Instagram is one of the most used social media platforms in the world. People upload their posts and videos to gain more likes and comments. Some people use Instagram as a way of earning money. Many struggling influencers often look for the best time to post on Instagram. Posting at the time increases the chances of getting more likes and recommendations.
But is there the best time to post on Instagram? And if yes, what’s the best time? If you are looking for the best time to post on Instagram, you are in the right place. In this article, we’ll tell you the best time to post on Instagram in 2023.
Is There The Best Time To Post On Instagram?
Many researchers suggest that there’s always a specific time to post on Instagram. And these times depend on the niche of the brand. That’s because every brand has its own set of audiences and behavioral patterns.
But you don’t have to see the sweet spot manually. There are certain tried and tested practices that you can avail of. These practices have been tried by many and resulted in significant growth.
Since Instagram’s algorithm emphasizes more recent posts, it’s best to post when your audience is most likely to be able to view them. This means that, excluding any exceptional circumstances, a more recent post will be prioritized over an older one in the newsfeed. As far as post-optimization goes, recency is one of the quickest and easiest factors in deciding your recommendations and growth.
But first, you should know what you want from your Instagram post. Are you looking for specific targets, higher engagement, or more traffic? Your Instagram post should be uploaded at a specific time to achieve the above mentioned criteria. So, here we have discussed some standard times when most people are online, and you’ll get more traffic on your post.
Why Does Finding The Best Time To Post On Instagram Matter?
Instagram is constantly updating its algorithm, making timely posting more crucial than ever before for reaching the top of users’ feeds. Three main parameters tell you why you must post at a particular time to gain more traffic.
- Interest: Users have a particular niche, and if you post the same genre continuously, you are most likely to be at the top of the feed. For example, if you post on fashion and comedy, continuous posts on the same genre will help you get more traffic.
- Recent: Be continuous. Recent posts are more likely to be at the top of the feed than old posts.
- Interactions: Instagram gives higher priority to posts and accounts which have higher interactions like likes and comments.
Instagram’s ranking algorithm strongly emphasizes how recent a post is, making it more critical than ever to post at the optimal time.
Your first hour decides how your post will get recommended to different users. The post will likely get famous if you have a good engagement in the first few hours. The Instagram algorithm will use this information to determine how many additional feeds you’ll appear in, increasing engagement long after you’ve posted.
If you want to increase your followers and engagement metrics (likes, comments, shares, and saves), you should upload to Instagram when your audience is most active.
However, that’s not all! You can use the platform’s recency factor by posting more frequently during peak times. Your brand’s visibility in feeds improves because of this.
Best Time To Post Reels And Stories On Instagram:
Reels are considered the new favorites of users on Instagram. It’s been adopted universally and is being used by everyone. According to the most recent Instagram data, 58% of marketers will use reels in 2023.
If you’ve been using Instagram Reels, you know that it offers astounding exposure and reach. However, Reels has a particular time when it should be posted to get the most out of it. When is the greatest time to publish Instagram reels? That depends on your location, field, and target audience.
But, there is some average best time(discussed in the next heading) which you can try to increase your reels-optimization.
And then there are stories. Stories are informal; if you post casually, there’s no perfect time for that. On the other hand, if you are using a business profile, and want more users to watch your story, then there’s a preferred time slot.
The optimum time to upload an Instagram Story is between 11 AM and 2 PM EST on weekdays when engagement rates are higher than at other times.
What Is The Best Times To Post On Instagram By Day?
Now let’s move on to the information. It is to be noted that these timings are based on active users on Instagram. This information will be useful to you if you are starting to grow your channel. If you are already grown enough, then it is better to refer to Instagram’s proprietary data of your account to see when your followers are most active.
1. Monday:
Monday is the first day of the week. People are energetic and are most active in the morning and afternoon. So, the preferred time and day to upload your Instagram posts on Monday is around 10 AM and 2 PM. As you can see from the graph, this time, there are a large number of active users.
2. Tuesday:
On Tuesday as well, many users are active in the morning as well as in the evening. So, the preferred time to upload posts on Tuesday is around 9 am to 10 am. After 10 am, there is a good amount of traffic on Instagram and a higher probability of your post growing.
3. Wednesday:
The number of active users on Wednesday is highest at noon. So, if you upload your post on Wednesday, it should be between 9 am to 11 am. After this time, many people will see your posts.
4. Thursday:
There’s no suitable time on this day as the traffic is always uniform every hour. So, try uploading your post in the morning before 11 am.
5. Friday:
If you are posting on Friday, consider posting before 8 am. Based on Instagram’s global engagement, the time between 5 am to 8 am is considered optimal.
6. Saturday:
The engagement on Saturday is the least as compared to other days. So, it is not preferred to upload on weekends, but if you are still posting, 12 pm, 1 am, 3 am, and 11 pm are some best hours to post.
