Best Times to Post on Social Media in 2022

We’re asked “When is the best time to post on social media?” often, so we wanted to present the ultimate guide for brands and industries to use in 2022 and beyond.

Social media marketers are putting tons of effort into crafting the ultimate tweet or designing the perfect infographic to share on Facebook, but those efforts won’t pay off if no one sees your post or tweet. Figuring out the best time to post on social media (and how often you should post on social media!) will help you increase your reach and engage more of your followers, and can be easily achieved in just a few steps.

This definitive guide offers suggestions about the best times to post on social media and breaks it down by industry, time of day, day of the week, and channel. We hope this information helps you target your posts and increase your engagement. We studied engagement data from 14 key industries across North America.

Here are a few key best time to post on social takeaways:

• Most brands post or tweet between 10am-4pm, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best time to post on social.
• Try dinner or bedtime posting on Instagram on weekdays.
• Early mornings are an untapped goldmine on Twitter.
• If you haven’t already experimented with weekend posting, try it out–especially in the evenings. It may not work for every brand, but it can be a good time to catch your followers online.
• Experiment and research to find the best times to post on social for you and your competitors using native analytics or a social media analytics tool like Rival IQ.

Best time to post on Instagram

We love to say that Instagram is the most engaging social network, and the numbers don’t lie: according to our Social Media Industry Benchmark Report, average engagement rates are 10x more than on Facebook and about 20x more than on Twitter, so it’s really important to make the most of your posting on this channel.

Before we jump into the rankings, let’s talk about how to read the embedded data below. We computed the average engagement rate over the course of the day for a big set of brands, and then correlated whether engagement rates in that time period were better or worse than their average content and by what percentage. Use the temperature indicator to see how engagement rates vary from the average (red is bad, blue is good). For example, a 1.3 ratio in dark blue indicates a 30% increase for brands over their average engagement rate. This setup makes brands relative to themselves for extra data accuracy.

The size of each dot is the relative volume of posting in each time slot to help give you a sense of how popular a time slot is. It’s important to look at both the engagement rate ratio and the volume of posting in each time slot for a true sense of how to apply these findings to your brand. Just because the engagement rate ratio is high in the overnight slot doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the key to social media success for your particular brand or industry.

As we noted above, the best time to post on social media for any channel is unique to your brand and deserves some study and experimentation. That said, here are a few key Instagram takeaways from our cross-industry data:

• Try posting later in the weekday: 10am-1pm is the most saturated timeslot on Instagram of any we studied, which explains those scary red circles that denote a drop in engagement. Try moving away from the lunch hour and into dinner and bedtime for an engagement boost.
• Experiment with weekend posting: With most weekday slots scoring average or below average engagement and most weekend slots rocking above-average engagement, it’s clear that most brands are concentrating their posting on the work week. If you’re not seeing the engagement returns you’d like on weekdays, consider changing it up to hit your followers when they’re relaxing at home on the weekends.

Let’s jump into the best time to post on Instagram broken down by industry.

Best time to post on Instagram: Alcohol

The graph below displays the median engagement rate lift for Alcohol brands, disaggregated by day of week and time of day. The area of each bubble is in proportion to the number of posts published by Alcohol brands during this time on Instagram.

It’s not too surprising that the best time to post on Instagram for alcohol brands is when people are most likely to be drinking and thinking about alcohol–in the evenings. Evening are a safe bet any day of the week, but don’t miss the brunch/lunch rush on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sundays as well.

Best time to post on Instagram: Fashion

The graph that follows displays the median engagement rate lift for Fashion brands, broken down by day of week and time of day. The size of each bubble is relative to the quantity of posts published by Fashion brands during this time on Instagram.

Weekends outperform weekdays for Fashion brands on Instagram by a factor of 2x. If you’re going to post on weekdays, experiment with overnight posting to catch sleep shoppers and international buyers in other time zones.

Best time to post on Instagram: Financial Services

The chart below illustrates the median lift in engagement rate for Financial Services companies, broken down by day of week and time of day. The area of each bubble is in proportion to the number of posts published by Financial Services companies during this time on Instagram.

Financial Services brands saw the most success on Instagram when posting after work–check out that killer happy hour posting slot on Wednesdays. Skip weekend posting–according to this data, no one wants to think about their bank when catching up on R+R.

Best time to post on Instagram: Food & Beverage

The visualization that follows illustrates the median engagement rate lift for Food & Beverage brands, broken down by day of week and time of day. The area of each bubble is in proportion to the quantity of posts published by Food & Beverage brands during this time on Instagram.

Mondays are magic for Food & Beverage brands on Instagram, with lots of engagement to be had between 10am-7pm. Food & Beverage brands should play with posting after dinner to see if they can pull up engagement rates during that time slot.

Best time to post on Instagram: Health & Beauty

The visualization below illustrates the median engagement rate lift for Health & Beauty brands, broken down by day of week and time of day. The area of each bubble is in proportion to the number of posts published by Health & Beauty brands during this time on Instagram.

Lots of scary red bubbles around weekday posting for Health & Beauty brands, so it’s better to catch followers on the weekends when they’re shopping for new products or glamming it up for a night on the town.

Best time to post on Instagram: Higher Education

The chart below illustrates the median lift in engagement rate for Higher Education institutions, grouped by day of week and time of day. The size of each bubble is relative to the amount of posts published by Higher Education institutions during this time on Instagram.

Posting during the school day is so over for colleges and universities, who found much more success with early morning, late night, and weekend posting.

Best time to post on Instagram: Home Decor

The following chart illustrates the median lift in engagement rate for Home Decor brands, disaggregated by day of week and time of day. The area of each bubble is relative to the quantity of posts published by Home Decor brands during this time on Instagram.

Lots of big red bubbles for Home Decor brands on Instagram workday posting, so these brands should experiment with posts during their followers’ morning commutes or on the weekends.

Best time to post on Instagram: Hotels & Resorts

The graph below illustrates the median lift in engagement rate for Hotels & Resorts, broken down by day of week and time of day. The area of each bubble is in proportion to the quantity of posts published by Hotels & Resorts during this time on Instagram.

I guess I’m the only one dreaming of tropical getaways during the workday, because Hotels & Resorts aren’t getting a lot of traction on Instagram on weekdays with the exception of Monday. Travel brands see stronger engagement and less competition for eyeballs with weekend posting.

Best time to post on Instagram: Influencers

The following chart displays the median engagement rate lift for Influencers, disaggregated by day of week and time of day. The area of each bubble is in proportion to the volume of posts published by Influencers during this time on Instagram.

Big red bubbles in so many weekday slots mean Influencers are all vying for the same users at the wrong time. Influencers would do better to increase posting on weekends and in super early and super late time slots.

Best time to post on Instagram: Media

The graph below illustrates the median engagement rate lift for Media brands, broken down by day of week and time of day. The size of each bubble is relative to the number of posts published by Media brands during this time on Instagram.

Much like Influencers, Media brands are barking up the wrong tree with weekday (and especially weekday afternoon) posting. These publications see much higher engagement on weekends, and should also look into overnight posting.

Best time to post on Instagram: Nonprofits

The visualization that follows displays the median lift in engagement rate for Nonprofits, disaggregated by day of week and time of day. The area of each bubble is relative to the quantity of posts published by Nonprofits during this time on Instagram.

Nonprofits see a lot of success when posting between 7-10pm any day of the week, suggesting their target audience is most active when the sun sets and kids are asleep. These organizations could get a lot of bang for their buck with weekend posting, so don’t be afraid to change it up.

Best time to post on Instagram: Retail

The chart below illustrates the median engagement rate lift for Retail brands, broken down by day of week and time of day. The size of each bubble is in proportion to the volume of posts published by Retail brands during this time on Instagram.

Retail brands post a ton during the mid-morning time slot every day of the week, but are more likely to amplify their engagement and cut through the noise of their competitors by focusing on posts later in the day, after 7pm.

Best time to post on Instagram: Sports Teams

The chart below shows the median lift in engagement rate for Sports Teams, broken down by day of week and time of day. The size of each bubble is in proportion to the quantity of posts published by Sports Teams during this time on Instagram.

