When a company starts on social networks, or wants to optimize its visibility, one question always arises: when to post? At what time is the audience online?
There are different studies that determine the best times when to post on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.
While you can rely on them at first, it's still best to adapt to your audience.
Recommended posting times, network by network
Before running tests or using tools to refine a strategy, here is an overview of the most effective time slots by platform. These windows come from various studies and general trends. It's important to remember that they are guidelines, and analyzing your own audience remains essential.
Best times to post on Facebook
Facebook remains a key network for reaching a broad, often more mature and loyal audience.
- Most effective days: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- Ideal time slots:
- Between 9 AM and 11 AM in the morning, when users check their news feed at the start of the day or during a break.
- Around 1 PM to 2 PM, during the lunch break.
To avoid: very early morning or late evening posts, as engagement is generally lower then.
Best times to post on Instagram
Instagram is a platform centered on aesthetics and quick engagement. Users connect there frequently throughout the day.
- Recommended days: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday
- Preferred times:
- 8 AM to 9 AM : at the start of the day
- 12 PM to 2 PM : during the lunch break
- 6 PM to 8 PM : in the late afternoon, after work or studying
Best times to post on TikTok
TikTok operates on viral dynamics. There can be significant variations depending on the target audience (Generation Z, young adults, etc.).
- Effective days: Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday
- Recommended time slots:
- 6 AM to 9 AM : to capture attention at the start of the day
- 12 PM to 2 PM : during breaks
- 7 PM to 10 PM : peak activity period in the evening
Best times to post on YouTube
YouTube is a platform for consuming longer content. Users spend more time there, notably outside working hours.
- Effective days: Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
- Preferred times:
- 12 PM to 4 PM weekdays
- 6 PM to 8 PM during the week
- 9 AM to 11 AM on weekends
Videos are often watched later. It is therefore recommended to publish several hours before the expected audience peak.
Best times to post on Snapchat
Snapchat is used mainly by a young audience, with high activity outside school or work hours.
- Effective days: Wednesday, Friday and Saturday
- Recommended time slots:
- 7 AM to 8 AM : before classes or work start
- 12 PM to 1 PM : at lunchtime
- 8 PM to 11 PM : prime time for interactions and viewing stories
How to adapt your social media posting schedule to your audience?
What you need to know is that it depends primarily on your audience. While some trends emerge, whether your target is more B2B or more B2C completely changes the picture. Let’s look at 3 points to consider when choosing the best time to post on social media.
1. Know your prospects' typical day
Before deciding whether to publish your content in the morning, the afternoon, before lunch, or at any other time, you need to think carefully and determine who your content is intended for.
Ideally, you should know the typical profile of your buyers and, consequently, their typical day. It’s essential to know when during the day they log on, on which channels, and on which devices.
If your ideal prospect is a student, then you can imagine they connect in the morning during their commute (between 7:30 and 8:00), during their lunch break (12:00–14:00) and after classes around 5:00 p.m. On weekdays, younger people sometimes stay connected all evening, so you can also consider a slot between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
If your business targets adults who have office hours, your time slots will be different. Morning and midday slots are similar, but in the evening the times are more like 6:00–7:00 p.m. After that, adults generally spend time with their families.
Until you study your buyers’ typical day, you won’t know the best times. So you know what you have to do!
2. Use free tools to find the best time to post on social media
If you already have an active presence on social media, tools can analyze your audience and show you peak connection times.
Let’s start with the number one social network in France: Facebook. Its analytics tool lets you see the days of the week your followers connect, as well as the times. A chart lets you navigate day by day and view a curve that shows connection variations. You can optimize your editorial calendar using this information.
To find it, go to the "Insights" tab, section "Posts".
The same principle applies to Instagram. If you have a business account, you’ll have access to analytics. In the "Audience" section, you can see the days and times your followers connect.
Also read: Twitter: 6 analytics tools to optimize your strategy
Regarding LinkedIn, there are no specific tools to determine recommended posting windows. However, via the analytics tool you can find out the periods of engagement.
By displaying interaction rates for the last 30 days, you get a chart like this:
Check each peak: the day and the time of posting. You should identify a trend that will allow you to optimize your future posts.
3. Use paid tools to post at the right times on social media
If you manage multiple social networks, you should definitely use a dedicated tool to schedule content, manage monitoring, moderate comments… If you don’t, we strongly recommend centralizing management to make things easier for you.
Platforms like Hootsuite and Buffer can detect the times when your posts generate the most interactions. To that end, they will offer to automatically schedule your posts. That will save you time… and boost engagement!
Use these different methods to improve your posting times.
Afterward, regularly analyze the results to detect any changes in your users’ behavior. They may change their habits. In that case, you’ll be ready to react immediately to preserve your engagement rate.
