The Best Times to Post on Instagram

Can you guess the question I get asked the most as a social media manager? It’s not about new fonts or what music I should add to my Reels. There’s one question on everyone’s, really everyone’s, mind: What are the best times to post on Instagram? It’s as if there’s a secret answer to this question, and anyone who finds it will become an overnight sensation. To be honest, this isn’t a myth. Timing really can make all the difference. You can create great content, you can write really on-target copy, but if you post it at a time when no one is looking at their phone, it’s lost in a digital graveyard. Let’s talk about the real deal, without beating around the bush.

Do Those “Best Times” We See Everywhere Work?

We all know those classic lists you see when you type them into Google. “Weekdays between 12-2 pm,” “After 6 pm,” etc. Are these all lies? No, it’s not. People are more likely to check their phones during these hours when they’re taking a break and feeling tired. If your account is very new and you don’t have any data, these hours aren’t a bad place to start. At least it’s better than just waving a clock around your head. But the secret doesn’t end there; it’s actually just beginning.

Blindly relying on these generally accepted hours would be one of the biggest mistakes you can make. Just think, would a venue that focuses on nightlife and a brand that sells baby products have an active audience at the same time? No way. Let me give you a very recent example. There was a boutique coffee shop that we were consulting for. We also hung out at these popular hours at first. The results were, well, okay. Then one day we said, “Let’s see what these people are up to,” and delved into the account’s statistics. We were shocked. Our real interaction peaked at the so-called ‘dead hours’ around 3 pm, which aren’t even mentioned in the lists. It turns out that people get bored with work and dream of taking a coffee break at that hour. This tiny discovery literally skyrocketed the brand’s engagement. So, those lists are a start, but they’re never the rule.

So what’s my advice? Remember that competition is also on the rise during those “prime time” hours when everyone else is posting. Your post can get lost among hundreds of other pieces of content. Sometimes, capturing a more niche, calmer moment when your audience is there can be even more valuable than the busiest hour. It’s a bit like swimming against the current, but trust me, that’s where the fish are most of the time.

Data Detective: How to Find Your Own Golden Hour

It's time to put the guesswork aside. There's only one way to find the right time for you, and that's to let your own data do the talking. Luckily, Instagram isn't stingy about it and offers us a great tool: Statistics. If your account is set to a Business or Content Creator profile, this section is a gold mine for you. Without further ado, let me explain step by step how to look at this data:

• First, go to your profile, click on the "Statistics" section.
• On the screen that appears, you'll see a section called "Your Target Audience", go there.
• Scroll to the bottom of the page. A graph called "Most Active Times" will be waiting for you.
• Here's the magic! The darker the blue bars on that graph, the more your followers are looking at their phones at that hour. You can clearly see both the days and the hours.

Okay, you’ve found the chart. Now you have a map. But it’s not over. Now it’s time to do some more spying. Take a look at your old posts. Which post got the most buzz? Which one got the most comments, likes, and saves? What day and time did you share that post? Write these down. Maybe a funny Reels video has different working hours than a serious carousel post. To figure this out, you’ve got to try. Share in the morning one week, and in the evening the next. Then sit down and compare the results. The numbers never lie.

And one last thing: If you have followers from different parts of the world, don’t forget the time zone difference. Your evening could be their morning. In this case, either play to the majority of your audience or share important things repeatedly at different times throughout the day, like on Stories. Following your own data will save you from the uncertainty of those general recommendations and put you on the right track, I tell you.