?

Facebook continues to be an extremely popular social platform amongst both users and advertisers. While the data varies somewhat between the different studies that have been conducted, there are some distinct commonalities that are important to highlight.

Content shared on Facebook on a weekday will perform better than content posted on a weekend. Sprout Social found that the best days of the week to post were Mondays-Thursdays, with Hootsuite particularly highlighting the popularity of content posted on a Monday or Tuesday. Interestingly, CoSchedule found that content posted on Fridays, Wednesdays and Mondays performed well.

In terms of specific times of the day to post, all three studies found that it would be beneficial to share content between the hours of 8am and 1pm.

When is the best time to post on Instagram?

Instagram has evolved significantly over the years and is now one of the world’s most popular social platforms. This means that it is an invaluable marketing tool for many brands across a range of sectors and industries. Let’s not forget that 90% of all Instagram users follow at least one business.

In general, most studies found that Wednesday was the best day to share content on Instagram. However, other popular days include Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Hubspot was the only study to state that Saturday was the best posting day, however Sundays were highlighted as the single worst day to post.

When it comes to timing your content just right, posting between 9am and midday seems to garner the most favourable outcomes. However, some studies offer much later ideal posting times, which really suggests to me that the demographics and browsing habits of individual audiences are critical to consider here.

When is the best time to post on X (formerly known as Twitter)?

More than many other platforms, X allows for real-time and reactionary marketing, which is probably why content can perform well regardless of when it is posted. Generally, the best days to share to X are Wednesdays and Fridays but content can perform very well when shared at any point throughout the week.

Content appears to perform best when it is posted to X between 9am and 12pm, however it is important to tailor your schedule depending on the type of content you are sharing and when your audience is most active.

When is the best time to post on YouTube?

YouTube is the world’s second most visited website, which goes some way to highlight the power of video content.

SocialPilot noted that Sunday was the best day of the week to share content to YouTube, with Hubspot highlighting the benefits of posting on Fridays and Saturdays. Conversely, Tuesdays were identified as the worst day to post.

SocialPilot noted that sharing content between 2pm and 4pm was beneficial, with Hubspot stating that posting between 6pm and 9pm resulted in the best performance. As there is some variation between these datasets, you may want to experiment here to find the most optimal time for you and your audience.

When is the best time to post on TikTok?

Despite being one of the newer social media platforms, the popularity and power of TikTok cannot be overlooked. Tuesdays appear to be the best day to share content, with Sprout Social and SocialPilot both recommending it. However, you might also see success by sharing content on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays too.

Interestingly, there doesn’t seem to be any consensus regarding the best time of the day to share content. Hootsuite recommended 10pm, HubSpot highlighted the hours between 6pm and 9pm, Sprout Social suggested the hours between 2pm and 6pm, and SocialPilot specified the hours between 2am and 9am EST.

Clearly, some experimentation will be required on your part here to find the most optimal time to engage your unique audience on this busy, extremely fast-paced social platform.

When is the best time to post on Pinterest?

Pinterest can play an integral role in the digital strategies of ecommerce businesses, as it is an excellent platform to build brand awareness, highlight specific products, and drive conversions. Both Sprout Social and Hubspot have identified Fridays as an ideal day to post content to Pinterest, with CoSchedule noting that Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays can also drive positive outcomes.

Unlike many other social platforms, late afternoon and evenings appear to be the best time to share content on Pinterest for optimal levels of engagement.

In Conclusion

While I do recommend keeping this data in mind when putting together your content strategy for 2024, it is ultimately more important to tailor your posting times to the behaviours and preferences of your target audience.

It is always worth spending some time testing different approaches, as the data you receive from this testing phase can be used to better inform your strategic decisions moving forward.