Best Time to Post on Facebook [Original Research]

You post to reach the largest audience and get maximum engagement. To achieve this, you need to know when is the best time to post on Facebook. Although Facebook is a social media platform with the largest number of active monthly users, many use it to stay in touch with family rather than interact with brands or influencers. But everything is possible!

Look at Red Bull’s Facebook marketing – their posts always get more than 1000 likes and Reels even tens of thousands.

Facebook users are also eager to talk about this brand – the most mentions are written on Fridays at 7 PM, this brand generates the greatest reach on Tuesdays at 8 AM, and most interactions also occur on Tuesdays at the same time.

The best time to post on Facebook varies for each brand because it depends on when their target audience is most active. Finding the best time is quite challenging, but some tools tell you the exact days and hours when your brand mentions are written the most, reach the largest audience, and gain the most interactions. This allows you to fine-tune your publishing schedule.

With our market research, you will know the best time to post on Facebook, depending on the industry and day of the week.

When is the best time to post on Facebook?

Every Facebook content creator asks this question. Unfortunately, I will sadden you – there is no single answer to this question.

All sources that give you the specific best posting times for Facebook are lying. Why?

The best posting time depends on your industry and your audience. It’s impossible to say what the best time to publish on Facebook is for everyone – what works for one brand may not work for another.

That’s why tools like Brand24 are helpful; it tells you exactly when you’re generating the most interest, meaning:

• When your target audience mentions you the most on Facebook

• When your Facebook mentions reach the largest number of users

• When Facebook users are most likely to interact with you

Thanks to identifying the above hours (Hot Hours) for Red Bull, you can say that:

Red Bull should post content on Facebook on Friday between 7 and 8 PM and Tuesday between 8 and 9 AM.

This way, you no longer have to guess when posting something on Facebook will be most profitable.

It allows you to create a posting schedule that will maximize your Facebook visibility and engagement rates.

It’s important to test the Hot Hours determined by Brand24. The tool analyzes your audience’s behavior in real-time, so what works this month might change later.

Tip: When checking Hot Hours, set the time zone that suits you (I set all hours for the GTM+0 zone).

Tip: When checking Hot Hours, you can set the geolocation filter to only your market. This will give you the best results.

Now let’s analyze exactly which hours during each day of the week are the best for Red Bull to add Facebook posts:

Best time to post on Facebook on Monday

For Red Bull, the best time to post on Facebook on Monday is between 6 PM and 7 PM.

Best time to post on Facebook on Tuesday

For Red Bull, the best time to post on Facebook on Tuesday is between 8 AM and 11 AM.

Best time to post on Facebook on Wednesday

For Red Bull, the best time to post on Facebook on Wednesday is between 8 PM and 11 PM.

Best time to post on Facebook on Thursday

For Red Bull, the best time to post on Facebook on Thursday is between 4 PM and 8 PM.

Best time to post on Facebook on Friday

For Red Bull, the best time to post on Facebook on Friday is between 1 PM and 2 PM.

Best time to post on Facebook on Saturday

For Red Bull, the best time to post on Facebook on Saturday is between 8 AM and 9 PM, but also between 7 PM and 8 PM.

Best time to post on Facebook on Sunday

For Red Bull, the best time to post on Facebook on Sunday is between 2 PM and 4 PM.

Why do these times work

Social media users have unique habits – what brings them to TikTok isn’t the same as what keeps them on Facebook. Plus, each platform has a unique algorithm.

These two factors make certain posting times work on Facebook:

Audience behavior

People use Facebook for connections; 93% say they use Facebook to stay in touch with friends and family (Pew Research Center 2024).

Most often, this happens before or after work when they’re catching up on what’s new with their loved ones. That’s also when they’re more likely to see and engage with your Facebook post.

But everyone scrolls Facebook at different times, whether it’s to check on friends’ posts or send a quick message.

That’s why you should focus on your target audience!

