With over 3 billion people holding a Facebook account, you must ensure your content reaches the people you want to target most.
One factor in this is your posting time. Are you uploading your content when your ideal demographic wants to see it?
Posting at the right time for optimum engagement means more people are potentially interested in your product or service and boosts its general reach. The more engagement a post on Facebook has, the more likely it is to be shown on other users’ feeds, creating a beneficial chain reaction.
In this discussion, we’ll dive into the best time to post on Facebook, narrowed down by day and industry.
Understanding Facebook’s Algorithm
The Facebook algorithm determines the content shown on the platform and the ranking in which it is selected. Here are some of the key ways in which it can affect the reach of your posts.
- Engagement — posts that generate engagement, meaningful replies, and discussion are more likely to be ranked highly.
- Relevance — the more relevant a post is to a user’s interests, the more likely it is to be featured on their feed.
- Post-type balance — Facebook tries to vary the content type shown on a user’s feed to provide a selection of different post types.
The Four Ranking Factors
In essence, the Facebook algorithm boils down to four ranking factors that affect what content it shows its users. These are:
- The Poster — Facebook is more likely to show users your content if they have interacted with you.
- Content Type — The post types the user mostly interacts with are given preferential treatment on their feed. For example, if they mainly engage with videos, their feed will have more of them compared to image and text-only posts.
- Likeliness of Engagement — The more likely the user will engage with the content meaningfully, the more likely it is to be shown.
- Interest — How likely is the post to generate user discussion and interaction.
When it comes to the timing of your posts, the key factors helping you to hit are the type of poster, relevance, and the likeliness of engagement. Posting at a time when users are around who are interested in your content will lead to more interactions with it and, as a result, help to increase its reach to other users.
General Best Practices for Posting Times
There is one key time slot that is powerful every day of the week, and that’s 8 AM to 11 AM. The worst time of day to post on Facebook is in the early morning, between 2 AM and 5 AM. After all, most people are sleeping!
Some days of the week also perform better than others. We’ll dive into these now.
The best day of the week to post on Facebook is Friday, followed by Wednesday. Saturday is the worst day of the week to post, along with Sunday. So, as a rule of thumb — avoid posting on the weekend to ensure the most reach!
Here’s a quick snapshot of the best time windows for each day of the week.
- Best time to post on Facebook on Monday: 7 AM to 11 AM and 4 PM
- Best time to post on Facebook on Tuesday: 7 AM to 11 AM
- Best time to post on Facebook on Wednesday: 7 AM to 10 AM
- Best time to post on Facebook on Thursday: 9 AM to 11 AM and 4 PM
- Best time to post on Facebook on Friday: 7 AM to 10 AM and 4 PM
- Best time to post on Facebook on Saturday: 8 AM to 10 AM and 1 PM
- Best time to post on Facebook on Sunday: 8 AM to 9 AM and 12 PM to 1 PM
You’ll notice there is a common trend. Every day of the week’s optimum posting times encompasses 9 AM. Therefore, post at 9 AM to catch the most engagement for your content. Closely following this are some afternoon times, like 4 PM on a weekday and 1 PM on a weekend.
In a nutshell, the best day and time to post on Facebook is Friday at 9 AM.
Considering Time Zones and Global Audiences
You should take the information above with a slight pinch of salt, especially if your target market is in a geographical location different from yours or you have an international or global audience for your products and services.
When we say one of the best times to post on Facebook is 9 AM, this is all timezone dependent. For example, if you are on the West Coast of the USA and trying to reach a UK audience and publish a post at 9 AM local time, it would be seen on the feeds of UK users at 5 PM their time, outside of the optimum window!
So, consider time zones when scheduling, or consider having multiple publishing times that complement the engagement times for the audiences you want to reach most.
Best Times to Post by Industry
Another factor to consider when creating a Facebook post is the industry you are in. People look for specific content at certain times, which can occasionally differ from the more generalized sweet spots we looked at earlier.
Here are some of the best times to post on Facebook for popular industry sectors.
Retail and E-commerce
Users typically look out for posts from retail and consumer goods businesses on Monday and Friday afternoons. However, there are also niche windows on Wednesday mornings and nights.
- Mondays — 1 PM to 7 PM
- Wednesdays — 7 AM and 11 PM
- Fridays — 1 PM to 7 PM
Food and Beverage
The food and beverage industry and restaurants should look to post just before lunch for their target audiences. Users seem most “hungry” for these types of posts on Tuesday and Wednesday. The best time windows and days are as follows:
- Mondays — 11 AM
- Tuesdays — 10 AM to 1 PM
- Wednesdays — 11 AM to 1 PM.
- Fridays — 11 AM
Travel and Tourism
The travel and tourism sector has one of the most significant windows in terms of days of the week that benefit posting on Facebook. Ironically, the worst day for them is Friday, and most other days, mid-morning through to the late afternoon, are all viable for good reach.
- Mondays — 10 AM to 2 PM
- Tuesdays — 10 AM to 5 PM
- Wednesdays — 10 AM to 5 PM
- Thursdays — 10 AM to 5 PM
- Saturdays — 8 AM to 11 AM
- Sundays from 10 AM to 1 PM
Technology and Software
You should think early afternoon when it comes to hitting users interested in the technology and software industry. Strangely, it’s not weekdays that are most effective for these businesses, but the weekends, plus Wednesday for good measure.
- Wednesdays — 12 PM to 3 PM
- Fridays — 8 AM
- Saturdays — 12 PM to 3 PM
- Sundays — 12 PM to 3 PM
Healthcare and Fitness
Healthcare and fitness businesses want to ideally reach their target audiences as soon as they wake up on a midweek morning or when they finish work. The best times to post are:
- Tuesdays — 7 AM, and 5 PM to 7 PM
- Wednesdays — 7 AM and 5 PM
- Thursdays — 9 AM, 10 AM, and 5 PM
These businesses should refrain from posting on Sundays, as this is the worst day of the week for them.
