Best Time to Post on Social Media? Check Hot Hours 

Your content is on point: it’s personalized, relatable, and visually stunning. But it’s still not getting the attention it deserves. Why? The timing of your post could be the issue. Let’s discover when is the best time to post on social media to finally reach your goals!

The best time to post on social media is when your target audience is most active. You can either use general insights about algorithms and user behavior on social media or advanced tools that analyze your specific audience. With these insights, you can improve your posting schedule to ensure better engagement and visibility.

When is the best time to post your content on social media?

The best time to post on social media is when your target audience is most active.

People who tell you there are pre-specified best hours for posting on socials are misleading you!

Of course, it’s possible to find some (VERY) generalized stats. But a much better strategy would be analyzing your own target audience.

Yep, it’s possible.

And I’ll show you how!

I use a Hot Hours feature from Brand24, a social listening tool.

It can analyze audience behavior based on your online mentions.

The result?

It can pinpoint the exact hours with the most mentions, reach, and interactions, helping you determine the optimal time to post.

Using these insights, you can experiment and optimize your posting schedule.

How to start?

Set up your social listening project for your brand (or hashtag or any keyword you want to analyze).

Then, go to the “Hot Hours” Tab.

For this article’s purposes, I created a project for Ikea. It will serve as our example so I can better explain the magic that happens here.

So, once you enter the tab, you need to filter your results to get the analysis specifically for social media.

Go to filters and mark all the social media checkboxes:

Important note! The stats can be displayed according to different time zones. You can choose yours in the top left corner. For the purposes of this article, I used the Washington, DC, USA (GMT-5).

Once that is done – you can check the best time to post on social media platforms for the keyword you track.

The way to read these graphs is very simple – the darker the color the more engagement during this time (so, the best time to post).

You can switch between 3 views: mentions, reach, and interactions

1. Mentions points to the hours when people talk about the keyword the most. So, in my example, these are the times when the most mentions, including “Ikea” appeared on social media platforms.

This is what it looks like for Ikea:

• Monday at 9 AM and 5 PM
• Tuesday at 4 AM, 8 AM, and 12 PM
• Thursday at 12 PM and 5 PM
• Friday at 12 PM
• Sunday at 9 AM

So, in general, the best posting time for Ikea would be 12 PM.

1. Reach is establishing the best time to post based on the amount of highly visible mentions (with the most reach) in the specific hours.

This is what it looks like for Ikea:

So, the most optimal times for Ikea to post if they want to improve their social media reach would be:

• Monday at 5 PM
• Tuesday at 5 AM and 3 PM
• Wednesday at 5 PM and 6 PM
• Friday at 4 AM, 2 PM, and 5 PM
• Sunday at 11 AM

Generally, 5 PM is the most reach efficient for Ikea.

Pro tip: It’s probable that during those hours, the most influential profiles are active!

1. Interactions are established based on the times with the most engagement in terms of interactions. So, when people interact (like, comment, share, etc.) the most with the mentions, including the keyword.

This is what it looks like for Ikea:

So, these hours would be the best for posting to maximize engagement:

• Monday at 11 AM
• Tuesday at 2 AM, 5 AM, and 3 PM
• Wednesday at 12 PM, 9 PM, and 11 PM
• Friday at 2 PM
• Sunday at 10 AM

Generally, for Ikea, the best time to post for social media engagement would be around 11 AM.

Of course, as you probably noticed, these stats are based on the audience behavior, and they don’t guarantee amazing results during those times.

However, the chances of it being accurate are quite high and it’s definitely worth testing!

Plus, it’s a tool that will help you understand your audience better. It gives food for thought.

• When are people talking most about you?
• Are there any patterns when the most influential people talk about you?
• Do you have any extra low engagement hours to exclude from the posting schedule?

Ok, as we have the general social media platforms analysis covered – Let’s move on to the more specific ones!

Different social media varies in terms of:

• Content types
• Purpose of using
• & more!

That’s why each platform can have different active hours.

To get the analysis for a specific platform, just change the filtering to the platform you want to analyze.

Let’s break down the most popular ones:

Best time to post on TikTok

Here are the results for TikTok that I got for Ikea:

So, TikTok users tend to be most active on:

• Tuesday at 6 PM and 8 PM
• Wednesday at 9 PM
• Thursday at 9 PM
• Saturday at 7 PM and 8 PM
• Sunday at 8 PM and 10 PM

In general, for Ikea, it’s best to post on TikTok in the evenings.

