Creating content that cuts through on Instagram isn’t just about producing sleek Reels or aesthetic carousels. In fact, understanding the best time to post on Instagram has a considerable impact on the performance of your content.
Think about it like this: if you were giving a presentation, would you make a greater impact if you were speaking in front of a packed theatre rather than an empty room? By scheduling content to post when your audience is online and active, you can avoid crickets when your content goes live.
Plus, content freshness and recency are key ranking factors for the Instagram algorithm. Along with changes in April 2024 to help smaller creators gain traction with original content, learning how to hack the algorithm and boost the organic visibility of your content, it’s time to learn when to post on Instagram.
In this complete guide, we’re sharing the latest research into when is the best time to post on Instagram in 2024, backed by actionable tips to help you schedule content at the right time for your unique audience.
Why does posting time matter on Instagram?
Think the time you post on Instagram has no impact on your content’s performance? Think again.
On Instagram, recency and relevance are key ranking factors. The fresher your content, the more likely it is to be shown to new audiences in key discover placements—such as the Discover Feed, Suggested Posts and Reels Feed.
Plus, if your content drives high engagement shortly after posting, this will send the algorithm all the right signals that your post is timely, relevant, and engaging.
Screenshots showing Instagram’s following feed option.
Take this example: Instagram’s move back to chronological feed options (such as the Following Feed) demonstrates that Instagram wants to give users the option to see the latest posts from the brands and accounts they care about.
Not convinced? Here are three powerful reasons why it pays to learn the best times to post on Instagram:
- Get seen by your ideal audience: By publishing content when your existing followers are most active, you can boost traction from the moment your content goes live—helping to inspire high-value actions from your followers, such as shares, saves, profile visits and website clicks
- Send the right signals to the Instagram algorithm: As we’ve mentioned, high engagements shortly after posting is a proven way to get your content into discovery feeds on Instagram. With more followers online, you can increase the numbers of interactions with your content and give your posts the best chance of reaching relevant new audienes, too.
- Boost the ROI from your Instagram content: Whether you’re searching for product sales, website traffic or new client enquiries, posting content at the right time increases the chances of your ideal customers seeing your content and taking meaningful action, too.
When is the best time to post on Instagram?
Now, the bit you’ve been waiting for: what is the best time to post on Instagram? After reviewing numerous studies of over 120+ million posts from 1.4+ million Instagram accounts, here’s what we’ve learnt.
Broadly speaking, the best time to post on Instagram is between 9 am and 1 pm (local time) on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday each week.
Other sources say that between 9 am and 3 pm (local time) from Tuesday to Thursday is another high-performing time slot globally.
💡 Plann Tip: Posting your content earlier on weekdays tends to be considered a wise move, allowing you to beat the competition, catch users on their morning commute and give your content the most time to reach users who might log into Instagram later in the day.
In more specific terms, let’s break down the key trends in when to post content on Instagram:
- Best day of the week to post on Instagram: Weekdays outperform weekends when it comes to content performance on Instagram. Ideally, aim to publish your content in the first half of the week (Monday to Wednesday) for the best results.
- Best time of day to post on Instagram: The earlier, the better! While there isn’t an exact consensus, most reports indicate posting between 9 am and 12 pm delivers the strongest results on Instagram.
Tap into the power of consistency and learn why having a posting schedule on Instagram is crucial to your brand’s success.
Best time to post on Instagram: day-by-day breakdown
Here’s the thing about posting times on Instagram: you need to find what works for your brand and your audience. The best thing you can do is test, iterate and track your results along the way.
But if you’re looking for the best time of day to post on Instagram, we’ve got you covered.
Best time to post on Instagram on Monday
Start the work week off with a bang by publishing your content at the right time. On Monday, the best time to post on Instagram tends to from 10 am to 12 pm (local time).
However, some reports indicate that as early as 7 am to 9 am can deliver strong performance, too.
Best time to post on Instagram on Tuesday
Looking to post your content on a Tuesday? Catch your followers on their morning commute or during their mid-morning coffee break for the best results.
In general terms, the best time to post on Tuesday is from 9 am to 1 pm (local time)—with the opportunity to even catch your audience on their lunch hour!
Best time to post on Instagram on Wednesday
Beat the mid-week blues and give your followers something to break up the week by posting an engaging Reel, carousel or Story.
On Wednesday, the best time to post on Instagram is between 10 am and 1 pm (local time).
Best time to post on Instagram on Thursday
Later in the week, things get a little murkier when it comes to best posting times on Instagram.
While Thursday isn’t considered one of the best days to post on Instagram, some research suggests that later in the evening (around 8 pm to 9 pm) can help you catch followers scrolling before bed.
Best time to post on Instagram on Friday
End the week on a high and get your content the attention it deserves.
On Friday, the best time to post on Instagram is between 9 am and 11 am (local time).
Best time to post on Instagram on Saturday
Welcome to the weekend! While Saturday is generally a lower performing day for brands on Instagram, some research suggests that from 6 pm to 11 pm (local time) can be a good time to post.
Best time to post on Instagram on Sunday
Help your followers beat the Sunday scaries and give themselves an engaging piece of content to distract them from the work week ahead.
While Sunday is another lower-performing day, you could consider scheduling your content between 4 pm and 9 pm (local time).
