The Best Time to Post on Instagram for Your Business Based on Agency Experience

Instagram is a powerful social media platform for businesses. It can be used to build brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, and increase sales. However, if you’re not posting at the right time, you’re missing out on opportunities to reach your target audience. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the best time to post on Instagram will vary based on your industry, target audience, and other factors. However, based on our experience working with clients in various industries, we’ve put together some general tips to help you get started.

What Is Instagram for Business?

Instagram is a social media platform that is predominantly a photo-sharing platform that can be used for business purposes. It allows businesses to share photos and videos with their followers. Instagram can be used to promote products or services, and it can also be used to build relationships with customers.

One way to use Instagram for business is to post photos and videos of products or services. This can be done by including an image or video in your Instagram post, or you can have a link to a website where people can learn more about your product or service. You can also use Instagram to show behind-the-scenes footage of your business, or you can post photos and videos of customers using your product or service.

Another way to use Instagram for business is to build relationships with customers. You can do this by responding to comments and questions from followers, and you can also DM (direct message) followers who have shown interest in your product or service. You can also host contests and giveaways on Instagram, which can help you build relationships with followers.

If you have announcements or short-term promotional content, Instagram stories are an excellent feature to use. They only last for 24 hours and if you use them strategically, they can lead to conversions. 

Importance of Finding Your Best Time to Post on Instagram

It is hard to reach all of the social media users at the same time. Each user would be using the platform in their own free time. However, identifying a pattern for user groups can help your business get maximum engagement. Using a social media management tool can help you identify the best posting times for your business.

The best time to post Instagram pictures is usually in the morning. The evening hours will have much less engagement because people do many other activities at night including bedtime routines, watching TV, etc. Morning posts give people a chance to start their day with something positive and exciting.

Identifying the best times to post on Instagram will help your design posting schedule that brings the most consistent engagement. If your target audience is from different geographic locations, you need to plan your posting according to different time zones. 

Various studies show specific times when Instagram posts perform the best. According to one study, posts made at 2 am got 6% more interactions than the average post. However, this is not a time when most businesses would want to be posting because it’s improbable that anyone will be looking at Instagram at that time. The best time for companies to post is usually between 9 am and 10 am. This will get your post in front of more people who are likely to be interested in what you have to say.

Tips for Finding Your Best Time to Post on Instagram

To find your best time to post on Instagram, try these six tips before publishing your Instagram update at the right moment and the right time. Once you’ve analyzed all of this data, you can start to adjust your Instagram posting strategy accordingly. If most of your posts are getting the most likes and comments during a specific day of the week and at a particular hour, then it makes sense to publish your Instagram updates during that time!

Review Your Top-Performing Posts

To get an idea of what type of content resonates with your audience, take a look at your top-performing Instagram posts. What themes or topics do they have in common? How can you create more content around those themes?

For example, if you notice that you get better engagement for personal stories from your customers about your product, use that to your advantage. And compare your least-performing posts and see how they can be improved. Whatever you decide, make sure to keep experimenting and testing out different types of content to see what works best for you and your audience.

Check When Your Audience Is Most Active Online

One way to determine when your audience is most active online is to use Instagram’s built-in analytics. Instagram Insights provides you with data on when your followers are most active. You can also see how many of your followers are active on Instagram on a given day.

When you post on Instagram, it’s essential to consider when your audience is most active online. If you post when your audience isn’t enthusiastic, you’ll likely reach fewer people and get less engagement on your post. To find out when your audience is most active, use Instagram’s Insights tool. Instagram Insights is a built-in analytics tool that lets you see how well your posts are performing. You can see data such as impressions, reach, and engagement.

Go to Instagram’s business profile and click on the “Insights” tab to access Instagram Insights. Then, select the “Posts” tab. This will show you a graph of when your audience is most active. You can also use Instagram Insights to view your post impressions, reach, and engagement. This will show you information such as when you received likes and comments for that particular Instagram post.

Consider When Your Competitors Are Posting

When you’re considering when to post your Instagram photo, you should also consider when your competitors are posting. If you’re trying to reach a specific demographic, and you know that your competitor is targeting the same group, you should try to post at a different time to reach them first. 

Post in Your Audience’s Time Zone

When posting on Instagram, it’s essential to consider your audience’s time zones. For example, if you’re based in the United States and posting at 9 pm, your post will be at 3 am for people in the United Kingdom. To ensure that as many people as possible see your post, try to post during daytime hours in their time zone.

Monitor and Adjust

You can use Instagram’s Insights to monitor the performance of your Instagram posts. If you notice that Instagram engagement is declining, try to make adjustments to your Instagram feed. Instagram engagement refers to the number of likes and comments a post receives. Monitoring the Instagram account is essential to ensure that it can garner several likes and comments when a post goes live. Adjustments need to be made if required to make a post more successful.

Show Up Consistently over the Long Term

To get maximum engagement on Instagram from your own audience, you need to post regularly and consistently. One of the most important things you can do to improve your Instagram marketing is to show up consistently over the long term. This means posting quality content regularly, which will help you build a loyal set of followers who will be more likely to engage with your content.

The Best Time and Day to Post on Instagram

According to numerous studies, the optimum time to publish on Instagram is between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. However, the amount of engagement you receive also depends on the day of the week you post. On average, before work, during lunch, and in afternoons, are the best times to post on Instagram. Each day has its unique pattern of user interaction graph, which you should be aware of.

