Instagram is one of the most popular platforms in the visually-focused world of social media. Instagram has become an essential channel for marketers that want to reach active audiences with beautiful images and captivating video. Whether you want to build brand awareness or generate sales, Instagram’s interesting platform can provide countless ways to promote your business across all industries. But it’s not enough to just post pretty pictures.

Timing on Instagram is everything, despite algorithm adjustments. You could have the most engaging post in the world, but if you publish it when your target audience is offline, that hard work will go to waste. That’s why it’s crucial to understand the best times to post so you can make the most of that reach and engagement. When you plan your content strategically, it leads to greater exposure, likes or comments and ultimately works wonders for your brand.

You’ve been putting out quality content on Instagram and it feels like no one is listening? You’re not alone. Good visuals and strong captions count, but if your audience is not online when you post, all your efforts can be for naught.

Timing is everything. When you share at peak activity hours, your overall ability to be seen, liked and shared skyrocket. Learn when your audience is most active — then post right before that peak time for maximum reach and engagement..

In this guide, we break down the best times to post on Instagram based on data that we’ve collected from 50K+ users and more than 7 million posts. This is for you if you’re a brand, creator or marketer trying to crack the engagement code.

Is there a best time to post on Instagram?

There isn’t one magic best time to post on Instagram for success. If only it were that easy!

But what we found through our analysis was that certain days and times were better than others for reach. Even more interesting was the patterns we were finding, though. For instance, pretty much all weekdays have the same high-reach times.

It’s not as important of timing as it was in the chronological-feed days (R.I.P.), but timing does matter a little when it comes to your social media marketing strategy.

Phew! Ready to dive into the data and find out when is the best time to post on Instagram according to our research?

⚡ Schedule STORY posts and CAROUSEL posts – SCHEDULE and automatically POST your PHOTOGRAPHS, VIDEOS & STORIES to FB, Twitter and Tumblr (you need a profile page on each these social media) Features: * Post at the Best Time/Schedule Posts to Facebook * Story takeovers from your friends are now easier than ever. Buffer makes it simple to get that timing perfect and find your own best time to post on Instagram.

When is the best time to post on Instagram?

How have we identified the Right Time to Post on Instagram?

Our research into data has enabled us to actually conclude on best times to post on Instagram. Using approximately 7,00,000 Instagram posts from over 50,000+ Instagram accounts associated with SocialPilot colleagues investigated. To find out the best time to post on Instagram, including Reels, Stories and feed content, we analyzed engagement across the hours and days of the week.

What’s Different About Instagram Posting Times in 2025?

We’re bringing in 2025 and Instagram post times evolve with user habits and new functions as we make our way through the year. Based on more than 2 million pieces of engagement data analyzed for the period prior to June 2025, a number of changes have become evident between best posting times in present and past years:

Extended Evening Engagement:

Contrary to previous years when activity dropped after 21:00, the 2025 data represents a notable spike in late night engagement. Engagement is now highest between 21:00 on Thursday and lasts until 22:00–23:00 on Sunday and Wednesday, indicating more late-night screen time throughout the week.

Earlier Weekend Activity:

Instagram usage on weekends has moved earlier in the day. On Saturday, participation increases slowly after 9 AM and peaks between 13:00 and 17:00. Sunday morning is less active, and peak activity moves officially to the evening on Sundays, especially between 19:00 and 22:00.

Midweek Dominance:

Whereas Monday and Friday used to be popular days for Instagram posting, our 2025 data demonstrates a definite pattern of Wednesdays and Thursdays as the best days for engagement across sectors. Engagement spikes on Thursday at 9:00 p.m. and Wednesday at 9:00 p.m., with above average performance also occurring between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, however, both display moderate activity while Friday performs fairly well in the evening but doesn’t compare to mid-week highs.

Algorithm Prioritization Changes:

The 2025 updates to Instagram’s algorithms have strengthened the value of recency – getting your post timing spot on during high-engagement hours is now more important than ever. No one wants to miss these windows, and doing so can mean lower initial reach and slower momentum of content.

Global Synchronization:

As content transcends regions and with more or less the same hours of online overlaps, the best posting window is getting smaller but more constant in different time zones. Evening timeslots (20:00–22:00) even have become cross-regional importance for local and international viewers.

Our research revealed that 82% of potential customers have an Instagram account. Like Facebook, half (51%) of network users follow culture moments and trends on Instagram. It’s important to be part of these conversations, and know when trends are bubbling up — if your audience is there.

The best time to post on Instagram is typically Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Our advice is to post on Instagram these weekdays through mid-morning for the best results. It’s also beneficial to benchmark these times against your numbers now.

Instagram has come a long way since its photo-only days. The app, which has 2 billion monthly active users, is a place to post images, videos, Reels and live streams, among other creative content types. For brands and influencers, Instagram has made it easier to collaborate and partner, and it is evolving its ecommerce solutions so that shopping is better on the platform.

To be successful on Instagram, your brand must seek a balance of posting great content routinely while also engaging and entertaining people. Knowing these basic pursuits in this area can help you start shaping your Instagram marketing strategy.

Best hour to post on Instagram

Wondering if your posting time matches up with when the most users are online on Instagram? Here’s an updated breakdown of the best time to post on Instagram by niche based on actual real 2025 interaction data from more than 2 million posts.

