Instagram is always evolving to keep up with the rapid speed of social media. With so many people using Instagram (71%), it’s a great place to connect with customers all over the world. With users in so many different time zones, you have to be strategic about when you release different pieces of content.
There is a lot of conflicting advice on when is the optimum time to post to Instagram, depending on whom you ask or where you look. We’ve researched the most popular answers on the web to curate answers with the most consensus to help simplify things and provide clearer direction.
Explore our findings to learn the optimal times for Instagram posting.
Quickly see when is ideal to post on Instagram
Influencer Marketing Hub suggests the following times for Instagram posts:
Monday hours are 6 AM – 10 AM – 10 PM.
Tuesday hours are 2AM, 4AM, and 9AM.
Time on Wednesdays: 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, and 11:00.
7 AM, 8 AM, 2:00 PM, 3:00 PM: Thursday.
Time on a Friday morning, 10 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm.
Open 11am-7pm-8pm on Saturdays.
Sunday hours are 7 AM – 8 AM – 4 PM.
Good news up to this point. However, you’ll need some ingenuity if you want to perfect your Instagram technique. Before you start planning your Instagram marketing strategy, you need to figure out what you want to achieve. Do you want to increase revenue? Describe the characteristics of a social media marketing campaign that has met with your approval.
You should also think on your accomplishments in the past. When did you find that your most successful Instagram posts occurred? What actions can you take based on this information to advance your social media strategy?
Daily peak posting times
After analysing current trends on Instagram and calculating some numbers, researchers have determined that the optimum time to post on Instagram, worldwide, is currently:
- On Wednesday at 11 o’clock.
Instagram users prefer to check the app during the workweek or schoolday, with the majority of users doing so around noon on weekdays. - Weekends are notoriously bad for engagement, making them the worst time to post. This is likely due to the fact that people are enjoying themselves and doing things in the real world.
- According to studies conducted by Hootsuite, the following times of day are best for posting:
- Monday at 12:00 is the optimal time to make an Instagram post.
- While Influencer Marketing Hub suggests posting on Monday mornings (or at 10 p.m.), Hootsuite’s analysts claim that midday is the sweet spot. This demonstrates that data varies among nations, regions, and industries. (More to come on it…)
- Tuesday morning at 9 a.m.
On a Tuesday, many users are already on Instagram at 8 a.m. The best time to air is between 8 and 10 in the morning, with the peak being at 9 in the morning. - On Wednesdays at 11 am is the best time to make an Instagram post.
At 11 a.m. central time on weekdays, Instagram activity spikes significantly. - On Thursdays at noon is the optimal time to make an Instagram post.
Engagement is highest at noon on Thursdays, however results are still good from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. - Friday at two o’clock is the sweet spot for Instagram posts.
On a Friday, attendance is quite steady from breakfast through lunchtime. Fridays from 7 AM and 2 PM are ideal for publishing, with 2 PM being the busiest hour. - Saturday morning at 9 a.m.
It may come as a surprise, but Instagram users are already actively using the app by 9 a.m. on a Saturday. - Sunday evening at 7 o’clock is prime Instagram posting time.
The pace slows down a little on Sundays. There will be no early rises today. Even though research shows that use is consistent from midday to 8 p.m., people prefer to scroll at 7 p.m.
When should I schedule this?
If you don’t have much of either, it’s better to pick the best days and times to post on Instagram and stick to them. And don’t forget that the peak interaction period is on Wednesday at 11 a.m.
However, Sprout Social reports that the optimal time to share content on Instagram differs by field. Sundays between 3 and 4 p.m., for instance, are ideal for consumer goods companies to share content on Instagram. On the other hand, educational content does best on Tuesdays at 10 a.m., while financial content performs best at 6 a.m. on Wednesdays.
Instagram’s worst posting time
The worst time to post on Instagram, according to an analysis of 35 million posts from around the world, is between 9 and 11 p.m. on Thursdays. You shouldn’t stop posting altogether, but you might want to avoid doing so at these times.
When is Instagram’s most active?
The optimum time to upload Reels is between 9 a.m. and midnight, Monday through Thursday. According to this data, leveraging Reels—powerful content pieces at any time of day—is essential for maximising interaction on Instagram.
In comparison to standard Instagram posts, data shows that Reels can generate up to 300% more interaction. If you want your content to go viral, then you need Reels. If you’d like more details, we can provide a plethora of resources for improving Reels.
On Instagram, interaction is the main focus
Then why do we need to know this information? It all boils down to showing interest in what the algorithm is trying to find.
The goal of your Instagram profile should be to encourage user interaction, which could lead to sales. Interactions include things like liking, commenting, viewing, sharing, and sending private messages.