Social media may seem like a place to post freely about whatever’s on your mind, whenever the urge strikes. Businesses, however, must take a more strategic approach. For every successful enterprise on social media, there is a data-backed schedule determining what it posts and when. Luckily, researchers have done the work for you when it comes to social media timetables.
We’ve compiled all of the most up-to-date information on the best times to schedule social media here for your benefit.
*Tip: Pay attention to your intended audience’s time zone. If your primary market is in the UK, for example, posting at midnight PST will be 8 a.m. in England.
YouTube and Facebook are still the hottest social media platforms that you can use today. YouTube has two billion users, with almost five billion videos watched daily. Although only 51% of people say they use YouTube daily, this platform has some of the highest numbers in user engagement. You can tap into this massive audience by knowing the perfect times to post video content on YouTube:
YouTube is one of the biggest social media platforms in the world. Help your video content stand out by posting during both peak and non-peak times and days. Posting during high-traffic times, however, maximizes the odds of catching your audience’s attention. Keep in mind that users will see your YouTube videos in feeds and search results a few hours after you post them, since YouTube indexes content.
Facebook is still the most-often daily used social media platform by U.S. adults, with 74% of Americans using the site every day. More than half (51%) of Facebook users say they log on several times a day. Facebook’s status as the most popular social media platform has remained unchanged since Pew started gathering social media use data in 2012.
Facebook receives more than 1.85 billion active users daily. To tap into this audience with a social media marketing plan, brands should use Facebook posts to publish curated content (think how-to guides), blog posts (with photos), videos, and live videos to engage with audiences. Here’s what research says about the best times to post on Facebook:
Snapchat receives more than 265 million daily active users. Marketing through Snapchat can involve well-placed video ads, which based on studies receive twice the attention of ads on Facebook. Part of making Snapchat work for your business is knowing when to schedule your posts:
The ideal amount of snaps to post is four to seven posts per day. Since posts (not ads) disappear within 24 hours, Snapchat gives you more leeway for frequent posting compared to other platforms. For maximum engagement, post when your desired audience is most likely to be on — night times and weekends. Keep in mind that Snapchat will only be an appropriate place for your brand to advertise if you’re targeting users ages 18 to 24, as 73% of people in this age group are likely to be on the platform. If you’re looking for an older audience, other platforms might be more appropriate.
As of June 2018, the social network reported more than 1 billion monthly active users worldwide and the social media network’s daily active users stood at 500 million. With more than 112 million monthly active Instagram users, the United States is the photo sharing app’s leading market based on audience size. Instagram is a place to post high-quality, high-resolution photographs and live videos (“stories”). The best times to post on Instagram based on consumer research are as follows:
Sunday Instagram posts receive the least amount of user engagement. Instagrammers look for aesthetically-pleasing visual content on Instagram rather than lengthy captions. Quotes also perform well on Instagram.
Twitter is the platform for blog posts (with links), curated content, attention-grabbing GIFs, and news updates. Twenty-two percent of American adults use Twitter. Give your Tweets the largest audience by posting according to the following schedule tips:
Like Snapchat, feel free to post on Twitter more often than you would on most other social media sites. Although Tweets don’t disappear after a day, users expect to see more frequent updates from brands on Twitter than on Facebook or Instagram.
LinkedIn is the perfect platform to post about your company and professional endeavors. Consumers go to LinkedIn to find information about a brand, like getting to know its employees or finding out if they’re hiring. You can also use LinkedIn to post long-form articles and white papers. The best times to post include:
Wow the LinkedIn crowd by timing your posts to coordinate with their busy professional schedules. Post during off-work hours and in the early morning for your best chance at being seen.
Google My Business (GMB) is a free reputation management tool where you can post important information about your business and interact with customers directly. In addition, you can post photos and publish promotions, company news, and upcoming events.
The timing of the posts you publish to GMB is important, but for different reasons compared to other social media platforms. To create the best Google My Business posts, be sure to:
Posting content consistently and proactively will work in your (and your customer’s) favor. Don’t forget to regularly check and respond to online reviews to provide a positive customer experience. Thanking a customer for a positive review or resolving a negative one will do wonders for your reputation and boost customer acquisition and retention.
Don’t want to worry about timing each social media post perfectly across multiple channels? Partner with ThumbStopper and we’ll do the work for you! We can schedule social media posts to appear in the feeds of your retailers, according to their audience, time zones, and marketing best practices.