Timing can make or break your Instagram posts. Getting it wrong may stop you from going viral. That’s why making a social media calendar is so important.
Discover the best time to post on Instagram in this guide, learn how your target audience should impact your timing, and watch your engagement go through the roof.
The Best Time to Post on Instagram — Revealed
The best time to post on Instagram is a time that:
- Maximizes the number of people who see your post.
- Catches your audience at a time when they’re excited to interact with your post.
The best time to post on Instagram is Wednesday between 10 am and 2 pm, with 11 am being a clear winner.
This time frame catches employed professionals, students, teenagers, and self-employed people at a good time. Posting at 11 am during the mid-week slump increases the likes, shares, and comments you get.
Each day of the week has its own optimal posting time, and your Instagram posts are more likely to perform well on some days of the week. Keep reading for more in-depth information about the best times to post on Instagram.
What Is the Best Time to Post on Instagram Each Week Day?
Every day of the week offers unique opportunities to engage with your Instagram audience. Knowing when your followers are most likely to see your post is a guaranteed way to maximize your reach.
Follow these steps to improve your engagement by posting at the best time each weekday. Keep in mind that this is an across-the-board guide. Your niche impacts the best time to post on Instagram — something you’ll find more info about later on.
The Best Time to Post on Instagram on Monday
The best time to reach your Instagram followers on Monday is between 10 am and 1 pm.
You can also:
- Post at 6 am to catch early birds just heading for work or school.
- Make an Instagram post at 10 pm.
The Best Time to Post on Instagram on Tuesday.
Try posting between 8 and 10 am on Tuesdays to maximize your likes, shares, and comments.
The Best Time to Post on Instagram on Wednesday
Wednesday is the best day of the week to post on Instagram. Make sure to post between 10 am and 2 pm, and try posting at 11 am to get the most out of your post.
The Best Time to Post on Instagram on Thursday
As the weekend approaches, the best time to post on Instagram moves up a little. People are most likely to take a break and scroll through their Instagram feeds between 11 am and 1 pm on Thursdays.
You could also try posting at 3 pm. Although it’s not the best time to post on Instagram on Thursdays, it’s a close second.
The Best Time to Post on Instagram on Friday
Catch followers who are relaxing by scrolling through social media between 2 and 4 pm on Fridays as they get ready for the weekend.
The second best time to make an Instagram post on this day is early in the morning, at 5 am.
Don’t bother with Instagram posts later on Friday afternoons. Your followers are more likely to be getting ready to party or chill than to be excited about your posts.
When Should You Post on Instagram During the Weekend?
Instagram posts perform better on weekdays. If you still plan to post during the weekend, Saturdays are better than Sundays.
The best time to post on Instagram on Saturday is between 8 and 10 am. Posting between 7 and 8 pm can also bring decent results.
Do you absolutely want to post on Sundays? Try doing so between 6 and 8 pm to maximize engagement.
What Are the Best Days to Post on Instagram?
Post on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday to get the best results.
There’s no absolute consensus about the best days to post on Instagram — the days on which your posts have the highest potential to be a hit with your audience.
The social media analytics company Sprout pinpoints Tuesdays and Wednesdays as the best days to make Instagram posts. Influencer Marketing Hub thinks it’s Thursday.
Different data sets explain the discrepancy — the best time to post on Instagram depends on who you are and what your goal is.
The Best Time to Post on Instagram: An Industry-Specific Look
Getting your timing right is a surefire way to increase shares, likes, and comments on your Instagram posts. Clear trends point to the best overall times to post on Instagram, but the winning time does depend on your industry.
Let’s examine the best time to post on Instagram by niche.
The Best Time to Post on Instagram for Consumer Goods
Brands promoting consumer goods like food, clothes, and shoes should be careful. The overall best times to post on Instagram don’t apply to them, and their most efficient posting schedule is radically different.
The best times to make Instagram posts that promote consumer goods are:
- Sunday between 3 and 4 pm.
- Monday between 11 am and 12 pm or at 3 pm.
- Thursday at 12 or 3 am.
Rethink making Instagram posts on Saturdays when engagement in the consumer goods niche dips.
The Best Time to Post on Instagram for the Healthcare Niche
Brands within the healthcare niche maximize their reach by posting on Instagram on Thursday between 7 and 8 am.
Other times with great potential to attract lots of shares, likes, and comments include:
- Tuesday at 7 am. Posting between 8 and 9 am, at 1 pm, or between 5 and 6 pm is also a good choice.
- Friday at 7 am, between 8 and 9 am, 1 pm, or 4 to 5 pm.
Instagram users are interested in health-related posts throughout the week, so posting on other days isn’t a wasted effort.
Monday is the worst day to post health-related content on Instagram. If you have to do it, 4 pm is the best time.
The Best Time to Post on Instagram for the Education Niche
Education is a rising niche on Instagram. Colleges and other brands within this industry can expect their posts to have the broadest reach if they post at 10 am on Tuesdays.
