Best Time to Post on Instagram? Check Hot Hours for Your Brand

Here is a simple truth about the best time to post on Instagram: it’s a highly individual journey for each brand. The optimal posting times depend on various factors, including the type of content you share, your industry, and the specific day of the week. For example, GoPro receives the most mentions on Instagram on Thursdays at 7 pm, while its reach and interactions peak on Wednesdays at 12 pm. And I’m 100% sure that your results will be totally different.

When looking for the best time to post on Instagram, you must answer one fundamental question: when is your target audience most active on the platform?

Thankfully, finding the answer doesn’t have to be a guessing game – there are tools for that.

Social media management is like playing a game for attention. But, unlike video games, you can’t set the difficulty level. You immediately start on the “Super hard” mode and swim with the sharks.

Fortunately, it’s not a zero-sum game. There could be (and there are!) many winners at the same time.

To succeed, you must master the game board (Instagram as a platform), understand & follow the rules (good practices, algorithm updates), and have good timing.

So, let’s uncover the mystery behind the last element. What is the best time to post on Instagram?

When is the best time to post your content on Instagram?

GoPro is one of my favorite brands. If you’re unfamiliar with the name – this company is the global leader in action cameras.

Besides the great products they offer (like my HERO13), I really admire GoPro’s well-thought-out marketing strategy. They are just phenomenal in community building, influencer partnerships and social media.

One of the key platforms that the company leverages in its social media strategy is undoubtedly Instagram. GoPro’s presence over there is a masterclass in engaging content.

They share stunning action shots, user-generated content, and product explainers. All of these to maximize their audience engagement. And all of these at the right time.

What’s the point of telling you this?

I believe that we should learn from the best, so I decided to use this brand as a case study to show you how to discover the best time to post on Instagram.

First and foremost, let’s focus on one issue: how could the brand know the best time to post on Instagram?

There are basically two ways.

One, you guess and pray for the results. In that case – forgive me, I don’t have any tips. Just guess and pray.

Two, you use data and wait for the results. Here, I can recommend a nice technique for discovering optimal posting times.

Brand24 – a social listening tool that allows you to track and analyze brand mentions across multiple social and non-social sources in real time – offers a nice feature called “Hot Hours”. It works the following way.

The tool analyzes the public online mentions about your brand and, based on them, suggests the best time to post on Instagram.

With the “Hot Hours” feature, you can adjust your posting schedule according to the days and times when:

• People publish the most Instagram mentions about your brand

• Instagram posts mentioning your brand have the most significant reach

• Instagram users most likely interact with your brand mentions

Considering the data above, if GoPro wants to expand its follower base, the best time to post on Instagram is Wednesday and Thursday afternoons.

Two important notices

1. When using tools like Brand24’s “Hot Hours”, always check the time zone you set!

2. Additionally, use the geolocation filter to see trustworthy results.

For example, if your brand is not global but focuses only on the US market, set the geolocation filter to the United States only and choose the appropriate time zone.

Okay, GoPro’s followers might be most active on Wednesdays and Thursdays. How about your own audience?

Depending on your niche, people tend to be active at different times. Therefore, your “Hot Hours” will be individual to your brand and your Instagram audience preferences.

So, there’s no other way to optimize your Instagram posting times that drive you more engagement than checking what it looks like for you.

Diving deeper, the “Hot Hours” feature allows you to check the best time to post on Instagram day by day.

Let’s see what it looks like for GoPro.

Best time to post on Instagram on Monday

For GoPro, the best time to post on Instagram on Monday is between 3 pm and 7 pm.

Best time to post on Instagram on Tuesday

For GoPro, the best time to post on Instagram on Tuesday is between 3 pm and 7 pm.

Best time to post on Instagram on Wednesday

For GoPro, the best time to post on Instagram on Wednesday is between 3 pm and 7 pm.

Best time to post on Instagram on Thursday

For GoPro, the best time to post on Instagram on Thursday is between 3 pm and 7 pm.

Best time to post on Instagram on Friday

For GoPro, the best time to post on Instagram on Thursday is between 3 pm to 8 pm.

Best time to post on Instagram on Saturday

For GoPro, the best time to post on Instagram on Saturday is between 9 am and 2 pm.

Best time to post on Instagram on Sunday

For GoPro, the best time to post on Instagram on Saturday is between 4 pm and 8 pm.

Why do these times work

Audience Behavior

Most people check Instagram during breaks in their daily routines.

The afternoon is a prime time for this: users may be taking lunch breaks or chilling after work or school.

These moments offer a perfect window when they are more likely to engage with content on their feed.

For many, this time of day provides a moment to catch up on what they missed earlier, increasing a dopamine level and leading to higher engagement rates for posts published during these hours.

Instagram Algorithm

The Instagram algorithm rewards content that generates maximum engagement, such as likes, comments, shares, and saves.

Posting in the afternoon matches up with peak activity times for many users, increasing the chances of quick interactions right after posting.

This immediate engagement signals to the algorithm that the content is valuable, which can boost its online visibility in followers’ feeds and potentially land it on the Explore page.

Best time to go live on Instagram?

Now, let’s briefly analyze what’s the best time to post on Instagram depending on different content formats. The following data are counted for the whole Instagram.

So, as you surely know, Instagram allows you to broadcast live videos.

If that’s the format you’re interested in, you should pay attention to when your audience is most likely to interact with you in real time.

Simply put – the more views on Instagram and viewers who join, comment, ask questions, and react in real time, the more successful your live!

Therefore, you should focus on the Interactions matrix.

Best time to post Instagram Reels? 

Instagram Reels are mostly about driving reach.

To maximize your effectiveness, you should post reels at times when your Instagram mentions’ reach is at its highest.

