When should I post to Facebook? And what about Twitter? Are four tweets per day too much or too little?

We understand these questions because we ask them, too, when planning Connectivity’s social media strategy.  After all, it’s important to be strategic in social media postings so you can get the best return on your time investment. Thanks to scheduling apps like Hootsuite and Tweetdeck, you can schedule your posts ahead of time, but that also leads to questions about the best times of day to reach your audience.

First, it depends on what social media channels you use. You’ll also need to consider your goals, your target audience, and where they live. Connectivity’s Customer Insights product can help track and organize their demographic information, which can also pinpoint their time zones.

You’ll also need to understand popular social media habits. To help you get started, we’ve rounded up general best practices for four popular channels (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram):

Social Media Usage During the Week

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Image credit: 10 FACE/Shutterstock

Below is a summary of findings from a recent Quick Sprout study:

Facebook

People are most active on Facebook on Thursdays and Fridays, particularly during the afternoon. This is a good time for you to post about special sales and discounts in order to bring customers to your business, when it’s near the end of the week and they’re thinking about shopping. (We’ve got some suggestions on how to promote your Facebook page.)

Twitter

For Twitter, users usually log on during downtimes and breaks. You can spread brand awareness around noon (at lunchtime) or after work, when your followers will be most likely to engage with your posts. Don’t be afraid to repeat tweets to capture audiences in different time zones as the shelf life of tweets is relatively short.

LinkedIn

Professionals generally use LinkedIn to share their thought leadership or find tips or advice to help them succeed in their careers during business hours on weekdays. It’s a useful platform if you’re looking to connect with other professionals, especially if you’re a B2B company. Most clicks and shares happen on Tuesday mornings between 10–11 a.m. People aren’t necessarily looking for content on Friday afternoon, so keep that in mind when posting—the worst days to post on LinkedIn for U.S. audiences are on Mondays and Fridays.

Instagram

Users are most responsive at the beginning of the week (Monday) and less responsive at the end (Sunday). They’re also more likely to engage during off-work hours. Instagram is effective in persuading customers to visit your business, since users log on after work.

Consider Your Company Product

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Image credit: Yulia Grigoryeva/Shutterstock

Sure, you can post whenever your customers are online, but it won’t be as effective in achieving your goals if you don’t do it at a time that makes sense for the type of company you market.

Facebook and Instagram

If your company sells a consumer product such as sporting goods or clothes, you’ll want to reach people when they’re planning their leisure time. Facebook can serve as an optimal channel because people are usually on near the end of the week when they’re thinking about their weekend plans.

Instagram, too, is useful here because its users are active during non-work hours, and are ready to relax by browsing images, which is a prime opportunity for you to share engaging visuals of your products and drive brand awareness.

Twitter

If you promote a restaurant chain, focus on when people are thinking about what they want for lunch or dinner. Since people usually visit Twitter at noon or right after work, they’ll be in the right mood to consider you.

LinkedIn

If your organization focuses on B2B services, such as management consulting, you’ll want to connect with people during the week, when they’re at work. Post either right at the beginning of the day, when people are looking for inspiration to start the day off right, or at the end of the day when they have some downtime to read.

Based on the information above, fill out this checklist to help determine the most effective approach to your social media scheduling:

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Image credit: A. and I. Kruk/Shutterstock
  1. Who is my target market?
  2. What social media channel are they likely to use?
  3. When are they most likely to use that channel?
  4. When are they most likely to respond to my call to action?
  5. What do I want each specific post to achieve?
  6. When will this specific post have the most impact?
  7. When does my competition post on social media? (Sneak a peek at their accounts and see when their posts get the most “likes” and “shares.”)

Now that you’ve got the timing down pat, it’s time to come up with the most effective social media marketing strategy. Check out our guide here!

Top image credits: Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock