
Instagram was launched on 6 October 2010, and over the past 15 years, it has undergone several changes. From its iconic square image dimension to a more rectangular one, images to shorts, iconic Insta filters to hardcore professional images.
Gone are the days when you could open an account, post a subpar image of your pot plant in the kitchen and get 100 likes and 50 followers on the same day. So, whether you are a business owner, marketer, or influencer, what is the best time to post on Instagram, and why? Let’s talk about it.
A Brief History On Instagram
Created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, Instagram (a portmanteau of instant camera and Telegram) rapidly gained popularity (we mean at the speed of light), reaching 1 million registered users in two months, 10 million in a year, and 1 billion in June 2018.
Fast-forward to 2020, when Instagram Shop was launched. This feature allows users to set up digital stores on their Instagram business profiles. Instagram also introduced message editing and pinned chats for DMs.
It’s incredible to think how far it’s come since its basic photo-snapping and sharing days. Today, Insta flaunts over 2 billion monthly active users around the globe. There are about 30.6 million Instagram users in the UK, with 46% of the UK population having an Instagram account. Here is a big one: Around 80% of users are looking for inspiration from the businesses and brands they follow on the platform, and they spend 32 minutes browsing Instagram each day on average.
To Post Or Not To Post, And When
In a perfect world, you would be able to post on Instagram at the same time each day. However, the best time to post on Instagram depends on the day of the week.
If you think about it logically, the best times to post are during tea breaks and evenings when people want to scroll senselessly and unwind. According to the latest stats, the best times to post typically fall into the following categories:
- Mondays at 7 am, between 11 am and 2 pm, and from 4 pm to 8 pm.
- Tuesdays at 7 am, from 10 am to 4 pm and 6 pm.
- Wednesdays from 7 am to 8 am, 9 am to 4 pm and 6 pm look good.
- Regarding Thursdays, posting between 7 am to 1 pm, 2 pm to 4 pm, and 8 pm is a great idea.
- Fridays between 7 am to 8 am, 11 am, 2 pm, 4 pm and 8 pm to 9 pm
- Saturdays include posting at 4 am, 7 am, 9 am to 3 pm, 4 pm to 8 pm
- End the week in style by posting on Sundays between 4 am to 5 am, 6 pm, 7 pm and 9 pm.
Why? It is simple. People are more likely to interact with content during these hours when they are the least rushed. Of course, during the holidays, when people are travelling or sunbathing at the beach, these times may change.
However, the best time to post is not a one-size-fits-all situation. You can use the above guideline, but playing around with different times to see what works best for your business and brand is never a bad idea. If your target audience is moms, mornings may be difficult for them to think about social media while getting the kids ready. Therefore, evenings may be a better time for your business to post once the kids are asleep.
If you have an Instagram business account, you can use the analytics tool to understand your audience better. Remember, the quicker you get engagement on your post after posting, the quicker it can indicate your followers’ most active times. If you post at 3 pm but only start to get a series of interactions an hour or two later, try to post an hour to two to experiment if your post does any better. If you prefer a more data-driven approach, simply head over to Settings, click on Instagram Insights, followed by For Professionals and then Total Followers.
Instagram’s Algorithm
Instagram’s algorithm also plays a role in when you post. Because it prioritises content that’s posted during times when users are most active, it also looks at the type of content you post, such as photos, videos, Reels, and Stories, how often users interact with your content, such as liking, commenting, and sharing, and how recent your content is. That is why regularly posting on your socials is so important.
What We Have Learned
Posting at the right time can make more people see your posts. Whether Insta’s algorithm gives your post some extra eyeballs or, your followers search for interesting posts during that time, or both.
Early morning posts can increase click-through rate by 8.8%, and evening posts can increase engagement by 11.1% compared to afternoon posts. If you are not marketing (and thus posting) your content strategically, you could be losing out on business. So give us a shout if you need us to take over your Instagram posting and marketing reins so that you can focus on what you really love, your business.
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