How to Find the Best Times to Post Campaigns

When you start creating content on social media for a new audience, it’s easy to wonder what the best times are to post your content, whether it’s Reels, stories, images, videos, etc.

This applies to almost any social network: Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, X, YouTube… Even on your website, there may be times when it’s more appropriate to publish. Wherever you have plans to build communities, you’ll always have a better schedule for creating your posts.

There will be various factors that can affect and/or determine the best times to post your campaigns on social media. That’s what we want to talk to you about today: from the importance of posting at certain times to knowing how to determine which time slot might be better for posting.

Why is the publication time important?

Let’s suppose you’ve defined your buyer persona and you’ve already talked to your copywriting and graphic design team to create the best graphic pieces. You’ve also thought about how your products and/or services can solve the problems and/or circumstances that make you the best option in the market.

You have everything prepared, you’ve been given the content to publish, and it’s time to do it; but the question arises: when should you do it?

Suppose your buyer persona is in Madrid. Let’s call him Pablo, a 20-year-old who studies between 8:00 and 16:00 hours, but from 12:00 to 13:00 he has a moment to check his smartphone to consume content.

If you decide to publish your content during the hours when he’s in class, there’s a possibility he won’t see it. This would necessarily limit your reach and impact and prevent you from achieving your goals with the networks.

And that’s why the publication time of your posts has to be right: not only for each post to reach the widest possible audience, but also to have the repercussion and interaction.

If you do it right, the published content will have the possibility of reaching as many people as possible, even if the algorithm of the specific social network decides to limit the reach of your post artificially.

How can I know what time is best to post?

There isn’t a best time to post that applies to all audiences or different social networks and/or platforms when customizing your campaigns. However, do you know what there is? Some tips you can apply to find out when might be the best time zone to make your posts.

That’s precisely what we’ll explain to you next so that you always create the perfect message at the right time for your target audience.

Test schedule: you must establish a test schedule considering demographic data, buyer persona, and any other aspect that can help you determine the best time to carry out your advertising campaign.
Define the frequency of your posts: no brand makes the same number of posts, either due to the size of the company or for any other reason. The best times to post will also depend on how much content you can post per day. The more posts, the more data you’ll have to research.
Calculate the MNP: it’s the Minimum Number of Publications needed to test at different times. For example, 4 posts per day for 5 days equals 20 posts.
Study the algorithm of your platform: although all algorithms have the same base, their operation itself is different. Study how the algorithm of the platform where you want to find the best time to post your publications works if you want to have the best results.
Establish the trial time: it’s the amount of time you’ll need to obtain the best data based on knowing the best time to post on your platform.
Create a schedule: don’t make random posts. Establish a schedule that allows you to find patterns, but also make modifications to look for ways to improve posting times.
In addition to all these aspects, you can also use powerful tools to help you collect data to obtain more information about the best times to post.

For example, in the case of Facebook and Instagram, there’s Business Suite; and on YouTube, YT Studio. It’s worth noting that these are mobile versions, but you can also access these tools from the user panel in your browser.

There are other tools you can use as well, but they’re usually third-party. While some offer free functionalities, it’s common for them to offer better data and more detailed reports for monthly fees.

If you’re just starting out in this regard, we recommend using the tools and platforms that come included with all social networks, as they can offer you all the data and metrics you need to determine the best posting times, especially if you have a small and/or medium-sized business.

What benefits are there in caring about posting times?

Posting at the right time for your target audience can bring great benefits to your brand and/or company, from a greater number of impressions per post to an increase in the number of interactions, whether likes, comments, or shared posts.

However, this isn’t the only thing it brings, as it’s crucial to be in the right place at the right time. For example, an Instagram account for fast food will have better results if advertising campaigns are conducted during meal hours for its target audience, which can help it have better conversions and maximize its profitability.

That’s why, if you’re interested in running advertising campaigns or just starting with content creation, no matter which platform or social network you decide to use, you should evaluate what the best time is to do so.

And if you feel you don’t have the necessary knowledge to do it correctly, at indigital, we’re here to help.