Knowing the best times to post on Instagram is essential to obtaining engagement and reaching your audience. When posting a reel, story, or content to your feed, we would argue that timing is a factor in visibility. Of course, posting at the best time is only part of the process as it is also important to have great video content as well. In this post, we will discuss the best times to post on Instagram in order to enjoy maximum interaction and how CapCut can help you make amazing video content regardless of the time you post.
Why does uploading time matter on Instagram
- Increased visibility: Instagram's algorithm favors content that has initial engagement, therefore allowing it to rise higher in the feed to be more visible.
- Maximized engagement: Posting at peak times increases the likelihood of your content being seen and engaged with by your followers.
- Instagram algorithm favorability: Instagram tends to show content that aligns with user activity patterns, so if you can tap into this with your posting time, a good chance more people will see it.
- Audience activity patterns: Understanding when your followers are online and active helps you tailor your posting schedule for optimal results.
- Competing content: You're competing with a vast amount of content being posted throughout the day, and timing your posts properly can help you stand out.
Best days and times to post on Instagram (Specific days)
Knowing the best days to post on Instagram is crucial for maximizing engagement and visibility. By posting at peak times throughout the week, you can reach a larger audience and boost interactions with your content.
- Best time to post on Instagram on Monday: Monday mornings (around 6 AM to 9 AM) see high engagement as people catch up on social media after the weekend. Late afternoons (3 PM to 6 PM) also tend to have strong interaction as users take breaks.
- Best time to post on Instagram on Tuesday: Tuesday around lunchtime (11 AM to 1 PM) is a peak time for engagement as people are actively checking their phones during breaks. Evening posts (6 PM to 8 PM) also work well as people relax after work.
- Best time to post on Instagram on Wednesday: Midweek posts, particularly around 12 PM to 1 PM, attract good interaction as people look for a mid-day distraction. Early evening posts (5 PM to 7 PM) also perform well as users unwind after their workday.
- Best time to post on Instagram on Thursday: Thursday afternoon (1 PM to 3 PM) is ideal for engagement, as users are winding down their workweek. Evening posts (7 PM to 9 PM) also see good interaction as people start relaxing for the weekend.
- Best time to post on Instagram on Friday: Fridays around 11 AM to 1 PM see high engagement as people look forward to the weekend and check Instagram during their lunch breaks. Evening posts (5 PM to 8 PM) catch users just as they finish the workweek.
- Best time to post on Instagram on Saturday: Saturday mornings (10 AM to 12 PM) and late afternoon (4 PM to 6 PM) see higher engagement as users have more free time to browse Instagram over the weekend. Evening posts also get good interaction as people relax.
- Best time to post on Instagram on Sunday: Sunday afternoons (2 PM to 4 PM) and evenings (7 PM to 9 PM) are highly effective for posting, as users are unwinding and preparing for the week ahead, making it the ideal time for engagement.
Brief on third-party tools for tracking post times
Tracking the best time to post on IG can help you optimize your social media strategy for maximum engagement. Third-party tools like Buffer, Sprout Social, and Later can provide valuable insights into your audience's activity patterns, ensuring your posts reach the right people at the right time.
Buffer
Buffer is a well-known social media management tool that allows you to share posts across several platforms - Instagram included! Buffer also gives you insight into when you are likely to receive most engagement from your audience, based on when they did previously, and helps you maximize visibility. Buffer allows you to plan, analyze and manage your social media strategy, which is helpful in changing your content mindset to schedule posts during peak audience engagement.
Sprout Social
Sprout Social is an all-in-one social media management tool. It is used by a business or client to schedule posts, monitor mentions, and analyze their social media performance. With a feature that tracks optimal post times, Sprout Social allows its users to make posts when their audience is most active. The features of Sprout Social are useful to help the end user shape their content strategy and increase audience engagement through comprehensive analytic tools.
Later
Later is a visual content scheduling tool specifically designed for Instagram, making it a great choice for brands looking to invest in Instagram marketing. Later, it gives you insight into the best times to share based on previous engagement with your audience. The tool displays posts in a visual format to give you a plan, and later allows you to create and schedule posts, ensuring every time you share is engaging and maximized for audience visibility.
While tools like Buffer, Sprout Social, and Later help you track the best times to post on Instagram, timing alone isn't enough to guarantee success. High-quality videos play a crucial role in engagement, regardless of when you post. That's where CapCut comes in, offering powerful features to optimize your Instagram videos for maximum impact.
