Jaisingh Pedhuru
September 26, 2024
Discover the best time to post on Instagram for maximum engagement in 2024 through Brand2social data from over 1.5 million posts.
When it comes to posting on Instagram, one of the biggest questions is always: what’s the best time to post? It’s an important decision. After all, you don’t want to spend time creating amazing content only to post it when no one is online to see it. Whether you’re sharing Instagram Stories, reels, feed posts, or carousels, posting at the right time can make a huge difference in how much engagement you get. If your content reaches your audience when they’re active, it’s more likely to succeed. That’s why we analyzed 1.5 million Instagram posts using Brand2Social to find out which days and times lead to more engagement, and which post formats get the most likes, comments, and shares. Let’s dive into what you need to know about the best times to post on Instagram, and how to figure out the right time for your audience—whether you’re a marketer, creator, influencer, or just someone looking to grow on Instagram.
Let’s clarify one important point: there isn’t a single best time to post on Instagram that guarantees success—if only it were that easy! However, our analysis reveals that certain days and times generally lead to higher engagement. Understanding these patterns can help you make smarter decisions about when to share your content.
Before we get into the details, let’s talk about why engagement is important.
Each section of Instagram—like the main feed, Stories, Reels, and the Explore page—operates using its own algorithm. One of the key factors these algorithms consider is engagement, which includes likes, comments, shares, and saves.
When your content receives engagement, it signals to Instagram that it resonates with users. As a result, the platform is more likely to show your posts to a wider audience, including people who haven’t followed you yet. This is particularly important on discovery pages like Explore and Reels, where getting featured can significantly boost your visibility and growth.
While timing your posts isn’t as critical as it once was (thanks to the end of the chronological feed), it still plays a vital role in your overall social media strategy. By considering the best times to post, you can increase the chances of reaching your audience when they’re most active, leading to better engagement and ultimately more success on the platform.
Schedule your Instagram posts, carousels, stories, and reels with Brand2Social: Seamlessly organize your content calendar and boost your profile's appeal with Brand2Social’s powerful Instagram scheduling tools.
The best time to post on Instagram is usually between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. on weekdays. After looking at over 1.5 million Instagram posts, we found that posts shared during these times receive the most engagement.
This likely happens because many people check their phones right after waking up or scroll through Instagram during their morning commute.
As shown in the heatmap above, Instagram user activity follows a predictable pattern based on the day of the week. The dark green areas highlight the times with the highest engagement, meaning the best times to post on Instagram.
Lighter green and white areas represent the times with the lowest engagement, indicating when it's best to avoid posting.
During weekdays, early morning is the prime time for posting on Instagram, with engagement peaking at 7 a.m. It starts to decline as the day goes on while people are at work. There’s a small increase in engagement around lunchtime, making this another good time to post.
Engagement increases a bit in the early evenings. On Thursdays and Fridays, there’s a noticeable spike around 4 p.m.—likely because people start to mentally check out of work as the weekend approaches. This makes it a great time to add to your social media calendar.
Weekends tell a different story. Our data shows that engagement drops significantly on Saturdays and Sundays, though there are a few slightly better times on Saturday mornings and Sunday evenings. However, these weekend engagement levels are still much lower than during
the week. The best times to post on Instagram over the weekend are 7 a.m. on Saturday mornings and 7 p.m. on Sunday evenings.
Brand2Social offers a convenient calendar feature where you can easily view all your scheduled posts. This calendar shows you exactly when and where each post will be published, including the date, time, and platform. It's a simple way to keep track of all your content in one place and stay organized with your posting schedule.
On Mondays, the ideal time to post is in the morning, specifically between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., when most users are waking up. There are also two smaller engagement peaks at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
⏰ Peak Instagram engagement time on Monday: 7 a.m.
On Tuesdays, the best time to post is in the early morning, with our analysis showing a peak engagement time at 7 a.m. There’s also a smaller spike in engagement around 6 p.m. in the early evening.
