The best time to post on Instagram
You’ve created beautiful images, infographics, carousels, reels, GIFs, and more for Instagram. You are ready to get started on your social media marketing journey for your Instagram account. But how do you ensure that they’re seen by as many people as possible? When is the best day and time to post on Instagram for higher engagement?
Whether you are involved in social media management or just want to optimize the visibility of your posts, knowing when to post your Instagram content to receive the highest engagement possible is crucial. We've looked at studies across several industries to find the optimal times to post. Here are the ultimate best times to post on Instagram.
Summary/Overview
The overall best time to post on Instagram
The overall best times to post on Instagram are
- Wednesday at 11am and 1pm
- Friday at 10am and 11am
Although these are the all-time best times to post, these days or times may not work out with your posting schedule. Let’s break it down further.
The best times to post on Instagram
Taking a calculated approach to posting is a crucial part of any successful digital marketing strategy. Many different organizations have carried out studies regarding the best times to post on Instagram. We have combined a couple of these studies, including one done by Influencer Marketing Hub and another by Sprout Social to create a heatmap of Instagram engagement for each hour time slot, with 1 being the lowest engagement rate and 6 being the highest.
Looking at the above chart, we can deduce the best engagement times for social media posts, as well as which days are better or worse to post on Instagram. Make sure to time your social media content and post when more users are scrolling through the app.
Best time to post on Instagram on Monday
The best time to post on Instagram on Monday is 11am-1pm. Catch your followers during their lunch breaks and bless their feeds with whatever you post.
Best time to post on Instagram on Tuesday
The best time to post on Instagram on Tuesday is during the peak time of 10am-3pm. Instagrammers seem to use the app during their breaks at work and at home after the workday has ended.
Best time to post on Instagram on Wednesday
The best time to post on Instagram on Wednesday is 11am or 1pm. Overall, you can get some of the most engagement on Wednesday, so posting anytime between 9 am-3pm would be ideal.
Best time to post on Instagram on Thursday
The best time to post on Instagram on Thursday is 9am -3pm. If you want to avoid posting during the workday, consider the alternative off-work hours of 4 pm-7pm.
Best time to post on Instagram on Friday
The best time to post on Instagram on Friday is between 10am and 11am. Instagrammers are excited about the weekend and are checking out their feeds during work breaks. Utilize the excitement about the weekend to post before everyone goes out on Friday night.
Best time to post on Instagram on Saturday
The best time to post on Instagram on Saturday is between 8am-11am. People are often out and about on Saturdays, so overall, Instagram engagement is low. Try catching your followers early in the day before they head out for weekend activities to maximize engagement.
Best time to post on Instagram on Sunday
The best time to post on Instagram on Sunday is between the hours of 7 am-12pm. Instagram has the lowest engagement on Sundays, meaning it might be a good idea to avoid posting content that you are hoping creates engagement on Sundays.
The best and worst days to post on Instagram
- Wednesday and Friday are the best days to post on Instagram
- Sunday is the worst day to post on Instagram
In 2024, the time-of-day sweet spot for posting on Instagram has expanded, with more people working flexibly from home. Midday engagement (10am-3pm) during the work week has increased in recent years, while evenings and weekends remain popular times for engagement.
Although Sunday is usually the least effective day to post, weekends aren’t necessarily a bad time to post overall and can still generate engagement. The worst time to post on Instagram Monday through Friday is after 7pm when people have finished work for the day and are probably taking a break from their screens.
The best time to post reels on Instagram
The best time to post on Instagram depends on the type of content. Reels are one of the fastest-growing features of Instagram. In fact, Instagram Reels typically get more engagement and views than videos posted on Instagram. If you are trying to grow an engaged following, consider posting reels on Instagram to supplement your main content. But when is the best time to post reels on Instagram? According to a study analyzing more than 10,000 Instagram posts and engagement rates done by Influencer Marketing Hub, here are the best times to post reels on Instagram (in EST):
Best times to post reels on Instagram each day
- Monday: 6am, 10am, 10pm
- Tuesday: 2am, 4am, 9am
- Wednesday: 7am, 8am, 11am
- Thursday: 9am, 12pm, 7pm
- Friday: 5am, 1pm, 3pm
- Saturday: 11am, 7pm, 8pm
- Sunday: 7am, 8am, 4pm
Try to make reels that intrigue people enough that they want to click on your account to learn more. Utilize relevant hashtags and peak reel-posting times to reach out to potential new followers. Reels are an excellent way to drive more people to your account, increase engagement, and gain more followers.
