Social Media plays an indispensable role in a brand’s marketing strategy in today’s highly digitalised world. With billions of active users across various platforms, there is a great opportunity for brands to expand their reach by tapping into this massive user base and connecting, engaging, and building relationships with their target audience.

However, one question that has long intrigued brands is when the best time is for brands to post on social media. Is there even such a thing as the “best” time to post on social media?

What the data says

In an extensive study conducted by software company Sprout Social, the data shows that the best days to post are Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and the worst day being Sunday. The following timings are also shown to be statistically the most optimal:

• Mondays from 10 am to noon
• Tuesdays from 9 am to 2 pm
• Wednesdays from 9 am to 1 pm
• Thursdays 9 am to noon
• Fridays from 9am to 11 am

Only One Piece Of The Puzzle

While Sprout Social’s studies reveal distinct patterns and trends, the final decision on the posting time should depend on how it reinforces relevance and effectively captures attention. There is no point in structuring your social media timings if your content is going to be dismissed by most users. Hence, here are other factors brands should also consider when planning out their social media campaigns:

Target Audience

Arguably the most important factor when planning your social media campaigns is to consider who you are trying to target. By identifying and focusing on your specific demographic, we can then understand their interests, needs and social media behaviour based on their consumer journey. This enables us to allocate your key messaging to the target audience to increase awareness of your brand or product, and may evoke consideration at the appropriate timing.

For example, Strongbow were targeting consumers who were looking yearning for work-life balance. With that in mind, we created a series of content to illustrate a new perspective in life. Read more to learn about the campaign.

Platform

Not all platforms are created equal. Brands must also consider which social media platform suits their needs best. Each platform has a unique group of target audiences, hence it can play an important role in reaching out to your intended audience. With the data and insights researched and gathered from each platform, it can be used to generate content that resonates with your respective target audience, even at specific timings. The timing to post on various platforms is essential to prevent a loss of information reaching potential audiences.

The campaign for SMU admission was done mainly on Instagram as most students are active on that platform. Check out the content we did to engage their audiences.

Media Buy

On top of posting regular content, the time for boosting advertisement may affect the performance of the overall campaign as well. Media buy decisions shape the reach and awareness. With strategic timing, this allows to amplify the key messages to intended audiences, magnifying your campaign’s impact.

While there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the optimal timing for brands to post on social media, careful consideration of audience behaviour, platform-specific insights, and content resonance can significantly enhance a brand’s social media strategy.

Need help optimising your social media strategies? Hit us up to discuss how we can create a content ecosystem for your social media plan that reaches your audience.