You can also expect solid results if you post education-related content on Instagram:
- On Tuesdays between 11 am and 3 pm.
- On Wednesdays at 7 am, 12 pm, or between 3 and 4 pm.
- On Fridays at 10 pm.
Instagram users are least likely to engage with education-related posts on Sundays.
The Best Time to Post on Instagram for Hospitality
Brands within the hospitality industry have several great times to make successful posts on Instagram.
The best times to post to Instagram are Thursdays at 11 am and Fridays between 10 am and 3 pm.
Hospitality brands can also capitalize on the increased engagement they’ll enjoy on:
- Mondays between 10 am and 12 pm or between 4 and 5 pm.
- Tuesdays between 11 am and 2 pm.
- Fridays at 10 am or 3 pm.
The Best Time to Post on Instagram for Restaurants
Instagram users are most likely to engage with posts from within the restaurant niche on Wednesdays between 10 am and 12 pm.
Posting on Thursday at 10 am is another good choice, and posts made between 11 am and 1 pm can also do well.
Weekend days are the worst times to post on Instagram in the restaurant niche.
The Best Time to Post on Instagram for Nonprofit Organizations
Instagram users are interested in posts made by nonprofit organizations throughout the week, including on weekends.
Nonprofit organizations can maximize their reach by posting on Wednesdays between 9 am and 3 pm or Sundays at 9 am. Tuesdays from 10 am to 1 pm comes in second.
The only truly bad time to make Instagram posts within this niche is very early in the morning — before 6 am — on any day of the week.
What Is the Worst Time to Post on Instagram?
Global engagement rates on Instagram reach their low point on Sundays. People are least likely to scroll through Instagram before 8 am and after 1 pm on that day.
Saturdays aren’t a great day to post, either. If you want the best odds of success, don’t bother to post on Saturdays after 2 pm.
What Is the Best Time to Post Reels on Instagram?
Instagram reels are a great way to engage your followers — and because these posts are much more likely to draw in an audience, there’s no terrible time to post a reel.
To maximize your success, post-Instagram reels:
- On Monday through Thursday — skip Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
- Anywhere between 9 am and 12 pm.
How to Find Out if You Are Timing Your Instagram Posts Right
Instagram users are globally most likely to be engaged with the platform on weekday mornings and early afternoons. Posting during these times increases your odds of being rewarded with lots of shares, likes, and comments.
Your industry has a significant impact on the best time to post on Instagram. The consumer goods niche is the best example — the overall worst time to post is the best for this niche.
Global trends are informative, but they don’t tell the whole story. You can test whether posting at peak times maximizes your performance in several ways:
1. Use Instagram Insights to Analyze Post Performance
Instagram Insights, the platform’s built-in analytics tool, is available for all Instagram Business and Creator accounts.
This handy tool lets users see which posts perform best and how often they are shared. You can gather data on how timing impacts a post’s performance by posting similar content at different times.
2. Invest in a Specialized Instagram Analytics Tool
Investing in a specialized analytics tool can help you discover the best time to post on Instagram.
Sprout Social analyzes your Instagram performance and recommends the best time to post on Instagram based on historical data.
Hootsuite Analytics shows you exactly when your followers are online and engaged.
3. Keep Track of Your Comments and Likes
Are you looking for a low-tech and completely free way to research how the timing of your Instagram posts impacts their popularity? Just keep track of the likes and comments your posts receive and the time at which you make your posts.
Tweak your timing from there and keep researching.
The Best Time to Post on Instagram: The Final Verdict
What’s the best time to post on Instagram? Wednesday at 11 am emerges as the clear winner.
Try to post between 8 am and 12 pm on other weekdays to attract the most shares, likes, and comments.
Your Niche Matters
Dig further before you take this as gospel because your industry does have a clear impact on user engagement:
- Consumer goods posts generally perform best on Sundays between 3 and 4 pm.
- Brands in the healthcare niche should consider posting on Tuesday at 7 am.
- Posts from education-related accounts perform best when posted on Tuesdays between 11 am and 3 pm.
- The best time for hospitality brands to post on Instagram is on Monday between 10 am and 12 pm or between 4 and 5 pm.
- Restaurants should try to make Instagram posts on Wednesdays between 10 am and 12 pm.
- Nonprofit posts can consistently count on engagement but are generally best off posting on Wednesdays between 9 am and 3 pm or Sundays at 9 am.
Test the Best Time to Post on Instagram Yourself
Global trends show the best time to post on Instagram, but your audience is unique. Testing how your followers react to the timing of your posts is as important as knowing peak times.
How?
Instagram Business and Creator accounts have access to the Instagram Insights tool. Specialized Instagram analytics tools provide even more data.
Tracking likes and comments and analyzing how the timing of the post impacts these metrics is free.
You can tweak your social media schedule as you analyze your Instagram posts’ performance — but posting at peak times is an excellent start.
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