How to find your best time to post on Instagram
If you’re new to Instagram, the days and times outlined above are probably a good starting point. However, although the above suggestions on when to post are great to use as you get started building followers and engagement, they are more suggestions rather than rules of thumb.
There is no one way to beat the ‘Instagram algorithm.’ Instead, it is important to understand who your followers are, when they are online, and what works best for your Instagram account — that way, you can time your posts for your specific followers rather than Instagram users in general.
As time goes on, you can start to experiment with other posting times and learn what times are best for you and your brand specifically. But how do you tailor your posting schedule to your specific audience? Well, the Meta Business Suite will give you access to all the data you need to solve your posting woes.
How to use the Meta Business Suite for Instagram.
If you want to learn more about your target audience, when most of your followers are online, and how Instagram’s algorithm works, convert your Instagram to a business account to make use of the Meta Business Suite. You don’t need a social media management tool to optimize your Instagram feed – instead, try out Instagram Analytics.
The Meta Business Suite provides you with a native Instagram analytics tool where you’ll be able to see how your previous Instagram posts performed. You will also be able to discover key metrics nad demographic information about your followers, such as gender, age, and location. You’ll be able to build a complete picture of the best time to post to your social media platforms.
With the data within the Meta Business Suite, you’ll have a much clearer idea of the best time to post on Instagram for high engagement. You can then tweak your content calendar accordingly. When are the time frames that your followers are online? Early morning? During their lunch hour? Are they primarily located in PST or EST? The Meta Business Suite will provide all this information and more so you can find your best posting times. It’s good practice to regularly check your social media analytics to monitor and optimize performance.
Key considerations when posting on Instagram
When you’re trying to figure out the best times to post, there are many things to think about. We have compiled the top four key considerations when deciding when to post on Instagram.
1. Day of the week
Some days of the week are better than others for posting content. In general, more people are using Instagram during the weekdays (Monday-Friday) than on the weekends (Saturday-Sunday). People are often out on the weekends, meaning they might not be on their phones. Even during the workday, think about when people typically are on their phones (during work breaks and lunch breaks) and when they are often away from their phones (during commutes, dinner, and overnight).
2. Time zones
Adjust your posting schedule to fit the time zones of your most engaged followers. Where are the majority of your followers located? One of the things you can look at in Instagram Insights is your followers’ top locations. If you live in a time zone that differs from most of your target audience, consider posting on their schedule rather than yours. Think about the specific times that work best for your followers.
3. Breaks during the workday
Instagram engagement peaks during working hours Monday-Friday. Why? Because people love to hop on social media during their work breaks to get a bit of relief from the workday. Think about when your followers may have their breaks and time your posts so they can see them as they eat lunch.
4. Frequency of posts
How often should you post on Instagram? A better question might be, “How often can you produce amazing content?” Once a week or three times a day, no matter how often you can post, the key is consistency. Create a content calendar to get yourself on a consistent Instagram schedule. Creating a social media schedule that you can stick to is an important part of a successful Instagram marketing strategy. Think about users’ feeds and how often they would want to see your content. Consider your ratio of Instagram posts to Instagram stories. Find a few times that work for you, then try to regularly post at those times.
With Adobe Express, you can browse and remix thousands of beautiful templates to create standout social content that will attract attention and encourage engagement on your social networks. Then use a scheduling tool and publish your posts using the Content Scheduler. Get started by uploading your logo, brand colors, and fonts so you can quickly make each post you create on-brand.
This post was updated on January 12, 2024.