05:00 – 07:00:

There is also only so much engagement during the early hours of a digital day. It could still be effective for fitness, motivational or business accounts aimed at early risers, although performance lags behind the afternoon and evening peaks.

07:00 – 09:00:

This is where light engagement starts, and there’s a bit of traction on weekdays out of that, as people check their phones first thing in the morning or during their transit. Though in 2025, this time slot is no longer one of the highest rated.

10:00 – 12:00:

Engagement peaks during the late morning, especially on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so this is a great window for educational and entertaining content across verticals.

12:00 – 14:00:

No longer the strongest window, midday has become more popular. Though it still does okay – especially on Tuesdays and Fridays – by late afternoon and evening, it loses its edge.

15:00 – 17:00:

This slot sees an explosion of engagement, particularly during peak times on Monday-Friday. It’s a great time to entertain, show off products or grab users’ attention during moments of mental relaxation.

17:00 – 19:00:

Here engagement’s always strong with a small drop when compared to the next rank. It works for lifestyle, food, shopping and after-work decompression content.

19:00 – 21:00:

This is now among the most potent engagement windows. In your data set, does a season’s 9pm performance of Wednesday-Thursday-Sunday record the highest? Great for entertainment, fashion, ecommerce or any fabulous visuals.

21:00 – 23:00:

Participation spikes at 21:00, most notably on Thursday and Sunday. It’s tapering but still strong after 22:00 this time works well, for night routines, mirror post and inspiration based posts.

23:00 – 01:00:

This trend starts from 23:00 when participation begins falling and lower user activity through during the rest of the day. Even so, it might serve international audiences or niche content aimed at night owls.

When Is the Common Best Time to Post on Instagram in 2025?

📸 Best Times to Post on Instagram

The Best Time to Post on Instagram on Monday

Here’s the secret to getting your week off to a strong start: Post in the late afternoon or evening, Localize Labs said in its Monday findings which is where engagement on Mondays really peaks. Even the least amount of engagement is at 20:00, so definitely you also might want to post that time. Other good windows are 17:00 (5 PM) and 15:00 (3 PM), leaving that block from afternoon till evening to be preferred between 15:00 and 21:00.

Not sure if Monday is a dull day because of ‘Monday blues’? (Do not fear — the data says that’s not actually true. Engagement although moderate during working hours, users flock to Instagram in the force after work and Monday is not an exception to that.

The Best Time to Post on Instagram on Tuesday

By engagement data tracked through June 2025, Tuesday is busy from late morning through early evening. The peak posting time is 5 p.m., with slightly lower engagement at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Indeed, there is a distinct peak at 09:00 too – another good opportunity to reach users as they are getting in to work.

In general, Tuesday is a super-crowded day for Instagram, but there are multiple opportunities here that target different user breaks and break times in the form of work or evening scroll. It can often help to time your content during these peak periods to enhance reach and engagement.

The Best Time to Post on Instagram on Wednesday

Wednesday is also a great day to post, especially in the evening. In the chart, engagement peaks at 9 PM and 8 PM with strong performance all the way through to 10 PM. 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM In our other surveys, 11 AM (for the morning) or at 5PM also have been known to generate good user activity.

If you’re going after Eastern Time users, these engagement peaks correspond neatly to post-work and late-evening usage. Despite the very early hours of 09:00 am and up to 11:00 am still performing well, evenings have now taken the limelight for engagement behaviour in 2025.

As for the West Coast? Look for similar trends, but offset a bit later. So if you’re in California for instance, tweeting between 18:00–20:00 PT will probably hit that peak.

The Best Time to Post on Instagram on Thursday

Thursday is the most effective day of the week on Instagram, and it will have the most interactions at 21:00 (9 PM). Other popular windows are 22:00 (10 PM) and 20:00 (8 PM), which makes Thursday nights the overall best day to reach your target audience.

Middle-of-the-morning slots like 11am continue to see good engagement, but that move to PM browsing in 2025 certainly suggests your content is going to get more traction between 20:00 and 22:00. These hours correspond to end-of day winding down and early weekend planning – one hell of a content visibility opportunity!

The Best Time to Post on Instagram on Friday

On Friday, engagement levels increase steadily from late in the morning, but there’s a real surge at night. The best-received time slots are 20:00 and 21:00, when most users interact with media, and this fact is what makes them exact hours for the release of content associated with waiting for weekend.

Great engagement is also observed from 13:00-17:00 with consistent strength at both the 15th and the 17th hour – providing many chances throughout the day to reach your followers!

Early and late night (before 08:00 or after 23:00), general engagement is low, but the early evening (21:00) generates strong activity for entertainment, leisure or weekend day posts on Fridays.

The Best Time to Post on Instagram on Saturday

Early Saturday has some unusual high engagement for the afternoon. 1 PM is the best time to get the most shares in general. This makes sense, as people are chilling out for the weekend and taking a leisurely scroll in the app during lunch or pre-weekend rest time.

Interaction is very good throughout the day (12:00 to 17:00), with a strong peak at both 14:00 and 17:00. These slots allow you to gain more exposure and interaction if your fresh content is on lifestyle, entertainment or shopping.