Facebook algorithm

The Facebook algorithm determines how many people your post will reach. How does it work?

It follows a 4-step process to decide which content will matter most to you:

1. Inventory: Facebook algorithm prioritizes posts made by people from your friends. Your friend’s post will be displayed before a post published by a Facebook Page.
2. Signals: Facebook also evaluates every post based on details like when or who posted it. Posts from Facebook Pages with which you interact frequently will appear higher in your Feed.
3. Predictions: Based on your previous interactions (likes, comments, shares), the algorithm predicts how likely you are to engage with a post. If you engage with videos more often, your Feed will show more video content than regular text posts.
4. Score: The relevancy score is determined at the end. This score combines all signals to predict how interesting you’ll find the post. Plus, it considers the number of interactions on this specific post.

Based on these steps, Facebook assigns each post a relevancy score. The higher this score, the more likely your post is to appear at the top of someone’s Feed.

Imagine you’ve just published a new post on Facebook. How will it show up to people who like your Page?

Facebook runs your post through its four-part process to assign it a relevancy score. Your post will rank higher in users’ Feed if:

• You publish it when they are active
• They frequently interact with your Page, regularly liking, commenting, and sharing your posts
• It’s the type of content they enjoy most, for example, videos or photos
• Your post is already gathering likes, comments, and shares from others

So, publication time on Facebook is important! Posting when your audience is online can make a big difference in visibility.

Best time to go live on Facebook

Going live on Facebook is a good idea, but only if your audience is active and ready to interact!

To find the optimal time, use Brand24’s Hot Hours, select your time zone, and choose Facebook as a source.

Then click on the Interactions tab. This section highlights the best hours for going live:

Based on this, the best time for Red Bull to go live would be, for example, 8-9 AM (GMT+0) on Tuesday.

Best time to post Facebook Reels

You post Reels on Facebook to reach the largest possible audience. So do it when the reach of your Facebook mentions is the highest!

To find it, use Hot Hours:

• Select your time zone
• Choose Facebook as a source
• Click on the Reach tab

That’s all! Here are the best times to post Reels:

Based on this, the best time for Red Bull to post a Reel would be, for example, 8-9 AM (GMT+0) on Tuesday.

Best time to post a Story on Facebook

Facebook Stories are a great way to reach users who might not scroll through Facebook regularly but actively use Messenger. The concept is similar to Instagram Stories – they disappear after 24 hours.

If your Instagram and Facebook accounts are added to the same Accounts Centre, you can also easily share your Instagram Story as a Story on Facebook.

So when is the best time to post Stories?

Ideally, Stories should be posted in real-time as things happen. Many brands reshare Stories created by their followers and customers, so the best time to add Stories is when your brand is being talked about the most.

To find these peak times, use the Hot Hours feature and go to the Mentions tab. This will show when your brand is receiving the most mentions:

Based on this, the best time for Red Bull to post a Story would be, for example, 7-8 PM (GMT+0) on Friday.

Best time to post on Facebook by industry

Of course, determining the posting hours for a specific brand rather than the whole industry is the most precise. However, industry-specific hours are a great starting point for what might work for you.

Why?

Because, your industry defines your audience, and every audience has its own unique Facebook routine.

Let’s discover the best posting times (GMT+0) for various industries on Facebook!

Best time to post on Facebook for politics

• Monday: 3-4 AM
• Tuesday: 7-8 PM
• Wednesday: 3-4 PM
• Thursday: 3-4 AM and 7-8 AM
• Friday: 1-2 AM and 7-8 AM
• Saturday: 5-6 PM
• Sunday: 11 AM – 12 PM

Best time to post on Facebook for technology

• Monday: 3-4 AM and 7-8 AM
• Tuesday: the exact best time is not proven; all hours from 1 AM to 5 PM and 8-9 PM show fairly similar reach values
• Wednesday: 8-9 AM and 12-1 PM
• Thursday: 2-3 AM
• Friday: 7-8 AM
• Saturday: 12-1 PM
• Sunday: 7-8 AM and 12-1 PM

