We firmly believe that social media remains a highly effective marketing channel. However, the competition is fierce and intensifying, requiring you to capitalize on every opportunity to enhance your post’s visibility. Understanding the optimal posting times on Instagram is a valuable strategy to increase both visibility and customer engagement. Countless opinions exist regarding the ideal moment to hit that “publish” button, but it boils down to two key steps:

1. Initially, before acquiring your own Instagram data: Experiment with posting times recommended by reputable studies.
2. Subsequently, after accumulating your own Instagram data: Tailor your posting schedule to align with your audience’s habits.

The challenge lies in gathering the latest research on Instagram posting times and effectively interpreting your own data. Fortunately, we’ve done the heavy lifting for you:

This comprehensive guide presents the optimal Instagram posting times based on multiple studies, along with insights into those studies and strategies for determining the best posting times for your business.

Contents

• Does posting time on Instagram really matter?
• In a nutshell: The best time to post on Instagram
• Optimal Instagram posting times by day
• Ideal Instagram posting times by industry
• Prime Instagram posting times by time zone
• When to post Instagram Reels for maximum impact
• Determining the best Instagram posting times for your business
• Frequently Asked Questions about Instagram posting times

Does posting time on Instagram really matter?

Absolutely, and here’s why. Although social media feeds aren’t strictly chronological, they prioritize fresh content. Posting when your audience is most active increases the likelihood of your posts receiving likes, shares, and comments. Early engagement also provides a significant boost to your post’s performance within the Instagram algorithm. Since Instagram favors popular posts, securing interactions within the first hour increases your post’s visibility throughout the day. Naturally, creating high-quality, relevant content for your audience is paramount. Content quality and relevance always take precedence, even over the most strategic posting schedule.

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In a nutshell: The best time to post on Instagram based on 4 studies

If you’re eager to start posting and need a starting point, look no further. We’ve compiled data from several recent studies into a convenient graph. Experiment with posting at these times to determine what works best for your specific audience.

Here’s a closer look at the studies we used for our summarized chart. For the data enthusiasts (we feel you!), it’s fascinating to see how they arrived at their conclusions.

Later

Later’s report, published in 2022, analyzes 11 million posts, including images, videos, carousels, and Reels. Surprisingly, some of their recommended posting times are quite early in the day.

Source Later suggests that while many businesses aim to post when their audience is most active (9 a.m.-1 p.m.), this coincides with peak competition. Posting earlier might lead to higher engagement, giving your post an algorithmic advantage and increased visibility on feeds.

Sprout Social

Sprout Social’s insights on optimal Instagram posting times stem from analyzing over 20,000 user accounts. Their findings contrast with Later’s, advocating for posting during peak engagement hours.

Source Interestingly, evening engagement gradually declines from Monday to Sunday, while engagement peaks earliest on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite’s research combines an analysis of 30,000 Instagram posts with their own experience managing their popular Instagram account.

Source Hootsuite’s data aligns with Sprout Social’s, suggesting that late mornings and early afternoons are optimal. This indicates a trend of people taking midday Instagram breaks during work or school.

HubSpot

HubSpot’s report offers a different perspective, proposing that the best posting times are between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. This conclusion is based on a massive dataset of 110 million posts (85 million from North America).

Source Feeling overwhelmed by the conflicting data? That’s understandable. It simply highlights that the perfect Instagram posting time is subjective. Consider these times as educated starting points for your own experimentation.

The best time to post on Instagram by day

Even if certain days yield higher engagement, you’ll likely post throughout the week. Understanding the optimal posting time for each day is crucial. Given the data variations, we’ve consolidated and listed the best option from each study for each day, providing a comprehensive overview.

The best time to post on Instagram on Monday

Later: 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. Sprout Social: 11 a.m. Hootsuite: 11 a.m. HubSpot: 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Consider experimenting with later morning posts on Mondays, potentially targeting people on their lunch breaks.

The best time to post on Instagram on Tuesday

Later: 12 a.m. to 9 a.m. Sprout Social: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Hootsuite: 8 a.m. HubSpot: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Notice the convergence of three sources in the morning? 8:30 a.m. might be a sweet spot for Instagram posts on Tuesdays.

The best time to post on Instagram on Wednesday

Later: 2 a.m. to 7 a.m. Sprout Social: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hootsuite: 11 a.m. HubSpot: 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday’s recommendations lack a clear consensus. Consider skipping Wednesday if you don’t post daily. Alternatively, try 11 a.m. since it’s one of the few times suggested by multiple sources.

The best time to post on Instagram on Thursday

Later: 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. Sprout Social: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Hootsuite: 11 a.m. HubSpot: 9 p.m. HubSpot narrows its evening window on Thursday, suggesting they’ve identified a prime posting time for this day.

The best time to post on Instagram on Friday

Later: 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. Sprout Social: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Hootsuite: 2 p.m. HubSpot: 9 p.m. The four studies offer conflicting recommendations for Friday. Experiment with different times to see what resonates.

The best time to post on Instagram on Saturday

Later: 3 a.m. Sprout Social: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Hootsuite: 8 a.m. HubSpot: 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. Weekends tend to have lower Instagram engagement, according to most data. If you have weekend promotions, post them early.

The best time to post on Instagram on Sunday

Later: 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. Sprout Social: 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Hootsuite: 6 p.m. HubSpot: 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, like Saturday, generally sees lower engagement. Feel free to experiment with different posting times.

