Clocking Your Clicks: Best Times to Post Across Platforms

February 27, 2024

Social media marketers have a lot on their hands when it comes to scheduling times to post content. Below are the best times to post to Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok for your business to optimize your organic posting strategy and increase engagement.

Facebook

According to Hootsuite, Facebook still reigns supreme as one of the most popular social media platforms with 70% of Americans checking Facebook at least once a day. Hootsuite says 10 AM on Mondays and Tuesdays are the best time to reach your desired audience. However, Sprout Social is more lenient, with a recommended posting time of between 8 AM to 1 PM from Monday through Thursday. Marketers should look to steer clear of posting on Sundays, if possible, since these posts tend to produce the least amount of engagement.

Instagram

Being under the same Meta umbrella brand as Facebook, it should be no surprise that the suggested posting times are nearly the same, with 9 AM on Mondays being preferred. Like Facebook, Instagram does not organize posts in chronological order, so users may not see posts immediately. Marketers should be mindful of this when they are communicating time-sensitive information as a user may see a post hours or days later. When working on a personal account, the script is flipped and it is suggested to post closer to 8 PM with no preference on which day.


X

X users are more active in the mornings compared to other social media platforms. Hootsuite sees the most activity on X between 7 AM and 11 AM on weekdays with success most likely coming on Thursdays and Fridays at 11 AM and 9 AM respectively. 


Like many other platforms, the worst day to post is Sunday, so steer clear if seeking high engagement levels. Where the formula falls apart on X is when it comes to breaking news. Being the primary social channel for breaking news, Hootsuite advises to not worry about optimization for these matters, but rather to get on the trend, on X, while it’s hot.


TikTok

The youngest platform on our list plays by a different set of rules than the others. While Saturdays at 9 AM yield strong results, TikTok also sees a benefit from content being posted later in the day as well. Some of the best times to post include 1 PM on Sundays and 7 PM on Thursdays as these are the times people are using the app for leisure. 


It is also important to note, TikTok doesn’t always publish videos the second you hit “post”. To maximize your post time efficiency, get your content up a bit earlier than the time you want your video to start showing up. This is because TikTok takes some time to figure out what your video is, whose algorithm it should fall on, and the like.


The Bottom Line

To truly ensure that your business is posting at the right times, the tendencies and behaviors of the target audience must be considered. Social media sites provide analytics on follower activity that is tailored to your account, so be sure to study and make note of when your audience is the most engaged.


You can learn more about the best times to post here and here!


Are you ready to ignite your social media strategy? Contact the SparkShoppe Team today!

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