Read More: Best Time to Post on Instagram: How to Find that Sweet Spot for Maximum Reach
Best Type of Content to Post on Facebook
Some types of content on Facebook perform better than others, so you should think about what your content contains if you are looking to capitalize on the highest reach possible.
Videos, including Reels, provide the best engagement levels on Facebook. However, making videos regularly for small businesses can take a lot of time and resources to do well, so aim to use it at peak times and when you really need to push a campaign.
- The best time to post Reels on Facebook is between 11 AM and 2 PM.
- The best time to post videos on Facebook is between 12 PM and 3 PM.
The next best alternative to videos is a post with an image or photo with supporting text. The more visual the posts are, the better they stand out on a user’s feed. Adding rich text rather than just an image-only post also helps provide vital information to the consumer and the Facebook algorithm.
- The best times to post photos on Facebook are between 7 AM and 9 AM, 1 PM and 3 PM, and 7 PM to 9 PM.
Text-only posts are less effective than those that contain other forms of media. Although they can be OK for quick updates, at least some sort of image attached to them will help foster engagement.
One thing that you should avoid is link-only posts. They don’t provide much user interaction and are the type of content that Facebook will snub as it doesn’t contain real human-created content.
Tools for Determining Your Best Posting Times
Thankfully, there are many tools and strategies that make it easier to work out the best times to post on Facebook for your business.
Facebook Audience Insights
Facebook’s Audience Insights tool helps you understand the type of people viewing your content. It can help you narrow down their geographic locations, age groups, and factors such as their interests, which can all help shape future campaigns.
Additionally, it can show you the likes and dislikes of other demographics you are currently not hitting, allowing you to adjust your strategies accordingly.
Third-Party Analytics Tools
Additionally, third-party analytics tools can provide more depth to your data insights and campaign planning. Often, they go above and beyond what is available natively on the Facebook and Meta platforms, collating together all of the performance metrics you need with minimum input from you, including audience demographics, engagement windows, and more.
This gives you more time to focus on making your content rather than poring over the numbers to figure out how you are doing.
A/B Testing
Another method for understanding the effectiveness of your posting times and schedules is to use A/B testing. This is where you post the same content with a small variation to understand which works best. In the case of optimizing scheduling times, you might post the same content at two different times of the day to see which one gets the best engagement.
Factors Affecting Your Optimal Posting Times
There are some other factors that you want to bear in mind when finding the best time to post on Facebook for your business. We’ll look into them below.
Target Audience Demographics
Recognize the diversity of your audience. Factors like age, work status, activity patterns, and lifestyle choices significantly influence when people log in to Facebook. Tailor your approach to match the patterns of your chosen demographic.
Audience Location and Time Zones
Utilize analytics to identify the primary locations and countries engaging with your content. Adjust your posting schedule to align with optimal times for maximum impact in these target time zones. Scheduling tools can help with this, which we will look at in more detail in the next section.
Competitor Posting Schedules
Study your competitors’ posting habits. You can either:
- Mimic successful strategies
- Target time slots just before or after their peak activity to capitalize on audience engagement and potentially win conversions
Seasonal Trends and Events
Consider how different times of year affect both content relevance and audience availability. For instance, public holidays may offer extended engagement windows compared to typical workdays.
Seasonal content like holiday-themed posts in December or spooky-themed posts near Halloween can also increase interest and engagement with your brand.
Read More: How to Create an Effective Facebook Advertising Campaign in 2024
Creating a Posting Schedule
Now that you have all of your data and insights together on the best time to post on Facebook, you are ready to start formulating your posting schedule. Here are some top tips for success.
Consistency vs. Optimal Timing
Consistency is just as powerful as finding the right time. Once you create your schedule, stay consistent with it wherever possible. After all, this is how you gain a brand following as your audience learns when to expect your posts.
If you need to switch things up for any reason, let your audience know, and make sure the shift is gradual so that you don’t lose any engagement along the way.
Developing a Content Calendar
Get on top of your posting schedule and plan content with a content calendar. Not only can you outline your best times to post on Facebook, but you can also plan ahead for any seasonal events, holidays, and business launches.
When you review your schedule, having these in the forefront of your mind means you can capitalize on events that can boost your reach throughout the year.
Automating Posts With Scheduling Tools
You don’t want to continually monitor and set alarms to remind yourself to publish that latest post. Using a social media scheduling tool allows you to set up days, weeks, and even months of content in advance that will go out exactly when you want it to without needing to manually submit it.
Some of the best scheduling tools are:
Monitoring and Adjusting Your Strategy
Here are some key metrics to check to ensure that your posts are performing how you want them to and getting the engagement you need from your posting schedule.
- Engagement Rate — this is the number of people who liked, shared, or commented on your post. To work out your average engagement rate, use the following calculation from Social Insider:
- Reach — the total number of unique users that have seen your post. This can also be split between organic and paid reach.
- Impressions — the number of times your post has been displayed on users’ screens.
- Click-through rate (CTR) — The number of people who click on your social media post. This is usually calculated by considering the number of impressions to determine a percentage.
Adapting to Algorithm Changes
It’s important to remember that not everything online stays the same forever. Algorithms always have updates and changes periodically, so remember to stay updated on key changes that could affect your posting schedule.
Wrap-up
So, in summary, you should now be able to find the best time for your business to post on Facebook. It’s now up to you to create that unique content to go with it!
If you need help at any stage of your social media marketing journey, the team at AnjasDev is here to help. Experts in driving engagement and creating high-quality campaigns, they will work with you to create a data-driven strategy for Facebook’s success. Schedule a consultation today to see what they can do.
