Best Times to Post on Social Media
By now you’ve read a million and a half articles about the best times to post on social media. I’ve read them all, too, and honestly, I think people just write those articles to puff themselves up and make you feel bad (the article in the link above is a good one, by the way). One study says the weekend is best. Another says 9 am. A third says after dinner. My opinion? Whenever you have time to post is a good time. Maybe the middle of the night wouldn’t be the best time, but even then.
Chicken or Egg?
Let’s say you did start posting in the middle of the night. Now at first you might not see so many people. But after awhile, maybe your friends would be all the insomniacs and zombies who are up late at night. That would be your audience because you’d have something in common with them. Would that be so very awful? Would you actually change your hours or schedule posts just because some dumb study said that you should post at a certain time, even if you weren’t awake then?
What About Weekends?
Chicken or Egg?
Some people don’t post at all on weekends, but say that was the only time you had available. You could post on weekends and then have time to engage with people if that was when you were free. And maybe you’d capture more attention because a lot of people don’t post then. So people relaxing around the house and checking in might find it a perfect time to engage with you.
People Talk to People Who Are Like Themselves
If you’re looking for a “tribe,” then why not try posting when you have the time, instead of going by a study? Or use a combination of, say, Facebook’s analytics and Twitter tools to figure out the best times for your audience. Personally, I’m not going to twist myself into a pretzel because of some study.
When Do You Like to Post?
Do the studies about when to post drive you crazy? Do you ignore the studies and do your own thing, or do you prefer to “follow the numbers” on social media? I’d love to hear from you!
I do my own thing. I love this post. You bring up great points including using to your advantage the lowest volume times. I like that.
You are always so responsive by replying quickly; you seem to be everywhere, Bridget! The people who write studies don’t know everything. I love it when people dance to their own music! Thanks for commenting, as always!
Sincerely,
Carol
I generally post my blog content on Fridays so that it is available for the two or three people that read it :D. I use the auto schedule feature on Hootsuite for some of ny tweets…like this post you wrote. Otherwise, I just post, engage, and comment as I have time. Great post!
Glad to hear that you post, engage, and comment as you have time, Allen. Those studies absolutely drive me crazy! They all seem to disagree with one another! Thanks for commenting!
Sincerely,
Carol
The studies drive me crazy too! But there are studies for everything, aren’t there? I think it gives people something to write about. Since I have to a billion other responsibilities at my job, I post when I can. I am trying to stick to a schedule though–one that is meant to help me stay on track, not based on any kind of study. But I do alternate schedules so that I have week 1 and week 2, just to change up posting times a bit. So far, I haven’t stuck to it very well, lol!
Kim Stebbins
Hello Kim!
Well, we all do the best we can, posting and tweeting when we have the time. Some of those studies just serve to make people feel guilty if they aren’t posting! A loose schedule is nice, but there needs to be flexibility so we don’t drive ourselves crazy. :-) Thanks, as always, for commenting.
Sincerely,
Carol
Hi Carol,
It’s interesting to read the studies , and then try . This works for me , the studies work because it is also about gaining new followers, which bring new perspectives .. Your loyal followers will always be checking out what your posting so time doesn’t matter unless your trying to get a certain number of responses within a certain amount of time 1
great article
thanks for posting !
Natalie
Hi Natalie,
My argument with the studies is that they all seem to contradict one another. If they all pointed to posting at a similar time, that would be one thing. It’s like the health studies that say certain foods are good (or not) to eat. I believe that each person should find their own natural rhythm in posting and not rely overly much on studies.
Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to comment. I really appreciate it!
Sincerely,
Carol
Hi Carol
I agree , you just have to try them , I wouldn’t live by them but if you give it a try u might find that perfect fit with a client or a consumer . Carol I must say I really have to thank you xxox. I taught myself computers was on the internet when it first started but as generations change so does perspective and it is very likely that older people can get lost especially if not in this field . So to get to the point , I finally got it about socializing and it is do to you, for some reason those articles you wrote about gen c and being social on social media hit me like a brick . I have to thank you really !!!!
Hi Natalie,
You know, you really made my day about the Gen C article. I have a friend who 70 and is a power user, and other friends in their 30s who don’t know how to use social media at all. I think users who are a little older actually have the advantage of having good manners and understanding how to have conversations! That is a huge advantage!
Thanks so much, Natalie!
Sincerely,
Carol
You make excellent points, agree with Bridget. You can only do what you can do when the time allows. I do schedule posts/tweets but only when I’ll be able to respond timely if someone comments :-). No middle of the night for me.
Twitter can be time consuming, Sandy. I admit to sometimes being up too late at night and responding to people. Taking a day off is fine–people will still be there later. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
Sincerely,
Carol
Hi Michael,
Oh, that’s right–Arizonans are renegades that way! Hah!
Good for you for getting all the website traffic!
And thank you for posting. :D
Carol