However the early morning hours (09:00) show solid engagement, it is definitely overtaken by the midday spike now. Evening posting on 9:00 pm and 11:00 still have some potential for high-quality engagement, with Saturday being the day that offers the most flexibility to share at more times.

If you’re not able to share on a weekday and happen to be free on Saturday, don’t worry at all as it brings good consistent engagement throughout the day, as long as you time your post in during those peak hours.

The Best Time to Post on Instagram on Sunday

Sunday begins to engage heavily from afternoon and peaks in the evening starved gets well on Sunday for smiling. The most effective posting windows are 1 PM – 3 PM and 8 PM – 10 PM, with 9 PM (21:00) producing the highest response rate of any hour.

So, Sunday is the best day to post on Instagram? Absolutely. The morning is quiet but grows steadily as the day goes on, perhaps as users wind down their weekends and click through before starting a new week.

While people might intuit that Sundays are quiet — they are a day of fun and family, offline — data suggests otherwise. Evening is especially busy with people who are actively engaging, so Sunday tends to be a good time to post – particularly if your content has a more reflective or calming nature, or with another kind of entertaining feel.

What is the best day of the week to post on Instagram?

Posting anything on Instagram during the work week is pretty much a safe bet. But Monday and Friday are the best days to post on Instagram — an inch over the water for social media effectiveness. The Saturday with the smallest interactions also happens to be the day after, on Sunday.

When are the best times to post Reels on Instagram?

Are the optimal times for posting on Instagram different for static posts compared to Reels? There could be a concrete answer to that, but our source is posts, Stories and Reels. The stuff you read in this article should help lead you to the best times when posting anything on Instagram will result in your content receiving a likable interaction. That could be a static post, a Story with polls or even an artful Reel.

Again, the best times to post Reels on Instagram will likely be similar to our data above: weekdays generally from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays going into 3 p.m. Our best send time stats for Instagram includes Posts, Reels, and Stories—images and video.

The reason being, we suggest testing publishing Reels at different times to discover what works best for you in terms of the highest engagement. Remember, there are several parts to Reels’ performance, including using trending sounds, the Instagram algorithm as well as a compelling hook in your video that will keep your audience watching.

Is midnight a good time to post on instagram?

Post at night on Instagram It turns out that posting to Instagram at night can work wonders if timed just right! But while engagement on average wanes in the hours after peak daytime, some late-night time slots exhibit relatively high interaction, particularly on weekends. Midnight is actually a good hour to post on Instagram — but there’s yet an other big, margin-closing caveat.

High-Engagement Nights

Sunday is the leading night of the week and with peak interaction at 21:00 they drive over 3x interactions, the largest during a night of the week. It’s the day where many people just sit around at home, scroll through Instagram — and get ready for the week ahead.

Friday Nights Evening usage remains high throughout the week, 20:00-00:00 when users relax and consume their favourite entertainment or look for weekend inspiration.

On Saturdays, there is a drop during 21:00–23:00 and on the rebound comes after that like at midnight, in particular around 01:00 to 02:00, by nightbirds or both creators and viewers who has activities for post-party or stay-at-home.

Lower Engagement:

Monday to Thursday night all go downhill steadily after 22:00. By midnight, engagement takes a sharp nosedive unless you’re targeting specific audiences (like productivity savants, worldwide markets, or overnight creatives).

Best Time to Post Stories on Instagram

When using stories to reach your audience, timing has as big of an impact as it does with regular posts. As is the case with the best time to post on Instagram, stories also have particular hours that perform better for them.

📸 Best Times to Post Stories on Instagram

Time is as per global and not of any particular timezone. Experiment by posting at various times in different time zones to find the sweet spot for your Instagram business account.

According to research by SocialPilot, the best time to post on Instagram Stories is when people are most likely at their desktop, over lunchtime—particularly between 11am-2pm. These results will help as you continue to try and find the perfect posting times.

Interestingly to time to post reels on Instagram Our experiment has given us interesting results for the best time to post reels on Instagram.

While these are good averages, remember that just as with posts, the optimal time to post Instagram Stories will depend on your industry and how your audience uses the platform.

What are the best times to post on Instagram by industry?

Our data gives insight into worldwide even posting times, but industry also has a role in deciding the fate of your social post. There’s countless other elements like content type, audience demographics, and business location to take into account.

Leverage this industry-level data as you plan out your publishing calendar, and experiment with the best times to send for social.

Best times to post on Instagram for education and schools

Schools use Instagram to showcase campus life, student achievements, sporting events and other campus events through photos, Reels and Stories, some even created by students themselves. Using Instagram can foster community and campus engagement and attract prospective students.

From K12 to higher education institutions, schools saw more concentrated engagement times on Instagram compared to last year. Keep in mind that some schools manage multiple social profiles (per college, athletics, etc.) to meet their goals and effectively target distinct audiences at the right time. 

📚 Best Times to Post on Instagram – Schools & Education

Best times to post on Instagram for financial services industry

Even if you’re in a regulated industry, having some sort of presence on social media is important, especially in today’s world where so many online users turn first to Twitter and Facebook for customer service. The finance sector is no exception.