Forget about reaching your followers when they’re at work or hung over from a Friday night football game, Sports Teams. Better to stick to posting after 7pm on weekdays and after 4pm on weekends.

Best time to post on Instagram: Tech & Software

The chart below illustrates the median lift in engagement rate for Tech & Software companies, broken down by day of week and time of day. The area of each bubble is relative to the volume of posts published by Tech & Software companies during this time on Instagram.

Tech & Software brands’ posting volume bubbles are much smaller than other industries, suggesting these brands aren’t as active as those in other areas. These brands see more engagement on Instagram when posting at the end of the workday or mid-morning on weekends.

Best time to post on Facebook

Even though Instagram is the engagement juggernaut, it’s still really important to target your followers when they’re most active on Facebook as well.

Here are a few key trends for the best time and day to post on Facebook:

• Move away from lunchtime: Much like on Instagram, weekday mornings and afternoons see the highest concentration of posting, but don’t have much to show for themselves by way of engagement. Try a few early morning or late night Facebook posts to see if you can catch your followers outside of work.
• Try posting on weekends: Brands are seeing above average engagement rates on Facebook on the weekends, especially on Saturday evenings after dinner and almost anytime on Sundays.

Does that increased engagement on Saturday nights guarantee your brand visibility and likes on Facebook? Not necessarily. The best time to post on Facebook is ultimately unique to your brand, so do some research and experimentation to see when your followers are active on the site and then tailor your posting accordingly.

Best time to post on Facebook: Alcohol

The following graph shows the median engagement rate lift for Alcohol brands, grouped by day of week and time of day. The area of each bubble is in proportion to the quantity of posts published by Alcohol brands during this time on Facebook.

Mid-week Facebook posts from Alcohol brands perform well, but evening posts between 7pm-10pm on any day of the week are the real moneymakers for these brands.

Best time to post on Facebook: Fashion

The following chart illustrates the median engagement rate lift for Fashion brands, broken down by day of week and time of day. The area of each bubble is in proportion to the volume of posts published by Fashion brands during this time on Facebook.

Fashion brands hoping to boost their engagement on Facebook should try to catch their followers in weekend mode, with Friday-Monday posts performing much better than midweek updates. Experiment with overnight posting between 10pm-7am to reach late-night shoppers.

Best time to post on Facebook: Financial Services

The following graph shows the median lift in engagement rate for Financial Services companies, disaggregated by day of week and time of day. The size of each bubble is in proportion to the number of posts published by Financial Services companies during this time on Facebook.

Financial Services brands are all about the workday engagement, but might consider posting during prime Sunday Scaries time to increase Facebook engagement.

Best time to post on Facebook: Food & Beverage

The chart that follows displays the median engagement rate lift for Food & Beverage brands, grouped by day of week and time of day. The size of each bubble is in proportion to the volume of posts published by Food & Beverage brands during this time on Facebook.

Food & Beverage brands are a little all over the place with Facebook engagement, but good bets are anytime between 7am-7pm on Sundays and Monday and Friday mornings.

Best time to post on Facebook: Health & Beauty

The graph below illustrates the median lift in engagement rate for Health & Beauty brands, disaggregated by day of week and time of day. The size of each bubble is relative to the quantity of posts published by Health & Beauty brands during this time on Facebook.

Health & Beauty brands saw the most success on Facebook on Saturday and Sunday mornings as well as Monday afternoon between 1pm-4pm. These brands should try some late-night posting to bump up engagement rates on Facebook.

Best time to post on Facebook: Higher Education

The chart that follows displays the median engagement rate lift for Higher Education institutions, disaggregated by day of week and time of day. The size of each bubble is relative to the volume of posts published by Higher Education institutions during this time on Facebook.

Lots of dark blue circles for Higher Ed means colleges and universities are seeing a lot of success on Facebook around the clock. Anytime on weekends and nearly any day after 7pm are especially good bets for these schools.

Best time to post on Facebook: Home Decor

The following graph illustrates the median engagement rate lift for Home Decor brands, disaggregated by day of week and time of day. The area of each bubble is relative to the number of posts published by Home Decor brands during this time on Facebook.

