When to post on Instagram | Instagram Academy

Our Instagram Academy is ready to answer a common question: when should you post on Instagram?

In these paragraphs I will talk about the change to Instagram’s algorithm and why understanding when to post on Instagram matters if you want to reach more people.

The photo you post on Instagram doesn’t always get the reception you hoped for. You may think you took a beautiful photo, and I am not doubting that you did, but there are things you need to know.

Read on for a clearer picture of the best times to post on Instagram.

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Have you heard about Instagram’s algorithm?

When we talk about a network like Instagram, we are talking about a platform that keeps evolving. What does that mean?

Instagram runs on an algorithm, a kind of instruction manual, and it changes fast. Not long ago photos were ordered by when they were posted, in chronological order, whereas with the latest updates Instagram shows the content that earned high engagement.

By engagement we mean the response it drew from people: how many comments and likes on Instagram it received, how many Instagram tags. As you can imagine, it becomes important to know when people are most active and therefore easiest to reach.

That is why we are going deeper into this: the best time to post on Instagram.

When should you post on Instagram?

To work out what time to post on Instagram, if you don’t have a business page, you should start by experimenting.

In truth there is no secret to when to post on Instagram, because the best time to post depends heavily on when the audience you want to reach is active.

It is more complicated than that, because first you have to make sure your audience sees your post: posting no longer drops you straight into the popular feed (which used to happen when a profile already had plenty of followers).

Instagram shows your content to people who show interest in the subject, but then those people have to interact with the post — view it, comment, tag friends, leave a like.

Free image from Pixabay

Statistics: the best time to post on Instagram

Why open a parenthesis about Instagram statistics, also known as Instagram Insights?

Because if you had opened an Instagram business page rather than a personal one (perhaps because your goal is to work with Instagram), a good part of the problem would already be solved.

What do I mean?

That with a business page you can see statistics about your audience — specifically gender, location, follower age, and the days and hours when you are watched most.

But back to you, with a personal profile, trying to work out when to post on Instagram.

So what time should you post on Instagram?

The answer is that there is no precise, fixed best time to post on Instagram.

There are things to bear in mind and consider, and on that basis you can settle on time slots.

Try several times and several slots across the day, keeping under 5 posts a day and thinking about your audience. Experiment and measure the results.
Don’t post during working hours.
Statistics say posting in the morning before the working day starts can work (people spend time on social media over breakfast).
Mind the time zone. Look at your followers’ and don’t post while they are asleep. You need to know where your followers are — do the research.
What time should you post on Instagram in the evening? Posting at dinner time and after dinner works well (from 7pm to 9pm).
Best times to post on Instagram at lunchtime: 12pm to 2pm.
If your audience is very young, post at weekends too; if you want to engage businesses, avoid them. It depends heavily on the audience.
Post at the times people leave work, from 6pm for instance.
Friday turns out to be the best day to post on Instagram — more people are active.

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Do you know the apps that spot active Instagram users?

You may not know it, but there are apps for your phone that help you decide when to post on Instagram.

There is an app for knowing when to post on Instagram called Prime for Instagram on iPhone; once downloaded and registered, it works out the best time to post on Instagram, hour by hour.

Didn’t know? There is more.

Prime has an algorithm that processes data to work out when your followers are online and when they are most active.

And it doesn’t stop there: Prime works out the relationship your followers have with you and gives you useful pointers on the best times to post on Instagram, and on the best days too.

The app even calculates a personalised time for each day of the week. It can also produce alternative posting times so you can publish more than once a day, or whenever it detects more people around, and get a good response.

With Prime you can plan Instagram posts by volume (how many posts do I want to publish tomorrow?) and measure the results of posts already shared.

Prime helps you get the right exposure for your posts, whether you are doing this for a company, aiming to raise engagement, or simply because you want an Instagram that works and is used well.

Free image from Pixabay

Prime for Android is not available yet, but Android phones have WhenToGram, which works in much the same way.

It is an app for knowing when to post on Instagram, though it doesn’t seem well optimised — not everyone using it is happy.

Conclusion

Our Academy covers many important aspects of Instagram. We started with the fundamentals and worked up to posting times, because people who want to know the best times to post on Instagram deserve an answer too. In this lesson you got an overview of when to post on Instagram and what to focus on before you publish. In the next lessons we will cover other interesting sides of Instagram.

Want to grow the followers on your Instagram profile? Get in touch — we will work out the best Instagram strategy to do what it takes and reach your goal.

Want to sharpen your Instagram knowledge? Get in touch — we will find the course that fits you.

Want to ask us something or just talk? Get in touch — that is what we are here for.