Best time to post on Instagram

Here’s the analysis of active hours for Instagram:

So, Instagram users tend to be most active on:

• Monday at 3 PM and 5 PM
• Tuesday at 10 AM
• Thursday at 6 PM
• Friday at 5 PM and 6 PM
• Sunday at 3 PM and 5 PM

So, peak engagement times are definitely late afternoons.

For Ikea, it would be effective to use these Instagram insights and post around 5 PM to maximize visibility and interaction.

Best time to post on Facebook

Here’s the analysis for Facebook posts:

So, Facebook users tend to be most active on:

• Tuesday at 11 AM and 3 PM
• Wednesday at 10 AM and 11 AM
• Thursday at 12 PM
• Friday at 10 AM, 12 PM, and 6 PM

Peak engagement times are mostly late mornings.

I would suggest Ikea post around 10 AM to 12 PM for the best results, as these times yield much engagement.

Best time to post on YouTube

For YouTube, you need to filter the results by scrolling down and entering the “youtube.com” in the Domain section.

Here’s the analysis I got for Ikea:

So, Ikea would get the most engagement on:

• Monday at 3 PM
• Tuesday at 6 PM
• Thursday at 4 PM, 6 PM, 11 PM
• Friday at 5 PM and 6 PM
• Sunday at 3 PM and 5 PM

Peak engagement times are mostly in the afternoon.

I would suggest Ikea try changing their posting time to 5 PM for the best results on YouTube.

Best time to post on LinkedIn

For LinkedIn, you also need to add the filter by using the domain option.

This is the analysis I got for LinkedIn:

As you can see, for this social media platform, the tool found fewer mentions. But Ikea could still try to add their social media posts at:

• Tuesday at 5 AM
• Friday at 9 AM
• Sunday at 2 AM

Best time to post on X (Twitter)

Here’s the analysis I got for X (Twitter):

So, Ikea would get the most engagement on:

• Monday at 9 AM
• Tuesday at 10-11 PM
• Wednesday at 1 AM
• Friday at 3 AM
• Saturday at 10 AM
• Sunday at 11 PM

I would suggest Ikea incorporate in their social media posting schedule X (Twitter) posts on Tuesday at 10-11 PM.

Best time to post on Reddit

In Reddit’s case you’ll also need to add the filter by typing in the domain’s name.

Here’s the analysis I got for Ikea:

So, people talk most bout Ikea on Reddit on:

• Tuesday at 5 PM
• Wednesday at 12 PM
• Thursday at 10 AM
• Sunday at 11 AM, 4 PM, and 5 PM

I think for Ikea the best time to post on Reddit would be Friday at 4-5 PM.

Why these times work:

These active hours are not out of nowhere!

I believe there are two of the most important factors that make them work:

1. Audience Behavior

Each platform has its own rhythm. It is shaped by the unique habits and expectations of its users.

For example, LinkedIn is a professional network. Users engage most during work hours, typically mid-morning or early afternoon, when they’re taking lunch breaks or networking.

Completely different is TikTok. This social media platform is known for its casual and entertaining vibe. TikTok thrives during evenings and weekends when users are looking to relax and have fun.

Understanding these behaviors allows you to sync your content with the natural flow of your audience’s day.

The result?

Higher chances of better visibility and engagement.

2. Social Media Algorithms

Social media algorithms reward content that attracts quick engagement.

That’s why:

• Posting during high-activity hours increases the likelihood of immediate interactions (likes, comments, shares).
• These interactions signal to the algorithm that your content is valuable, prompting it to prioritize your post on feeds or For You pages.

For example, TikTok’s algorithm focuses on watch time and engagement within the first few hours. So, a well-timed post can gain traction faster and perform better in the long run.

Best time to go live on social media?

Going live is all about audience engagement.

Unlike regular posts, live content is dynamic and interactive. It gives viewers the chance to ask questions, leave comments, and even influence the direction of the conversation.

Hot Hours “interactions” tab can help you identify the best times for the highest engagement.

For Ikea, live streams at 8 AM – 2 PM on Tuesdays can be the most efficient.