Companies in the industry can take advantage of Instagram to give their brand a human face with personably aimed content, share edutainment Reels and market financial literacy by using exciting infographics and Stories that help break down challenging concepts into easy-to-follow insights.

For the financial services industry, optimal send time engagement on Instagram is strong during the Week, especially Monday and Tuesdays in the early afternoon.

Best times to post on Instagram for food and beverage industry

The food and beverage sector including restaurants has changed in the past few years. Online orders, apps, delivery services — all of this impacts how these brands interact with customers. You know that different social networks are good for different things when it comes to interacting with customers and the food and beverage business is no exception. Doing shout-outs with influencers, sharing behind-the-scenes content and discounts can be some options to communicate directly through the app.

Best times to post on Instagram for government

The American people are using those platforms more and more to gather information and engage, so it is vital that government entities be using them as well.

You can use social media to share critical information about the public, facilitate conversations, provide learning resources, control perception of the community and update services. This enhances transparency, helps relations with the community and entrenches public trust.”

On Instagram, government entities receive the most engagement centered around midweek — primarily Wednesdays and Thursdays — in the afternoons.

Best times to post on Instagram for hospitals and healthcare

Hospitals, clinics and even individual health care practitioners use sites like Facebook to educate the public, make patients feel more prepared for their appointments and promote programs aimed at future physicians while establishing trust with —and networking within — their community.

An active social media presence is important for hospitals and health care facilities that want to interact directly with patients and answer queries. Leverage Instagram to give wellness tips, showcase healthy lifestyles and put a human face on your employees so people trust you.

Best times to post on Instagram for nonprofit organizations

Social media also enables civic, nonprofit and membership groups to raise awareness of their causes and be in touch with their communities. Whether through Stories, posts or Reels, nonprofits tell their story, spotlight volunteers and motivate community members to take a stand in support of their cause for more authentic connections that drive impact for what matters most.

On Instagram, the nonprofit organizations received slightly above-average engagement on most Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays in between midmorning and the rest of the afternoon.

As more of these individuals are spending time online interacting with content, these organizations now have an opportunity to nurture this audience and create the relationships they need to drive their missions forward.

Best times to post on Instagram for retail

Almost every phase in the customer journey is on social media and this comes as no shock. Social media algorithms should be harnessed by retailers and brands. On most weekdays, later in the mornings to midmornings, consumers are actively interacting with brands on Instagram, particularly on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Think of showcase product posts, influencer campaigns or app-special sales promotions to keep those sales flying. Although we don’t have data on whether these purchases are occurring, we can extrapolate that product discovery, brand awareness and social shopping related to purchases contribute to these posts.

Best times to post on Instagram for travel and hospitality

The Timeshare and Travel industry experienced a boom in Instagram activity. Whether inspiring couples to travel by shooting destination photos or showing off hotel amenities and lift ticket bundles, travel and hospitality brands can reach consumers with polished video content. Consider how you might deploy user-generated content as part of your Instagram strategy.

Hospitality industries are also pivoting efforts to connect with audiences midweek. They’re also having moderate engagement with scheduled branded content during the other midmorning, but heavily concentrated peak engagement on Sundays, which are a peak travel day.

The best time to post on Instagram according to the locations

Concerned about discovering the best when it comes to local times to post on Instagram when you reside in different parts of the world? Don’t fret! We’ve got you covered.

Here are the best time to post on Instagram for different locations: Whether you’re in Australia under the sun, The USA with its amazing cities, The UK close to Big Ben (hint hint), Malaysia in the thriving city or rainforest lands ☔️, Canada with it’s snow covered peaks & European beauties – we’ve got you sassed on figuring out when is the best time to post on Instagram and get through to your followers instantly!

Behind that calculation are the details of when and where you should be aiming to make a splash on Instagram.

Best time to post on Instagram Australia

The best time to post on instagram in australia Monday through Friday is from 7am which will capture the start of the work day and after hours. Weekends are different where 6 PM to 8 PM is prime time as Aussies take their midday breaks often tending to social media at brunch or outside.

• Monday: 7 am to 9 am or 12 pm to 2 pm
• Tuesday: 9 am or 5 pm to 7 pm
• Wednesday: 12 pm to 2 pm
• Thursday: 5 pm to 7 pm
• Friday: 12 pm to 3 pm
• Saturday: 9 am to 11 am
• Sunday: 10 am to 12 pm or 6 pm to 8 pm

Best time to post on Instagram United State

Typically there is more engagement on weekdays than weekends”. Tuesday to Friday is usually the best time to post on Instagram in USA, specifically Wednesday and Thursday receive most engagement. Is it a good time to post on Instagram on Sunday? It can work for certain niches, but generally not as well as weekdays. Likewise, is Saturday the worst day to post on Instagram? Not terrible, but engagement can be low compared to weekdays.

• Monday: 9 am, 2 pm, and 3 pm
• Tuesday: 8 am, 9 am, and 11 am
• Wednesday: 10 am, 12 pm, and 2 pm
• Thursday: 11 am, 3 pm, and 9 pm
• Friday: 10 am, 12 pm, and 2 pm
• Saturday: 8 am, 11 am to 1 am, 10 pm, and 12 am
• Sunday: 10 am and 3 pm to 4 pm

Best time to post on Instagram UK

There are multiples factors that must be taken into account to establish the best days to post on Instagram in the UK, from working hours, commute and weekends. Weekdays/Weekends Typically, weekdays tend to have more engagement overall but weekends are always a good peppy too, particularly when it comes to entertainment content.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all worst day to post on Instagram, but by being aware of low-engagement days you can tailor your posting schedule for maximum impact. I would assume activity might be down in normal early mornings and evening/late night.

