When to Post on Social Media – and Does It Matter? by Jessica Byrnes

Jessica Byrnes
Jessica Byrnes

Hi, I’m Jessica Byrnes, and I’m a member of the AEA marketing team.

Did you know that there’s a science to receiving maximum engagement on your social content? It’s true! Capturing your audience’s attention often comes down to timing – when you choose to hit send on your posts.

So, what are the best hours to post on each social media channel?

The answer: It depends! Good post timing depends on the platform you’re using, as well as how your audience interacts with that platform, the regions and time zones you’re targeting, and your individual marketing goals. However, there are a few trends that can help inform your posting strategy.

Hot Tip:
Facebook and Twitter both see high engagement at 9:00 AM, whereas one of the best times to post on Instagram is 5:00 PM. LinkedIn caters to B2B audiences, with an ideal posting time of 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Surprisingly, Pinterest sees high engagement later in the evening (and even as late as 4:00 AM).

Of course, these numbers don’t explain everything – how much engagement you get depends on your audience, how well you know them, and the content you publish for them. Happy posting!


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7 thoughts on “When to Post on Social Media – and Does It Matter? by Jessica Byrnes”

  1. Kaitlyn McElveen

    Well said!! This post is very relevant for anyone seeking to gain traction – their target demographic may be on at different times which may be why Instagram tends to see higher use at 5pm which is when many teenagers are just getting out of school.

  2. I always wonder when is the best time to post my pictures to get the most attention. I know for sure there are good times when to do it. I am going to try your tips and hopefully it works out. Thank you.

  3. This is a very informative post Jessica, I’ve noticed the trend in times as I look for information on good things happening in the communities across the nation. I’m not that big on social media but I respect those putting information out pertaining to self- owned business ventures.

  4. Jessica,
    Interesting! Especially for people who have self-own businesses. This can be a way to grab attention from those who are on social media at that time, especially for those who are just starting in their own entrepreneurship. Reading these tips I found myself actually guilty in logging into my social media accounts around those times!

  5. I currently run a community page on Facebook with over 20,000 followers. I have found that my audience reacts more around 9 AM, lunch time, and between 6-8 PM. Like you said, it all depends on what the page is about, your audience, and the type of content that is being sent out.

  6. Loved this post! I currently run a Facebook page that has over 20,000 followers on it, and I follow this certain topic very often. I have found that for my audience, which is community page for this city I live in (like a news organization that updates people on what is coming soon to the area), is most active around 9 am, 12 pm, and between 6-8 pm. I have been running this page for the last three years, and those times are what works!

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