⏰ Peak Instagram engagement time on Tuesday: 7 a.m.
On Wednesdays, the best time to post is also in the morning, between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., with no significant engagement spikes later in the day.
⏰ Peak Instagram engagement time on Wednesday: 7 a.m.
On Thursdays, the ideal times to post are at 7 a.m., 8 a.m., and 4 p.m., based on brand2social data. Posts shared during these times typically receive more engagement compared to others throughout the day.
⏰ Peak Instagram engagement time on Thursday: 7 a.m.
On Fridays, the top times to post are at 4 p.m. and between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. Data shows that there are slightly more high-engagement time slots on Fridays compared to other days of the week, making it one of the best days to post on Instagram.
⏰ Peak Instagram engagement time on Friday: 4 p.m.
On Saturdays, the best time to post is at 7 a.m. However, it’s important to note that engagement on Saturdays is generally lower than on weekdays. Still, posts shared between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday tend to see better engagement.
⏰ Peak Instagram engagement time on Saturday: 7 a.m.
On Sundays, the optimal times to post are in the evening, between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Sundays tend to be quieter on the app, as users often enjoy a more relaxed morning.
⏰ Peak Instagram engagement time on Sunday: 7 p.m.
This is where social media management tools like Brand2Social can be really helpful. Try testing the times from the list above by scheduling posts and then tracking their performance. This will help you find out what works best for your audience.
Brand2Social makes it simple to choose the best time for your posts with its powerful scheduling feature. Whether you're sharing Reels, carousels, or posters, you can easily plan ahead by selecting the exact day and time for your content to go live. With Brand2Social, you have the flexibility to either schedule your posts in advance or publish them instantly, all from one user-friendly platform.
You can’t go wrong posting on Instagram during weekdays, but Monday and Friday stand out as the best days for engagement.
On the other hand, weekends aren’t ideal for posting. Saturday and Sunday have the lowest engagement compared to the rest of the week.
The best time to post Instagram Reels is between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. on weekdays, based on the data we've gathered. We looked at all types of Instagram posts, though we haven’t broken it down by specific post types just yet (but we’re working on that, so stay tuned!).
It’s important to remember that people use different parts of Instagram in different ways.
People usually look for their close friends in Stories, use Explore to find new content and creators, and watch Reels to be entertained.
It makes sense that people want to be entertained at certain times of the day and catch up with friends, family, or their favorite creators at other times.
If you want to increase engagement on your Reels, try posting them during the evening peak times. Your followers are likely to have more time to scroll through and enjoy your content before bed, compared to the busy morning hours when they’re rushing off to work.
It’s probably no surprise that videos get the most engagement on Instagram. Our data showed that videos do much better than carousels and photo posts.
Reels are a great way to gain followers on Instagram — even Instagram agrees. “The best way to grow on Instagram is by regularly creating engaging Reels, as they are the top method for reaching new audiences in the past 6 months Reels got engaged 1.80%.”
This doesn’t mean that other types of content don’t matter. Carousels tend to do a bit better than single images, but the difference isn’t as big as the gap between Reels and other content types.
While the suggested time frames can help you create a posting schedule when you're starting out, don't rely on them entirely.
There are better ways to find out when your audience is most active and engaged. Your ideal time to post on Instagram might not match the general guidelines.
In the end, there’s no universal "best time" to post on Instagram. The peak time for your engagement could be different from someone else's.
For example, my audience tends to be active both on weekdays and weekends. They’re less likely to be online during work hours, and engagement usually peaks in the early evening. On Wednesdays, engagement is highest around 6 p.m. in my time zone (SAST).
For Brand2Social’s Instagram audience, the best times to post are a bit different. “We’ve noticed that posting between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. IST on weekdays works well for us, but Mondays at 7 p.m. IST get the best engagement. Our peak times are between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. EST, and again at 10 p.m. EST. In general, weekends don’t perform as well, so I usually avoid posting on Saturdays and Sundays.”