Best time to post social media content by industry

If you don’t want to set up your own project and access detailed analytics – you can always use the pre-done schedules.

I created projects for some of the most popular industries, so you can use them if it matches your needs!

Best time to post on social media for fashion

• Monday at 11 AM
• Tuesday at 10 AM and 11 AM
• Wednesday at 11 AM
• Friday at 11 AM
• Saturday at 11 AM and 1 PM
• Sunday at 11 AM

Generally, it’s best to publish fashion content on social media platforms at 11 AM.

Best time to post on social media for travel

• Monday at 11 AM, 12 PM, 5 PM, and 6 PM
• Tuesday 11 AM and 12 PM
• Wednesday at 6 PM
• Sunday at 5 PM and 6 PM

Generally, it’s best to publish travel content on social media platforms at 5 – 6 PM.

Best time to post on social media for fitness

• Monday at 11 AM and 12 PM
• Tuesday at 11 AM
• Wednesday at 11 AM
• Friday at 10 – 11 AM
• Saturday at 11 AM
• Sunday at 11 AM

Generally, it’s best to publish fitness content on social media platforms around 11 AM.

Best time to post on social media for beauty

• Monday at 11 AM, 12 PM, and 5 PM
• Tuesday at 11 AM
• Wednesday at 11 AM and 5 PM
• Thursday at 11 AM and 5 PM
• Friday at 11 AM

Generally, it’s best to publish beauty content on social media platforms at 11 AM or 5 PM.

Best time to post on social media for technology

• Monday at 11 AM and 12 PM
• Tuesday at 12 PM
• Friday at 12 PM and 1 PM
• Saturday at 12 – 3 PM

Generally, it’s best to publish tech content on social media platforms around 12 PM.

Best time to post on social media for restaurants

• Tuesday at 10 PM and 11 PM
• Thursday at 8 PM
• Saturday at 9 AM, 11 AM, and 6 PM
• Sunday at 8 AM

Generally, it’s best to publish restaurant content on social media platforms in the evening during the week and in the morning on weekends.

Best time to post on social media for hotels

• Monday at 8 AM, 9 AM, and 11 AM
• Tuesday at 9 AM and 11 AM
• Friday at 10 AM
• Sunday at 1 PM

Generally, it’s best to publish hotel-related content on social media platforms in the morning.

Is there a best time to post on social media? 

While many articles offer general data, the real magic lies in personalized insights.

I think it’s much better to use tools like Brand24’s Hot Hours to determine the optimal times for posting on social media.

This way, you analyze YOUR specific audience and their behaviors.

Consider the vast number of social media users globally…

Getting a personalized analysis is a clear advantage over generic stats. By tailoring your strategy to your targeted audience.

So, want better results?

Test, analyze, and adjust your social media marketing based on actual data.

And if you don’t want to dive this deep and use advanced tools – you can always find some more basic insights on the best time to post.

Some social platforms give them in their analytics.

Let me show you!

Social media analytics

You can find insights on the best time to post for Instagram and Facebook in the Meta Business Suite.

Go to the Insights > Audience > Trends.

This is what it looks like:

It works similarly on TikTok.

To find your follower’s active times – go to the Analytics > Most active times.

Tools that analyze the best posting time

There are also some other tools that can help you analyze when is the best time to post for you.

Here are my top 3 picks with a short description:

1. Brand24

Hot Hours uses social media monitoring data to find the best posting times based on mentions, reach, and interactions.

2. Buffer

Buffer provides tailored recommendations for the best times to post based on your past social media performance.

3. Sprout Social

Sprout Social’s ViralPost tool analyzes engagement metrics to find patterns and suggests optimal posting times.

Conclusion

The general guidelines around algorithms and user behavior provide a good starting point. But a personalized social media analysis will always yield better results.

Social media is all about testing and improving.

So, experiment with different strategies to find your sweet spot!

Key takeaways:

1. Engagement patterns differ across other social media platforms, and they may require different posting strategies
2. Test and update! Social media evolves quickly. Doing an analysis once is a great start, but you’ll need to revisit and update your data regularly to stay ahead.
3. Use the right tools. My top recommendations for optimizing your posting times are Brand24’s Hot Hours, Buffer, and Sprout Social.

Ready to improve your social media strategy? Start with a Brand24 trial and find the best time to post on social media for you!