For many firms, especially smaller and medium-sized enterprises, social media is the lifeblood of their marketing plans. Maintaining brand awareness through social media requires regular activity coupled with updates that are both educational and interesting to the audience.
The next logical step is to create your own social media platform, although you may always stop there if you like.
This article will teach you when it’s ideal to publish material on various social media channels based on the type of business you run and the audience you’re trying to reach.
It would be nave, however, to think that reaping the benefits of social media marketing merely necessitates posting material such as photos, videos, links, etc.
What you share is essential, but so is when you post it. Different platforms have different peak times for different activities.
Let’s address the BIG topic of when you should publish to social media.
But before we get to that, consider this: why do we always stress the importance of posting at optimal times? The principle behind figuring out the timing is straightforward: locate the period of time during which your target audience on a given social media platform is most active and receptive to your content.
In 2023, when is the optimal time to publish an Instagram?
Instagram has recently reached a billion monthly active users, with a typical interaction rate of 1.6% per post. Instagram’s popularity is growing rapidly in comparison to other social networking sites.
Instead of displaying posts in reverse chronological order, as they originally did, the current Instagram algorithm gives particular posts greater prominence, making for a more genuine and tailored social experience. In addition to the algorithm, Instagram has introduced a number of new features that are altering the habits of its users. Reels are currently trending on Instagram, taking the role of IGTV videos. The contemporary audience has a relatively short attention span, and as a result, they choose short video formats, with very few people actually reading the caption.
What does it truly imply?
Although midweek is when Instagram interaction is at its highest, there are still prime times to post during the weeknights and early mornings. While midday and evening during the week are generally safe bets, some brand subsets may find that their audience is most active on the platform in the wee hours of the morning or right before bed.
The weekends aren’t fantastic for page views, with the exception of a little peak around midday on Saturday. In addition, late night and early morning are the worst times of day due to a lack of users.
To further dissect it
While Instagram’s visual focus means it’s not ideal for driving a large volume of visitors, the quality of engagement it provides is exceptional.
The optimal Instagram posting schedule differs depending on the type of company, which is why we’ve broken it down for you below.
Commerce With End Users
Businesses selling consumer goods should schedule their social media posts for the mornings and afternoons, when their target audiences are most likely to see them when they are getting ready for the day or winding down for the night. Instagram postings aimed at consumers perform best on Wednesdays at 3 p.m.
Commerce Between Firms
The most productive times are around lunchtime and in the early evening, not dissimilar to the optimum times in the business-to-consumer market.
Companies Focused on Technology
More people in the tech industry’s target demographic tend to use the platform in the hours before and after lunch. When making plans for social events, keep this peak in mind. Instagram posts from IT companies perform best on Wednesdays.
Medical Corporations
The Instagram engagement of healthcare providers isn’t all that impressive. Due of the platform’s widespread use, however, many of the target demographics, including potential patients, are already there. Planning the social media calendar in advance is a fantastic idea if you want to increase your exposure. The busiest times of day for businesses in this sector are during the morning and early afternoon, when customers are less likely to be out and about.
The Media Industry
Instagram may not be the best medium for attracting new visitors, but it may be invaluable for expanding brand’s reach. Because of this, Instagram has also been gaining favour with news organisations. Instagram users are most active on Friday mornings (about 9 am), midday (12 pm), and early afternoon (3 pm), when most people are on their lunch break or otherwise not actively engaged in work. Again, participation is lowest on weekends.
After work, particularly between 5 and 6 o’clock, is when most people interact with higher education institutions and companies that provide such services. It’s possible that people are more receptive to the idea of updating oneself when they’re about to leave their jobs or are considering a career switch.