The Best Times to Publish Content On Social Media

Social media has become an integral part of our lives such that it is regarded as essential by many. It is, in essence, a platform where people can voice their opinions, express themselves, show their best selves to the general public, get information, and of course, keep in touch with their friends and relatives. In today’s day and age of instant validation and constant gratification, the social media lure is a big scare, especially for the generation that has been born with it in place.

More so,  social media has grown to become a primary source of income or revenue, especially for freelancers and content creators.

Given the widespread access and voluminous content pieces constantly being pushed on social media, it is imperative to have a content uploading strategy in place to garner more eyeballs. Understanding social media trends, especially for content creators and brands, is crucial.

What is Social Media?

Social media is a complex term, and it means different things to different people. So clearing the air of confusion, and given the widespread meanings and contexts, there are four categories:

• Online networks and ecosystems: The category constitutes Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, and Twitter
• Online publications: This comprises Youtube, Flicker, RSS, Slideshare, and Twitter
• Online collaborative platforms: The category includes Wikis like MediaWiki and blogs like WordPress or Blogger. It also includes office solutions such as Office365, Google Docs and Teamwork.
• Online feedback systems: The category caters to voting and debating, rating and commenting, surveys, poll and blogs, among others.

Whatever be your relationship with social media, when it comes to publishing content, different platforms have different nuances. The platform-specific approaches are discussed in the section below:

Getting the timing right

Millions of content pieces, including photographs, videos, and blogs, are uploaded on social media daily. Given these vast numbers, every piece of content is a needle in a haystack. Therefore, irrespective of the social media services London that you choose, the ultimate goal is to get as many eyeballs as possible towards your content piece.

To get as many eyeballs as possible towards your content, nailing the upload timing is imperative. The cruel news is that there is no one-size-fits-all timing. It differs for every brand, platform, and content creator. However, it all boils down to your data on your followers. With that said, conducting surveys or polls for your viewers and followers can up your content game considerably.

Contributing Factors

There are varied factors that contribute to your social media presence. Chief among the contributing factors is the field or area of expertise. For instance, it matters whether you are a media professional or an educator. More so, the platform also differs.

Facebook and Instagram platforms are analysed below for simplicity. Also, these two are the most popular sites among the general public.

Best content timings for Facebook

The timing for Facebook would differ from Instagram. As per an online publication, the best time to upload your content on Facebook – for global engagement – is on Wednesday around 11 am and between 1 and 2 pm. The best day is Wednesday, and the worst day is Sunday.

Break down the global engagement into professional pockets, and you shall get more compelling and articulated insights.

For media professionals, the best time for uploading content is around 5 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and between 8 am and 9 am on Fridays. Of these, the best day is Wednesday, and the worst day is Sunday.

Move to the upload time for educators and educational institutions, and the time frames differ. The best upload times are around 9 am on Wednesdays and 5 pm on Saturdays. The best day is Wednesday, and the worst day is Sunday.

Going for another profession, let us look at techies. Tech professionals can expect to receive the best engagements on social media on Wednesdays between 9 am and noon. The best day is Wednesday, and the worst day is Sunday.

Best content timings for Instagram

Instagram, currently, is the second-most logged in (or visited) social media site for daily use. As a speciality factor, it has the Instagram stories feature. Secondly,  it is dominated by Gen Z and Millennials. These aspects show that Instagram is a youth-friendly platform, and it is not surprising that it surpassed the milestone of having 1 billion users before the closing of 2020.

The best time to upload your content on Instagram – for global engagement and irrespective of the area of expertise – is on Wednesday around 11 am, and Friday between 10 am and 11 am. The best day is Wednesday, and the worst day is Sunday.

For media professionals, the best time for uploading content is around 9 am on Fridays. The best day is Friday, and the worst days are Saturday and Sunday.

For educators and educational institutions, the best upload time is Friday at 10 pm, making Friday the best day. Sunday marks the worst day for educationists.

For tech professionals, the best upload times are on Wednesday at 6 am and between 9 am and 10 am, and Friday between 9 am, and 10 am. The best day is Wednesday, and the worst day is Sunday.

Analytical tools to amp your social media game

Although the best timings differ according to the platform, the followers, and expertise, there are analytical tools that help with in-depth scrutiny. Among the numerous tools out there, Hootsuite Analytics and Google Analytics are the most popular. The latter is a free tool and is ideal for novice and relatively new content creators and brands. Google Analytics serves as an excellent impetus for brand building and engagement. It also computes the Return on Investment (or ROI) of your social media campaigns. Furthermore, the platform analyses crucial and success-defining social media metrics that pertain to awareness, engagement, conversion, and customer.

Conclusion

Social media is an essential part of our lives today. In addition to voicing opinions and connecting with loved ones, it is a bread-winning source for varied content creators. Facebook and Instagram are among the dominant platforms, with the latter having a large proportion of Gen Z and Millennials.

To attain success in your social media game, you must get a thorough understanding of your audience. The best timing differs across platforms, followers, and professionals. But, there are analytical tools that offer in-depth analysis to help up your social media presence.