Sundays are prime time for Home Decor brands hoping to reach their followers on Facebook, tracking with the time and day when many DIYers are at the hardware store or in the garage making their dreams come to life.

Best time to post on Facebook: Hotels & Resorts

The visualization below displays the median lift in engagement rate for Hotels & Resorts, broken down by day of week and time of day. The size of each bubble is in proportion to the volume of posts published by Hotels & Resorts during this time on Facebook.

Hotels & Resorts saw strong Facebook engagement when posting after work on weekdays and bright and early on the weekends. Late-night posting is tricky for these brands–10pm-7am is a great time during the weekday but tanks engagement on the weekends.

Best time to post on Facebook: Influencers

The visualization below displays the median engagement rate lift for Influencers, broken down by day of week and time of day. The area of each bubble is relative to the quantity of posts published by Influencers during this time on Facebook.

Influencers were especially successful on Facebook with daytime posts between Thursday-Sunday, but they shouldn’t sleep on the overnight slot, which yielded killer engagement amplification for these brands.

Best time to post on Facebook: Media

The following chart displays the median engagement rate lift for Media brands, grouped by day of week and time of day. The area of each bubble is in proportion to the volume of posts published by Media brands during this time on Facebook.

Media brands are best at reaching their followers between 7am-1pm seven days a week, but also saw a lot of engagement round the clock on Sundays.

Best time to post on Facebook: Nonprofits

The graph that follows displays the median lift in engagement rate for Nonprofits, grouped by day of week and time of day. The size of each bubble is in proportion to the number of posts published by Nonprofits during this time on Facebook.

Nonprofits struggled a little with weekday posts during working hours, and were more likely to see strong Facebook engagement after the end of the workday between 7pm-10pm or on the weekends.

Best time to post on Facebook: Retail

The visualization below displays the median lift in engagement rate for Retail brands, grouped by day of week and time of day. The area of each bubble is relative to the quantity of posts published by Retail brands during this time on Facebook.

Lots of light and dark red bubbles mean Retail brands have some work to do to fine-tune their engagement on Facebook. Tuesdays bring these brands some magic, as do Saturday afternoons and evenings.

Best time to post on Facebook: Sports Teams

The following visualization illustrates the median engagement rate lift for Sports Teams, grouped by day of week and time of day. The size of each bubble is in proportion to the volume of posts published by Sports Teams during this time on Facebook.

No surprise that weekends dramatically outperform weekdays for Sports Teams when it comes to Facebook engagement. 10pm-7am is another surefire time slot for teams to reach their fans.

Best time to post on Facebook: Tech & Software

The visualization that follows illustrates the median engagement rate lift for Tech & Software companies, broken down by day of week and time of day. The area of each bubble is in proportion to the quantity of posts published by Tech & Software companies during this time on Facebook.

If Tech & Software brands are looking for Facebook success, bright and early on weekdays or daytime on the weekends is the way to go.k

Best time to post on Twitter

Just because Twitter makes it extra-tricky to figure out when to tweet for optimum engagement doesn’t mean it’s not important.

Is the pattern of run-of-the-mill engagement during the workday starting to look familiar?

• Try early morning or late night tweeting: Just like on Instagram and Facebook, most brands are all about the weekday posting between 10am-4pm without any engagement gains to show for it. Twitter has especially high engagement rates for brands early in the morning and late at night on weekdays, so try sending a few tweets around commute time or bedtime to see if you find any traction.
• Befriend the weekend: Every weekend time slot except Saturday afternoons sees above-average engagement rates on Twitter, so don’t be afraid to change it up.

Best time to post on Twitter: Alcohol

The graph that follows displays the median engagement rate lift for Alcohol brands, grouped by day of week and time of day. The size of each bubble is relative to the volume of tweets published by Alcohol brands during this time on Twitter.

Just like on other channels, evenings and overnight are the perfect times for Alcohol brands to engage with their followers on Twitter. Trade the 1pm-4pm time slot for the unexpected success of posting first thing in the morning to shake up engagement even more.

Best time to post on Twitter: Fashion

The chart below illustrates the median lift in engagement rate for Fashion brands, disaggregated by day of week and time of day. The area of each bubble is in proportion to the volume of tweets published by Fashion brands during this time on Twitter.

