Knowing the best times to post on social media is essential to optimizing your social media strategy. It enables you to tailor your approach for maximum engagement and reach. However, the best time to post on social media usually varies based on the platform, day of the week, location and industry. That begs the question, ‘’what is the best time to post content on social media?
This article explores the best times to post content across various social media platforms, backed by comprehensive data and user insights.
Summary of the Best Times to Post on Social Media
- The internet never sleeps, making it seem as there is no ideal time to post on social media. However, there are peak engagement times, generally between Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 am to 2 pm, with slight variations across platforms.
- Facebook is the most popular platform among marketers with peak engagement times mainly during mid-mornings on weekdays.
- Instagram is the second most popular social platform with peak engagement times occurring on weekdays between 10 am and 2 pm. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the peak engagement times on IG can extend to 4 pm.
- LinkedIn usually experiences high engagements during midday on weekdays, especially on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 10 am and noon.
- TikTok is the newest platform that usually experiences peak engagement on weekdays, especially on Tuesdays and Fridays from 4 to 6 pm and, mid-mornings from 9 to 11 am on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
With more than 5 billion social media users worldwide and across multiple platforms, social media presents endless opportunities for businesses across all sectors and sizes. Unlike in the past when social media was mainly used for brand awareness, businesses now use it for customer service, sales, product development and marketing.
The Best Times to Post Content on Social Media
Every social media platform has unique demographics and user behaviors. And, that is why it can be a bit challenging to pinpoint with certainty the best time to post on social media. Nonetheless, here is a breakdown based on data from engagements across various social platforms.
- Mondays from 11 am to noon
- Tuesdays from 10 am to 2 pm and 3 to 4 pm
- Wednesdays from 9 am to 3 pm
- Thursdays from 9 am to 2 pm
- Fridays from 10 to 11 am
- Best days to post on social media: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays
- Worst days to post on social media: Sundays
Every social media platform has unique benefits, based on your campaigns, goals, content type and target audience. In case you are looking to make changes and improve your engagement, it would be ideal to revisit your social media Key Performance Indicators.
Overall, many pieces of data reveal the highest engagement times occur between Tuesdays and Thursdays from around 9 am to 2 pm. Midweek mornings are usually the most successful times across most social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. TikTok and Pinterest experience optimal engagements in the afternoons.
However, posting content on social media goes beyond just the above statistics. Every network experiences varying ranges of engagement throughout the week and at significantly different times. Engagement varies even more when you isolate industries on every network. Thus, even Tuesdays through Thursdays between 9 am and 2 pm are generally the optimal times to post on social media.
The Best Time to Post on Social Media Platforms
As hinted above, the best times to post on social media significantly varies from one platform to another. Here is a breakdown of the most optimal times to post content on different social media platforms.
The Best Time to Post on Facebook
Facebook remains the most popular social media platform among marketers worldwide. It also boasts an estimated 3,05 billion monthly active users. 10 am on Friday is the best time to post on Facebook. However, posts shared on the platform on Monday at 10 am and Tuesday at 9 am also experience high engagement rates.
Facebook posts published on weekday mornings attract more engagement than the rest of the day. That is mainly because the majority of Facebook users (adults between 25 and 44 years old) arrive at work during those times.
Friday is the best day to post on Facebook because it is when most people are winding down their worksheets. You will experience high engagement slots from 9 am to about 4 pm. However, Saturday is usually the worst day to post on Facebook.
The Best Time to Post on Instagram
Instagram follows Facebook closely, as the second most popular social media platform. It ties the slot with Facebook as the social media platforms with the highest Returns on Investments. While the competition for short-form videos between Instagram and TikTok continues to escalate, Reels still attract more likes and saves than static IG posts.
The best time to post on Instagram is weekdays between 10 am and 2 pm. However, engagement times usually extend to 4 pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It is advisable to schedule posts from Tuesdays to Thursdays between 10 am and 3 pm for optimal engagement.
The Instagram algorithm is quite unpredictable. Thus, attaining success on the platform is a balance of consistently posting high-quality content to entertain and engage your audiences. That could seem like a big ask to some marketers.
