It is a well-established fact that in recent years more and more people have joined social media platforms and are using them not just for socializing but also for business as well. In 2020 there are a staggering 3.96 billion social media users all over the world. Back in 2019, there were 3.48 billion, making that an increase of 10.9% over the course of 12 months. With just 2.07 billion users in 2015 the increase is an astounding 92.76% over the course of 5 years. And if you look at the current data (updated in July) active social media users number has almost reached four and half billion in 2021.
With such a significant increase it is easy to see why so many people are turning to social media for a number of different reasons. However, how much you actually get out of posting on social media depends on a number of important factors.
Think about things that are going on in the news before you post as well and be sensitive about posting anything that may seem in poor taste if it could clash with an important news or disaster story.
If you are looking to post on Facebook, it is generally agreed (as per the study of SocialBakers) that the best time to post is between 10AM and 5PM on most working days (for brands and business). The "not so optimal" day to post on is Saturday.
Interestingly, the same could not be said of Instagram. As per Later's study, Saturday and Sunday are probably the best days to post on Instagram. However, an infographic also indicated that the best time to post on Instagram is Wednesday. As per Blog2Social, the weekend isn’t a good time to post. In the case of Instagram, Sunday is the worst day.
On the other side, HootSuite's quick look at the research for Twitter suggests posting on Mondays and Thursdays around 8AM would be best. And if we look at the data of SproutSocial we'll find out that on LinkedIn, 10 AM is the time when posts get the most engagement (all weeks days except Saturday and Sunday). And we compare all these researchers with each other, we are afraid, things might become a bit complex to understand.
Of course there is only so much that research into this subject can really tell us so it is worth remembering that you will probably find your own best time to post through trial and error so you can connect with those looking for posts like yours online. Or, perhaps every day and time is the best, to post online, especially if you are just starting to test things out on your social media profiles.
With such a significant increase it is easy to see why so many people are turning to social media for a number of different reasons. However, how much you actually get out of posting on social media depends on a number of important factors.
Which social media platform?
There are a number of different social media platforms out there, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Instagram being the main ones and choosing the right one is very important in terms of what you are planning to post. If you are posting as a photography business, then you may find Facebook as the most appropriate. This lends itself well to posts that include not only images but also plenty of text as well. If however you want to post mostly images, then you may find that Instagram and Pinterest as better platforms for your work. In addition to social media sites you may also consider posting your photos online on image sharing platforms like ClickASnap, Imgur or Reddit for extra traction.What factors should you consider when posting online?
When it comes to posting online it is important to consider what you are posting. Some images will be more popular at specific times of the year than others. For example, Holiday images are rather seasonal and are less likely to be noticed and commented on in the heat of summer. On a hot day no matter how delicious an image of a home cooked roast dinner is, an image of a tall cold drink or ice cream is much more likely to appeal to your audience. So if you have some fantastic images to share online it is well worth considering when the right time to post it might be.Think about things that are going on in the news before you post as well and be sensitive about posting anything that may seem in poor taste if it could clash with an important news or disaster story.
What time of day?
The other factor that you should think about when posting online is what time is the best time to make your posts. There has been rather a lot of research carried out on this very topic with some interesting, if not somewhat inconclusive results.
If you are looking to post on Facebook, it is generally agreed (as per the study of SocialBakers) that the best time to post is between 10AM and 5PM on most working days (for brands and business). The "not so optimal" day to post on is Saturday.
Interestingly, the same could not be said of Instagram. As per Later's study, Saturday and Sunday are probably the best days to post on Instagram. However, an infographic also indicated that the best time to post on Instagram is Wednesday. As per Blog2Social, the weekend isn’t a good time to post. In the case of Instagram, Sunday is the worst day.
On the other side, HootSuite's quick look at the research for Twitter suggests posting on Mondays and Thursdays around 8AM would be best. And if we look at the data of SproutSocial we'll find out that on LinkedIn, 10 AM is the time when posts get the most engagement (all weeks days except Saturday and Sunday). And we compare all these researchers with each other, we are afraid, things might become a bit complex to understand.
Of course there is only so much that research into this subject can really tell us so it is worth remembering that you will probably find your own best time to post through trial and error so you can connect with those looking for posts like yours online. Or, perhaps every day and time is the best, to post online, especially if you are just starting to test things out on your social media profiles.