Big midday and mid-week circles mean Fashion brands are concentrating their posting during these time slots, but they’d see more engagement on Twitter with early morning or late night posts instead–especially on the weekends.

Best time to post on Twitter: Financial Services

The chart below illustrates the median engagement rate lift for Financial Services companies, disaggregated by day of week and time of day. The area of each bubble is relative to the quantity of tweets published by Financial Services companies during this time on Twitter.

Financial Services didn’t have a single red bubble indicating below-average engagement slots, but they can still maximize their tweets by posting before or after work on weekdays and nearly anytime on the weekends.

Best time to post on Twitter: Food & Beverage

The visualization that follows illustrates the median lift in engagement rate for Food & Beverage brands, broken down by day of week and time of day. The area of each bubble is in proportion to the volume of tweets published by Food & Beverage brands during this time on Twitter.

Food & Beverage saw pockets of Twitter engagement boosts throughout the week, especially in overnight slots or during the day on weekends.

Best time to post on Twitter: Health & Beauty

The chart below shows the median engagement rate lift for Health & Beauty brands, disaggregated by day of week and time of day. The size of each bubble is relative to the volume of tweets published by Health & Beauty brands during this time on Twitter.

Health & Beauty brands should play more with Sunday and overnight posts to maximize engagement on Twitter, and might want to stay away from posting during the workday on Thursdays and Fridays.

Best time to post on Twitter: Higher Education

The following graph illustrates the median engagement rate lift for Higher Education institutions, grouped by day of week and time of day. The size of each bubble is relative to the number of tweets published by Higher Education institutions during this time on Twitter.

It’s smooth sailing for Higher Ed on weekends and between 10pm-10am on weekdays. Colleges and universities concentrating their posting on weekdays during the workday might want to try these slots instead.

Best time to post on Twitter: Home Decor

The chart that follows displays the median lift in engagement rate for Home Decor brands, disaggregated by day of week and time of day. The area of each bubble is relative to the quantity of tweets published by Home Decor brands during this time on Twitter.

Home Decor brands should experiment with evening and late-night tweeting to maximize Twitter engagement. Weekends (especially Sundays) are another good bet for these brands.

Best time to post on Twitter: Hotels & Resorts

The chart that follows displays the median lift in engagement rate for Hotels & Resorts, disaggregated by day of week and time of day. The size of each bubble is relative to the volume of tweets published by Hotels & Resorts during this time on Twitter.

Hotels & Resorts saw strong engagement nearly every day of the week on Twitter as followers dreamed of getaways, but were especially successful with overnight and Sunday tweets.

Best time to post on Twitter: Influencers

The following visualization displays the median lift in engagement rate for Influencers, broken down by day of week and time of day. The size of each bubble is in proportion to the number of tweets published by Influencers during this time on Twitter.

There’s no mistaking the colors in this graphic: weekends outperform weekdays dramatically for Influencers on Twitter. If Influencers need to reach followers on Twitter on weekdays, they should tweet before work.

Best time to post on Twitter: Media

The chart that follows displays the median lift in engagement rate for Media brands, disaggregated by day of week and time of day. The size of each bubble is relative to the volume of tweets published by Media brands during this time on Twitter.

Sorry, Media reporters with 9-5s: the best time to reach your followers on Twitter is overnight or on the weekends, so figure out how to staff that graveyard shift accordingly.

Best time to post on Twitter: Nonprofits

The following visualization illustrates the median lift in engagement rate for Nonprofits, grouped by day of week and time of day. The size of each bubble is in proportion to the quantity of tweets published by Nonprofits during this time on Twitter.

Tweeting during the workday led to engagement declines for Nonprofits on Twitter. These organizations saw much more success when posting overnight or on the weekends.

Best time to post on Twitter: Retail

The following graph shows the median lift in engagement rate for Retail brands, grouped by day of week and time of day. The area of each bubble is relative to the quantity of tweets published by Retail brands during this time on Twitter.

Retail brands saw the highest Twitter engagement when tweeting between 7am-1pm, and shouldn’t sleep on weekend and overnight slots either.

