What Are The Best Times for Post on Instagram? Guide

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It can be disappointing to get low engagement on your Instagram content just because of the wrong posting times. The statement is especially true if you have worked tirelessly on building your social media strategy.  

Therefore, it is important to master the art of timing for Instagram growth, and to avoid getting lost in the large sea of approximately 2 billion users.

Moreover, posting when your target audience is most active on Instagram increase visibility and enhances your chances of virality. 

But what are the best times to hit the share button for success on Instagram? 

This guide will explore the best times to post as per the Instagram algorithm, and ways to find the right posting time using  Instagram analytics, management tools, insights and Creator Studio. 

What Are The Best Posting Times On Instagram? 

The best time to post on Instagram differs based on peak engagement hours for different Instagram formats (stories/ reels), industry and days of the week. 

These peak engagement hours encompass time slots in which your Instagram audience is the most active. 

Therefore, identifying the scrolling traits of your target market is essential to understand your personal best posting times. 

Let’s explore the best times to post as per various factors in detail. 

1. Best Time To Post As per Days of the Week:

If we were to summarize the best times to post as per the week, there are a few notable facts. 

We made a cohesive analysis of the best times to post on Instagram. Some observations are: 

• On weekdays, 7 am to 9 am is a favorable slot for Instagram growth. The insight is based on the fact that people check their phones first thing in the morning before they resume work.

• In addition to early mornings, Wednesdays and Thursdays also experience a peak at 11 am, during office lunch hours. Wednesdays also see a sudden peak at 5 am. 

• On Thursdays and Fridays, a sudden peak is seen at 5 pm when people check out of work.

• It is best to avoid Saturdays and Sundays when planning your posting strategy on Instagram. There are very few windows, such as Saturday from 8 am to 12 pm or Sunday from 10 am to 2 pm, between which you can find some success. There are certain peak hours in the late evening. 

Here is a comprehensive table for better understanding! 

2. Best Time To Post As per Content on Instagram

Optimal posting times differ as per the type of content you are posting. Your Instagram Insights may show a difference in audience behavior when interacting with reels or viewing stories. 

Therefore, it is important to determine peak engagement statistics for different content formats on Instagram when forming a social media strategy. 

• Best Time to Post Images and Carousels 

Images and carousels are the easiest to scroll through. Therefore, posting them on weekdays between 7 am and 9 am can grab the most eyeballs. 

Another tiny time slot is between 9 am and 10 am when people commute to work. 

• Best Time to Post Reels

Reels are mini videos. People need time to view them from start to finish. Instagram’s analytics shows that reels work best when posted during office lunch breaks, from 11 am to 12 pm. 

Evenings, between 5 pm and 7 pm, provide another engagement peak. This is when people are seen enjoying their leisure time. 

• Best Time to Post Stories 

Stories are more personal than reels. People prefer checking them out at their convenience. Posting during lunch breaks, 11 am to 2 pm, is the best to reach your Instagram marketing goals. 

People also check stories to see what their Instagram community is up to. Therefore, posting in the evening or during peak weekend hours, when your audience is relaxed, is also profitable. 

• Best Time to Go Live

The Instagram Live feature lets you interact with your audience in real time. Unlike other content, it cannot be scheduled using Instagram Creators Studio or third-party management tools. 

Therefore, if yours is a B2B audience, the optimal times are 1 pm to 3 pm during lunch breaks. Late evenings, between 7 pm and 9 pm, are suitable for a broader audience. 

3. Best Time To Post As per Industry:

Industry is another crucial factor determining the best posting times on Instagram. The target Instagram audience differs as per your industry. 

Therefore, it is vital to understand peak engagement times for your specific target market to attain success on Instagram. 

Let’s explore a few industries and their optimal posting times.

• Best Time to Post for Travel 

The thing that drives the travel and tourism industry is content that captures people’s aspirations. Therefore, this is what works best on Instagram pages in the travel and tourism niche. 

The best time slot to attract your audience is midday, 10 am to 12 pm, or when they are looking to escape their surroundings, 7 pm to 9 pm. 

• Best Time to Post for Healthcare

The healthcare and fitness audience is most engaged when planning or finishing their healthcare routines.

Mornings between 6 am and 10 am and late evenings at 7 pm are the best times to provide motivation, tips and inspiration. 

• Best Time to Post for Media

The media and entertainment industry requires constant updation. People check out pages in this niche during early mornings and lunch hours during weekdays. 

5 am to 3 pm from Monday through Friday are the best hours for posting. Meanwhile, the most engagement shows between 10 am and 11 am. 

• Best Time to Post for Food

Drool-worthy food/ restaurant promotion posts work best during weekday lunch hours or on weekends in late evenings. These are hours when people are looking for food inspiration.

The best times are 12 pm to 2 pm on weekdays and 5 pm to 7 pm on weekends. 

