The Best Times to Post on Social Media in 2023 [New Data]

Social media is one of the best ways to amplify your brand and the great content you’re creating. But it isn’t enough to just post content to social whenever you feel like it – posting at some times performs better than others.

So, what are the best times to post on each social media channel in 2023? We surveyed 1000+ social media marketers and got the answer.

Best Time to Post on Instagram

In 2022, Instagram surpassed 2 billion monthly users, with most of its base accessing the platform via mobile.

On average, the best times to post on Instagram across industries are mid to late evening and mid to late afternoon, specifically from 6 PM - 9 PM, 12 PM - 3 PM, and 3 PM - 6 PM. The best day to post on Instagram is Saturdays. The worst is on Mondays.  The worst times to post are: 6 - 9 AM. 9 - 12 AM.

Best Time to Post on Facebook

When it comes to best times to post, marketers report almost identical numbers on Facebook as they do on Instagram.

On average, the best times to post on Facebook across industries are in the evening and mid-to-late afternoon, specifically between 6 and 9 PM and 12 PM - 3 PM. The best day to post on Facebook are Friday and Saturday. The worst is on Sunday. The worst times to post are: 6 AM to 9 AM. 9 PM to 12 AM.

Industries that have more success posting early morning are government and nonprofits.

Best Time to Post on Twitter

Marketers report that the best time to post on this text-based social media platform is between 9 AM and noon.

23% of marketers surveyed say 9 AM - 12 PM is the best time to post on the platform, followed by 12 PM - 3 PM, then 3 PM - 6 PM.  Like Instagram and Facebook, Friday is the best day to post on the platform, and Wednesday is just as good. Worst times? Early morning. Specifically 6 - 9 AM.

Best Time to Post on LinkedIn

Roughly 31% of U.S. adults use LinkedIn to network and share their professional endeavors. It’s no surprise that it’s the only social platform to report a weekday as one of the top days to post.

Aim to post on LinkedIn between 9 - 12 PM, 12 - 3 PM, or 3 - 6 PM. The best day to post is Mondays, Wednesdays, or Tuesdays, in that order. The lowest-performing days are Sundays and Saturdays, respectively.

Best Time to Post on Pinterest

The best times to post on Pinterest are between 3 PM and 6 PM. The second most popular time is 6 - 9 PM, selected by marketers surveyed in defense or aeronautics, chemicals and metals, and agriculture, food, and beverage. 29% of marketers say the best day to post on Pinterest is Friday, and the worst is Sunday.

Best Time to Post on YouTube

82% of U.S. adults use YouTube and data from a 2022 Pew Research study suggests that its reach is growing. So, how can you get the best reach on the platform? Let’s dive in.

Post between 6 PM and 9 PM (23%), 3 to 6 PM (22%), and noon to 3 PM. 18% of marketers surveyed recommend posting on Fridays, while 16% say Saturday is the best day to post. Tuesday is the worst day to post on the platform, along with early mornings from 6 - 9 AM.

The most popular time frame for emergency services, agriculture, food and beverage, and transportation businesses is 3 PM - 6 PM.

Best Time to Post on TikTok

Since 2020, TikTok has become the go-to short-form video platform for Gen-Z and Millennial consumers.

The best times to post are 6 to 9 PM, 3 to 6 PM, and 12 to 3 PM. For B2B brands, Saturdays and Thursdays are the best days to post. For B2C brands, it’s Saturdays and Sundays. Although energy and utilities and manufacturing and materials brands seem to find success in posting between 6 to 9 AM, most marketers don’t recommend it. The best day to post on TikTok is Friday, and the worst days to post are Monday and Tuesday.

Creating an Effective Posting Schedule

Although each social network sees its engagement increase at specific hours and days of the week, you’ll still have to tailor your approach to your audience.

Use this data as a guide if you don’t have enough data yet. Once you start posting regularly and have collected data, review it to determine when your audience is most active on the platform and what posting schedule they respond to the most.

You may find that certain content types work better when posted at certain times. For instance, your videos may perform well when posting in the morning while your images may do better in the late afternoon.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in 2017, but was updated for comprehensiveness.