7. Sunday:
As a holiday, people are mostly not very active on Sunday. They either travel or pursue their hobbies. So, the engagement on Sunday is significantly less. However, there are still some hours when you can post. On Sunday, you can post at 7 AM, 8 AM, and 4 PM to have high growth on your Instagram account.
When Is The Best Time To Post On Instagram By Location?
Location plays a significant role in determining the time of posting on Instagram. The different time zone has different people using Instagram at different times. So, without looking at your time zone, it would be foolish to keep posting at random hours and then complain that your channels are not growing. So, we have mentioned some best times to post on Instagram based on your location.
- US + Canada West Coast: 9 PM – 12 AM
- US + Canada Central: 10 PM – 12 AM
- US + Canada East Coast: 11 PM – 4 AM
- South America: 5 AM
- UK: 3 AM – 4 AM
- Western Europe: 4 AM – 6 AM
- Eastern Europe: 5AM – 7AM
- Africa: 2 AM – 3 AM
- Middle East: 4 AM
- East + Southeast Asia: 6 AM – 8 AM
- Australasia: 11 PM – 12 AM
Best Time To Post On Instagram According To Different Niches:
There’s research conducted by Sprout Social that implies that there’s a specific time to post on Instagram based on different industries and niches. Though there are more than 20000 niches, mentioning them becomes difficult.
For that reason, we have categorized all the industries into groups. So, find your industry in the following categories and post on Instagram according to the time mentioned.
- Retail: Wednesday (3 p.m.) and Friday (11 a.m.–12 p.m.)
- Media and entertainment: Friday (9 a.m.)
- Tech: Wednesday (6 a.m. and 9 a.m.)
- Non-profit: Wednesday (2 p.m.)
- Education: Friday (10 a.m.)
- Health care: Tuesday (8 a.m.)
- Professional services: Every day (9 a.m.–10 p.m.)
- Food and beverage: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (noon)
- Travel and tourism: Friday, Tuesday, Wednesday (11 a.m.–1 p.m. and 9 a.m.–10 a.m.)
Key Considerations When Looking For The Best Times To Post On Instagram:
Though the time to upload is mentioned above, it is always user-specific and research-based. They are mostly accurate and are based on certain key factors. While deciding the best time to post on Instagram, several factors are considered. Some of them are mentioned below.
1. Follow Your Specific Audience:
As mentioned above, if you have a grown business account, you shouldn’t consider the general user engagement on Instagram rather, you should follow your own follower’s engagement. These general timings are for users who are currently growing.
Every businessman and influencer should have a Business Instagram account to take advantage of Instagram Insights. Information regarding your audience’s peak activity on Instagram may be seen in the Insights’ followers section. You can analyze this insight and make your posts according to this data.
2. Day Of The Week:
Even at the same time of day on various days of the week, Instagram engagement might change. Some times on the list, like 5 AM, may surprise you. This is because, throughout the week, people are more likely to check their phones first thing in the morning.
The likelihood of an Instagram user checking the app first thing on a weekday morning is higher than on a weekend morning. It’s not only Sundays that tend to have lesser engagement; Mondays can be just as bad because people are so busy getting their weeks started that they don’t have time to check Instagram before work.
3. Breaks In The Workday:
When you post a story, then you should consider posting it between 11 AM and 2 PM. Why? because most users have a lunch break between these hours and open social media apps in their breaks. So, always keep in mind the breaks in the workday.
4. Use Time Zones To Your Advantage:
The time zone is essential in determining your time of posting on Instagram. The user activity varies based on time zones. People in the US tend to use social media at a specific time that the people of the UK may not. So, it would be best to always consider posting on Instagram based on your time zones.
5. Frequency Of Posting On Instagram:
As mentioned above, continuous posting on Instagram helps get more engagement. Recent posts are always at the top of feeds compared to old posts. So, consider posting regularly, as this helps get more activity to your Instagram account. Unregular posting can lead your account to a dormant condition where your posts may not get recommended in the explore section.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Refer to the following questions in case of any doubt.
Posting after 2 pm on weekends is the worst time to post because there is less engagement at this time. This is because people are going out and experiencing the world rather than spending all their time on social media.
Early mornings are always preferred to nights when considering the best time to post on Instagram. This is because people are primarily tired and resting or binge-watching at night. They tend to spend less time on social media at night.
The three best days to post are Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. This is because user engagement is maximum these days.
No, Mondays are not the wrong time to post on Instagram. Since Sundays are not very engaging in activity, people tend to check Instagram the following day, i.e., Monday.
Not daily, but posting regularly helps get user engagement on your account. So, try to upload at least 2-3 times per week.
Conclusion:
I hope you know the best time to post on Instagram. Instagram works on an algorithm, and whoever cracks this algorithm gains a lot of growth. So why not follow it? Posting at a specific time on a specific day helps get more traffic to your account. So, before posting on Instagram, always see a preferred time to post.
