When Is The Best Time Of Day To Upload Social Media Photographs?
Every Instagram lover will remember the first picture they ever uploaded. They’ll remember the feeling of that first like – that first comment. Sure, it may have been from your mom, but the point still stands. There’s something special about uploading a picture to Instagram and watching as the appreciation flows in.
While some might try to argue that it’s a vanity thing, the platform that Instagram gives you – and Facebook too, for that matter– goes way beyond that. Instagram is a way to share your life and, for all the budding photographers out there, show off your best shots to an audience. And it’s not all about “showing off”, either.
If that was the case, then photo books wouldn’t exist. The fact that so many people choose to create Instagram photo books proves that it’s about the craft, the memories and the simple love of documenting them. Even without all the likes and replies, you would still be doing the exact same thing.
Having said that, there is an undeniable buzz when the like-count begins to rack up! It shows an appreciation of your skills that can get quite addictive, but there is a downside. No one can deny the gutting feeling when they begin to falter. You start to wonder if your picture skills have dried up, or whether your life is just not as interesting as it was the year before.
We repeat, this is not a vanity thing. It’s a simple case of wanting your hard work to be appreciated and seen, as we all do in any other walk of life. But you needn’t worry that your skills have dried up. In fact, there could be a very simple reason why your likes have fizzled out. It’s to do with the time of day.
Is There A Right Time To Upload Social Media Photographs?
Although millions and millions of people will be using social media in 2023, not many of them know that there is a right time of day to upload their content. Think about how you use social media. You don’t get a notification every time someone uploads a photograph on Instagram.
In fact, if it’s uploaded at 3PM for instance, you’re likely to only know about it when the sun starts to go down and you have a few minutes to scroll through your feed. And that’s an important point, because you’re also unlikely to have enough time to scroll through your entire feed.
The average Instagram user follows between 150 to 200 people. So what if you’re on the higher end of that and follow 200 Instagram accounts, each of which upload one photograph per day? You’re not going to get through them all, so the unfortunate soul who uploaded first is going to be overlooked at the very bottom of your feed, no matter how good their content is.
This is why the time of day you upload social media photographs matters. Depending on the time, you could see a difference of just a few likes, compared to a few hundred likes. When thinking about all the Instagram stats you need to know, this is one of the most important. To elaborate, here’s a little look at the absolute best times you can upload your Instagram and Facebook pics.
The Best Time To Post On Instagram And Facebook
The best time to upload content between these two platforms is pretty much the same, so we’re lumping them both together. What you’ve got to think about is the working day.
Based on the data collected by a number of brands and influencers, it’s best to upload in the few hours before work begins and after work ends. This is because most people tend to flick through their social media feeds whilst commuting to and from the office. These hours are:
- 6AM to 10AM
- 5PM to 6PM
You can also aim to nail their lunch breaks too. A fair number of people will have at least a moment on their lunch break to have a quick look at social media:
- 12PM to 2PM
When it comes to weekends, however, things change a bit. We recommend that, if you want your photographs to be seen by a larger number of people, you take the weekends off.
According to data, Instagram and Facebook hits dip over the weekend, with most people busy with their own lives. If you’ve put a lot of effort into working out how to photograph your kids birthday party, for instance, but it lands on a Saturday, hold off until the weekday to post. That way you’ll get a far bigger response and the effort to capture it perfectly will have been worth it.
With that being said, you can still nab a few of them when they’re lazing around in bed or sitting on the couch before getting out and about. According to research, these times are:
- 8AM to 12PM on Saturday
- 10AM to 2PM on Sunday
Remember, It’s Not All About The Hits!
So, to round it up with a clearer look at the absolute best times (and days) to post, here are the exact times in the week to get maximum coverage:
- 9AM to 10AM on Monday
- 9AM to 10AM on Tuesday
- 5AM and 3PM on Wednesday
- 12PM and 5PM on Thursday
- 9AM to 10AM on Friday
- 8AM to 12PM on Saturday
- 10AM to 2PM on Sunday
If you stick to these times, you’re bound to see a significant improvement in your social media activity. But remember, it’s not all about the hits!
The important thing is that you have fun, create content that you are happy with – whether it’s just for social media or to eventually bring to a photo book maker – and always ensure you love what you’re posting. If you’re in love with your content, then your followers are sure to love it too!
