Navigating the online world can be challenging. You might spend hours on a piece of content and post it on your website, blog, or social media accounts, only to find that hardly anyone actually saw it. When this happens it can be pretty demoralising and can make you wonder what the point of posting online is if you only ever seem to reach a fraction of your audience with your content. As digital creatives ourselves, we get it.
To help you find your feet with maximising your online reach, we’ve done some research into when the best time to post is. Keep reading to find out!
YOUR BLOG OR WEBSITE
Unfortunately, as much as we wish we could tell you there’s a template for the perfect time to post on your blog or your website, there isn’t. It’s going to be different for everyone, which means some trial and error is required to find your own perfect time.
We would suggest first identifying what you want to achieve with your posts – for example, you might want to increase engagement in the comments section, gain more organic clickthrough traffic, or grow your total likes per post. Once you’ve nailed down your goals, you can begin experimenting with post timings to get a feel for what works best for you.
Whatever post timing gets you closest to your goals, that’s the ideal timing for you and your site.
Instagram is notorious for its complicated and unpredictable algorithm, so trying to work out when to post on the app can be a minefield. User engagement fluctuates throughout the week, but generally speaking traffic is at its highest between mid-morning and mid-afternoon. In terms of which day is best to post on, research suggests that earlier in the week – Tuesday or Wednesday – is best.
Once you’ve found what works for you in terms of Instagram posting, stick with it. It can become exhausting trying to keep up with the ever-evolving algorithm, but you can’t go far wrong with a tried and tested routine.
Everyone’s favourite business platform, LinkedIn, has become something of a social media platform in its own right recently, with not only business updates being shared, but personal ones too. It’s an incredibly valuable tool in building your business, and is used by employers and employees – existing or future – alike.
With other platforms, when you post as a business, you’re likely to be targeting your audience. However, with LinkedIn you’re also – if not more so – going to reach those in the backend of your business, so to speak. You’re interacting with investors, with employees, with colleagues, and more. This will undoubtedly impact your goals when it comes to each post.
Because LinkedIn is a professional platform, it makes sense that the best time to post is during standard working hours. Studies have shown that usage is highest in the mornings, as people are getting themselves set up for their day of work. So, 9am seems to be the golden hour for maximum engagement.
Despite younger audiences seeming to move away from the social media giant in favour of newer, trendier options, Facebook is still the undeniable leader in the social field. Recording nearly two billion active users each day, it’s not one to be forgotten about.
Research has shown that during the week users are most active in the morning and over lunch. This is when traffic on the site is at its highest, so posting during this window ensures maximum visibility for your content.
Weekends are a different story, as they see the most traffic in the morning, with it dropping off come early afternoon. So, if you need to post on a Saturday or Sunday, make sure it’s earlier rather than later for maximum impact.
YOUTUBE
YouTube has gone from a platform to find endless streams of cats playing musical instruments and other funny videos, to an incredible business tool. Countless creators make a living from their YouTube channels alone, and plenty of businesses have their own channel to promote their products.
Generally speaking, the best time to upload to YouTube is mid-afternoon. This way, you reach the influx of users who have logged in as their afternoon slump hits, and they need a little distraction. Plus, posting during this time means that your content is available for all viewers when the platform’s traffic hits its peak during evening hours.
Weekends throw a bit of a curve ball, however, just as is the case for Facebook. On Saturday or Sunday, the site’s traffic seems to be highest in the morning, as people are enjoying a lie in while scrolling their favourite channels.
Ultimately, there’s no golden rule when it comes to posting online. You can do all the research in the world, but you need to experiment with timings to find out what works for you and your business. Our suggestions here are just that – suggestions. For some, they might work a treat and help to see likes, comments, shares, and traffic returns in no time, but for others they might fall short of expectations. We’d suggest using these timeslots as a jumping off point, and go from there!
If you’re looking for help with upcoming digital marketing campaigns, we’d love to hear from you! Follow this link to start a conversation today.