• Monday: 8 pm to 9 pm
• Tuesday: 8 pm to 9 pm
• Wednesday: 1 pm and 9 pm
• Thursday: 6 pm to 9 pm
• Friday: 8 pm to 9 pm
• Saturday: 7 pm to 10 pm
• Sunday: 7 pm to 9 pm

Best time to post on Instagram in Malaysia

In Malaysia, the most favorable time to post on Instagram is between 12 PM and 2 PM, and then again from 6 PM to 8 PM during weekdays, corresponding nicely with lunch hours and after-work chill times. 10 AM-12 PM is the best time for weekend Instagram activity – catching people when they have that leisurely morning time.

On an individual basis, the best time to post on Instagram in Malaysia would be from 10 AM–12 PM Saturday, as users are likely leisurely browsing and engaging more with friends.

Best time to post on Instagram in Canada

Knowing when to post is also a critical factor on how to increase instagram likes canada. Optimal times tend to be early morning, 9 AM, and late evening time at 6 PM when users are engaged. Post at 5 PM as well, when most people are wrapping up their workday and scrolling through their feeds.

Particular days are great to post and that includes – Friday, especially in the evening, as prospective recipients prepare for the weekend they engage with content more. Saturday works well too, in the morning such as after 10AM to around 12PM and early evening past 6 PM. Sunday can be a great day too, especially evening hours between 6 PM and 9 PM, appealing to users winding down and getting ready for the week.

On the other hand, posting on Instagram from 1 AM-5 AM in the morning are generally the worst time since that’s when just about everyone is asleep. (On a midweek day, specifically Tuesday and Wednesday, it is often worst to post on Instagram if posted during early morning hours.)

• Monday: 12 pm to 9 pm
• Tuesday: 11 am to 9 pm
• Wednesday: 12 pm to 8 pm
• Thursday: 12 pm to 1 pm; 4 pm to 8 pm
• Friday: 11 am to 5 pm
• Saturday: 10 am to 6 pm
• Sunday: 11 am to 9 pm

Best time to post on Instagram in Europe

Even as the bloc’s many time zones makes for an uneven pattern of Instagram engagement, 8 AM and 5 PM on weekdays are both popular. These times correspond to segments around which the majority of people’s daily lives are organized. The trend is particularly visible on weekends, at 10 AM in many markets, which hits that laid-back weekend morning routine continentwide.

• Monday: 8 pm to 9 pm
• Tuesday: 8 pm to 9 pm
• Wednesday: 1 pm and 9 pm
• Thursday: 6 pm to 9 pm
• Friday: 8 pm to 9 pm
• Saturday: 7 pm to 10 pm
• Sunday: 7 pm to 9 pm

Best time to post on Instagram in India

Best Time To Post On Instagram In India 7:30 PM on weekdays and at 8:30 on Saturday evenings. These are great times to catch people during their off time and relaxation.

Keep in mind, however, that these are general trends. Your particular audience may have different habits at, so be sure to check your Instagram Insights for personalized numbers. Try different posting times and measure your success to determine what’s optimal for your specific audience.

• Monday: 7 am; 3 pm; 7:30 pm
• Tuesday: 11 am; 1:30 pm; 7 pm
• Wednesday: 8:30 am; 4 pm; 5:30 pm
• Thursday: 4:30 am; 6:30 pm; 9 pm
• Friday: 12:30 am; 2 pm; 10:30 pm
• Saturday: 6 am; 7 am; 8:30 pm
• Sunday: 2 am; 4 pm; 5:30 pm

Best time to post on Instagram in Bangladesh

For the best slots to schedule your Instagram posts in Bangladesh, you can get peak engagement. These times vary based on particular local conditions such as one time zone, a high population density, long commute hours in addition to morning times of daily prayers and country-wide and religious holidays.

• Monday: 10 pm to 11 pm
• Tuesday: 10 pm to 11 pm
• Wednesday: 8 pm to 9 pm
• Thursday: 6 pm to 8 pm
• Friday: 10 pm to 11 pm
• Saturday: 8 pm to 10 pm
• Sunday: 9 pm to 10 pm

Best time to post on Instagram in Philippines

• Monday: 6 pm to 9 pm
• Tuesday: 5 pm to 9 pm
• Wednesday: 5 pm to 8 pm
• Thursday: 5 pm to 7 pm
• Friday: 7 pm to 10 pm
• Saturday: 5 pm to 10 pm
• Sunday: 7 pm to 9 pm

Best time to post on Instagram in Pakistan

• Monday: 9 am to 12 pm and 7 pm to 10 pm
• Tuesday: 8 am to 10 am and 7 pm to 9 pm
• Wednesday: 9 am to 12 pm and 8 pm to 10 pm
• Thursday: 10 am to 1 pm and 8 pm to 10 pm
• Friday: 7 am to 10 am and 7 pm to 10 pm
• Saturday: 9 am to 12 pm and 6 pm to 10 pm
• Sunday: 10 am to 12 pm and 6 pm to 9 pm

