Best times to post on Facebook

 Best times: Wednesday, 11 a.m. and 1–2 p.m.

 Best day: Wednesday
 Worst day: Sunday

Authenticity is key to engagement with the ever-evolving Facebook algorithm, and that means
knowing when to reach your audience so that their interest is piqued to interact with and share
your content.

It has been found that Wednesday is typically a top day for many industries. And just as activity
rises at the middle of the week, it tapers off on the weekends for most industries. This means it
can be harder to get eyes on your content when your audience’s attention is elsewhere on
Saturday and Sunday.
In addition to the top times to post above, Facebook as a whole showed the most consistent
engagement during the time period of Tuesday through Thursday, 8 a.m.–3 p.m., so these can
be considered other “safe” times to post. On the other hand, the lowest engagement that you
may want to avoid occurred every day either before 7 a.m. or after 5 p.m. These patterns can
help clue you in to how audiences are widely using Facebook: checking in for mid-day updates
throughout the week, and logging off a bit more in the mornings and evenings.

Best times to post on Facebook for consumer goods

 Best times: Wednesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 11 a.m.

 Best days: Wednesday and Friday
 Worst day: Sunday

It’s no surprise that consumer goods brands thrive online during weekdays, with consistent
engagement periods from Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. compared to lower
engagement every day before 8 a.m. and after 5 p.m.
One of the keys to social success for retail and B2C companies is understanding what audiences
actually want out of their experience with a brand. Use tools like social monitoring and listening
to understand what kinds of content, from product showcases to inspirational posts to
conversation starters, are resonating at these peak times.

Best times to post on Facebook for media

 Best times: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 5 p.m., Friday from 8–9 a.m.
 Best day: Wednesday
 Worst day: Sunday

This research shows that media companies have no shortage of times to reach the highly active
Facebook audience. With 74% of US Facebook users visiting the site every day, and the
ongoing appetite for news and discussion of the news on social, it’s no surprise that media
companies see higher engagement than some industries throughout the entire week.
While the weekend is a bit lighter on activity, media audiences are still checking in online for
regular updates on what’s going on in the world: reliable times for engagement occur every day
around 8–10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Meanwhile, engagement is lightest every day before 5 a.m. and
after 6 p.m.

Best times to post on Facebook for education

 Best times: Wednesday at 9 a.m. and Saturday at 5 p.m.

 Best day: Wednesday
 Worst day: Sunday

Facebook started out as a social network for college students, and while it’s hard to compare
those humble beginnings to the expansive platform today, there’s still plenty of room for
educational institutions to make an impact on the network. Compared to other industry
segments, mornings and nights offer stronger opportunities for schools’ social media content to
get seen, as well as some spikes in activity on the weekend.

Social can play a major role for schools of all types–ranging from campaigns aimed at
prospective students to updates and discussions that facilitate campus life. Meet your students
where they are on Facebook at the top times above, or consider the consistent engagement
seen from Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–noon and Saturday, noon–9 p.m.

Best times to post on Facebook for nonprofits

 Best times: Wednesday and Friday at 8–9 a.m.

 Best day: Wednesday
 Worst day: Saturday and Sunday

Facebook is an ideal platform for nonprofits to highlight their mission with social campaigns,
and to spark discussion and interaction with the communities and audiences they serve.
Activity for nonprofits is highest during the work week, with peak times on Wednesday and
Friday mornings.

You’re also likely to connect with your dedicated followers during the some of the safest times
for engagement occurring Wednesday through Friday, 8 a.m.–3 p.m., but nonprofits may want
to avoid the lowest engagement hours that happen every day before 6 a.m. and after 7 p.m.

Best times to post on Facebook for tech

 Best time: Wednesday from 9 a.m.–noon

 Best day: Wednesday
 Worst day: Sunday

The statistics show that a social presence is essential for software and tech companies, with
86% of IT consumers using it to help inform decisions. Whether your company is targeting B2C
or B2B audiences, findings show that Wednesday is the best day to post to get maximum
engagement.
There’s also opportunity throughout the work week, with a consistent block of engagement
happening from Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–noon. While mornings are somewhat active
for this industry, engagement tapers off as the work day winds down, with the least
opportunity for engagement occurring after 6 p.m. every day.