Best time to post on Facebook for sport

• Monday: 6-7 PM
• Tuesday: 11 AM – 12 PM and 6-7 PM
• Wednesday: the exact best time is not proven; all hours from 2 AM to 4 AM and from 5 AM to 10 PM show fairly similar reach values
• Thursday: 3-4 AM
• Friday: 8-9 AM, 11 AM – 1 PM and 5-6 PM
• Saturday: the exact best time is not proven; all hours from 3 AM to 5 AM and from 6 AM to 10 PM show fairly similar reach values
• Sunday: 7-8 PM

Best time to post on Facebook for travel

• Monday: 10-11 AM and 2-3 PM
• Tuesday: 6-7 AM and 2-3 PM
• Wednesday: 9-10 AM
• Thursday: 11 AM – 12 PM
• Friday: the exact best time is not proven; all hours from 1 AM to 4 AM and from 5 AM to 6 PM show fairly similar reach values
• Saturday: 7-8 AM and 2-3 PM
• Sunday: 7-8 PM

Best time to post on Facebook for fitness

• Monday: 2-4 PM and 5-6 PM
• Tuesday: the exact best time is not proven; all hours from 12 AM to 1 AM, 2 AM to 6 PM, and 9-10 PM show fairly similar reach values
• Wednesday: 10 AM – 12 PM and 4-5 PM
• Thursday: the exact best time is not proven; all hours from 12 AM to 3 AM, 5 AM to 7 AM, and from 8 AM to 7 PM show fairly similar reach values
• Friday: 6-7 PM
• Saturday: 1-3 PM
• Sunday: the exact best time is not proven

Best time to post on Facebook for fashion

• Monday: the exact best time is not proven; all hours from 1 AM to 4 AM and 5 AM to 10 PM show fairly similar reach values
• Tuesday: 6-7 PM
• Wednesday: 4-5 PM
• Thursday: 1-4 PM
• Friday: 3-4 AM and 12-2 PM
• Saturday: 6-7 PM
• Sunday: the exact best time is not proven; all hours from 1 AM to 3 AM, 6 AM to 6 PM, and 11 PM to 12 AM show fairly similar reach values

Best time to post on Facebook for beauty

• Monday: 1-2 PM
• Tuesday: 11 PM – 12 AM
• Wednesday: 1-2 PM
• Thursday: 1-2 PM and 4-5 PM
• Friday: 3-4 AM, 1-2 PM and 3-4 PM
• Saturday: 2-3 PM
• Sunday: the exact best time is not proven; all hours from 12 AM to 3 AM, 4 AM to 4 PM, and 6-7 PM show fairly similar reach values

Best time to post on Facebook for restaurants

• Monday: 8-10 AM and 7-8 PM
• Tuesday: 10-11 AM
• Wednesday: 3-4 PM
• Thursday: 2-3 PM
• Friday: the exact best time is not proven
• Saturday: 2-3 PM
• Sunday: 7-8 AM and 12-1 PM

Best time to post on Facebook for hotels

• Monday: the exact best time is not proven; all hours from 1 AM to 4 AM and from 5 AM to 10 PM show fairly similar reach values
• Tuesday: 7-8 AM and 1-2 PM
• Wednesday: 8-9 AM
• Thursday: 1-2 PM
• Friday: 10-11 AM, 8-9 PM and 11 PM – 12 AM
• Saturday: 2-3 PM
• Sunday: 8-9 AM

Best time to post on Facebook for museums

• Monday: 11 PM – 12 AM
• Tuesday: the exact best time is not proven; all hours from 4 AM to 6 PM, from 7 PM to 9 PM, and from 11 PM to 3 AM show fairly similar reach values
• Wednesday: 1-2 PM and 3-5 PM
• Thursday: 1-2 PM
• Friday: 1-2 AM and 9-10 AM
• Saturday: 1-2 PM
• Sunday: 4-5 AM