Best time to post on Instagram in Nigeria

• Monday: 9 am; 2 pm to 9 pm
• Tuesday: 10 am; 12 pm; 3 pm to 7 pm
• Wednesday: 6 pm to 8 pm
• Thursday: 5 pm; 8 pm to 9 pm
• Friday: 3 pm to 8 pm
• Saturday: 12 pm; 7 pm to 10 pm
• Sunday: 7 pm; 5 pm to 8 pm

Best time to post on Instagram in South Africa

• Monday: 8 pm to 9 pm
• Tuesday: 10 am and 8 pm
• Wednesday: 7 pm to 9 pm
• Thursday: 7 pm to 8 pm
• Friday: 3 pm; 7 pm to 8 pm
• Saturday: 2 pm and 8 pm
• Sunday: 8 pm

How to find your own best times to post on Instagram

With numbers in hand, social marketers can make more informed decisions about what to plan content around. As social media changes, so do the brands and consumers that utilize it. But keeping up with these evolving formats and trends could allow you to engage your audience in ways you might not have previously considered, creating more meaningful and genuine connections.

Optimal Instagram Posting Times for Special Occasions

New Year’s Eve The most popular time to post on Instagram for New Year’s Eve is the late afternoon, as this is when most people are starting to get ready to celebrate in the evening and may be checking last-minute news and sending friends well wishes.

Christmas Day: Christmas morning posts early in the day 8 AM to 9 AM work well as people get up and post their festive moments; later in the day (around 5 PM-6 PM) can capture those unwinding after the day.

Halloween: The best time to post for Halloween is the first 3 PM – 5 PM i.e., early evening before it gets dark and before any ghouls & goblins venture out.

Labor Day – Predicting good engagement – if you post bright and early around 9-11AM, people like to take it easy on this federal holiday, so they’re reading social media with breakfast or brunch!

Mother’s Day: The best time to post on Instagram on Mother’s Day is late morning, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., when people are sharing tributes and family pictures.

Valentine’s Day: On this day, a publish first thing in the morning between 8-9 AM to catch people who want a happy with from their valentine or you, around again dinnertime (7-8 PM) is good also as many are eating diner and exchange cards.

After all, the times are mostly good but check for your own audience and the peculiarities of some areas regarding the festivals; lord knows there’s plenty of them.

The Three Pillars of Instagram Engagement

These three major aspects of engagement, can easily help a user to grow their Instagram profile. These are not your average pillars…but rather they’re a covert Instagram engagement weapon.

Want to know which are those? Fine, go on to the next part:

Interest: The Instagram algorithm considers the type of content that you’ve historically interacted with, then seeks out similar posts. That means that, all else being equal, you’re more likely to keep them around and engaging more if you’re consistently creating content they enjoy. It’s sort of like your friend suggesting movies you might like, based on what he knows about you. If you would like to understand more about how that works then read our post on how the Instagram algorithm works.

Recency: Timing is everything, right? Instagram thinks so too. The platform prioritizes new posts, boosting them to the front of the queue. So if you post when your audience is most active, you are playing into Instagram’s hands and chances of getting seen. Imagine snagging someone right when they were in the market for something to watch.

Relationship: Instagram is more about establishing a community and less about likes and views. “Engagement is interaction with your posts, so comments, shares, likes,” Ms. Najimy says of the algorithm’s way to reward accounts you engage with “When people are regularly interacting with your posts in a positive way then that’s telling Instagram this person values my content. So, it moves your posts up in their feed. So create content that encourages discussion and deepens your relationship with your followers.

How to Find Your Own Best Time to Post on Instagram Using Instagram Insights or Creative Studio

While broad times can guide your starting point, the surest way to find the optimal time for your business to post on Instagram is with a test of your own account’s personalized data. Instagram Insights, which is a type of free analytics inside the platform for Creator and Business accounts, provides you with incredible data about how your specific audience behaves.

When do your followers engage the most? With this information, you’ll know when to post your content so that it gets seen and clicked. And, when you use this timing tactic along with content that enables trending formats, challenges and audience psychology [it is possible to] soon tick your viral box [on Instagram].

Use Instagram Insights

That’s Instagram Insights, and it offers robust native analytics to help you understand your followers’ behavior (including where they are and when they’re most active on the platform).

This type of individualized data can help uncover uncommon patterns in your audience, helping you to get the most out of your post scheduling beyond general advice.

Here’s how to get all that juicy advice in your account either the Creator or Business flavors (for accounts with over 100 followers):

• Step 1: From your profile, tap the ≡ menu icon at the top-right corner.
• Step 2: Select “Insights”.
• Step 3: Under the “Overview” section, click on a metric or scroll down to “Total Followers/New Followers.”
• Step 4: Keep scrolling past “Total Followers,” and directly below is “Most active times,” which breaks down when followers engage by day and hour.

Use this to drill down on when your peak Instagram posting times would be for your audience.

A necessary requirement to obtain insights on Instagram is to have an Instagram business account or an Instagram creator’s profile.

