You’re probably aware of the overarching question in marketing: when is the best time to post on social media? There are various theories floating around about when the best time to post is. Some experts say to post first thing in the morning. Others recommend posting during lunchtime. Some bigger companies will invest time into researching their target audience’s behavior to find out when their customer base is most active online.
However, there are so many factors at play and technology keeps evolving. Is the timing really that important? Let’s look at today’s most popular social media platforms and see.
Facebook
Over the years, Facebook has gone through a series of algorithms that have changed the interplay between customers and businesses. Now, Facebook utilizes its EdgeRank Algorithm that relies more on the the habits of individual users rather than the timing of published content. As a marketer, your posts are more likely to be seen by users who have interacted with your company consistently or have shown recent interest in your brand. If you want off-site traffic to increase purchases/downloads, posting in the evening or off-work hours is your best bet.
Twitter
On Twitter, tweets are displayed chronologically in a fast-paced newsfeed. Since the newsfeed is constantly refreshed, users can easily miss out on information. Recently, Twitter has adapted a “While You Were Away” segment to push missed tweets to the top of one’s feed. Similar to Facebook, this addition promotes user-affinity posts to the top of the feed, making the timing process a bit more arbitrary. The best strategy in this case is to post multiple times throughout the day to increase your exposure.
Instagram
Until last year, Instagram would show posts in chronological order; since then, they’ve implemented an algorithm that allows users to customize their feeds. Posts are now presented in priority of who users connect with the most. It gets even more personal when users connect their Facebook pages to their Instagram profile – this allows the algorithm to greater distinguish close relationships. As a marketer, it’s important to establish credibility by engaging with your customers through posts. This will increase your SEO ranking, which can lead to greater views.
LinkedIn
Unlike the last few platforms we’ve highlighted, LinkedIn operates on a simpler process. Because LinkedIn is a work-related platform, timing is more relevant and looks different between the weekends and weekdays. If you’re looking to get the most engagement, make sure to post before or just after work hours.
The time that you post can make a difference in the amount of engagement you receive. However, it’s more important to use social media to interact and respond to your client’s needs. Quality posts generate the best response for you, your industry and your potential customers.
For more information about social media marketing, contact Red Mallard today.