Best time to post on Facebook for hospitals

• Monday: 8-9 PM
• Tuesday: the exact best time is not proven
• Wednesday: 9-10 AM and 8-9 PM
• Thursday: 1-2 PM
• Friday: 1-2 PM, 5-6 PM and 8-9 PM
• Saturday: the exact best time is not proven
• Sunday: 1-2 PM and 7-8 PM

Best time to post on Facebook for schools

• Monday: 11 AM – 12 PM and 2-3 PM
• Tuesday: 1-2 PM and 3-4 PM
• Wednesday: the exact best time is not proven
• Thursday: the exact best time is not proven
• Friday: 7-8 AM
• Saturday: the exact best time is not proven
• Sunday: 8-11 AM and 2-3 PM

Try the above time frames to check if they work for your business.

Is there a best time to post on Facebook? 

Many sources provide general data on the best Facebook posting times, but as I’ve mentioned, you must align your posting times with your audience’s behavior.

The best time to post should be tailored to your brand – do not blindly follow general data from online sources.

Finding the best posting hours, which is when your audience is most active and ready to engage, is essential for any successful social media strategy.

The best time to post on Facebook is when your audience is online and eager to interact.

I’ll show you some ways how to get these valuable insights:

Facebook analytics

Currently, Meta Business Suite provides two ways to discover the best times to post:

• Automatic: Use the post-scheduling feature
• Manual: Check Facebook Insights

Scheduling feature

When you schedule a post, the Facebook app analyzes your own data and suggests the best times to post.

The best times mean the days and hours when your followers were most active on Facebook in the last seven days.

If you haven’t posted in the last seven days, then determining the best time is not possible (as shown in the image below):

Additionally, if you go to your planner in Meta Business Suite, you’ll also see these posting time suggestions, making it even easier to visualize your audience’s peak times!

Facebook Insights

The second method is to analyze your posting data through Facebook Insights manually.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to Insights > Content > All content – you’ll see a list of all the posts you’ve posted within a specific timeframe

2. On the top, click on Reach to sort your posts by reach – you’ll see the posts with the highest reach at the top

3. Review the most successful posts and look for patterns. Do you notice certain posting days or times appearing often?

Note: This method with Facebook Insights can be a bit time-consuming and not that effective.

Tools that analyze the best time for Facebook posts

To get the best results, consider using external tools – they will suggest the best times to post on Facebook.

Here are my top 3: 

Brand24

Brand24 is an AI social listening tool that analyzes brand mentions and audience activity to show you the best times to post. To get the best analysis, you must connect your Facebook account with your dashboard.

Thanks to the Hot Hours feature, you can also refine your posting strategy on other social media platforms, not just Facebook.

Buffer

Buffer is a social media management tool that pinpoints the best day and hour for you to post on Facebook based on your historical performance. It is also a Facebook scheduling tool.

SocialBee

SocialBee is another digital marketing tool that provides insights into when your audience is most active. How?

It reviews your past posts to find it, so each new post gets the maximum engagement.

Conclusion

A successful Facebook strategy starts with posting at the right times!

Schedule posts wisely so they reach the largest audience – this way, you’ll get high engagement.

Final thoughts:

• Audience behavior matters: You won’t build solid engagement on your Facebook if you don’t base your content strategy on posting at times that align with peak hours for your specific audience.
• Utilize tools: Use the Facebook app and external tools like Brand24. They provide valuable insights and help you discover the optimal posting times.
• Experiment: Schedule Facebook posts at different times and observe what works best for your brand. Over time, patterns will emerge.

Boost your Facebook Page – figure out the best posting time and get a lot of likes and comments! Try Brand24 for free to see when to post on Facebook to generate more engagement!