Content has no value unless it’s amplified. One way to ensure amplification and optimize your social media reach is to post your content at the right so they reach your audience when they are online.
If you search for optimum posting times, you will find many guides online. You can follow these recommendations as a starting point, but I do recommend you do your own testing to see which days and times work best for your own particular audience within your industry.
Sprout Social has published its latest listing of the best times to post to each of the major social media platforms, which is based on the company’s 20,000+ customer base, who use the platform to schedule and post online. It may provide a good point for you to start testing optimum times for your own social media posts.
Best Times to Post on Facebook
While Sprout Social observed that “compared to past years, there were few completely ‘off’ times for Facebook when reviewing the past year of data. Weekends, late night and earlier morning all showed more consistent engagement and have become much more opportune times for brands to get eyes on their content.” (This seems at odds with its recommended worst time to post being Saturday – but again it proves my point that it is best to test for yourself).
- Best times: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
- Best days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
- Worst day: Saturday
Best Times to Post on Instagram
Similar to Instagram’s parent company Facebook, the top times to post on Instagram expanded in 2020 compared to previous years. Midday engagement during weekdays became even denser with top times throughout the 11 a.m.–2 p.m. range, and evenings and weekend times showed increased opportunities for engagement.
- Best times: Tuesday 11 a.m.–2 p.m., Monday through Friday 11 a.m.
- Best day: Tuesday
- Worst day: Sunday
Best Times to Post on Twitter
- Best times: Wednesday 9 a.m.– 3 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday 9–11 a.m.
- Best day: Wednesday
- Worst day: Saturday
Best Times to Post on LinkedIn
- Best times: Tuesday through Thursday 9 a.m.–noon
- Best days: Tuesday and Wednesday
- Worst day: Sunday
To sum up
Consistent social sharing can help you stay top of mind with your audience. It’s a common mistake to only post content once and then not again. To get the most engagement, visibility and reach, reshare your content on multiple networks at various times and in different ways. Vary your updates when you do — for example, highlight a different statistic or quote, or ask your audience a question.
These data points are general but they provide a good starting point to start testing your audience engagement. Try them for a month, take note of your findings and see if your engagement shifts at the end of the month.
Health Care Social Media 