Guide
How to Find Your Best Time to Post, from Your Own Data
The best time to post is specific to your audience and network. Industry charts average millions of unrelated accounts, so they are a starting point at best. To find yours, post across different time slots, compare performance per network and slot against your own average, and only trust a pattern once enough posts support it.
Updated
Why Generic Charts Mislead
A chart built from many brands mixes audiences in different time zones, industries, and habits. Your followers might be night-shift nurses or weekend hobbyists. Averages also hide the effect of content: a great post at a "bad" time can beat a weak post at a "good" one.
A Simple Method
- Pick one network at a time; audiences differ between networks.
- Spread posts across several time slots over a few weeks.
- Compare each slot's results with your average, using one metric (for example, reach per post).
- Ignore slots with only one or two posts; require at least five before believing a difference.
- Re-check every few months as your audience changes.
Watch Out For
- Viral outliers that make one slot look magical.
- Comparing different formats in different slots.
- Mixing time zones; set one reporting time zone.
Let Software Do the Counting
From Pro, Markaestro Intelligence recommends posting windows from your own posts per network, shows the numbers behind each, and requires at least five posts in a group before it shows a pattern. See Intelligence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a universal best time to post on Instagram?
No. It depends on your audience's time zone and habits. Use your own results per network.
How many posts do I need to find my best time?
Enough for each time slot you compare, at least five per slot, and more is better.