The Best Time to Post on TikTok
According to most stats, the best time to post on TikTok is 2 pm on Mondays, 4 pm on Wednesdays and 8 am on Sundays.
Unlike most social media platforms, TikTok use does not have much in terms of predictability. TikTok’s demographics can help us to make sense of audience behavior on the fast growing platform. TikTok users tend to be younger, with about 53% of users in the US under 25 years old. 20% of TikTok users in the US under 18 years old.
Tuesday is the best day of the week to post on TikTok. The worst day of the week to post on TikTok is Saturday. Content shared on the platform on Wednesday and Sunday usually tend to get fewer views on TikTok.
TikTok is one of the most fast-paced social platforms, with rapidly changing trends. Thus, it is very important that you understand how trends begin, evolve and influence. Once you understand those forces and how they work, you can create a better TikTok strategy to boost your reach and engagements.
The Best Time to Post on X (Twitter)
X remains the go-to platform for up to date conversations and breaking news. Businesses and brands constantly look to the platform to take part in trending topics that resonate with their brand values. However, some brands have limited their social strategies on X due to escalating global conflicts and outspoken executives.
The best time to post on X is Mondays through Fridays beginning at 9 am to about 3 pm. The extension of engagement could be due to an interest in developing news and updates and, the desire for development. Besides, some brands use X as part of their customer service strategy, as an alternative to conventional customer support options.
The Best Time to Post on YouTube
Data compiled by Buffer show the best time to post on YouTube is 3 pm to 4 pm on Fridays. Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2 pm and 6 pm are also promising times to post on YouTube.
Audience behavior on YouTube is slightly more predictable than TikTok. However, you could not set a clock by it. Nonetheless, YouTube video views picks up during mid-morning hours, lunch breaks and late afternoon and evening.
Some late nights like 11 pm on Monday and Thursday may also yield higher video views.
The Best Time to Post on Pinterest
Most people link Pinterest to a visual search engine where users go to research and discover DIY projects and inspiration products. However, it also presents an opportunity to grow your community and boost brand awareness.
Pinterest has seen a significant shift in engagement hours over the years. In the previous years, the platform has seen an almost universal spread across all hours of day every day of the week. Nonetheless, Tuesdays through Fridays at 1 am and Thursdays at 3 am are peak times to post on Pinterest.
Choosing the Best Time to Post on Social Media
Social marketers can effectively plan content when they are armed with data. As social media platforms evolve, brands and consumers must also evolve with them for success. Staying well informed about new content formats and trends might help you to reach your audience and even find new segments and personas.
Although you may be ready to step in and post at the peak engagement times provided above, you should also pair the data with your own social media analysis data. Sometimes, you may find out that your target audience is active around the peak times that have been outlined or even a few hours earlier.
Using your social media metrics to determine the best times to post can be a game changer. Social platforms such as YouTube and Instagram usually include optimal engagement times in their native analytics. You can still do some manual work on those that do not have such provisions by analyzing your best performing posts.
Various AI social media tools are now available to help you determine the best times that work for your brand or business. Most of the will comb through the numbers of your historical data and issue recommendations on the following;
- The best time or day of the week for you post
- The best content format to publish for example, images, videos, links or texts
- How frequent you should post daily or weekly
Timing is Vital but, it is Not Everything!
As hinted above, timing can help to boost your content performance. Knowing the best time to post on social media is critical to driving your reach and engagement. However, it is not the magic bullet that will enable you to go viral on social media.
Posting content at the best times on your chosen social media platforms is an easy fix. However, your time and efforts are best spent on making sure that your content resonates with your audience and pushes you closer to attaining your social media goals. Here are essential tips for successful social media content creation in 2025.
Not sure how to go about boosting your brand’s presence and engagement on social media? Engage our experts at Superior Social Boost for customized solutions. We help brands and businesses to drive social media growth organically on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, X/ Twitter and Google Business. We guarantee authentic and genuine metrics to drive maximum engagement and reach across multiple social media platforms.