Meta Business Suite

One of those tools was Instagram Creator Studio, a standalone platform (now included within the Meta Business Suite) that offers businesses and creators an all-in-one destination to manage their presence on both Facebook and Instagram.

It acts as a one-stop shop where you can develop content, plan posts, review performance data, turn monetization options on and off and communicate with your followers across both websites.

It provides some great tools to make the most of your prescence:

• Content Creation & Scheduling: Create and schedule different types of content on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp.
• All-in-one Inbox: It allows users to manage messages, comments and notifications from Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp in one place.
• Performance Insights: It gives you analytics on how well your social activity performs, in terms of reach, engagement and even demographics.
• Ad Management: You can use it to advertise on Instagram by creating ads.
• E-commerce Integration: It integrates your electronic store for product display and to create shoppable posts.
• Auto Replies: You can create some automated responses for your audience engagement with the business suite.

While you look for that perfect time to post on Instagram, the Meta Business Suite can step in and provide some aid. It’s a very effective tactic, because it is based on data from your actual audience. The Insights feature on the platform breaks down when your followers are most active.

And here’s how to find your perfect posting times using Meta Business Suite:

Step 1: Accessing insights in your Meta Business Suite dashboard, locate the “Insights” section. This you will find in the menu to the left.

Step 2: In Insights, find the “Audience” tab. Here, you can access valuable data on your followers, such as their demographics, location and when they’re most active.

Step 3: Scroll to the “Most Active Times” or similar section. It shows a chart for each day of the week and your followers activity in certain hours of the day. Typically you can filter this information by the day to show activity hour by hour.

Step 4: Note the days and hours of highest peaks in the graph. These are most people in your audience online and scrolling.

Step 5: After identifying these peak times, visit the Meta Business Suite and use the “Planner” tool to schedule out your Instagram posts accordingly. The Planner… “enables you to plan content in advance and post it when your audience is most likely to notice and engage with it.

Does Scheduling Instagram Posts Affect Engagement?

To schedule Instagram posts is a great way to save time, and keep everything organized, but does scheduling Instagram posts hurt engagement?

The short answer is no.

There is no concrete proof that Instagram punishes for scheduled posts. Actually, posting on schedule is a great idea so you can make sure you keep up with that all-important engagement!

Below, we’ve added a few more pointers for planning Instagram posts like a pro:

Pre -plan your blog posts: Scheduling when you are going to post will help keep a consistent appearance on your page.Make sure you have enough content in mind to share in the days leading up to Promotions! I.e. Each day, you should be sharing NMTSS Day 6 Sale A thon or whatever you plan hours each day that week, call it the Inventory Reduction Extravaganza Content!

Use a scheduling tool: There are several different scheduling tools like RecurPost for example. To keep your posting consistent and save time use these tools to plan out your posts ahead of time.

Cross-post your scheduled posts to other social platforms: Cross share those scheduled Instagram posts on other social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook for potential greater reach.

Start using hashtags: Hashtags are an excellent tool to bring your posts before more viewers. In your scheduled posts use relevant hashtags so people discover your content making them share it.

Third-Party Analytics Tools for Finding Your Best Posting Times

Although Instagram Insights shows insights on how your audience is engaging, there are third party analytics tools that gives a better insight to when you should post. These applications use your engagement history and your audience’s behavior to recommend custom posting schedules.

Popular Instagram Analytics Tools:

• Later: By looking at your historical performance, offers personalized best times to post based on when your audience is most engaged with your content.
• Hootsuite Analytics: Generates reports detailing your most favorable posting times (g., when the majority of your audience is online and when your content generates the most engagement).
• Sprout Social– Best send time feature, recommends the best times by assessing when your followers tend to be most active.
• Iconosquare: Provides in-depth analytics of when your followers are most active and will even recommend the best times to post based on your account.
• Buffer: Offers intelligent times for post scheduling by analyzing when your posts usually get more engagement.

Refine Your Instagram Strategy to Find Your Optimal Posting Time

If you want to discover the best posting times and make sure your content reaches capacity, it pays to take a more dynamic approach than simply looking at peak hours of activity. It’s a combination of persistence, engagement and intelligent testing.

Here’s how to refine your best times:

Be Consistent, But Don’t Set It in Stone: Once you have discovered potential peak times using your Instagram Insights, experiment with posting on a consistent basis around those windows. But don’t be afraid to play around! For a social media manager, it’s such a breeze to stay up late and post at different times across the week without feeling tired or opening Instagram when you should really be sleeping. This makes testing many slots a breeze.

Talk Post-Publishing: You are not finished after pressing “post.” The early interaction that your content gets is extremely important to the reach. Be prepared to engage with comments and DMs during the first hour or two after posting. This signals to Instagram that your content is important and worth distributing more.

A/B Test Your Content and Timing: Don’t only test times; test what you post at those times. Does a fast Reel do best in the morning rush, but an intense carousel surges in the evening? Experiment with different Instagram post ideas to see what resonates when. That way, you’re not only learning when your audience is online but what they want to see at certain times.

