If you’ve used social media in the last several years, you’ve probably noticed some trends.
What seems like a random posting schedule is not. Some people post the same content over and over again. There is a method to their madness. There are other people out there who’ve just gotten lucky.
What is the importance of post timing on social media? Does it really matter?
It certainly does! Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about getting your content in front of the right eyes at the right time.
What Is Post Timing?
Post timing on social media is all about a return on investment. Marketing teams and SEOs all over the world have a lot on their plate. They’re constantly trying new things and then crunching the numbers to see what works best.
There is a reason for this. Digital marketing agencies are numerous. And if you can’t deliver for your client, they’ll find someone who will.
To be able to attract new clients, agencies run on paper-thin margins. Cue the magic of post timing.
Breaking it all down to the simplest answer possible: marketers, bloggers, and content creators schedule their posts for certain times of the day to increase revenue.
Why Do People Time Posts?
The goal here is to get your post in front of as many people as possible. The lifespan of these posts is small, and every day human beings are bombarded with more and more content. As this happens, the lifespan of social media posts shrinks, with fewer people getting to see it.
This is why bloggers and affiliate marketers post their content multiple times. It typically has nothing to do with how amazing the content is for their audience.
These posts will usually have the longest word counts, which translates into more ad revenue or feature high-paying affiliate programs that lead to more sales.
If you’re new to the game and wonder why your feed starts to pop off at certain times of the day, now you know. More eyes equal more money.
Do I Really Need to Time My Posts?
The short answer is “yes” and “no,” How can both answers be possible? Here are a few reasons why you should and why you shouldn’t.
People time their social posts for a reason. Most of them have either done their own research or done their fair share online, reading blog posts and watching YouTube from marketing professionals.
Do you want to make money for yourself or your client? We hope so. Timing your posts has become a necessary part of content marketing. We all do it. It’s now a part of our routine. And that routine is important for making money, which is why we all do what we do.
On the other side of this coin, if everyone posts at the same time, then the lifespan of your individual posts will be even shorter than posting at a less optimal time slot.
What’s the solution?
Post often.
Every market is different. If your buyer persona is a stay-at-home mom with kids, then you want to make social media posts when this persona is likely at the computer or on her phone. When she’s getting kids ready for school, picking them up, or preparing meals, her hands are busy and she won’t have time to look at social sites.
Let’s say your ideal customer is a gym rat. You sell activewear and you want to target men 20-40 that love your product and live an active lifestyle.
To be honest, most of these guys are on social media throughout the day. But most of them go to the gym during lunch or right after work. It might take some time to figure out the best schedule, but the workday around 10 AM and after lunch will probably be great.
Why? Most people spend a lot of their workday avoiding work and scrolling through social media. They probably aren’t on their devices when they’re pumping iron or meal prepping.
The Best Times to Post on Social Media
Something everyone needs to consider is what platform is going to work the best for you or your client. There is no need to be on Instagram or TikTok if your audience doesn’t use these outlets on a regular basis.
Spend some time, and by some, we mean quite a bit, figuring out the best two to three platforms for your website or product. This will increase your ROI more than spending countless hours creating a posting schedule, making content, and creating shareable posts.
The Best Time to Post on Facebook
Facebook is the OG of social media. What started as a way for “The Zuck” to meet college girls has since made him a Billionaire. How? Ads.
You don’t get to a billion dollars without selling a few ads.
It’s important to remember this when it comes to social media: If you aren’t paying, then you’re the product. All of the social platforms on this list are free to use, but for the companies to continue growing, they need to bring in revenue.
This is where you, the marketer, come into play. These are pay-to-win strategies and no one knows the game better than Facebook.
If you try to play the free version of this game, you simply aren’t going to win.
Get your marketing team to set up a content plan that posts your ads and your content between 8 AM and 12 PM. This will have a trickle-down effect throughout the day, being seen as soon as you post it and then later on in the day, provided people scroll through their feed.
The key here is to not post too often. Half of all Facebook users in the US are guilty of checking their feed multiple times a day. If you post at the right time and your following on Facebook is strong, your posts will be seen.
The Best Time to Post on Instagram
Most marketers agree the best time to post on Instagram is on weekdays shortly before lunch, whatever that means for you and your marketing team.
If you’re an affiliate marketer or just getting into marketing, this might seem like a weird time to post. Feel free to play around with different times, as the early evening is also a solid time for your Instagram posts to be seen.
This social platform is weird and going through a lot of changes. India is a popular emerging market for Instagram. On top of that, a platform once heavy with young US people is now drawing an older crowd.
The smartest thing you can do if this is an app that you really want to use is to play around with posting times and frequency to see what works best for you and your audience.
The Best Time to Post on YouTube
The best part about YouTube is there really isn’t a “best” time to post a video. What matters the most is the quality of your content. The higher the quality, the better the opportunity for sharing and going viral.
Here’s what so many marketers struggle with: A new YouTube video is an excuse to post on social media. It’s truly glorious.
People are tired of seeing the same old pictures and blog posts. Mix it up with videos and share them on your Twitter, Facebook, and anywhere else your audience will find it.
The Best Time to Post on Twitter
Twitter is the king of shareability. Once designed for short posts and musings, it’s now used by everyone to share blog posts and other forms of useful content.
But what is the best time to post on Twitter? There is so much content being shared throughout the day.
Post first thing in the morning. As soon as your team comes into work, Twitter needs to be the first place they go.
People use it for news, gossip, and the newest trends. While your newest posts should go up first thing in the morning, share your best and older content throughout the day.
The Best Time to Post on TikTok
TikTok is the wild wild west of social media, especially when it comes to marketing. People are still trying to figure it out.
This platform is similar to Twitter as far as posting schedules. The earlier, the better. People like to scroll through various platforms when they’re just waking up and on the way to their jobs.
If you can post at 8 AM or even earlier, then you’ll stand a better chance at building up an audience. TikTok rewards creators with the highest engagement. It will be a good idea to do some testing and try posting videos throughout the day to find what works well so you can bring in new followers regularly.
Conclusion – The Importance of Post Timing on Social Media
We’re at the point where social media is not just valuable, but it’s a necessary part of every marketing strategy. It doesn’t matter if you’re a solopreneur or working for a large agency. You need to be successful on social platforms to increase sales of your product or service.
It doesn’t matter what everyone else tells you. When it comes to the importance of post timing on social media, you will have to perform rigorous testing to find the perfect strategy.
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