The folks over at Hubspot have created a rather nifty infographic (see below) to address these concerns; neatly segmenting by social channel in a well-presented format.
Before we get started, it’s important to explain that, as the infographic supports, there is no silver bullet for when to post on social media. Timings will vary depending on the platform, the targeted region, your goals and, ultimately, your audience.
So, without further ado, it’s time to get social.
When is the best time to post on LinkedIn?
We’ll start with LinkedIn, the old reliable in the B2B space. Although criticised over recent months for its timeline increasingly resembling that of Facebook’s – think annoying memes and click-bait headlines – LinkedIn still remains as the number one social network among professionals.
Therefore, your brand’s social media activity should reflect the time of day professionals are most likely to be browsing LinkedIn: during working hours. Hubspot has drilled even deeper in the infographic: the morning commute, just before lunch, and on the way home are the optimum times for posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
According to the infographic, don’t bother with weekend posts and, interestingly, Monday and Friday experience lower engagement rates than the rest of the working week, so bear this in mind when scheduling your content.
When is the best time to post on Twitter?
Twitter has also come under fire over the past year, although changes to its character count limitations could provide a welcome boost to the ailing platform. Whereas LinkedIn encourages a more considered approach to posting content, the very nature of Twitter means posts can be pushed out in a more aggressive and regular manner.
Also, Twitter is much more popular among mobile users, with people treating it as a welcome distraction during breaks and on their commute. B2B organisations should post during the working week from 12:00-3:00pm, and again at 5:00pm when the day is winding down.
Again, it’s worth pointing out that these times all depend on your target audience. Experiment, record, and then implement accordingly. The effectiveness of creating detailed buyer personas cannot be embellished enough.
When is the best time to post on Facebook?
Facebook has always been a divisive topic in the B2B world. While many brands bemoan its effectiveness and therefore don’t possess a concrete Facebook strategy, recent research found it somewhat surprisingly outranked LinkedIn and Twitter among B2B decision-makers.
The infographic reveals Facebook engagement rates are highest on Wednesday at 3:00pm and Thursdays and Fridays from 1:00pm-4:00pm. B2B brands should also keep in mind their customers are humans too – not just faceless suits – and open to targeting at the weekends. Facebook is perhaps the most personable social platform, so make sure your content reflects this: keep it fun and amiable.
When is the best time to post on Instagram and Pinterest?
While their effectiveness is questionable in the B2B space, a number of brands employ these two more creative-led social platforms. Instagram especially is lauded as the exciting new kid on the B2B social media block.
Instagram users engage more outside of work hours, with videos performing best between 9:00pm and 8:00am. Apparently, between 3:00pm-4:00pm is somewhat of a taboo hour for Instagram use, so steer clear when scheduling posts.
Pinterest users are most active during the evening during weekdays, and engagement levels spike on Saturdays from 8:00-11:00pm. Bear in mind the majority of Pinterest users are also female.