• The Never-Ending Cycle: This is not a do-it-once-and-be-done task. User behavior changes and so should your plan.
• Here’s a basic checklist to help you stay on course:
• Access Audience Insights: First, check your Instagram Professional Dashboard to see when the people who follow you are most active.
• Make a Hypothesis: Using these, speculate the best possible times to post.
• Plan Variance: Have different types of posts (Reels, carousels, static images) ready to trial.
• Strategically Schedule: Organize to post regularly at your experimental time of choice with a scheduler.
• Jump on Post-Publish: Be active and engage if you can for replies, comments and inbox messages the first hour.
• Measure Performance: Keep an eye on reach, engagement rate and saves for each post.
• Analyze and Compare: Patterns developed can be found, as well noticing what content type works best when.
• Fine-tune your timing, and content: Adapt your strategy based on the data, tweaking both when and what you post.
• Rinse & Repeat: Keep on track adjusting along audience behaviour and platform changes.
• And by consistently monitoring, testing and tweaking, you’ll find the sweet spot for your Instagram content, making sure it reaches the right people at the right time.

The worst time to post on Instagram

Late Night and Early Morning Times: Late at night (after 9 PM on weekdays and after 10 PM on weekends) and early in the morning (before 6 AM on weekdays and before 8 AM on weekends) during both week days and weekends is generally not when the best interaction happens.

Most people are in bed asleep or just waking up in the morning and not on their Instagram app at all. So in general you should avoid posting on instagram late sam isapearly in the morning at night to be honest, because less people rea online and don’t scroll their feed.

Standard Weekday Business Hours: These are likely too low performing as most people should be at work or school between 9AM and 5PM.

Saturday Afternoons: This is when people are more likely to be doing other things – outdoor activities, errands, social events and so on.

Sunday nights: Sunday nights can be hot or cold. Actives may be at rest while you are actively working out (they might even be in bed). Even if they’re not, maybe they’re catching up on other things before the start of a new week and aren’t that active on social media. So, Sundays are the worst days to do so on Instagram.

And be sure to read our full rundown on the best and worst times to post on social media!

During Major Events Whenever there is any major event (be it a popular sports game or a significant cultural event), reels activity on Instagram may take a dip as the focus moves elsewhere. “It is the worst time to post Reels on Instagram when people are watching a bigger screen,” my mentor would always tell me.

How to Effectively Use Multiple Right Times to Post on Instagram? 

You may indeed come to the conclusion, after applying the tools above, that there isn’t one single best day or time to post on Instagram.

In any case, you’d hate to live in a world where there was only one good time to upload an Instagram.

However, it can become tedious if you are a social media manager or marketing agency and need to keep posting on different time periods while juggling many social accounts.

You have to release multiple slots down and choose one of the best times in the day from all or you should share it manually based on schedule through-out the day. Opting for the former would be losing your other even more better engagement times, and choosing the latter will just end up wasting a fucking huge portion of your life.

Here comes a tool called social media content scheduler to the rescue!

SocialPilot, for example, has an Instagram scheduler which allows you to make and schedule your Instagram post several days or even weeks or month before posting.

Additional tips to garner engagement apart from the best times

The best time to post on Instagram is only one piece of the puzzle. Here are some additional ways to engage with other listeners:

Authenticity and consistency: Authenticity is key on Instagram. This is a true expression of yourself or your brand. Oh and don’t forget the consistency, keeping your followers engaged looking forward to what you put out there. It’s like your trustworthy friend who always has your back.

Employ Analytics: Instagram analytics is a wonderful tool that you should be making use of to understand what’s working for you and what doesn’t. It’s akin to having an itemized and detailed map of the tastes, likes and when-are-they-online’s of your target audience. Keep an eye on developments in your engagement rate by checking Instagram Analytics regularly.

Utilize Trendy and Appropriate Hashtags: Utilizing trending and appropriate hashtags can reach more audience which have an interest in the ones you are talking about. Some of the most influential and experts have always told us to use hashtags responsibly. Consider hashtags a way to find the right cliques for your content.

Leverage Trendy Music: Using trending music in your stories or reels can help you make content that is more relatable and entertaining. It’s an easy addition that can help breathe a lot of life and character into your posts.

New Instagram Features Are to Be Ignored at Your Own Risk: Over the past few years, Instagram has added a lot of features to its platform that you might not know about like Reels or IGTV or Stories stickers. So consider using them to stand out and indicate you’re up on the trends.

Experiment With Post-types: Diversify your posts with reels, photos, videos, carousels and different types of content! It keeps your feed interesting and appeals to a wide range of tastes in your audience.

If you are trying to get more engagement, you can integrate influencer collaborations. Be sure to check out our guide on powerful Instagram influencer marketing strategies to find out how top influencers can boost your content and expand its reach.

Conclusion

On Instagram, getting your timing right is essential. It’s also about posting your content when the most followers are online, and thus more likely to see it and engage with it.

It’s not just a question of posting when your audience is most active; It’s about engaging with them in a meaningful way.Aggressive users neither follow their followers nor care to make any genuine connection with them. This means you need to watch your audience and adjust based on what works.

Plug into the analytics tools that Instagram provides and learn when your followers are online to experiment with different posting times. In the online world, things never stay the same, so flexibility and agility in your strategy is a must. By posting strategically and regularly, you can increase your visibility on Instagram and interact with your followers in meaningful ways.

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