Instagram’s usage peaks at 8 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Instagram’s usage is also higher on weekend days, with Sunday being the most popular. Instagram can be a great way to reach out to your customers with company promotions or new merchandise offerings. It’s important to note that Instagram posts can get lost in time if they don’t get any likes or comments. One of the best ways to make sure people will see your posts is by making them exciting and creative. The Instagram audience is largely visual, and your posts should be able to cater to that. 

Best Time to Post on Instagram

Your business’s Instagram strategy should identify the best times to post for your target audience. However, there are some general Instagram posting times that would get higher audience engagement. 

Sunday

The best time to publish on Instagram is between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. when the site is open but not entirely crowded with people. The engagement rate, however, is usually low on this day.

Monday

Monday, with a relatively low level of engagement for almost 12 hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., the highest engagement is shown between 11 a.m.. and 1 p.m.  

Tuesday

Tuesday is the optimum day to publish on Instagram. The top hours are between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The engagement rate falls off rapidly after that, with its lowest peak occurring at 10 p.m.

Wednesday

The next best day to publish on Instagram is Wednesday, with significant interaction available from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. The high point of involvement is between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Thursday

Thursdays are a great time to post on Instagram, with the greatest popularity between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m., when it’s at its peak for roughly an hour, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., and then gradually decreases afterward.

Friday

On Friday, the time to publish on Instagram is between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., which is comparable to Monday and Wednesday. For two hours before and after 11 a.m., there is enough engagement.

Saturday

Saturday is not a good day to post on Instagram for most people since it’s a day to rest and unplug from the internet. From 10 a.m. until 1 P.M., an acceptable degree of Instagram user engagement is observed.

Best Times for Instagram Features

Instagram offers different features from posts to stories and videos. Here are the best times for each of those features.  

To Post Reels on Instagram 

These short, soundtracked videos on Instagram are highly engaging as it provides both audio and visual content. 

Sunday, 7 a.m., is an excellent time to post if you want your posts to have more visibility.4 p.m. is the best time to post because there are more users online, which means their attention will be focused on your content rather than other things going on around them.

On weekdays, Monday through Friday, the best Instagram posting times would be mornings around 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. because it will get the most attention from people using Instagram during their commute. 

To Post on IGTV

The best time to post on IGTV for your business is when you want to leverage the full power of social media in generating awareness and in digital marketing. This depends on how often you post and when you post compared to when your followers are most active online. Many brands already have a firm grasp on what times work best for customers, so focusing on those exact times will be your best bet.

To Post an Instagram Story

Some people say to post during the day, others say to post at night after work when everyone has finished their day. But experts prefer to post during the morning hours BEFORE work starts because they find that this gives users time to scroll through the feed before the work of the day starts.

To Go Live on Instagram

The best time to post a live video on Instagram is when your followers are most likely to be watching. According to agency experience, weekday evenings between 8 pm and 11 pm tend to be the best time to go live.

To Post by Niche

The posting times vary depending on the niche your business is in. These are the best posting times speaking in general terms. But it is always advisable to run your own analysis and find the best times for your business.

Travel and Tourism

When it comes to social media marketing for travel and tourism, timing is everything. 

• Best times – 9 a.m. and 1p.m.. 
• Best day – Friday
• Worst days – Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 

Media and Entertainment

Generally, you want to post when your target audience is most likely to be active on Instagram. This varies based on your industry, but a good rule of thumb is to post when people are most likely to be checking their phones. 

• Best times – 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.
• Best days – Tuesdays and Thursdays
• Worst day – Mondays, Wednesdays

Food and Beverage

The food and beverage industry has the easiest post times and days because people would always love food.  People who eat tend to check out Instagram postings that promote items.

• Best times – 12 p.m.
• Best day – Everyday
• Worst day – N/A

Retail

Instagram company pages of Nike, Victoria’s Secret, Zara, H&M, and other well-known companies have used these posting times.

• Best times – 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
• Best days – Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays
• Worst days – Monday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday

Professional Services

In contrast to retail, companies that provide instructional resources have the most activity during the early morning hours. 

• Best times – 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
• Best days – Monday to Friday 
• Worst days – Weekends

Technology

Apple, Google, Microsoft, and other top IT firms have more interaction from their fans when they go live on the following days.

• Best times – 2 p.m. 
• Best days – Mondays and Tuesdays
• Worst day – Sunday

Healthcare

The Healthcare niche can benefit from following Instagram posting times.

• Best times – 8 a.m to 12 p.m. and 5 p.m to  8 p.m.
• Best day – Monday, Tuesday 
• Worst day – Saturday

Education

The best posting times for the education industry are these.

• Best times – 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. 
• Best day – Friday
• Worst day – Sunday

Finance

The first couple of days of the week is best for the finance industry.

• Best times – 1 p.m. to 3 p.m and 12 p.m to 3 p.m. 
• Best days – Monday and Tuesday
• Worst day – Saturday 

B2C Companies

The optimal time for businesses to post on Instagram with the most constant engagement time, however, is every day from mid-morning to afternoons. 

• Best times – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m or 10 a.m to 3 p.m 
• Best day – Saturday
• Worst day – Monday

B2B Companies

B2B consumers actively engage in the afternoon and evening hours

• Best times – 11 a.m. 
• Best days – Tuesday to Friday
• Worst days – Monday, Wednesday

Non-Profit Organizations

The audience of nonprofit organizations appears to be engaged at times when Instagram’s general peak engagement occurs.

• Best times – 2 p.m.
• Best days – Friday and Saturday  
• Worst days – Monday to Wednesday 

Conclusion

Your business’s social media strategy should pay attention to the best posting times for social media posts. In this article, we discussed the best times to post on Instagram to get maximum engagement. Engage Instagram users to get the best out of your business’s Instagram accounts.