Best times to post on Facebook for healthcare

 Best times: Wednesday from 10 a.m.–noon

 Best day: Wednesday
 Worst days: Saturday and Sunday

Facebook is an ideal place for healthcare practices to build their social presence. In addition to
marketing and promotional content, it’s a great opportunity to highlight your local presence,
connect with patients, and build reputation through reviews.
Unsurprisingly, the typical business week for most healthcare practices features some of the
most reliable times for engagement, particularly from Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m.–3
p.m. Outside of standard hours, engagement tapers off, with the lowest engagement for
healthcare found every day before 6 a.m. and after 7 p.m.

Best times to post on Facebook for finance

 Best time: Wednesday at noon

 Best day: Wednesday
 Worst days: Saturday and Sunday

Financial institutions on Facebook show solid engagement during the work week, particularly
the start of the day from Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–noon.  As banks and exchanges close,
audience interest may start to wane for the day, with the lowest engagement periods
happening every day after 6 p.m. 
While it may seem intimidating to open up the lines of communication for a regulated industry
like finance on social, cultivating an understanding of social media compliance best
practices throughout your team can help you lay a foundation for successful content and
conversations on the platform.

Best times to post on Facebook for recreation

 Best times: Tuesday at 2 p.m., Wednesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 11 a.m.

 Best day: Wednesday
 Worst day: Sunday

What audiences are looking for when it comes to recreational companies and destinations on
Facebook can vary quite a bit by region, niche and other factors. This is reflected in the data,
which shows scattered opportunities for top engagement at multiple times throughout the
week.

Still, if you’re looking to target consistent engagement outside of these peak times, consider
posting from Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Avoid the drop off of lower engagement
that happens before 5 a.m. and after 5 p.m. every day. Use a social media monitoring
strategy to uncover deeper insights into what’s grabbing your audience’s attention during these
top times to post.

Best times to post on Instagram

  Best times: Wednesday at 11 a.m. and Friday from 10 a.m.–11 a.m.
 Best day: Wednesday
 Worst day: Sunday

Instagram is the second most logged-in social media site for daily use, and is only projected to
increase in its user base over the coming years.

This Facebook-owned platform shows relatively similar global usage patterns to its parent
company, with peak engagement occurring around midday in the week, and lower engagement
on weekends.

Looking at Instagram as a whole, the most consistent engagement can be found Monday

through Friday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Engagement becomes lower every day before 6 a.m. and after 9
p.m, but compared to other platforms, Instagram does have scattered points of engagement on
weekends and mornings. This could be fueled by the increasing popularity of bite-
sized Instagram Stories that are easy to check in on any time, and whose ephemeral nature can
drive FOMO.

Best times to post on Instagram for consumer goods

 Best times: Wednesday at 3 p.m.

 Best day: Wednesday
 Worst day: Sunday

Instagram’s visual-first nature has proven to be a perfect fit for showcasing and selling
products of all types. There are also plenty of approaches brands can use to highlight their
offerings, from influencer marketing strategies that provide lifestyle context to in-depth IGTV
videos that help showcase every feature and selling point.

Retailers and consumer goods brands can cut through the noise and earn engagement at the
peak times above, or target relatively safe times for engagement occurring Tuesday through
Friday, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Shopping behavior tapers off in the later evening, with the lowest
engagement found every day before 5 a.m. and after 9 p.m.

Best times to post on Instagram for media

 Best times: Friday at 9 a.m.

 Best day: Friday
 Worst days: Saturday and Sunday

Media companies show relatively unique patterns of engagement on Instagram, with higher
engagement times split between morning and afternoon. In addition to the peak time on
Friday, engagement is most consistent Monday through Friday between either 8–10 a.m. or 2–
4 p.m.

