When Is The Best Time To Post On Instagram? Decoding The Social Media Algorithm 

It is needless to say, social media is all about engaging the audience with appealing content. Especially Instagram, where audience engagement is the key.

Here, brands compete to improve their sales and brand engagement. And, believe it or not, the timing of the posts matters a lot in improving the engagement metrics. 

That is, when the post is published during the active hours, Instagram shows the content to a broad audience. So, the content can drive discoverability and visibility on the platform. 

But how to know the exact times when the users actively use the app? Well, that’s what I have simplified here. 

In this blog, I have brought you the best time to post on Instagram across the week by delving in— 

• How the Instagram algorithm works, 

• The best time to post,

• How to find the best time for your content, and more. 

Stay tuned! 

How Does The Instagram Algorithm Work? 

Before knowing the best time, let’s try to understand how Instagram’s algorithm works. 

Now, to put it simply, Instagram values engagement more than anything. That is, it ranks content that has more engagement on the platform.

This helps in the discoverability of the content and brand page to a wider audience. So, some of the factors that ensure a higher ranking of the content are— 

• Engagement — Content with a high number of likes, comments, views, and shares appears at the top of the user’s feed. 

• Recency — Posts shared recently are ranked over previous uploads from different sources around the same niche topic. 

• Interactivity — Content and accounts that has more interactivity rate are frequently ranked on the platform for better visibility. 

• Relevance — Similar content, as preferred by the users, is shown at the top of the feed for the user. So, relevant posts are ranked at the top of the page. 

When Is The Best Time To Post On Instagram? 

As a social media platform, posting during the best times can help both brands and creators to drive engagement on their posts. 

So, here are the best times to post content on Instagram in a general sense— 

1. Weekdays vs. Weekends 

Unlike the common belief, weekdays see more engagement compared to weekends. But the engagement goes up from mid-week. That is, from Tuesday to Thursday. 

Now, compared to weekends, audience engagement on the platform spikes up around the middle of the week. So, posting during these days can improve the engagement metrics. 

2. Time Of The Day 

Apart from the day, the time of the day matters too. Posting too early in the morning or too late at night can adversely impact the engagement on the post. 

But when brands and creators post based on the active hours, they see more engagement on their posts. 

For instance, users generally scroll on Instagram during breakfast (9-11 AM), lunchtime (12-3 PM), and late evening (6-10 PM) after office hours.

So, posting during these prime times can boost the engagement on the posts. 

3. Niche-Specific Trends 

Now, apart from the days and hours, industries play a crucial role in driving engagement. That is, depending on the niche-specific industry, the active hours can differ. 

For instance, B2B and SaaS companies see more traction during business hours. That is, from 9 AM to 5 PM on any weekday, the B2B content can find better engagement. 

But on the other hand, entertainment content or customer-centric businesses find more traction outside the workhours.

So, during late evenings and lunchtime, brands can find their target audience engagement. 

When To Avoid Posting On Instagram? 

Just like the best times, there are specific hours when brands and creators should avoid posting content on Instagram. 

Now, this doesn’t mean that posting in these times won’t get any views or likes. Rather, it means that the engagement will be low. 

So, it is better to avoid these times to prevent engagement on relevant posts. 

For instance, most users do not scroll through Instagram in the morning. So, posting during the early morning hours, like— 6 to 9 AM, can drive low to zero engagement. 

Moreover, this is practically applicable for both B2B companies and customer-centric brands. So, avoiding early mornings on weekdays can prevent low engagement. 

How To Find The Best Time To Post On Instagram? 

Now, based on your industry and target audience, you can also find the best times to post the content on Instagram. So, here are the steps to find the best time— 

1. Analyzing Instagram Insights 

Firstly, you need to check the reports on Instagram Insights to find the active hours of your target audience engagement.

That is, you can check the insights for each post to see the total number of non-followers who interacted with the specific post.

So, you can identify the posts that drive maximum audience engagement. 

2. Experimenting With Posting Time 

Moreover, you need to experiment with the posting time.

Even though the general best times are mentioned, experiment with these timeframes to find the one that best works for your content. 

So, when you compare the results for posts published at different hours, you can identify when the posts perform the best.

Then, you can adjust the content schedule accordingly. 

3. Using Post Scheduling Tools 

In addition to this, you need to use certain social media software to schedule the posting of the brands. So, the posting frequency is consistent, and the audience engagement is maintained. 

Now, among the diverse tools, Hootsuite, Buffer, and Sprouts Social offer some of the best tools to manage the posting schedules for brand content on Instagram. 

4. Considering Time Zone Differences 

Finally, don’t forget the time zone differences. That is, if your target audience resides in another time zone, then you need to schedule the posts and posting frequency based on their time zones. 

So, the posts and content reach as many Instagram users as possible from the specific time zone. This way, you can grow the brand on the platform. 

Now, with the right strategy and social media handling tactics, you can drive maximum engagement.

So, take on this chance to post the content at the best times to skyrocket brand discoverability on the platform. 

FAQs 

Here, I have brought you a complete collection of the frequently asked questions about the best Instagram posting time.