The same picture and caption can get a very different response depending on when you post it. That’s why a lot of Instagram users are adhering to a timetable to make sure their posts get as much engagement as possible. It can be difficult to ascertain which times are the best to post, however. There is a lot of conflicting information in a lot of different time zones that’s difficult to make heads or tails of. But not to worry – here is an easy-to-follow guide for timing your Instagram posts like a pro.
When Should You Post On Instagram?
There have been many studies conducted with the goal of determining the best times to post on Instagram throughout the week. Here are a few to compare and contrast.
Later found that a particularly early schedule had the best results in terms of engagement:
Monday: 12am, 1am, 3am, 7am
Tuesday: 12am, 9am
Wednesday: 12am, 2am, 7am
Thursday: 12am, 2am, 3am, 5am, 7am, 11pm
Friday: 12am, 5am, 8am
Saturday: 12am, 1am, 3am, 11pm
Sunday: 12am, 2am, 5am, 7am, 11pm
See also: When Is the Best Time To Post on TikTok
However, if these early posting times don’t appeal to you, you might have luck with Hootsuite’s schedule:
Monday: 11am, 12pm, 1pm
Tuesday: 8am, 9am, 10am
Wednesday: 9am, 10am, 11am
Thursday: 11am, 12pm, 1pm
Friday: 2pm, 3pm, 4pm
Saturday: 8am, 9am, 10am
Sunday: 6pm, 7pm, 8pm
Sprout Social also concurred that Mondays at 11am, and Wednesdays at 10 and 11am were particularly good times to post.
How to Build a Posting Schedule Around Your Audience
While these general guidelines can be helpful, the best way to ensure that a post performs well is to have an understanding of your particular audience. If you set up your account as a creator or business, you can have access to Instagram Insights, the app’s analytics service. If you have over 100 followers, you will be able to view basic information about your audience such as age, gender and location. Location can be important to consider when developing a posting schedule, especially if there is overlap of multiple time zones.
You can always amend your schedule through trial and error. Observe when your best-performing posts were posted and replicate these times to see if the effect is similar. You can also take a look at when influencers you follow are posting to clue you in. Ultimately, there is never a ‘correct’ time to post, but when you pay attention to these factors, you can develop a personalised schedule that works for you.
See also: Who Has the Most Instagram Followers?