Similar to other industry segments, the lowest engagement occurs every day before 5 a.m. and
after 9 p.m. To capture the most attention from audiences, be sure to understand the elements
of a great Instagram photo so your content stands out from competitors.
Best times to post on Instagram for education

 Best time: Friday at 10 a.m.

 Best day: Friday
 Worst day: Sunday

Instagram is a great platform for schools and universities to build up their social presence and
visual branding. Highlight campus life and events, and consider taking to Instagram Live to
inform both current and prospective students about what’s going on or hold an informal Q&A.

Saturday is considerably more active for educational institutions than other segments on
Instagram, and to find the most consistent engagement, target Wednesday, Friday or Saturday,
9 a.m.–9 p.m. While audiences for education content stay active a bit later in the night, the
lowest engagement starts to occur every day before 8 a.m. and after 11 p.m.

Best times to post on Instagram for nonprofit

  Best times: Tuesday from 1–3 p.m. and Wednesday at 2 p.m.
 Best day: Wednesday
 Worst day: Sunday

Nonprofits can complement their strategy on other social platforms with a robust Instagram
presence. Sparking social conversations is just as important on Instagram as any other social
network, allowing nonprofits to tap into their robust bases of supporters, volunteers and
followers. If you’re looking for fresh content ideas that can truly drive these connections, build
in time to gather Instagram listening insights into your social strategy.

In terms of engagement, nonprofit peak times occur during the afternoons and weekdays, with
overall most consistent engagement happening Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Aside
from a brief period of moderate engagement on Saturday afternoon, the lowest engagement
mostly falls outside of the workday, every day before 8 a.m. and after 10 p.m.

Best times to post on Instagram for tech

  Best times: Wednesday at 6 a.m. and 9–10 a.m., and Friday from 7–10 a.m.
 Best day: Wednesday
 Worst day: Sunday

For tech companies serving a B2B audience, you might not think your product is visually
compelling enough to develop a great Instagram strategy. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways
to create interesting B2B content on any platform, including Instagram. Highlight employee
stories, supplement case studies with compelling video, and if you haven’t already, start using
inspiration from your logo design process to develop an overall design language using signature
colors and illustration styles.

Engagement opportunities are in many ways wide-open for tech companies to experiment with
on Instagram. In addition to peak times on Wednesday, there are two separate stretches of
consistent engagement occurring from Tuesday evening through Wednesday afternoon,
and Friday from midnight to 10 p.m. The stretch of lowest overall engagement was found
from Saturday afternoon throughout most of Sunday.
Best times to post on Instagram for healthcare

 Best times: Tuesday at 8 a.m.

 Best day: Tuesday
 Worst days: Saturday and Sunday

As a regulated field with specific restrictions on sharing information, healthcare can face
challenges in building a social presence. However, there’s so much opportunity to connect with
local communities and educate audiences about their health concerns that health institutions
shouldn’t overlook the chance to interact with audiences wherever they are, including
Instagram.

Develop a healthcare social media strategy that sets out clear guidelines for your team, and
consider using your own analytics to supplement these findings and discover the optimal times
for your specific audience’s location or healthcare niche.

Best times to post on Instagram for finance

  Best times: Friday at 11 a.m.
 Best day: Wednesday
 Worst day: Thursday

Financial institutions might not seem like the ideal fit for Instagram at first glance. In reality,
there are plenty of ways to build a content strategy that leverages the platform for everything
from highlighting events and customer stories to widening the reach of longer form articles and
video content.

Best times to post on Instagram for recreation

  Best times: Wednesday and Thursday at 1 p.m.
 Best day: Wednesday
 Worst day: Sunday

There’s no better way to highlight the appeal of any type of recreational destination than on
Instagram. The network has become a perfect fit for social media for travel destinations and
companies, and it’s no surprise considering how easy it is to highlight everything from beautiful
views to great meals or exciting activities.

Draw in customers at the peak times we found above, or consider posting during the times with
the most reliable engagement, from Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. To avoid the
lowest engagement times, don’t schedule before 6 a.m. and after 10 p.m. every day.