Best time to post on Twitter: Sports Teams

The graph that follows shows the median engagement rate lift for Sports Teams, disaggregated by day of week and time of day. The area of each bubble is relative to the volume of tweets published by Sports Teams during this time on Twitter.

This graphic has more blue than a Seahawks game because Sports Teams found success reaching their followers at nearly every time of day. Early morning and late-night tweets were especially successful.

Best time to post on Twitter: Tech & Software

The graph that follows illustrates the median lift in engagement rate for Tech & Software companies, grouped by day of week and time of day. The size of each bubble is in proportion to the number of tweets published by Tech & Software companies during this time on Twitter.

Contrary to logic, Tech & Software brands should stay away from workday tweets and stick to weekends and overnight slots to maximize engagement on Twitter.

How to Find Your Best Time to Post

Finding your best time to post on social media varies by channel, but we broke it down for you. Of course, you could always just use a third-party social media analytics tool to aggregate all of your best times to post in one place…

How to find your best times to post on Instagram

Instagram makes it easy to see when your followers are online in its native app, and you can also use a handy tool like Rival IQ to dig into your data. We’ll walk you through both options.

To find your best time to post using Instagram Insights, navigate to your profile page and then to the Insights tab. Find your Audience insights by selecting your Total Follower, and then scroll down to the bottom of your follower breakdown to find your most active times. Active time on Instagram denotes when your followers are logged in and liking, commenting, or saving your content.

Easily toggle between your best times and days to post using the selector in the bottom right. You can also switch between Insights that go back up to 90 days using the selector at the top for even more data.

If you want to go back further in time or are looking to compare your best times to post on social against your competitors, be sure to check out an app like Rival IQ.

Here you can see the same 30-day retrospective from Instagram’s native tools in a more digestible format. Our followers use Instagram pretty consistently throughout the week, but midday is definitely the right time to catch them with a post or video.

For even more information about the best time to post on Instagram, Rival IQ can help you make sense of how your posting activity correlates to engagement rate by day and time. Don’t miss the dotted grey line that compares your average activity and engagement rates by day and hour to that of your main competition. This competitive view comes in especially handy when trying to gain an edge over your competitors by helping you schedule your posts at times when your followers are active and engaged.

How to find the best times to post on Facebook

Facebook offers a 7-day view into when your followers are online to help brands and agencies figure out when to post on the platform. Here’s how to find it using native Facebook analytics.

Head to your brand’s Facebook page, and then select “Insights” from the navigation bar on the left. From there, select “Posts” in the left nav to check out the days and times your Facebook fans are online.

As you can see in the screenshot above, Rival IQ’s fans log into Facebook really consistently no matter what day of the week it is. Our best time of day to post is right around the noon hour, with engagement decreasing early in the morning and late at night.

Sadly, Facebook doesn’t offer competitive insights about the best time and day to post, so you’ll just have to experiment until you find what works best for your brand, or turn to a social media analytics tool like Rival IQ.

Like in the Post Times table in Rival IQ from the Instagram section up above, you can see your best times and days to post compared against your competitive landscape, which is represented by the grey dotted line. Don’t forget to hover for even more info, and to toggle the date range to go back further in time than Facebook’s 7-day limit in its native analytics.

How to find the best times to post on Twitter

Sadly, Twitter makes it really tough to access the best times to tweet natively (we’re pretty sure it requires a line-by-line Excel export, a map, and a compass). Thankfully, there’s Rival IQ.

Don’t forget to note when your competitors are tweeting to supercharge your Twitter activity.

Methodology

We studied over 1 million posts from more than 2,100 brands between May and October 2021 on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to find the best time to post on social media for each channel. We studied the same group of brands from 14 diverse industries that we use in our Social Media Industry Benchmark Report.

Wrapping it up

We hope these heat maps give you a better understanding of the best times to post on social for Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for your industry and brand. We wish there was a one-size-fits-all answer, but ultimately the best thing you can do to ascertain when you should be posting on social is to experiment and track your results over time using native analytics or a social media analytics tool like Rival IQ.

Ready to find your best time to post? Sign up for a free 14-day trial in Rival IQ.

Happy posting and tweeting!