One question I often get is, “When is the best time to post on social media?”
There’s a lot of data and research that goes into finding the optimal posting time, but I want to stop you right there. Posting consistently is far better than trying to pinpoint the exact timing of when you should post!
I’m going to get into some thoughts on when you should be posting based on your industry, etc. But I would much rather you throw something out there rather than worrying about timing perfection!
It’s very similar to investing. A lot of people sit on their hands and wait to invest money, because they want to jump in at the right time of the market. But at the end of the day, you just need to be investing! (And obviously there’s more to it than that, that’s why we have financial advisors, etc. But what I’m saying is, you don’t want to sit there and overthink it to the point where you’re not doing anything!)
With that in mind, here are some tips on posting:
1. Post!
We live in a day and age when we are on our phones all the time. If you post at 7 am, rest assured, someone’s on Facebook and will see it. If you post at 11 pm, rest assured, someone’s on Facebook and will see it! That said, there are some optimal times. I like to think about scheduling around the times people eat. We live in a culture that revolves around food, as well.
2. Post in the morning.
Early in the morning on someone’s commute, or breakfast time, when people are looking at the news and looking at their phones, is a really good time to post content.
You’ll hear a lot of experts talk about the middle of the day (I agree with that, by the way), but morning is great too! And let’s face it—one of the first things we do when we wake up is check our phones!
3. Post in the middle of the day.
Lunchtime is a great time. Many of people take breaks then if they work at an office job. And what do they do? They pull out their phones to see what’s going on.
(Don’t forget to think about where your clients are. If you’re in the central time zone but you cater to the east or west coast, take that into consideration. Noon here may be 10 am or 2 pm, depending on where your clients are.)
4. Post in the evening.
Evening is another great time to post. Young parents like myself are relaxing and checking in during the evenings after the hustle and bustle of picking up the kids, getting dinner and bath time and bedtime done, etc. At that point Mom and Dad exhale and take the chance to catch up on TV and social media.
5. Figure out what works best for you!
Something else to keep in mind is that every page is different. Play around with these times yourself. Don’t just take it from me, or some other social media website or expert that’s telling you exact optimal times you must post. One thing I’ve learned is that some of my clients get more activity when we post at 2:00 instead of 11:00. Some of my clients get more activity if I post at 9 am. I’ve learned this through trial and error, playing with different times and seeing what works best. So play around with it! Post in the morning for a couple of weeks, then in the evening for a couple of weeks, and see which does better.
There’s no set formula that’s 100%. What is key is that you do something. Whether you choose us to do it, or another trusted company, or you do it yourself, make sure you’re doing something consistently. Don’t worry about the timing being perfect, but to try to post when you think most people are going to be looking at their phones the most.
What times have you found best for your business?