When's The Best Time to Post on Instagram in 2023?
Summary
Everything you need to know about pinpointing the best times to post on Instagram for maximum engagement.
You will learn
- Which days and times are generally best for posting
- The best time for sharing Instagram Reels
- How to use analytics to figure out the best time to reach your specific audience
There are many factors to consider when it comes to posting on Instagram — but very few of them can make or break a post in the way that timing can.
The last thing you want is to spend the time and resources it takes to come up with a showstopper piece of content only to post in an engagement dead zone that results in… crickets.
Sharing Instagram Stories, Reels, photos, and carousels at optimal times for engagement is a great way to get around this hurdle – if your content immediately makes it to your target audience’s feed while they have time to engage with it, it’s more likely to succeed.
With all that in mind, let's dig into everything you need to know about when you should be posting on Instagram — including how to figure out the best time for your audience.
Visually plan your content calendar and make your profile a "must-follow" with Buffer's suite of Instagram scheduling tools.
Is there a best time to post on Instagram?
While there's no single, universal best time to post on Instagram, there are times when your audience is more likely to be active on the app. Why does that matter?
Well, each section of the app (the main Instagram feed, Stories, Instagram Reels, and the Explore page) is governed by a separate algorithm. One of the most important “signals” for the various Instagram algorithms is engagement.
Engagement — likes, comments, shares, and saves — on your content tells the app that your content is resonating with people. In turn, Instagram will show your content to more people like those who have already engaged. This is particularly true in the public discovery pages, Explore and Reels.
So while Instagram post recency is not as crucial as it once was (R.I.P chronological feed), it’s still an important factor to consider when developing your social media marketing strategy.
As such, active times for your audience are definitely something you should be aware of. In a nutshell: the more people there are online, the more likely your content is to get engagement. The more engagement you get, the better your Instagram content will perform.
The best times to post on Instagram
This study by Influencer Marketing Hub consolidated data from various social media tools to pinpoint trends in peak engagement times.
As you'll see from the graph above, people behave in fairly predictable ways, depending on the day of the week. For example, they’re more likely to get up very early on a Monday (hence that peak engagement time at 5 a.m.) or mentally check out of work earlier on Fridays (which is why app usage generally goes up from 2 p.m. onwards).
Posting content between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. is always a safe bet, as this is when people are most likely to indulge in a lunch break scroll. Audience behavior can be a useful guide when scheduling content and building out your social media strategy.
The best time to post on Instagram on Monday
The numbers suggest the best time slots on Mondays for engagement are 5 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m., and 1 p.m.
- ⏰ Peak Instagram engagement time on Monday: 12 p.m.
The best time to post on Instagram on Tuesday
On Tuesday, the data suggests that the best times to post are early morning: specifically, 7 a.m., 8 a.m., 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.
- ⏰ Peak Instagram engagement time on Tuesday: 9 a.m.
The best time to post on Instagram on Wednesday
Wednesday is one of the best days to post on Instagram (more on this below), and there are several specific times you can take advantage of for engagement: 5 a.m., 6 a.m., 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and 12 p.m.
- ⏰ Peak Instagram engagement time on Wednesday: 11 a.m.
The best time to post on Instagram on Thursday
On Thursdays, the data suggests the best posting times are 6 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m., and 1 p.m.
- ⏰ Peak Instagram engagement time on Thursday: 11 a.m. & 12 p.m.
The best time to post on Instagram on Friday
On Fridays, the numbers show that the higher engagementtime slots are 7 a.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m., and 4 p.m. — people are clearly checking out of their workday early come end-of-week.
- ⏰ Peak Instagram engagement time on Friday: 2 pm
The best time to post on Instagram on Saturday
For a good chance of high engagement, aim to schedule your Instagram content for 6 a.m., 8 a.m., 9 a.m., and 10 a.m. on Saturdays.
- ⏰ Peak Instagram engagement time on Saturday: 9 a.m.
The best time to post on Instagram on Sunday
Instagram users love a late-night/early-morning scroll on the weekend, resulting in an engagement hotspot at 1 a.m. on Sunday morning. Alternatively, content posted at 6 p.m., 7 p.m., and 8 p.m. will likely also do well.
- ⏰ Peak Instagram engagement time on Sunday: 6 p.m.
This is where social media scheduling tools like Buffer really shine. Experiment by systematically going through the times on the list above, scheduling a post, and tracking its performance to see what works best for your specific audience.
What is the best day of the week to post on Instagram?
Weekdays are generally better for posting on the social media platform, with Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays coming out tops.
Comparatively, the worst day to post on Instagram is usually a Sunday.
What is the best time to post Reels on Instagram?
While there is some overlap, data from Influencer Marketing Hub, reveals that there are some differences in the best time to post Instagram Reels.