Using CapCut to improve video quality without sacrificing time
CapCut is a feature-rich desktop video editor, allowing you to add a quick touch to your Instagram videos without sacrificing quality in the process. CapCut is also incredibly user-friendly with rich features such as pre-built video templates, visual effects, and automatic edit options. No matter what you're up too; whether it's just adding video transitions, captions, filters, whatever you need, it provides all the tools to create content in less time than it takes to articulate when your editing process is complete, Capcut allows you to be more embellished from a creative content sense while performing the editing work for you. You can be on your way to uploading more quickly, organized, and with finished, polished, professional quality.
Key features
- Rich visual elements: Enhance your videos with stunning visual effects, transitions, and animations using CapCut, creating engaging content effortlessly.
- Copyright-free media footage: Access a library of royalty-free music, video clips, and images within CapCut, ensuring your Instagram content is legally safe.
- Instagram video templates: Quickly create professional-looking Instagram videos with CapCut's pre-designed templates, tailored for various styles and themes.
- AI-powered functions: Utilize CapCut's advanced AI tools like auto captions and the AI video generator, automating tasks to save you time.
Transform your Instagram videos: A 3-step guide with CapCut
- STEP 1
- Import your file
Start by importing your video/image/audio into CapCut desktop. Simply drag and drop your file into the video timeline editing workspace.
- STEP 2
- Edit the Instagram video
Edit your video using CapCut's diverse features, such as trimming, cutting, adding filters, transitions, and text overlays. You can also adjust brightness, contrast, and saturation, and apply AI-powered enhancements to perfect the visuals, making your video more engaging and Instagram-ready. And go to "Music" to search for a music track and add it to the video.
- STEP 3
- Export the Instagram video in high quality
Once your video is edited and polished, click "Export" and choose between various export settings, including the video format and resolution, to ensure your content stands out on the platform.
How to schedule your Instagram video
Scheduling your Instagram Reels in advance can save time and ensure your content is posted at peak engagement times. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to schedule Instagram Reels using different platforms:
- STEP 1
- Create a new Reel
Open the Instagram app and tap the "+" sign at the bottom of your screen. Select "Reel" and upload your photos or videos, add captions, filters, and any other editing.
- STEP 2
- Open more options
Tap "More options" on the Reel creation screen. From here, you'll see the option to "Schedule this reel." Select your preferred date and time for when the Reel should be published.
- STEP 3
- Finalize and schedule
After selecting your desired time, tap "Done" to return to the editing screen. Then, hit "Schedule" to set the Reel to post automatically at the chosen time.
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed the optimal Instagram posting time to get the best engagement and reviewed various tools you can use, such as Buffer, Sprout Social, and Later, to track posting times. However, it's worth noting that the quality of your Instagram content matters just as much as when you post it. Luckily, CapCut makes it easy to create and edit beautiful Instagram videos. It offers rich video editing features such as auto captions, filters, and so on. Download CapCut today to improve your Instagram videos and post them at the best times for the highest engagement!
FAQs
- 1
- When is it best not to post on Instagram?
It's unwise to post on Instagram in the late-night hours (past midnight) or the early morning (before 6 AM) when you know most of your followers are not active. Why post during this time if there are significantly fewer people online to view, like, and comment on your postings? You're limiting engagement. With CapCut desktop video editor, you should have the benefit of having captivating videos that ensure that even if you're posting in non-peak hours, your videos will look and feel great and be edited in a professional format, which will hopefully increase engagement.
- 2
- What is the best time to post on Instagram for likes?
The best time to post for likes is typically during lunch hours (11 AM to 1 PM) or early evening (5 PM to 7 PM) when users are actively checking their feeds. These times see the highest user activity and engagement. With CapCut desktop, you can ensure that your videos are high-quality, using its features to fine-tune every post for likes and engagement, no matter when you post.
- 3
- How often should I post on Instagram?
It is recommended to be consistent with your posts, at least 3-4 times a week, to keep your audience engaged. If you post too often, your followers might be overwhelmed. If you post too infrequently, you might lose the opportunity to be seen. With CapCut desktop, you can quickly create and edit engaging content, and keep up with your posting schedule with quality videos without stressing out over spending a lot of time on each one.