Posting during these peak hours not only increases the likelihood that a larger audience will see your Reels but also boosts the chances of your content receiving immediate engagement.

And that’s a win!

Best time to post Instagram Stories?

Instagram Stories can be easily shared, which helps them reach a wider audience.

This is especially valuable for brands, as they often re-share stories posted by their customers or followers, creating a viral effect that increases visibility and engagement.

Therefore, when deciding the best time to post stories, you should prioritize moments when they are most likely to be widely mentioned and shared.

Best time to post on Instagram by industry

Okay, as we analyzed best time to post on Instagram by days and the type of Instagram content, let’s move to another question: what is the best posting time for different niches?

To get the most accurate data possible, I decided to gather and analyze industry-specific data.

So, if you’re interested on when to schedule posts for fashion, travel, fitness, beauty, technology, restaurant, or hotels – here’s a highlight for you.

I hope it will help you to boost engagement of your Instagram reels, posts, and Instagram stories.

Best time to post on Instagram for fashion

• Mondays: 3 pm – 8 pm
• Tuesdays: 1 pm – 5 pm
• Wednesdays: 3 pm – 8 pm
• Thursdays: 4 pm – 9 pm
• Fridays: 3 pm – 8 pm
• Saturdays: 10 am – 2 pm
• Sundays: 8 am – 4 pm

The suggested time to post about fashion varies depending on if we’re considering working days or a weekend.

Peak engagement time from Monday to Friday is usually late afternoon. As for Saturdays and Sundays, Instagram engagement is the most significant on mornings and early afternoons.

Best time to post on Instagram for travel

• Mondays: 4 pm – 8 pm

• Tuesdays: 4 pm – 6 pm
• Wednesdays: 3 pm – 10 pm
• Thursdays: 2 pm – 7 pm
• Fridays: 3 pm – 8 pm
• Saturdays: 9 am – 11 am & 8 pm – 10 pm
• Sundays: 5 am – 8 am & 4 pm – 5 pm

Quite interestingly, peak hours of interacting with travel Instagram posts in the afternoon start quite late compared to other working days.

It seems that the closer the weekend, the stronger the wanderlust Instagram users feel.

Saturdays and Sundays have two peak periods – first in the morning and the second in the afternoon/evening.

Best time to post on Instagram for fitness

• Mondays: 6 pm – 9 pm
• Tuesdays: 10 pm – 1 am
• Wednesdays: 11 pm – 2 am
• Thursdays: 10 pm – 1 am
• Fridays: 1 pm – 5 pm
• Saturdays: 11 pm – 1 am
• Sundays: 7 pm – 11 pm

Huh, these results are pretty interesting! It seems that fitness enthusiast are more likely to engage with Instagram content when they’re planning or reflecting on their workouts late at night.

Best time to post on Instagram for beauty

• Mondays: 10 am – 2 pm
• Tuesdays: 10 am – 1 pm
• Wednesdays: 11 am – 1 pm
• Thursdays: 9 am – 12 pm
• Fridays: 11 am – 3 pm
• Saturdays: 11 am – 1 pm
• Sundays: 11 am – 2 pm

In the case of beauty-related Instagram content, the platform users have a pretty consistent engagement. They’re mostly active late morning and early afternoon.

Best time to post on Instagram for technology

• Mondays: 9 am – 12 pm
• Tuesdays: 10 am – 5 pm
• Wednesdays: 8 am – 12 pm
• Thursdays: 10 am – 2 pm
• Fridays: 1 pm – 5 pm
• Saturdays: 5 pm – 7 pm
• Sundays: 8 pm – 10 pm

It seems like Instagram users like to procrastinate their regular duties from time to time during working days.

Scrolling Instagram for technology counts as working, right? 😉

Best time to post on Instagram for restaurants

• Mondays: 8 am – 11 am & 3 pm and 5 pm
• Tuesdays: 7 am – 8 am & 3 pm – 6 pm
• Wednesdays: 9 am – 11 am & 3 pm – 6 pm
• Thursdays: 4 pm – 6 pm
• Fridays: 5 pm – 7 pm
• Saturdays: 4 pm – 7 pm
• Sundays: 3 pm – 11 pm

That’s interesting! At the beginning of the week, the most effective posting times for restaurant-related content are during breakfast and lunch breaks.

The closer the weekend, the more engagement afternoons.

Best time to post on Instagram for hotels

• Mondays: 5 pm – 7 pm
• Tuesdays: 3 pm – 6 pm
• Wednesdays: 4 pm – 7 pm
• Thursdays: 4 pm – 6 pm
• Fridays: 2 pm – 6 pm
• Saturdays: 2 pm – 6 pm
• Sundays: 8 am – 12 am

Regarding the hotel niche, the best times to post are pretty consistent throughout the week (late afternoon).

The only exception is Sunday, which sees the highest engagement in the morning hours.

Conclusion

Finding the best time to post on Instagram is not a one-size-fits-all answer. It requires an individual approach and personalized strategy that depends on your unique audience, industry, and content types you use.

Thankfully, it’s not a complicated process. 

All you have to do is check the data, such as which days and hours your target audience is the most active, when they talk about your brand and Instagram account, and when they interact most with you.

Final thoughts:

• Regularly analyze your audience behavior and be aware of Instagram algorithm changes.
• Using data-driven tools like Brand24 can help you discover your unique “Hot Hours.”
• The best way to discover your best time to post on Instagram is by experimenting with your posting schedule.

The key to social media success is to continuously monitor and adjust your strategy based on your specific results. So, why not give it a try?

Start your free trial with Brand24 today and uncover the perfect posting schedule for your brand.