The Best Time to Post on Instagram for Likes

  • 2022-11-24

Growing an audience on Instagram is not easy. It requires competing against other content creators, businesses, and established brands as well as catering to the Instagram algorithm just to be seen. 

Sharing posts at the optimal time is one of the best ways to encourage engagement since it means the posts will make it immediately to people's feeds while they're already on the site. Unfortunately, though, there is no one right answer when it comes to figuring out when to post for maximum likes. It's simple to find social media exposure experts to work with and buy instagram likes from their app, but it's harder to determine when an organic audience is most likely to engage.

Global Engagement Data

While there is no one answer to the question of when content creators should post on Instagram, there is plenty of data available that indicates general trends. Research shows that people, in general, are most active on social media at 2:00 PM, EST, on Wednesdays. Engagement rates tend to be highest on:

- Mondays at 12 PM

- Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11 AM to 2 PM

- Thursdays and Fridays from 11 AM to 12 PM

- Saturdays at 12 PM

- Sundays at 10 PM

Unfortunately, all of this information refers only to generalized trends. Every social media platform is different, as is every target audience. While it's fine to start out by using these general trends as guidelines, content creators will need to get much more specific as they start to build their followings.

Factors That Influence Ideal Posting Time

It can be incredibly discouraging to create post after post only for all of them to fall into the void, especially for those who are using Instagram as a marketing platform. Don't give up on getting likes. Instead, consider the following factors and try to develop a more specialized content posting schedule.

Time zone and Location

Location strongly influences when the best time is to post on Instagram. It's not just that people live in different time zones, either. Audiences differ from state to state and country to country. Local businesses and content creators with local audiences need to consider what kinds of cultural practices might inform when people use Instagram. In communities where most people work 9-5 jobs, for example, it would make little sense to post at midnight on a weekday.

Primary Audience

Every target audience is unique. Some prefer to check their Instagram feeds right after they wake up. Others head online multiple times throughout the day to make sure they're keeping up-to-date. Yet more users only check Instagram late at night. Defining the primary target audience can thus be seen as one of the most important steps towards understanding when the best time is to post to get likes.

Types of Content

The types of content being shared also influence the best posting time. Instagram Reels, for example, provide an excellent tool for increasing engagement rates, but the ideal posting times for this content type are a little different. As a general rule, the best time to post Instagram reels is between 9 AM and 12 PM on weekdays.

How Often to Post on Instagram

Figuring out when to post on Instagram isn't just about determining the best times of the day. It's also about having a plan for how often to post. Experts believe there is a Goldilocks level of posting on Instagram that differs from user to user. Followers don't like to feel ghosted by following a page and liking its content and then not seeing anything come up on their feeds for weeks. However, they also don't like being inundated with posts. 

A good place to start for those who don't have a large following yet and are still honing their Instagram marketing strategies is around three times per week. This posting schedule allows content creators to take their time coming up with high-value posts and then check to see how they are performing before moving on to the next big idea.

Make Adjustments as Needed

It's important for users to keep track of what works and what doesn't. Those with business accounts can check Instagram analytics as often as needed to see when their target audiences are online, what kinds of content they interact with the most, and more. Use this information to inform changes in posting times and strategies for maximum results. It can take some time to get everything exactly right, so in the meantime, new users may also want to look into options like purchasing likes online so they can get their accounts off the ground and start outperforming competitors sooner.