Instagram Insights, the platform’s analytics tool, helps you find the best times to post. To access it:
This feature allows you to optimize your posting schedule based on your audience's activity.
Here are some frequently asked questions about the best times to schedule your Instagram posts.
Our data reveals that the time you post on Instagram does make a difference. After analyzing over 1.5 million Instagram posts, we found that content shared at certain times tends to get more engagement.
However, posting at the right time won’t make up for a low-quality post. Timing should be the final touch to your Instagram strategy, not the main focus.
For tips on improving your Instagram account and content, check out Your Checklist for High-Performing Instagram Posts section.
When it comes to knowing when not to post on Instagram, common sense helps. When is your audience likely offline? The most obvious time is during the night. Our analysis confirms this — Instagram posts shared between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. generally had the lowest engagement.
Engagement drops significantly during these hours, no matter the day of the week. Our data also shows that weekend posts usually see less interaction, though there are still a few good times to post on Saturdays and Sundays. For more details, check out "The Best Times to Post on Instagram" above.
In general, the best time to post on Instagram is early in the morning, around 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. Some later times also show good engagement, like 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays.
Generally, the best time to post on Instagram during weekdays is around 7 a.m., except for Fridays when 4 p.m. works better. On weekends, 7 a.m. on Saturday and 7 p.m. on Sunday tend to be the most effective times. For a quick overview, refer to "The Best Time to Post on Instagram at a Glance" section above.
Most guides on the best times to post on Instagram are usually in U.S. time zones like EST or IST, which can be confusing if you're in a different region. But don’t worry, the data is still useful no matter where you're located. For example, if 4 p.m. on Friday is the best time to post, it means 4 p.m. in your local time, whether you're in New York, London, or Tokyo. Brand2Social's data works the same way!
Over 10,000+ small businesses like yours use Brand2Social each month to grow their brand on social media.
Brand2Social is a powerful, user-friendly social media management tool that makes managing multiple platforms easy. With Brand2Social, you can post to several social media accounts from one place and customize the content for each platform individually when creating a new post. This allows for a smooth, efficient experience tailored to your needs.
Posting regularly on social media is key to building momentum. For Instagram, sharing one to two Stories every day and a few feed posts (like reels, carousels, or photos) each week can keep your audience engaged.
Instagram Stories, which disappear after 24 hours, are a simple way to maintain consistency. Posting a Story at least once a day helps keep your brand fresh in your followers' minds.
That said, each audience is different. Maybe your followers check Instagram during lunch or late at night. It’s a good idea to test different posting times and frequencies to see what works best. Brand2Social can help you analyze your data and suggest the ideal posting schedule as your audience's behavior evolves.
While finding the best time to post on Instagram is important for boosting engagement, it's just one piece of your overall Instagram marketing strategy.
As explained in our guide to the Instagram algorithm, many other factors influence how well your posts perform. Here’s our simple checklist for creating high-performing Instagram content:
Make the most of Instagram's new features: Just like when Instagram introduced Stories and Reels, the platform promoted new features heavily. Using these can help you reach a wider audience.
Try different content formats: Testing out new content styles regularly, like videos or carousels, can help you learn what your audience enjoys the most. Plus, it's an excellent way to repurpose old content in fresh ways.
Don't neglect your caption:A HubSpot report found that captions with either very short text (less than 20 characters) or long ones (over 2,000 characters) perform best. Including emojis can also boost engagement.
Use hashtags: Posts with hashtags tend to get more engagement. add your preferred hashtags to your post or comments.
Prioritize authentic engagement: Instead of relying on Instagram algorithm tricks, focus on building real connections. This includes replying to comments and messages, sharing user mentions, and interacting with your followers' content.
Analyze to see what's working: Use Instagram Insights to see which posts get the most likes and comments. Instagram insights feature also makes it easy to spot your top-performing posts with just a few clicks.
What strategies have helped you find the best time to post on Instagram? Share your thoughts with us @brand2social!