Ready to start posting on Instagram? Discover our handy step-by-step guide to creating and scheduling your first post on Instagram with Plann.
Best time to post on Instagram: by content type
Did you know that different content formats can perform better when posted at certain times of the day? If you’re looking to set your content up for maximum organic visibility, follow this cheat sheet below!
- Best time to post Instagram Stories: Try to post at least one set of Instagram Stories between 11 am and 2 pm weekdays to catch your followers on their lunch break.
- Best time to post Instagram Reels: Aim to post your Instagram Reels between 9 am and 12 pm (local time) from Monday to Thursday for the best results.
- Best time to post Instagram carousels: Plan to post your Instagram carousels between 6 pm and 9 pm (local time) for maximum engagement—same goes for static posts!
How to check your brand’s unique best posting time on Instagram
As you’ve probably gathered, there is a lot of conflicting advice when it comes to the best time to post on Instagram.
Ultimately, the best way to decide when to schedule your content is to look at your account’s analytics and make informed decisions based on your unique audience.
💡 Plann Tip: When reviewing your analytics, it’s best to use data from the last 30 days to decide the best time to post on Instagram. This timeframe gives you enough data and ensures that this information is up-to-date and accurate.
Ready to dive into your analytics? Here are two of the best ways to check your account’s unique best posting times.
Check your native Instagram insights
Within the Instagram app, you can easily assess when your audience is online and most active. Follow these steps to check your best posting time natively on Instagram:
Screenshots showing the best posting times analytics in Instagram’s native insights.
1. Open the Instagram app.
2. Tap into your profile, tap the hamburger icon (top right) and select Insights.
3. Tap Total followers and change the date range to Last 30 days.
4. Scroll down to reveal your Most active times. Here, you can filter by hours or days to understand when your audience is most likely to be online.
Leverage Plann’s advanced Instagram analytics
Looking for richer insights into when to post on Instagram? With Plann Analytics, you can dig below the surface and score advanced insights into everything from your best performing posts, when your audience is online and even your best performing color palette!
Screenshots showing Plann’s Advanced Analytics features.
A key benefit of using Plann to track your best posting times is that you’ll score handpicked recommendations based on your most recent posts. With Plann Analytics, we calculate your insights based on the past 30 days of content and reveal your top posting times in your local time zone.
Plus, you’ll discover analytics you can’t find anywhere else, including:
- Your Best Time To Post: This is calculated based on engagement from your previously posted content and shows when your audience is most online and most likely to engage with your content!
- When Your Audience Is Most Online: This is based on when your audience is the most active on social media, and may varies slightly from Your Best Time To Post.
From insight to action: How to maximize your best time to post on Instagram
So, you’ve discovered the best times to post on Instagram: now what?
There’s no need to change your sleep schedule or log on after hours to get your content posted at the best-performing times. Instead, you can harness Plann’s all-in-one social media suite to plan, produce, schedule and auto-post your Instagram content.
Screenshots showing Plann’s all-in-one social media suite.
Here’s why 3+ million global brands choose Plann’s social media post scheduler:
- Build a high-performing Instagram strategy with our drag-and-drop brand building blocks, industry-specific content plans and customizable content themes.
- Produce content that converts with our AI-powered caption generator, hashtag manager, effortless cross-posting tools and our famous visual content planner.
- Drive action with our visual link-in-bio tool, EasyLink, allowing you to seamlessly plan, schedule and drive high-intent traffic to your online store or website.
What are you waiting for? Sign up for a 7-day free trial on Plann—if you don’t like it, you can keep using Plann for free!
Instagram posting time FAQs: answered
When is the worst time to post on Instagram?
Sunday is widely considered one of the worst days to post on Instagram, likely as many users are trying to have a digital detox and rest up before the work week.
In terms of the least effective times to post, reports suggest that 3 pm to 4 pm and 1 am to 3 am (local time) are the worst times to post on Instagram. But make sure to check your account’s own analytics to discover your less effective posting times.
What affects the best times to post on Instagram?
There are so many factors that contribute to the best times to post on Instagram, including:
- Your audience: What demographic are you targeting? The behaviors of your ideal target audience has a big impact on when you should be posting. Think like your customers and consider when would they be most likely to scroll on Instagram?
- Your industry: What product or service are you offering? While posting at 7 am might make sense for a cafe or service provider, bars and restaurants may see more traction later in the day. Consider the context of what you’re posting about and select a time slot that suits the message of your post.
- Time zones: This is where things can get tricky. If you’re a global brand, posting a 7 am local time means some of your audience may miss your posts. The solution? Cater to the largest portion of your audience, and use your Instagram insights to figure out where most of your followers are located.
Level up your Instagram game with Plann
Whether you’re struggling to keep up with the fast-paced nature of social media or simply want to devote more time to growing your business and focusing on those tasks that take place offline, Plann’s range of features is sure to help save you time with an automated social media strategy.
From AI-generated captions to cross-posting, analytics, hashtags and more, Plann can help you maintain a consistent posting schedule while you remain focused on business growth. We even auto-post your Instagram Reels to take the hassle out of growing organically on the platform!
Go on, and redeem your 7-day free trial of Plann Plus. If you don’t like it, keep using Plann for free!