The best time to post on Instagram by vertical

Sprout Social’s industry-specific data provides insights into the best posting times for various sectors. If your business falls into one of these categories, try these time slots.

Best time to post on Instagram by time zone

Later’s time zone-specific recommendations are invaluable for businesses with global audiences.

The best time to post on Instagram Reels

Instagram’s short-form video feature, Reels, is a powerful tool for brand building. Influencer Marketing Hub provides insights into the best times to post Reels based on an analysis of over 100,000 global Instagram posts and engagement rates.

How to find the best times to post on Instagram for your business

The ultimate goal is to enhance engagement on your Instagram posts. While existing studies provide valuable insights, it’s essential to determine what works best for your specific business. These tips will help you leverage anecdotal and concrete data to create an engagement-maximizing Instagram posting schedule.

1. Utilize Instagram Insights

Instagram’s built-in analytics platform offers valuable information about your audience, including a “most active times” metric that reveals when they’re most engaged. It also provides demographic and location data, showing who’s interacting with your account and where they’re from. Location data is particularly useful for identifying target time zones.

2. Consider your target audience

Buyer personas are fictional representations of your customers, encompassing their lifestyles, occupations, hobbies, families, education levels, interests, and more. This understanding is crucial for determining optimal posting times. For instance, lunchtime might not be ideal if your audience typically eats with others or exercises during their break. Similarly, evenings might not be suitable for parents busy with bedtime routines. Reflect on these questions:

• Why do they use Instagram?
• How much time do they spend on Instagram?
• Who else do they follow?
• Do they follow hundreds or thousands of accounts?
• When are they most likely to engage with posts versus passively scrolling?
• How many times a day do they check Instagram? This information can guide your content and posting schedule.

3. Explore third-party tools

Numerous social media management platforms offer more comprehensive analytics than Instagram Insights and even allow post scheduling. These include Later, Buffer, Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and many others. Some tools even suggest optimal posting times.

4. Understand the algorithm

In June 2021, Instagram released an algorithm update. explaining its algorithm works. It gathers recent posts from accounts followed by a user and ranks them based on various signals, including:

• Your post: content, location, video length, likes, interest metrics.
• You: who engages with you and how.
• Their preferences and behaviors.
• Their past interactions with you. So to show up in the Instagram Feed, recency is less important than engagement. The update emphasizes five key interactions: the likelihood of spending a few seconds on a post, commenting, liking, saving, and tapping on the profile picture. This leads to our next suggestion.

5. Prioritize engagement

Clearly, posting at the perfect time isn’t the sole factor for success on Instagram. Crafting exceptional content is paramount. This strengthens your engagement signal over time, earning you algorithmic favor. Here’s how to optimize for those five key interactions: To encourage them to:

• Spend time on the post: Capture attention with a captivating visual, entice reading with a great caption, and maintain engagement with a carousel or video.
• Comment: Ask questions like “would you rather,” “what would you do,” “here’s mine/what’s yours,” “what’s your take,” “fill in the blank,” “caption this photo,” and more.
• Like: Create useful, emotionally resonant, unique, visually appealing content aligned with your values.
• Save: Share valuable information like tips, tutorials, and ideas they’ll want to revisit.
• Tap your profile picture: Utilize the link in bio and use an appealing profile picture. Focus on creating engaging content first, then optimize posting times. The right content at the “wrong” time is more effective than the wrong content at the “right” time. For more Instagram marketing tips and post ideas, visit Local Social Media Lab—it’s a treasure trove! Don’t forget about reposting on Instagram, leveraging existing engaging content from others.

6. Learn from your previous posts

Past performance is a strong indicator of future results. Track your most engaging posts and their posting times through your Instagram analytics dashboard.

Some final tips:

• Utilize Instagram Stories! High production quality isn’t essential, and your Story is accessible 24/7.
• Stay updated on Instagram’s latest features—they’re constantly innovating.
• Consider paid advertising for targeted exposure, lead generation, and sales. Explore our comprehensive guide to Instagram advertising and costs.

The best time to post on Instagram FAQs

Here’s a quick Q&A to fine-tune your Instagram schedule.

1. What’s the best time of day to post on Instagram?

It depends on your goals and audience behavior. However, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. is a good starting point based on available data.

2. Is it best to post daily on Instagram?

Ideally, yes. Daily posting steadily increases engagement, enhancing your credibility with the algorithm. If daily posting isn’t feasible, aim for consistency. If you choose a three-times-a-week cadence, stick to it.

3. Is it better to post on Instagram at night or in the morning?

Most data suggests that late mornings are optimal for engagement. People often take breaks to browse Instagram then, unlike platforms like YouTube, where viewers prefer longer videos after work.

4. How do you check peak time on Instagram

Access your Instagram analytics dashboard and look for the “most active times” graph.

The best time to post on Instagram: Key takeaways

While abundant data exists on optimal Instagram posting times, it primarily serves as guidance for your initial posts. Ultimately, your audience will dictate the best times to capture their attention. To maximize engagement at the best times on Instagram:

• Post high-quality, relevant content.
• Maintain posting consistency.
• Use the data in this guide as a starting point for scheduling.
• Analyze the performance of your early posts to inform future scheduling.
• Regularly review your Instagram analytics and adjust accordingly. For comprehensive social media mastery, explore our other guides on optimal posting times for platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook.