There is No Best Time to Post on Social Media
One of the most frequent questions we receive in regards to social media is about optimal posting times. When is the best time to post on this platform or that platform? How much does it matter? How can I figure it out?
We created a full-length deep dive into this subject in our digital ministry training hub, but wanted to offer 2 perspectives here to our blog readers on the topics “what is the best time to post on social media?” and “there is no best time to post on social media.”
This is the second of those two questions, so for the full perspective, you really need to read or watch both. And, as always, for more information, jump into the Digital Ministry Training Hub to get the full picture.
There is NO Best Time
Let’s cut to the chase here.
There is NO universal best time to post on social media.
There are so many factors at play between location, timezone, and niche. Not to mention, every platform has their way of promoting content.
Even Adam Mosseri, when talking about this subject, said there is no ONE optimal time.
So as much as we appreciate the tips and embrace analytics and yes, even built out a full video in our Hub to teach people how to find their best time to post… we do NOT recommend putting much emphasis on this.
Do not let it stress you out. Do not let it derail you.
Optimal Posting Times Do Not Change Much
While there are many reasons not to allow trying to post at the perfect time stress you out, one of my favorite is that the difference in audience size is not often worth your attention.
What does this mean?
Take a look at these stats from Instagram.
We are in our Instagram analytics, viewing what time people are most active on Tuesdays.
As you can see, there is a range from 65 people who are active at 3 a.m. ET all the way up to 226 folks active at 3 p.m.
This might suggest to us that posting in the middle of the night our time is not the best option if we want to reach people while they are active.
However, if you look at daytime hours, even 6 a.m. – 9 p.m. ET, what do you see?
I see a range from 146 people up to 226 people, which honestly is not that big of a range.
Sure, there may be 60 more people active at 3 p.m., but is that small percentage of people worth it to go out of my way to post at exactly 3 p.m. if posting at 6 a.m. is more convenient for me? Or if I just don’t want to trouble myself with something like posting time?
You can make that call for yourself, but looking at this chart, there’s not ONE ultimate best posting time. Even the top hour is not much different than the 6 hours surrounding it.
So yes, this chart tells me that posting in the middle of the day is my best bet for reaching people while they are active… but posting anytime in the morning will allow my content to get online and grow some engagement before the bulk of them are logged on.
So is there really a “best time”? We don’t believe it’s quite that clear.
And even the “better” times might not be worth too much extra stress.
Consider Searchability & Quality
Last week, when discussing “what is the best time to post on social media” we encouraged you to focus on quality over timing.
Today, we’ll also remind you that by focusing on quality, you are creating content that can be used for the long-haul.
Some platforms like YouTube and Pinterest are search engines, built to share content with those searching for it months and years after it was originally posted.
TikTok has recently rolled out more searchability features which makes us wonder if more social media content will shift into this role in the future.
However, there’s value in honing in on the quality of your videos even if you are not focusing on platforms that promote long-term searchability. Not only does this mean your content is more helpful to your audience the first time you post it, but it also creates the best content possible so that you can re-post it later.
That’s right, you sure can re-post your content.
And why wouldn’t you?
By a few months or even a year down the road, your IG Reel or carousel post has faded into the corners of your followers’ minds.
They have watched so many videos and read even more posts since you first shared it.
So make the most use of your effort and keep on sharing that post.
Whether it performed well or not the first time, there can be value in doing this. A well-performing post may connect with followers just as strongly, if not more strongly. An under-performing post might hit different the second time. It has happened time and time again.
No Best Time
While we’ve hit quite a few reasons you need not focus too closely on your posting time, there are even more perspectives out there than just what this article contains.
For the full experience, watch the full video in our Digital Ministry Training Hub, “How Important are Optimal Posting Times.”
For more information on scheduling platforms, creating engaging social media posts, and connecting with your people online, be sure to sign up for access to the Digital Ministry Training Hub to grow your community online and beyond.