An update on the algorithm by Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri could offer some insight here: People’s behavior tends to differ in different areas of the app, Adam wrote. “People tend to look for their closest friends in Stories, use Explore to discover new content and creators, and be entertained in Reels.”
It stands to reason, then, that people are looking to be entertained at certain times of day, and catch up with friends, family, and their favorite creators at other times.
After analyzing more than 100,000 short-form video posts to find the best engagement rates, researchers shared these at the best times to post Instagram Reels.
- Monday: 6 a.m., 10 a.m., 10 p.m.
- Tuesday: 2 a.m., 4 a.m., 9 a.m.
- Wednesday: 7 a.m., 8 a.m., 11 p.m.
- Thursday: 9 a.m., 12 a.m., 7 p.m.
- Friday: 5 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m.
- Saturday: 11 a.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m.
- Sunday: 7 p.m., 8 a.m., 4 p.m.
The best time for you to post on Instagram
While all of the above time frames can be useful in helping you put together a posting schedule as you’re just starting out, take it all with a pinch of salt.
There are better ways to figure out when your audience is online and engaging — and these times might not align with the general guidelines above.
How to find the best time for you to post on Instagram
Ultimately, there is no one-size-fits-all for the best time to post on Instagram. Your peak engagement time will likely differ from someone else’s.
For example, my Instagram audience’s activity level is pretty steady on work days and on the weekends. They’re less likely to be online during work hours, and engagement usually peaks in the early evening. They’re slightly more active on Wednesday, with activity peaking at 6 p.m. in my time zone (SAST).
For Buffer’s Instagram following, things look a little different. “We’ve found that posting between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. PST on weekdays works well for us, though Mondays at 7 p.m. PST are our best engagement time,” says Social Media Manager Mitra Mehvar. For ease of comparison, those times are 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. EST, and 10 p.m. EST.
“In general, I’ve found that weekends have had a lower engagement for us so I usually don’t post on Saturday and Sunday,” she adds.
Option 1: Instagram Insights
To get similar stats for your own audience via the Instagram analytics baked into the app, head over to Instagram Insights on the mobile app:
- Go to your Instagram profile and click on the hamburger menu (the three horizontal lines) on the top right of your screen.
- Tap on ‘Insights’.
- From there, click on ‘Total followers’
- Scroll down to the bottom of this page and look for ‘Most active times’. You’ll be able to toggle between hours for every day of the week or look at specific days.
Note that you’ll need an Instagram Business account or Instagram Creator account to access these metrics.
Option 1: Buffer Analytics
Social media analytics tools like Buffer will offer deeper insights. If you’re a Buffer user, our Analytics offer even deeper insights into the best times to post on Instagram. To find yours:
- Head over to analyze.buffer.com in your desktop browser and make sure you’re logged into your Buffer account.
- Click on ‘Instagram’ on the left side of your screen. There’s a host of important data to dig into here, including post performance and audience demographics.
- Click on ‘Answers’. Here, you’ll find insights on a whole lot more than the best time to post (think which post types are the best for you, or how often you should be posting) but the best time to post is the second box from the top.
Here are some of the Answers for our Instagram account in Buffer"
Your checklist for high-performing Instagram posts
While figuring out the best time to post for maximum engagement is an important part of your Instagram marketing strategy, it’s not the be-all and end-all.
As we unpack in our guide to the Instagram algorithm(s) there are a huge number of factors to take into account if you want your content to perform well. Here’s our checklist for high-performing Instagram content:
- Make the most of Instagram’s new features: As with the launch of Instagram Stories and Reels, the platform loves showcasing its new features. Using them could mean getting your content in front of new audiences.
- Experiment with post types: Regularly trying out a new type of content will help you figure out what resonates the most with your audience. Plus, it’s a great way to repurpose your content.
- Don’t neglect your caption: According to a fascinating report by HubSpot, captions that performed the best were either very long (over 2,000 characters) or very short (less than 20). Using emojis in captions was also shown to boost engagement.
- Use hashtags: Studies show that posts with hashtags receive higher engagement than those without. Buffer’s Hashtag Manager will make adding your favorite ones your caption or comments a breeze.
- Prioritize authentic engagement: Rather than wasting time and resources on Instagram algorithm hacks, focus on fostering meaningful engagement with your followers. That means replying to comments and messages, resharing their mentions of you, and even interacting with them on their own content.
- Analyze to see what’s working: Use Instagram Insights to see which of your posts have had the most engagement. Buffer's analytics will also help you uncover your best posts (those with the highest engagement) in just a few clicks.
What have you found most helpful when determining your best time to post on Instagram? Let us know @buffer on all our social media accounts!