• Best Time to Post for B2B

B2B brands create content around tips, tricks and services. The target audience is business professionals. The best time to post is 4 pm to 5 pm on weekdays. These are the times when the audience is winding up their work day. 

• Best Time to Post for Education

The social media strategy for schools and colleges includes sharing updates about student life, showcasing facilities and presenting achievements among others. 

The best times to post are from midday to early evening. 11 am to 4 pm offers the most opportunity for Instagram growth. 

• Best Time to Post for Non-Profit

Non-profit accounts share heart-wrenching stories and posts inciting charity. The best hours to post are regular business hours from 10 am to 5 pm. 

• Best Time to Post for IT

The IT industry’s target Instagram audience includes working professionals and tech enthusiasts. They can engage businesses by promoting products and services during weekdays at lunch hour, 10 am to 12 pm. Weekends from 1 pm to 3 pm are suitable for engaging techies. 

• Best Time to Post for Influencers

Influencers post brand endorsements and have a dedicated following. The best times to post, according to the Instagram algorithm, are Fridays, 7 pm to 8 pm, and Sundays, 5 pm to 6 pm.  

• Best Time to Post for Fashion

The target audience for fashion brands requires time to browse the latest styles and trends. It is best to post when the audience is relatively free. 

12 pm to 2 pm on weekdays and 9 am to 11 am on weekends are preferable during mid-day. Meanwhile, 7 pm to 9 pm on weekdays and 5 pm to 7 pm on weekends are suitable in late evenings. 

Apart from all these factors, more things affect the best posting time on Instagram. Every account has its optimal posting time. There are many ways to understand this. 

We will explore these in the section below. 

How to Find the Best Time to Post on Instagram? 

Some of the best methods to find the best times to post on Instagram that guarantee growth and success are – 

1. Experiment and Monitor:

Post at random hours and days of the week. Now record the number of likes, comments and shares. Check the posting time for the posts that have garnered the most engagement. Experiment with these times and monitor the analytics. 

2. Utilize Instagram Insights:

Instagram Insights lets you track peak times and days of the week when your audience is the most active. All you need to do is follow these steps. 

• Step 1: Click on the three horizontal lines at the top right of your app. 

• Step 2: Open ‘Insights’.

• Step 3: Tap and open ‘Total followers’ 

• Step 4: Find ‘Most active times’ at the bottom of the page. 

3. Keep Track of Competition:

Monitor your competitor’s feed and performance metrics for their posts. Note their peak Instagram engagement times. 

Your best posting time may not be the same as your competition. However, keeping track of theirs can help determine the general optimal timings for your niche. 

4. Pay Attention to Audience Demographics:

Consider the time zone that your Instagram audience is present across. Also consider their genders, ages and professions. These demographics will help you accurately determine engagement rates and schedule posts accordingly.

5. Ask Your Audience:

Don’t be shy to reach out directly to your followers. Conduct polls about the times on which they scroll Instagram. You can also ask them to comment their preferred timings or DM them with the query. 

6. Use Instagram Creator Studio or Third-party Applications: 

Instagram Creator Studio is a management tool which have an ‘Audience Insights’ section that allows you to determine the times when your followers are on the app on an hourly/ daily basis.

In addition, you can also use other third-party applications to perform the same function and track the minutest activity.  

What Are The Benefits of Posting at The Right Time on Instagram? 

Planning your content on Instagram in a way where you post at the right time, every time, can lead to several benefits. Some of these are – 

1. Favorable Instagram Algorithms

If your post garners immediate engagement, the Instagram algorithm favors it more. Therefore, posting on Instagram after gaining insights into the right posting time will influence the algorithm and increase post visibility. 

2. More Visibility

When you schedule your Instagram posting times as per your audience’s peak Instagram engagement times, you are more likely to catch eyeballs as your chances of appearing on their feed increase, resulting in better visibility. 

3. Increased Engagement:

Adapting a social media strategy that prioritizes posting times on Instagram can enhance engagement by ensuring you post during hours when your Instagram audience is most active on the platform . It can thereby lead to increased likes, shares, comments and follows.

4. Improved Reach: 

Posting at the best time on Instagram ensures higher visibility and engagement. Instagram’s analytics show that such content is more likely to get exposed to new audiences. Such a phenomenon improves brand awareness and reach. 

5. Better Conversion Opportunities:

It is easier to meet your Instagram marketing goals when posting at the right time. Since your target audience is most active, and engaged, on the platform during these hours, it becomes easier to convert them into customers.

Fastrack Your Success by Posting on The Right Times on Instagram 

The above tips and tricks can help you determine peak engagement times to schedule/ post your Instagram content. Following them with precision can help you achieve success on Instagram. However, you may need to track insights and analytics to ascertain growth using optimal posting times. The process is gradual. 

But how can you fasttrack your Instagram growth? There are many ways to ace the Instagram algorithm. One of them includes buying genuine followers, likes and comments from trusted websites to continuously grow your Instagram account.