Do you ever wonder if you’ve actually found the best time to post on Instagram? Yeah okay, maybe your apps tell you 1-3pm is YOUR ideal time, but have you ever stopped to ask why? Have you been falling into the convenience of just letting one single app tell you when to post and simply trusting it?
While your app is probably in the right ballpark, it’s worth it to do some research on your own so you fully know why you’re posting at what time. Our goal is to help you post with as much confidence as possible. We did our research on the best time to post on Instagram, and we’re excited to share our secrets with you!
It’s time to analyze multiple sources to fully understand your best time for posting, in addition to looking at when the majority of people are on Instagram overall. After all, we’re not just posting for our audience, we want to show up in as many feeds as possible!
There’s a lot to consider when deciding when to post. According to a study by Later, after analyzing 12 million Instagram posts, the best overall time to post is between 9am-11am EST. This study discovered that the global population is on Instagram during the following times:
- Monday: 6am, 10am, and 10pm EST
- Tuesday: 2am, 4am, and 9am EST
- Wednesday: 7am, 8am, and 11pm EST
- Thursday: 9am, 12pm, and 7pm EST
- Friday: 5am, 1pm, and 3pm EST
- Saturday: 11am, 7pm, and 8pm EST
- Sunday: 7am, 8am, and 4pm EST
But that doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the best time for you and your business to post on Instagram.
When deciding when to post, it’s important to think about what time zone your target audience is in, and what time of day they are likely to be on Instagram, as well as where and when your current audience is online. If you can find a sweet spot between both of these audiences, then you’ve found your perfect time.
Most importantly, find your personalized best time to post on Instagram.
Posting at the right time has always been important, but now more than ever the new Instagram algorithm factors in your timeliness. The new algorithm will show what is new and the most relevant to your audience, so it is crucial that you post when they are on Instagram. Posting when your audience is already on the app means increased reach and more likes!
There are three ways to figure out your personalized best time to post on Instagram. While one of these includes relying on an app to calculate your best time for posting, we encourage you to not stop there.
1. Use a scheduling app to calculate your top posting times
Apps like Later or Planoly are great for not only planning out your feed and making sure your aesthetic looks superb, but they’re also great for calculating your top posting times on Instagram.
2. Look at Instagram Insights regularly
Instagram Insights are indeed quite insightful, and they will tell you your top time zones and when the majority of your followers are online.
Instagram Insights show where your followers are located, their gender, their age, and when they’re most active on Instagram. In order to use these insights, you must have an Instagram business profile or creator profile. If you use a creator profile, you’ll also get access to the Creator Studio dashboard, which features even more audience insights, including advanced data for when your audience is online.
Compare these times with your choice of app and see if they are similar. Wherever they cross over is likely to be your best time for posting.
3. Create a spreadsheet to track posting experiments
Spreadsheets, as old fashioned as they may seem, are an excellent way to track your posting successes and flops. This may not be something you do all of the time, but from time to time a spreadsheet experiment may really help you fine tune your best personalized time to post.
Start by picking five different times throughout the week. Let’s say your best time to post is between 1pm and 5pm EST. Schedule your posts for 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5pm. In your spreadsheet, track how many likes and comments each post receives, along with the date and time posted.
The second week, post at the same times but switch up the days. For example, if you posted at 1pm on Monday, post at 2pm the next Monday.
Do this experiment for a few weeks and see what day and time was the most successful. This may be a day and time that you choose to post if you have a big announcement, product launch, or event to share.
4 Other Factors To Consider When Choosing When To Post
There are several other factors to keep in mind when finding your best personalized time to post on Instagram.
1. Consider your most popular time zone: Which time zone in the majority of your audience in? As you post, think about this time zone and post accordingly.
2. Remember that timeliness applies to IGTV and Reels too: When posting IGTVs and Reels, be sure to post at the same time as you do your regular posts. Timeliness matters for these types of posts too!
3. Post more outside of work hours instead of during the day: Think mornings, lunchtime, and evenings.
4. Save your important posts for weekdays: Schedules are more consistent during the weekdays, and knowing your personalized best time to post is more accurate in this time frame. Still post on the weekends, but know that your audience may not all be online at the same time as they usually are.
Before you schedule your next post, factor in these tips and have fun doing your own spreadsheet experience to find that sweet spot when the maximum amount of your followers are online!
